CHAPTER # 10
DEVELOPING BUSINESS / IT SOLUTIONS DEVELOPING BUSINESS / IT SOLUTIONS
IS Development: •
Suppose the chief executive of the company where you work asks you to find a Web enabled way to get information to and from the salespeople in your company. How would you start? What would you do? Would you just plunge ahead and hope you could come up with a reasonable solution? How would you know whether your solution was a good one for your company? Do you think there might be a systematic way to help you develop a good solution to the CEO’s request? There is a way, and it’s a problem-solving process called the systems approach.
•
When the systems approach to problem solving is applied to the development of information systems solutions to business problems, it is called information systems development or application development.
THE SYSTEMS APPROACH: The systems approach to problem solving uses a systems orientation to define problems and opportunities and then develop appropriate, feasible solutions in response. Analyzing a problem and formulating a solution involve the following interrelated activities: 1. Recognize and define a problem or opportunity using systems thinking . 2. Develop and evaluate alternative system solutions. 3. Select the system solution that best meets your requirements. 4. Design the selected system solution. 5. Implement and evaluate the success of the designed system. WHAT IS SYSTEMS THINKING: Systems thinking to understand a problem or opportunity is one of the most important aspects of the systems approach. The essence of the discipline of systems thinking is “seeing the forest and the trees” in any situation by: •
Seeing interrelationships among systems rather than linear cause-and-effect chains whenever events occur.
•
Seeing processes of change among systems rather than discrete “snapshots” of change, whenever changes occur.
One way of practicing systems thinking is to try to find systems, subsystems, and components of systems in any situation you are studying.
Page # 1
Compiled By : Muhammad Shabbir Hussain
CHAPTER # 10
DEVELOPING BUSINESS / IT SOLUTIONS
Example: The sales process of a business can be viewed as a system. You could then ask: Is poor sales performance (output) caused by inadequate selling effort (input), out-of-date sales procedures (processing), incorrect sales information (feedback), or inadequate sales management (control)? Figure 12.2 illustrates this concept.
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN: • •
SA&D is the overall process by which information systems are designed and implemented o Includes identification of business problems Two most common approaches o Object-oriented analysis and design o Life cycle
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE (SDLC):
Page # 2
Compiled By : Muhammad Shabbir Hussain
CHAPTER # 10
DEVELOPING BUSINESS / IT SOLUTIONS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES: •
The process of development can be costly, the systems investigation stage typically requires the development of a feasibility study.
•
At this stage, this is a preliminary study where the information needs of prospective users and the resource requirements, costs, benefits, and feasibility of a proposed project are determined.
•
A team of business professionals and IS specialists might then formalize the findings of this study in a written report that includes preliminary specifications and a developmental plan for a Page # 3
Compiled By : Muhammad Shabbir Hussain
CHAPTER # 10
DEVELOPING BUSINESS / IT SOLUTIONS
proposed business application. If the management of the company approves recommendations of the feasibility study, the development process can continue.
the
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS: •
Many of these activities are an extension of those used in conducting a feasibility study.
•
Systems analysis is not a preliminary study; however, it is an in-depth study of end-user information needs that produces functional requirements that are used as the basis for the design of a new information system.
•
The activities, resources, and products of one or more of the present information systems being used.
•
The activities, resources, and products of one or more of the present information systems being used.
Page # 4
Compiled By : Muhammad Shabbir Hussain
CHAPTER # 10
DEVELOPING BUSINESS / IT SOLUTIONS
WHAT IS A PROJECT: •
A project is a special set of activities with a clear beginning and end.
•
Every project has a set of goals, objectives, and tasks.
•
Every project must also deal with a set of limitations or constraints.
•
Finally, although the content can vary from one project to the next, there are many important similarities in the process. The first, and probably the greatest, contribution of the modern project management approach is to identify the project as a series of steps or phases. The SDLC is a project management approach tailored toward the design and development of information systems.
THE PROCESS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT: There are five phases of project management.
Page # 5
Compiled By : Muhammad Shabbir Hussain
