BRIEF summary information systems

INFORMATIESYSTEMEN KORT SAMENGEVAT

CHAPTER 1: ANALYZING THE INFORMATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR BUSINESS PROCESSES

CONTEXT

Information System Development = consist of 4 stages

1. System analysis; What should the system do?
 About system requirements
2. System design; How can we meet these requirements?
 About which information/communication technologies should be used
 System design = a plan that details what is needed
3. System implementation phase
 Realisation of the system design/plan
 Real coding, writing of software code, programming… all done in this phase
 (!) testing is a major component here
4. System use stage
 System is delivered and people in the organization can use it
 System needs to be maintained
i. Because some bugs or defects might have been missed during testing
ii. Also includes continuously updating info to meet the requirements

System analysis is part of the problem domain, while the other 3 phases are part of the solution
space.

 In the problem domain, the input and contribution of business people is most important,
because they know exactly what the problem is.
 Some systems fail because people shift too early from problem to solution space.
o Make sure all the requirements are covered, are correct and that they do not
contradict each other, only then move to thinking about solutions

The system analysis consists of 4 stages. We elicit, specify, describe and validate the system
requirements! (=> from general business idea to more detailed, data information, IT level goals)

- First thing: think about the system objectives
o What are the particular objectives that we want to reach with this system?
  delivers us business requirements for the system
- Secondly: think about the system functions
o How can you reach these objectives?
  system requirements
- Third: now you need information needs
o What information do we need to perform these functions?
  data processing requirements
- Lastly: need for data needs
o What data must be processed to answer these questions?
  data storage requirements

Business Process Management (BPM)

= operational management approach, main goal is to make processes better, more efficient, better
performance…

, BPM has four dimensions that need focussing ( = the devil’s quadrangle )

- Quality
- Cost
- Time
- Flexibility
 Very hard to improve an all dimensions
o Good balance is needed

- WHAT: BPM is a body of methods, techniques and tools to discover, analyse, redesign,
execute and monitor business processes.
- WHY: continuously assure and improve the efficiency of business processes
- HOW: process automation, governance, innovation…

 BPM lifecycle
o Discovery, analysis and design executed in a cyclical way
 Process identification (not part of the cycle, precedes the cycle)
 Creates a process architecture
 Process discovery
 Build an as-is process model
 Process analysis
 Insights on weaknesses of as-is and their impact
 Process redesign
 Build to-be process model
 Process implementation
 Executable process model
 Process monitoring
 Conformance and performance insights

CONCEPTS

Business process = in essence, a collection of activities, or at least one activity

- Activity = a unit of work + take some time
o No activity = no process
- Event = things that happen + have no time at all
- Decision point = points in the process where certain decisions need to be made
o 2 types of decisions
 Those that lead to alternative paths
 Those that decide that activities can be performed parallel
- Outcomes = output
o Positive
o Negative
- Actors
o Participation in the process, have certain responsibilities and making decisions
 Employee, customers …
- Objects
o Flow through the process