Systems Development Tools and Techniques

CHAPTER 3

In addition to understanding business operations, a systems analyst

must know how to use a variety of techniques such as modeling,
prototyping, and computer-aided systems engineering tools to plan,
design, and implement information systems.
Systems analysts work with these tools in a team environment,
where input from users, managers, and IT staff contributes to the
system design.

Systems Development Tools and Techniques

Modeling

CHAPTER 3

It produces a graphical representation of a concept

or process (business) that systems developers can
analyze, test, and modify. A system analyst can
describe and simplify an information system by
using a set of business, data, object, network, and
process models.
A business model (or requirements model)
describes the information that a system must
provide.
A business process describes a specific set of
transactions, events, tasks, and results.

Systems Development Tools and Techniques

Business
Model

Event:
Receive Sales Order

CHAPTER 3

Process:
Check Customer Status

BUSINESS
MODEL:

Process:
Verify Customer Credit

Handle
Sales Order
Result:
Completed Sales Order

Process:
Enter Customer Order
Data

Systems Development Tools and Techniques

Modeling

CHAPTER 3

A data model describes data structures and design.

An object model describes objects, which
combine data and processes.
A network model describes the design and
protocols of telecommunication links.
A process model describes the logic that
programmers use to write code modules.
Although the models might appear to overlap, they
actually work together to describe the same
environment from different points of view.

Systems Development Tools and Techniques

Prototyping

CHAPTER 3

Prototyping tests system concepts and provides

opportunity to examine input, output and user
interfaces before final decisions are made.
A prototype is an early working version of an
information system.
A prototype serve as an initial model that is used
as a benchmark to evaluate the finished system, or
the prototype itself can develop into the final
version of the system.

Systems Development Tools and Techniques

CHAPTER 3

Prototyping

A possible disadvantage of prototyping is that

important decisions might be made too early, before
business or IT issues are understood thoroughly.

Systems Development Tools and Techniques

ComputerAided
Systems
Engineering
(CASE) Tools

CHAPTER 3

A technique that uses powerful software called

CASE tools to help systems analysts develop and
maintain information systems.
CASE tools provide an overall framework for
systems development and support a wide variety of
design methodologies, including structured analysis
and object-oriented analysis.
Traditional CASE tools include project
management tools like MS Project and specialpurpose charting tools like MS Visio.

Systems Development Tools and Techniques

CHAPTER 3

ComputerAided
Systems
Engineering
(CASE) Tools

A sample Gantt Chart using MS Project

Todays project managers still use the Gantt chart as the primary tool to
communicate project schedule information, but with the aid of
computers, it is no longer necessary to draw the charts by hand.

Systems Development Tools and Techniques

CHAPTER 3

ComputerAided
Systems
Engineering
(CASE) Tools

A sample Network Diagram MS Project

Note that the diagram includes arrows that show which tasks are
related and the sequence in which team members must perform the
tasks. The concept of determining relationships among tasks is
essential in helping to improve project scheduling. This concept
allows you to find and monitor the critical paththe longest path
through a network diagram that determines the earliest completion
of a project.

Systems Development Tools and Techniques

CHAPTER 3

ComputerAided
Systems
Engineering
(CASE) Tools

Sample Enterprise Project Management Tool

Enterprise project management software integrates information from
multiple projects to show the status of active, approved, and future
projects across an entire organization and provides links to more
detailed information.

Systems Development Methods

Structured
Analysis

CHAPTER 3

Structured analysis is a traditional systems

development technique that is time-tested and easy
to understand. Structured analysis uses a series of
phases called the systems development life cycle
(SDLC) to plan, analyze, design, implement, and
support an information system.
Also called a predictive approach since it is
based on a detailed plan.
Structured analysis uses a process-centered
technique because it focuses on processes that
transform data into useful information.

Systems Development Methods

Structured
Analysis

CHAPTER 3

In addition to modeling the processes, structured

analysis also addresses data organization and
structure, relational database design, and user
interface issues.
Process modeling identifies the data flowing into a
process, the business rules that transform the data,
and the resulting output data flow.

Systems Development Methods

Structured
Analysis

D1

CHAPTER 3

STUDENTS
1
STUDENT DATA

INPUT
COURSE DATA

REGISTER
STUDENTS

REGISTRATION DATA

OUTPUT

D2

COURSES
D3 CLASS ROSTERS

School Registration System

Systems Development Methods

ObjectOriented
Analysis

CHAPTER 3

Whereas structured analysis treats processes and

data as separate components, object-oriented
analysis combines data and the processes that act
on the data into things called objects.
An object is a member of a class, which is a
collection of similar objects. Objects possesses
characteristics called properties, which the object
inherits from its class or possesses on its own. The
built-in processes are called methods.

Systems Development Methods

ObjectOriented
Analysis
The PERSON
class
includes
INSTRUCTOR
and STUDENT
objects
which
have their won
properties and
inherited
properties.

CHAPTER 3
PERSON
Name
Address
Social Security Number

INSTRUCTOR
Name
Address
Social Security Number
Office Location
Office Telephone
Date Hired

Inherited Properties

Other Properties

STUDENT
Name
Address
Social Security Number
Major
GPA
Adviser