Chapter 12 :System Analysis and Design questions and answers 2023/24

System A collection of activities and elements organized to accomplish a goal. Information system a collection of hardware, software, people, procedures, data, and the Internet. System analysis and design a six-phase problem-solving procedure for examining and improving an information system What do the six phases of system analysis design make up? Systems life cycle What are the 6 phases of system analysis design? Preliminary Investigation, systems analysis, systems design, systems development, systems implementation, and systems maintenance. Preliminary investigation The organization's problems or needs are identified and summarized in a short report. systems analysis The present system is studied in depth. New requirements are specified and documented. Systems design A new or alternative information system is designed and a design report created. Systems development New hardware and software are acquired, developed, and tested. Systems implementation The new information system is installed, and people are trained to use it. Systems maintenance In this ongoing phase, the system is periodically evaluated and updated as needed. Systems analyst Computer professionals who study an organization's systems to determine what actions to take and how to use computer technology to assist them. What are the phases of preliminary investigation? 1: defining the problem 2: suggesting alternative solutions 3: preparing a short report summarizing the results What are the requirements for system analysis? Gathering data and Analyzing the data What's are some of the tools available to assist systems analysts and end users in the analysis phase? top-down analysis method, grid charts, system flowcharts, data flow diagrams, and automated design tools Top-down analysis method method is used to identify the top-level components of a complex system. Each component is then broken down into smaller and smaller components. This approach makes each component easier to analyze and deal with. Grid Charts shows the relationship between input and output documents. System flowcharts show the flow of input data to processing and finally to output, or distribution of information. Data Flow Diagram Data flow diagrams show the data or informa- tion flow within an information system. The data is traced from its origin through processing, storage, and output. Automated design tools software packages that evaluate hardware and software alternatives according to requirements given by the systems analyst. AKA: computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools. These tools are not limited to systems analysis. They are used in systems design and development as well. CASE tools relieve the systems analysts of many repetitive tasks, develop clear documentation, and, for larger projects, coordinate team member activities. System Analysis Report describes the current information system, the requirements for a new system, and a possible development schedule. What are three tasks in system design? (1) designing alternative systems, (2) selecting the best system, and (3) writing a systems design report. What are three levels of feasibility searches for when designing alternative systems? Economic feasibility: Will the costs of the new system be justified by the benefits?, Technical feasibility: Are the tools necessary available?, Operational feasibility: will it work out? Or nah? System design report prepared for higher management and describes the alternative designs. It presents the costs versus the benefits and outlines the effect of alter- native designs on the organization. It usually concludes by recommending one of the alternatives. What are three steps to system development? (1) acquiring software, (2) acquiring hardware, and (3) testing the new system. Conversion the process of changing—converting—from the old system to the new one and training people to use the new system. What are four approaches to conversion? direct, parallel, pilot, and phased direct approach conversion is done simply by abandoning the old and starting up the new. This can be risky. If anything is still wrong with the new system, the old system is no longer available to fall back on Parallel approach old and new systems are operated side by side until the new one proves to be reliable. Pilot approach An approach to conversion where the new system is tried out in only one part of the organization. Once the system is working smoothly in that part, it is implemented throughout the rest of the organization. phased approach A conversion approach where the new system is implemented gradually over a period of time. The entire implementation process is broken down into parts or phases. Implementation begins with the first phase, and once it is successfully implemented, the second phase begins. This process continues until all phases are operating smoothly. What are two parts of system maintenance? systems audit and a periodic evaluation System audit When system's performance is compared to the original design specifications. This is to determine whether the new procedures are actually further- ing productivity. If they are not, some redesign may be necessary. Prototyping to build a model or prototype that can be modified before the actual system is installed Rapid applications development (RAD) involves the use of powerful development software, small specialized teams, and highly trained personnel.