Management Information System

System Analysis and Development and Models

INTRODUCTION:
With the fast changing business management practices all over the world,
the system that sought to serve them are also changing faster. At the same time
what is needed is a robust design, easy to change, with the changed components
being minimal, user-friendly and easy to learn, and hardware software
independent. For the integrity of the information in all respects, the system
should have less human intervention, the data input should be once at a valid
source and shareable on the selective basis. The system designed now in the
competitive world are intelligent, action triggering, self –controlled, demanding
the users’ attention in extreme cases.
The system analyst now has to play the role of a business analyst,
technology expert and a consultant, giving a solution to the business needs of
the information requirement .The nature of the solution is not of a micro level
but of a macro level. The information system s’ users are more in the middle
and the top management and less in the lower level of the organization as their
role is taken over by the system itself.
The system analysis and design, therefore, has become more complex, as
most of the system are open systems and probabilistic in nature as against the
closed, deterministic systems experience in earlier years.
SYSTEM ANALYSIS:
Systems analysis is the analysis of the problem that the organization will
try to solve with an information system. It consists of defining its causes,
specifying the solution, and identifying the formation requirements that must be
met by a system solution.

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System Analysis and Development and Models

THE NEED FOR SYSTEM ANALYSIS:

As a requirement of the data processing or the information need, it is
necessary to analyze the system from different angles. The analysis of the
system is the basic necessity for an efficient system design. The need for system
analysis stems from following points of view:
System Objective:
The users of the system and the personnel involved are not in a position to
define the objectives. So it is necessary for an analyst to define or redefine the
objectives as a reference point in context of the current business requirement.
System Boundaries:
It is necessary to establish the system boundaries which define the scope
and coverage of the system. This not only helps to sort out and understand
functional boundaries in the system, departmental boundaries in the system, and
the people involved in the system but also helps to identify the inputs and
outputs of the various subsystems, covering the entire system.

System Importance:
It is necessary to understand the importance of the system in the
organization because it throws more light on its utility and helps the designer to
decide the design features of the system.

Nature of the System:

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Management Information System
System Analysis and Development and Models

The analysis of the system will help the system designer to conclude
whether the system is the closed type or an open, and a deterministic or a
probabilistic, in order to ensure the necessary design architecture.

Role of the system as an Interface:

The system acts as an interface to the other system. Hence through such an
interface, it activates or promotes some changes to the other system. It is
necessary to understand the existing role of the system, as an interface, to
safeguard the interests of the other systems.

Participation of the Users:

The strategic purpose of the analysis of the system is to seek the
acceptance of the people to a new development. This helps in breaking the
resistance to the new development and also ensures the commitment to the new
development and also ensures the commitment to the new system.

Understanding of Resource Needs:

The analysis of the system helps in defining the resource requirements in
terms of hardware and software that serve the organization.

Assessment of the Feasibility:

The analysis of the system includes a feasibility study to determine
whether that solution is feasible, or achievable, from different angles. The
system should satisfy the technical, financial and organizational feasibility. The
assessment of feasibility will save the investment and the system designer’s
time.

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System Analysis and Development and Models

SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM:

When the objectives of the system are finalized, it is necessary to analyze the
existing system that helps in achieving the following:
• Understanding the existing system.
• Understanding the objectives achieved by the existing system.
• Evaluating the system for computerization and its placement in the total
MIS design.
• Studying whether the system is feasible technically and operationally.
• Are the information needs fully justified?
• Is the investment for the system design justified to increase the value of
the information?

PROCEDURE OF ANALYSING THE EXISTING SYSTEM:

1. Carry out the analysis of the system at a place where the system is
functioning.
2. Note down the key personnel in the system besides the head of the
department.
3. Observe the system to understand the finer details of the system.
4. Define the scope an objectives of the system. The scope will cover the
boundaries of the system.
5. Collect all the documents and understand the purpose it achieves, and the
manner it is distributed.
6. Collect separately the output such as reports, statements, memos, etc..
made in the system o throw more light in the information it generates.
7. Make a list of rules, formulae, guidelines, policies, etc which are used in
running the system.

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The system analyst has think globally, taking into consideration the
technology, the user, and the business it serves. He is required to make
analysis to evolve the system. He has to choose between the client
servers versus the Host-slave processing strategy. He has to make a
choice between the different variants of Unix OS, Windows NT and so
on. He will also have to deal with the techno-commercial issues arising
out of the multiple vendors dealing with different technologies. Putting
all the system components together to achieve the information processing
strategy success is quite complex job requiring a vision and a foresight.
Hence, the System Analysis and Design is an exercise as a macro
level with a top-down approach in understanding the requirement.

INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CYCLE:

The activities that go into producing an information system solution to
the organizational problem or opportunity are called system development.
The main advantage of the system development cycle approach is that
the process helps the analyst to conceive, develop, design and implement the
system. Following life cycle approach provides the basis for management and
control of the project as each step in the system designer. Its meticulous
following is a safe method to accomplish the system objectives.
The information development cycle for a new application consists of
five major stages:
Definition of the system and its objective:
Define the system and its elements. Determine the system boundaries
and scope. Set the objectives for the system in line with the business
objectives.
This stage assures clarity to the users and the system designer.
Development of the system (Analysis-Design-Programming):

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The system analysis of the existing business systems and changes

therein is carried out. Decision making needs are identified and
information needs are defined. A feasibility of the system is examined.
A system is conceptually designed and an initial prototype of the
system. Designing a computer system-output design, input design,
processing design, procedure design, database design architecture and
application development design.

Installation of the system and testing:

The system is tested and installed on the hardware for
implementation. Switching over to computer system after thorough
operational testing. Exhaustive and through testing must be conducted to
ascertain whether the system produces the right results through unit,
system and acceptance testing.
This stage ensures that the operational problems are resolved.
Checks and controls are ensured through and the parallel runs.

Operations of the system:

The system is operated in full course and existing system is
discontinued.
This stage builds the confidence in the user and the designer
simultaneously evaluates the performance of the computer system.

Review and Revaluation:

A review is taken whether the system objectives are being met with
and what are the problems in the smooth running. Steps are taken to
resolve them.
This is an audit by the designer for improvement through test
data and audit trail.

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System Analysis and Development and Models

MISSIO
N&
GOLS
INFORMATION
NEEDS
SPECIFICATIONS

ANALYSIS

SYSTEM
DESIGN

PROCESS
DESIGN

TESTING

IMPLEMENTAION

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System Analysis and Development and Models

MAINTENAN
CE

Fig. 4.1 System Development Model-Waterfall Model

• In order to design a good system, the develops have used the Waterfall
model on a traditional basis, as shown as in the figure 4.1.
• This model fits well when the changes into the requirement specifications
are not required frequently.
• As waterfall flows from the top to the bottom, the system model shows
the development process from the top to the bottom in steps.
• As water does not rise from a lower level to a higher level, it is presumed
that once a step in the model is over, it is not required to go back.
• The minor changes can be taken care of through a maintenance process or
through small design changes.
• The waterfall model applies well to basic rule based data and information
processing systems in accounting materials, production & personnel.

BOEHM’S SPIRAL MODEL

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System Analysis and Development and Models

Fig.4.2 Spiral Model of Boehm

➢ Some systems are more dynamic and require changes in specifications
more often to continue to be useful.
➢ These modifications are termed as the version of the basic model.
➢ One of the popular models developed is the Spiral Model by Boehm
as shown in the figure 4.2.
➢ A spiral model fits well, when we are developing large systems, where
the specifications cannot be ascertained in one stroke completely and
correctly.
➢ Some of them get surfaced when the system is put to use after its
testing
➢ The continuous revision of these steps in the system development is
very common and then the designers call them as versions.
➢ The new version provides an additional functionality, features &
facilities to the user, and addresses the issues of the users of the
system i.e. performance, response, security and so on.
➢ The user wants the system to be user friendly, reliable & effective, and
one which gives correct results,

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➢ The developer wants the system easy to modify, easy to understand,

portable and compatible to other systems.

MEASURES OF A GOOD SYSTEM

The definition of a good system varies with the system’s environment.
Some of the measures of a good system include:
➢ Performance
➢ Ability to change
➢ User friendliness & ease of operation
➢ Correctness of the result
➢ Speed & response
In other words, a good system design considers the environment and the users,
and incorporates all the needs and expectations so that its utility is the highest.

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT METHODS

➢ The traditional software development methods are the Structured Systems
Analysis and Design (SSAD) by Ross, the Requirement Driven Design
by Alford and the Structured Analysis and Structure Design (SASD) by
Yourdon.
➢ These traditional methods deal with the functions and the data are viewed
together as an object.
➢ In the traditional methods, the function provides the behavior/operation
which will use the data to perform.
➢ The data set so produced will hold information on the latest status of the
transaction/function.
➢ These methods operate on the data model which has a structure,
definition & application.
➢ The same data when used in different functions will produce different
results & information.
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➢ The system developed with the SSAD model, are difficult to maintain.
The reason is that for each function and its behavior the data structure is
defined.
➢ But, in reality, when the data format changes, the programs have to be
changed accordingly.
➢ Hence, the length of the program and its complexity increases thus
making the maintenance difficult.
➢ So, understanding the SSAD model is easy but it is difficult to maintain.
➢ In this approach, the user must have two views on the system to
understand; the first view on the data and the second on its result
produced. The two views create a problem of understanding the system
correctly.

SYSTEM IN DEVELOPING A STSTEM

The following steps for the development of a system are common regardless
of which model is being used to develop; be it the waterfall model/Spiral model,
or the SSAD/SASD approach.
➢ Requirement Analysis
○ The requirement analysis is carried out form the top towards the
bottom in the organization hierarchy.
○ This step links the goals and objective of the organization with the
strategy mix to achieve them.
○ In this step, the information needs of the individuals, group and
functions are analyzed from a decision making/support point of
view.
○ Such information needs would fully satisfy the operational and
management information needs.
➢ Requirement Definition
○ Once the information needs are justified, the next step is to define
them in clearer terms for the purpose of development.

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○ This definition brings clarity in the content and its applications in

various ways in the organization.
➢ System Design
○ This step consists of three sub-steps:
 Input Design
 Process Design
 Output Design
○ Here a physical and a logical system is designed through which the
outputs are designed.
○ The processes which would give the outputs are determined and
the data which would be required by these processes is finalized in
terms of definitions, source & quality
○ Also, the collection, creation, validation & storage of the input data
is also decided.
➢ System Development
➢ Unit testing
➢ Integration of the Modules
➢ System Testing
➢ Implementation
➢ Maintenance

A good system design and its implementation will be accepted highly

by the user as it helps solve business performance problems and meets
the information needs within a sensible time scale, with assured quality of
information.

STRUCTURED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS & DESIGN(SSAD)

➢ The structured systems analysis develops a conceptual, logical and
graphical model of the system, if is developed with reference to the
objective and taking into consideration the constraints under which the
system operates.
➢ The model is developed with four symbols as shown in the figure 4.3.

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➢ For example, the logical model of the customer order processing and
issuing the order acceptance can be shown in the model, using these
symbols as shown in the figure 4.4

Fig 4.5 DFD of Customer Order Processing

➢ The main system is divided into three levels in its logical order.
➢ It says that unless the customer order is validated and commercially
accepted, it will not be processed for an order acceptance decision.
➢ It also indicates that at each level, the stored data in the system is used.
➢ After detailing the system in the DFDs, the system designer has to define
the data in the dictionary.
➢ The data dictionary is an assembly of the data used in the system giving
its picture definition and its use For example, the customer is a data
entity and its presentation in the dictionary will be defined with

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specifications. The customer name is defined of thirty character length

and the pin code is defined of six character length.
➢ The data dictionary contains information about individual pieces of data
& data groupings within a system,
➢ It defines the contents of data flows & data stores so that system builders
understand exactly what pieces of data they contain.
➢ The third task which the system designer undertakes is to define, in
detail, the process of transformation in its logical order. For example, the
process of the customer order acceptance validation will be graphically
modeled as shown in figure 4.6. It shows the process design of the order
acceptance decision.
➢ The graphical model shows the process decides whether the customer
order is to be accepted for commercial processing.
➢ The decision of acceptance is based on the type of customer and further
on the specifications such as the size, the type and the zone.
➢ Hence, the SSAD model has 3 steps viz.,
○ Modeling of the system in the DFDs
○ Constructing the Data Dictionary
○ Process Modeling
➢ As the entire system is presented in a graphical manner, the
communication with the users becomes easy & effective.
➢ Any change in the post-implement as it is possible to know its
implications on the other processes.

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