Lecture 1 (System Analysis and Design)

Lecture 1
Systems Analysis and Design
Abdisalam Issa-Salwe
Department of Computer Science

Faculty of Information Science and Technology
East Africa University
Session objective
 Analyse the information needs of:

 End users
 Organisational environment
 Existing information systems
 Understand functional requirements of a

system that can meet the needs of end
users
East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and2Technology, Department of Computer Science
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About a system?
A set of interrelated components
 working together
 Have a purpose, achieve a common goal
East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department of Computer Science
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Introduction
 In early days of computing, systems were
developed in fairly haphazard way – resulting in
poorly designed systems which were too
expensive and were not suited to the user’s
needs
 In the 1960s, the National Computing Centre
developed a more disciplined approach to
systems development which was applicable
almost everywhere
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Introduction (cont…)
This approach was called the Systems Development Life-
cycle and contained the following stages:
 Feasibility Study
 Systems Investigation
 Systems Analysis
 Systems Design
 Implementation
 Review and Maintenance
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6
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Systems View
 Systems approach emerged in 1950s more

analytical approach to management and problem
solving three parts:
 Systems philosophy: View things as systems, interacting
components working within an environment to fulfill some
purpose
 Systems analysis: problem-solving approach
 Systems management: Address business, technological &
organizational issues before making changes to systems
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System definitions
 Science tried to explain:
 Observable phenomena by reducing them to an interplay
of elementary unit investigable independently of each
other,
 Conceptions appear in contemporary science that are
concerned with what is somewhat vaguely termed
'wholeness' i.e. problems of organisation, phenomena not
resolvable into local events, dynamic interactions manifest
in the difference of behaviour of parts when isolated or in a
higher configuration, etc.
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System definitions (cont…)
 A system is an organised assembly of components.

Organised means there exist special relationships between
the components.
 The system does something i.e. it exhibits a behaviour
unique to the system.
 Each component contributes towards the behaviour of the
system and is affected by being in the system.
 The behaviour of the system is changes if any component is
removed or leaves.
 Groups of components may form subsystems.
 The system has an outside - an environment - which
provides inputs into the system and receives outputs from the
system.
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Systems definition (cont…)

 “... a set of elements standing in inter-relation” Ludwig von
Bertalanffy
 Systems theory was proposed by the biologist Ludwig von
Bertalanffy.
 Instead of reducing a biological system, such as a plant or
animal, to parts (organs or cells), systems theory accepts
that each identifiable component is related to other parts.
 The entire system works together but each sub-system is
identified by the unique activity that occurs within it.
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5
Systems thinking
 Model of the observed situation: helps to
understand what might be going on.
 Looking at systems working as cells - inputs,
outputs, processes within the cell, purpose of the
cell
 Relationship with thinking of engineering
production - raw materials, finished product,
production processes, overall design and purpose
 Systems engineering - how to solve a design
problem elegantly
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Systems Analysis
Systems analysis is a detailed look at a current system and
what a new system will be required to do:
 Leads on directly to systems design, which is the
development of a new system that will meet these
requirements
 Systems analysis is carried out by a systems
analyst, who may either by an employee, or an
external consultant
 The chief analyst, preferably the one who was also
responsible for the feasibility studies, will work with
a team of individuals with differing backgrounds
and experience (technical and business).
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What is a system?
 Biological systems
 Physical systems
 Man-made systems
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Systems environment and boundary

 The environment it is that part of the world that can
be ignored in the analysis except for its interaction
with the system. It includes:
 competition, people, technology, capital, raw materials, data,
regulation and opportunities.
 The boundary defines the difference between the
environment and the system; the correct boundary is
a function of the problem under consideration
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7
Characteristics of systems
 Goal oriented - Systems are goal oriented
(either by evolution or design)
 Inputs - Systems have inputs from their
environment.
 Outputs - Systems have outputs to achieve their
goals.
 Process – transforms input into output.
 Feedback – reintroduces a portion of the output
of a system as an input into the same system.
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System boundary
 Dividing line
 Placed based on the
purpose: usually not a
fixed line
 Control or redesign
within the boundary
 Environment outside
the boundary
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ENVIRONMENT
Output 1
Interface
Input 2 Interface
COMPONENT 2 COMPONENT 2
Input 1 Interface
COMPONENT 3 STORAGE 1
SYSTEM
BOUNDARY
 Boundary – the perimeter or line of demarcation between
a system and the environment.
 Connections – transmit the flow of material and
information that coordinate the system’s components.
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Elements of a System
 Purpose – the reason it exists.
 The reference point for measuring its
success
 Subsystems - parts or elements which
perform specified tasks that are compatible
with the goals of the larger system of which
these are parts.
 Environment – the people, facilities, rules,
policies, and regulations that surround a
system.
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Characteristics of a System
1) Components
 Irreducible part
 Or
 Aggregation of parts
that make a single
“object” (e.g., a
modem is a single
object that is actually
made of lots of circuits
and switches, etc.)
 Aggregations are
called “subsystems”
East Africa
East Africa University, University,
Faculty Faculty of
of Information Information
Science Science andDepartment
and Technology, Technology,ofDepartment
Computer Science
East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology,
of Computer Science Department of Computer Science 19
Characteristics of a System (cont…)
2) Interrelations
 Function of one
component ties it to
the function of
others within the
system
 System working
towards some
purpose
East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department

of Computer Science 20
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3) Boundary
 What separates from
its environment
 System lies within the
boundary


4) Purpose
 Overall goal or function
 System working
towards a purpose.
Without purpose,
subsystems fail

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5) Environment
 Made up of
components as well
 The impact of the
system to the
environment as
outputs.


6) Interfaces
 Where the system meets
its environment
 Also exist between
subsystems
 In computer systems
external interfaces are
“Public” and internal are
“Private”
 Private interfaces can
either be for privacy or to
eliminate extraneous
information (and reduce
potential mistakes or info
overload. East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department
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7) Constraints
 Limitations
 Can be internal (e.g.,
resources)
 Can be external (e.g.,
rules and realities)
 Constraints are limits
to what a system can
do as a result of
external rules and
realities or internal
decisions

8) Input
 A system takes input
from its environment
in order to function
 Starts the cascade of
the system

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9) Output
 Output is what a system
returns to its environment as
a result of achieving its
purpose
 In information systems, you
have inputs, processing,
and outputs of data
 Process is the function of
the (sub)system
 Inputs are what data it takes
in
 Outputs are the data or
information result of the
processing
 Example, fdouble(x) = x*2 is
function.
 If input is 5, output is 10.

Component Decomposition
 Break system into subsystems

 Components of subsystem may form
more subsystems
 Often subsystems are easier to
understand, create, modify
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System types
 One of the most common way to classificate systems are
in open versus closed systems.
A closed system is defined in physics as a
system which is self-contained.
 It does not exchange anything with its
environment.
 … isolated from its environment and is
independent of it.
 An open systems exchange information,
material, or energy with the environment,
including random and undefined inputs. A
system connected to and interacting with its
environment
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System types (cont…)

There are several way to classify system:
 Deterministic and probabilistic:
 In a deterministic system is the interaction
among the parts known with certainty.
 In a probabilistic system is always a degree
of error attached to the prediction of what
the system will do.
 Self-organising system is one which adapts and
reacts to a stimulus.
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Need of an Information Systems
 Business System: A collection of policies,
procedures, methods, people, machines, and
other elements that interact and enable the
organisation to achieve its goals.
 Information System: A collection of procedures,
programs, equipment, and methods that process
data and make it available to management for
decision-making.
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Discussion Questions
 Why is systems analysis and design is

necessary?
 What is the role of users during systems
analysis and design?
 What are the main components of a
computer-based systems?
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Lecture 1 (System Analysis and Design)

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Lecture 1 (System Analysis and Design)

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Lecture 1

Systems Analysis and Design

Department of Computer Science

 Analyse the information needs of:

 Understand functional requirements of a

 Systems approach emerged in 1950s more

 A system is an organised assembly of components.

Systems definition (cont…)

Systems environment and boundary

Characteristics of a System (cont…)

East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department

East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department

Characteristics of a System (cont…)

East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department

East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department

Characteristics of a System (cont…)

East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department

Characteristics of a System (cont…)

East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department

East Africa University, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Department

 Break system into subsystems

System types (cont…)

 Why is systems analysis and design is

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