Chapter 18 Overview

• Methodologies for systems development

– Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)
• focus on planning
– Open Systems Task Analysis (OSTA)
• focus on early stages of design
– Multiview
• complete methodology from planning to implementation
– Star life cycle
• focuses on design

Development process Multiview

Soft Systems
Methodology (SSM)
Plan for
Strategic information systems Open System Task
Systems planning Analysis (OSTA)

Design
Manage

Usability
evaluation Job design Usability studies
Technical support Implement

Implementation Management of
strategy change
Star life
cycle
 Soft Systems Methodology
• Focuses on planning
• Emphasis on understanding situation in which a perceived
problem is thought to lie, not in finding a solution
• Interested parties: stakeholders
• Initial phases involve stakeholders and obtain a rich
expression of problem situation
• Next phases occur away from the real world
– CATWOE (Clients, Actors, Transformation, World View, Owners,
Environment)
• Final phases compare conceptual models with original
problem expression

Soft Systems Methodology

Action to improve
The problem situation
the situation

The problem situation Feasible and

expressed desirable changes

Comparison of conceptual
models with problem
situation expression
Real world

Abstract world
Root definition of Building conceptual
relevant systems models
 Cooperative design
• Participative design
– Scandinavian approach
– involves users in design process
• Sociotechnical design
– focus on social and technical alternatives to problems
– “fragile relationships of the person, the working
environment, and the computer technology”
– Open Systems Task Analysis method (OSTA)

Open Systems Task Analysis

steps
• Primary task stated
• Task inputs identified (from outside of the system}
• External environment established (e.g., general public)
• Transformation processes described (inputs to outputs)
• Social system analyzed (roles, characteristics, qualities)
• Technical system analyzed (old and new; effect on work)
• Performance satisfaction requirements specified (future
criteria)
• Functionality, usability, acceptability requirements
specified (requirements for the new technical system;
future criteria)
 Open Systems Task Analysis
• Work requirements: task, inputs, relevant
environment, functional transformation
• Work performing system: social system,
technical system
• Future criteria: performance satisfaction;
functionality, usability, acceptability

Multiview
• More all-encompassing
• Produces a series of models
– Primary Task Model (PTM)
– Functional Model (FM)
– Entity models (presents conceptual model)
– Role Sets (RS), People Tasks (PT), Computer Task Requirements
(CTR)
– Technical requirements
• First define human system, then technical requirements
• Provides guidance but strict ordering may be difficult to
follow
 Multiview
Design technical aspects

Technical
Entity model requirements
Design HCI
Entity model
RS, PT
CTR
Analyze and design
Analyze information FM
sociotechnical aspects

PTM

Analyze human
activity

Star model
• Based on HCI designers’ actual practice
• Evaluation is central
• “Alternating waves” approach to system
development--alternates between top-down
(analytic) and bottom-up (synthetic)
• Distinguishes between
– Conceptual design: what is required
– Physical design: how these things can be achieved
 Star model
Task analysis/
Implementation functional analysis

Requirements
Prototyping Evaluation specification

Conceptual design/
formal design