Information Systems Analysis and Design

The key to success in business is the ability to gather, organise and interpret information. Information system analysis and design is an organisational improvement process. Systems are built and rebuilt for organisational benefits. It explains the fundamental of system, system characteristics, information system components, different kinds of information system, the varied roles of Systems Analyst and finally the needs of systems analysis and design.

Topic Outcomes

1. Define systems and information system.
2. Identify system characteristics.
3. Describe information system components. Describe types of information systems.
4. Realize systems analyst roles and qualities

It covers the process of understanding the current system, the process of analysis, the process of developing a new design, and finally the process of implementing and maintaining the new system. It explains model, tool, techniques, system development methodology, other alternatives approaches to development and finally phases in the System Development Life Cycle.

Topic Outcomes

1. Define methodology, model, tools and techniques.
2. Differentiate between Structured Analysis and Object Oriented Analysis and Design in system development methodologies.
3. Describe other alternative approaches to system development such as Rapid Application Design and Prototyping.
4. Describe the Systems Development Life Cycle approach

It covers the project management skills in the Information System development. Effective project management helps to ensure the systems development projects meet customer expectations and delivered within budget and time constraint. It addresses Project Manager’s role and the project management process. This chapter presents techniques for reporting project plans using Work Breakdown structure (WBS), Gantt charts and network diagrams and a reference of project management resource in managing information system projects.

Topic Outcomes

1. Define the terms project and project management.
2. Describe the causes of failed projects.
3. Describe the skills required to be an effective project manage.
4. Explain the process of project management.
5. List and describe the skills and activities of a project manager during project initiation, project execution, and project close down..
6. Identify project management resource available which can assist project manager in project management

Organisation can benefit from a formal process in System Planning. It divides system planning into two primary activities. Project identification and selection focuses on activities during which the need for a new or enhanced system is recognised. Project initiation and planning is where projects are accepted for development, rejected or redirected. A feasibility study were used to measure a project planning in meeting the criteria determined.

Topic Outcomes

1. Describe the steps involved when identifying and selecting projects and initiating and planning projects.
2. Explain how projects are initiated and selecte.
3. Describe various methods for accessing project feasibility.
4. Explain intangible and tangible costs and benefits.
5. Explain the need of Baseline Project Plan

It focuses on gathering information by understanding the current system, the organisation the replacement system will support and user requirement or expectations for the replacement system. This topic introduces to a wide range of techniques for discovering system requirements sources such as interviews, observation, questionnaires, document review, Joint Application Design (JAD) and prototyping.

Topic Outcomes

1. Define system requirements and the importance’s.
2. Identify methods for system requirements and list the advantages and disadvantages of each.
3. Structure and construct interviews and questionnaires in a way that is meaningful to users.
4. Understand the Joint Application Development (JAD) and prototyping concept and application.
5. Describe system requirement strategy that will make the most of your time with end users

Process Modelling is a formal way of explaining how a system operates. It shows processes, activities, business functions and data flow among them. It focuses on one tool - Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) that is used to coherently represent the information gathered as part of system requirement. Explanation of DFD with symbols, rules, decomposition, balancing, drawing guidelines and finally conclude with its logical and physical.

Topic Outcomes

1. Describe the symbols used in data flow diagrams and explain the rules for their use  
2. Draw data flow diagrams that lead to accurate and well-structured process models.
3. Decompose data flow diagrams into lower-level diagrams.
4. Balance higher-level and lower-level data flow diagrams
5. Use Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) as a tool to support the analysis of information systems.
6. Describe the relationship between logical and physical Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs)

Logic modelling involves representing internal structure and functionality of processes depicted on a DFD. It introduces to techniques use during the analysis phase to model the logic within processes such as Structured English, Decision Tables and Decision Tree. It concludes with explanation on development strategies in creating new software which are by: Custom software, purchase commercial off-the-shelf software package and outsourced to an application service provider.

Topic Outcomes

1. Understand the use of Logic Modelling.
2. Use structured English, decision tables, and decision trees to analyze, describe, and document structured decisions.
3. Understand the guidelines in choosing appropriate logic modelling techniques for different situations.
4. Explain software development strategies

This topic covers several fundamentals of output, user interface and input design which have been the part of the System Design phase in the systems development life cycle. This phase is the physical design of the system that is developed based on the concrete understanding of how the system will operate. It introduces several fundamentals of output, user interface and input design.

Topic Outcomes

1. Describe the objectives for effective output, input and navigation design.
2. Weight the factors in choosing output and input technology.
3. Describe the difference between printed and screen output.
4. Differentiate data capture, data entry and data processing.
5. Differentiate batch, online and remote processing.
6. Describe the impact of input volume, input type and input validation

This topic discusses the architecture components and planning to understand how the software can be divided into different parts and distributed over the architecture. There are three principals’ system architecture planning in uses today which are server-based, client-based and client-server architecture. Hardware and software specification used to determine factor for selection of hardware and software in supporting the architecture plan.

Topic Outcomes

1. Identify server-based, client-based and client server architectures.
2. Make a decision in choosing the right architecture.
3. Describe the impact of client-server tiers.
4. Explain hardware and software specification.
5. Explain the process involved in finalizing design specification

This topic discusses various types of testing to ensure the quality of the system developed. Once the system accepted by the user, the system will be installed with several approaches installation strategies. It focusses the different types of documentation and training for the user to use the system effectively.

Topic Outcomes

1. Explain different types of system testing including unit, integration, system and acceptance.
2. Apply four system installation strategies.
3. Differentiate between program, system, operation and user documentation.
4. Compare modes available for system training including supplier, external or in-house.
5. Explain and contrast four types of maintenance.
6. Describe maintenance management issues, including personnel, quality measurement and controlling change requests