DEVELOPING IT SYSTEMS

1
CHAPTER 9

• DEVELOPING IT SYSTEMS
• Bringing IT Systems to Life

2
Every Organization Is Using Information Technology
Introduction
9-2

• But IT systems dont magically appear.
• Organizations spend billions of dollars every
  year developing systems.
• Organizations also spend billion of dollars
  buying systems that have already been developed.
• The latest trend is to let knowledge workers take
  over much of the development process.

3
YOUR FOCUS IN THIS CHAPTER
Introduction
9-3

• The Who, How, and Why of Software Development
• Insourcing and the Traditional SDLC
• How to Develop Systems for Yourself Through
  Selfsourcing
• Letting Other Organizations Develop Your Systems
  (Outsourcing)
• CASE Tools and Joint Application Development

4
SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT IS A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER
SESSION
Systems Development
9-4

• What systems should we develop?
• When should we develop those systems?
• Who should develop systems?
• How should we go about developing systems?
• Why is my participation important during the
  systems development process?

In this chapter, we focus on who, how, and why.
5
WHY IS YOUR PARTICIPATION IMPORTANT?
Systems Development
9-5

• 1.You are a business process expert
• 2.You are a liaison to the customer
• 3.You are a quality control analyst
• 4.You are (or will be) a manager of other people

6
WHO SHOULD DEVELOP SYSTEMS?
Systems Development
9-6

• You have three choices.
• 1.Insourcing - IT specialists within your
  organization.
• 2.Selfsourcing - Knowledge workers such as
  yourself.
• 3.Outsourcing - Another organization.

7
HOW SHOULD YOU GO ABOUT DEVELOPING SYSTEMS?
Systems Development
9-7

• We will look at five choices.
• 1.Traditional systems development life cycle
• 2.Prototyping
• 3.Application software packages
• 4.Computer-aided software engineering
• 5.Joint application development

8
INSOURCING AND THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS
DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE
Insourcing SDLC
9-8

• INSOURCING involves choosing IT specialists
  within your organization to develop the system.
• TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE
  (TRADITIONAL SDLC) - a structured step-by-step
  approach to developing systems that creates a
  separation of duties among IT specialists and
  knowledge workers.

9
Insourcing SDLC
9-9

• Knowledge workers are the business process
  experts and the quality control analysts.
• IT specialists are responsible for design,
  implementation, and support of the system.

The 6 steps of the traditional SDLC 1.Planning
(Ch. 8) 4.Design 2.Scoping 5.Implementation 3.
Analysis 6.Support
See Figure 9.2, page 366
10
SCOPING - STEP 2
Insourcing SDLC
9-10

• Lay the foundation for the systems development
  process of a specific system.
• Key Tasks During Scoping
• Determine which business units will be affected
• Gather the project team
• Review existing applications for needed
  interfaces
• Perform an initial feasibility review
• Develop a plan for proceeding

11
YOUR ROLE DURING SCOPING
Insourcing SDLC
9-11

• Define the exact problem or opportunity
• Participate in developing a plan for proceeding

12
ANALYSIS - STEP 3
Insourcing SDLC
9-12

• Determine the logical requirements for the
  proposed system.
• The key in this step is logical, not physical.
• Focus only on your information and processes from
  a logical point of view.
• Key Tasks During Analysis
• Model, study, and analyze the current system
• Define new information and processing
  requirements
• Model the new system (logical only)
• Update the project plan and scope

13
YOUR ROLE DURING ANALYSIS
Insourcing SDLC
9-13

• Provide information concerning how the system
  currently works.
• Provide information concerning new information
  and processing requirements.
• Monitor and justify the new feasibility review.

14
DESIGN - STEP 4
Insourcing SDLC
9-14

• Build a technical blueprint of how the proposed
  system will work.
• IT specialists complete most of the tasks here.
• Your role becomes that of quality assurance.
• Key Tasks During Design
• Identify alternative technical solutions
• Analyze alternative solutions and choose the best
• Update the project plan and scope

15
YOUR ROLE DURING DESIGN
Insourcing SDLC
9-15

• Assure that the recommended technical solution
  meets the logical requirements.
• Monitor and justify the project plan.

16
IMPLEMENTATION - STEP 5
Insourcing SDLC
9-16

• Bring the proposed system to life and place it in
  the organization.
• Key Tasks During Implementation
• Programming, testing, and training
• Hardware acquisition and installation
• Conversion
• PARALLEL - using the old and new simultaneously
• PLUNGE - immediately using the new
• PILOT - converting only a group of people first
• PIECEMEAL - converting only a portion of the
  system first

17
YOUR ROLE DURING IMPLEMENTATION
Insourcing SDLC
9-17

• Determine the best training method.
• Determine the best conversion method.
• Provide complete testing of the new system.
• Monitor the budget and schedule and look for
  runaway projects.

18
SUPPORT - STEP 6
Insourcing SDLC
9-18

• Final sequential step of any systems development
  process.
• Ensure that the system continues to meet stated
  goals.
• You may need to make minor modifications or
  completely overhaul the system at some point.

19
KEY TASKS AND YOUR ROLE DURING SUPPORT
Insourcing SDLC
9-19

• KEY TASKS
• React to changes in information and processing
  needs.
• Assess the worth of the system in terms of the
  strategic plan of the organization.
• YOUR ROLE
• Provide a mechanism for people to request
  changes.
• Assess the worth of proposed changes before
  passing them to the IT specialists.

20
ADVANTAGES OF INSOURCING AND THE SDLC
Insourcing SDLC
9-20

• Allows your organization to tailor a system to
  your exact needs.
• Uses a structured step-by-step approach.
• Creates a separation of duties between IT
  specialists and knowledge workers.
• Requires key deliverables before proceeding to
  the next step.

21
DISADVANTAGES OF INSOURCING AND THE SDLC
Insourcing SDLC
9-21

• It takes time to get exactly what you want.
• Some smaller projects suffer from a structured
  approach.
• IT specialists and knowledge workers speak
  different languages, creating communications
  gaps.
• If you omit a requirement early, it can be costly
  to correct that mistake later.

22
SELFSOURCING
Selfsourcing
9-22
the development and support of IT systems by
knowledge workers with little or no help from IT
specialists.

• Selfsourcing is an important part of knowledge
  worker computing in which you develop your own
  systems.
• Selfsourcing is an option for who.
• When selfsourcing, you almost always employ
  prototyping as a how.

23
PROTOTYPING - BUILDING MODELS
Prototyping
9-23

• PROTOTYPING is the process of building a model
  that demonstrates the features of a proposed
  product, service, or system.
• A PROTOTYPE is a model of a proposed product,
  service, or system.
• Most industries prototype all the time (think
  about the automobile industry).
• Prototyping can also be a valuable tool in
  systems development.

24
Prototyping Can Aid in...
Prototyping
9-24

• Gathering requirements - because prototyping is
  iterative.
• Helping determine requirements - especially if
  people dont know what they want.
• Proving that a system is technically feasible -
  these prototypes are called PROOF-OF-CONCEPT
  PROTOTYPES.
• Selling the idea of a proposed system - these
  prototypes are called SELLING PROTOTYPES.

25
THE PROTOTYPING PROCESS
Prototyping
9-25

• 1.Identify Basic Requirements
• 2.Develop Initial Prototype
• 3.Knowledge Worker Reviewing
• 4.Revise and Enhance the Prototype

Continue the iterative process between steps 3
and 4 until everyone is happy with the prototype.
See Figure 9.7, page 381
26
PROTOTYPING ADVANTAGES
Prototyping
9-26

• Encourages active knowledge worker participation.
• Helps resolve discrepancies among knowledge
  workers.
• Gives knowledge workers a feel for the final
  system.
• Helps determine technical feasibility.
• Helps sell the idea of a proposed system.

27
PROTOTYPING DISADVANTAGES
Prototyping
9-27

• Leads people to believe the final system will
  follow shortly.
• Gives no indication of performance under
  operational conditions.
• Leads the project team to forgo proper testing
  and documentation.

28
SELFSOURCING PROCESS STEPS
Selfsourcing
9-28

• 1. SCOPING
• Define the goals of the new system
• Create a project plan
• Identify any systems that require an interface
• Determine needed external support
• 2. ANALYSIS
• Study and model current system
• Understand interfaces in detail
• Define and prioritize your requirements

See Figure 9.8 and the box on page 383
29
SELFSOURCING PROCESS STEPS
Selfsourcing
9-29

• 3. DESIGN
• Select a design target
• Acquire the necessary hardware and software
• Develop an initial prototype
• 4. IMPLEMENTATION
• Fully develop prototype into a complete system
• Test the new system
• Train
• Convert to the new system
• Completely document the new system
• 5. SUPPORT
• Provide ongoing maintenance

30
SELFSOURCING ADVANTAGES
Selfsourcing
9-30

• Improves requirements determination.
• Increases knowledge worker participation and
  sense of ownership.
• Increases speed of systems development.

31
SELFSOURCING PITFALLS
Selfsourcing
9-31

• Inadequate knowledge worker expertise leads to
  inadequately developed systems.
• Lack of organizational focus creates privatized
  IT systems.
• Insufficient analysis of design alternatives
  leads to subpar IT systems.
• Lack of documentation and external support lead
  to short-lived systems.

32
OUTSOURCING
Outsourcing
9-32
is the delegation of specific work to a third
party for a specified length of time, at a
specified cost, and at a specified level of
service.

• FORMS OF SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT OUTSOURCING (See
  Figure 9.9, page 386)
• 1.Purchase existing application software package.
• 2.Purchase existing application software package
  and request modifications.
• 3.Outsource development of a system for which no
  application software package exists.

33
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
Outsourcing
9-33

• An RFP is a formal document that outlines your
  logical requirements of the proposed system and
  invites outsourcing organizations to submit bids
  for its development.
• An RFP is the most important document in the
  outsourcing process.
• It includes your logical system requirements,
  needed development time frame, how RFP returns
  will be scored and evaluated, and a host of other
  valuable information.

34
THE OUTSOURCING PROCESS
Outsourcing
9-34

• Select a Target System
• Establish Logical Requirements
• Develop a Request for Proposal (RFP)
• Evaluate RFP Returns and Choose a Vendor
• Test and Accept the Solution
• Monitor and Reevaluate

35
OUTSOURCING ADVANTAGESAllows your organization
to...
Outsourcing
9-35

• Focus on Unique Core Competencies
• Exploit the Intellect of Another Organization
• Better Predict Future Costs
• Acquire Leading-Edge Technology
• Reduce Costs
• Improve Performance Accountability

36
OUTSOURCING DISADVANTAGESYour organization may
suffer because it...
Outsourcing
9-36

• Reduces Technical Know-How for Future Innovation
• Reduces Degree of Control
• Increases Vulnerability of Strategic Information
• Increases Dependency on Other Organizations

37
SOME OTHER TOOLS AND METHODS - MORE HOWS
Other Tools
9-37

• Computer-Aided Software Engineering Tools - that
  are mostly used by IT specialists to automate the
  systems development process.
• Joint Application Development Workshops - that
  bring together management, IT specialists, and
  knowledge workers to define system requirements
  as a group.

38
CASE TOOLS
CASE Tools
9-38

• COMPUTER-AIDED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING (CASE) TOOLS
  automate some or all steps in the SDLC.
• CASE tools help (1) model and store specific
  system information and (2) convert information to
  a new form.
• CATEGORIES OF CASE TOOLS
• INTEGRATED CASE TOOLS for the entire SDLC.
• UPPER CASE TOOLS for planning, scoping, analysis,
  and design.
• LOWER CASE TOOLS for design, implementation, and
  support.

39
KEY FEATURES OF CASE TOOLS
CASE Tools
9-39

• PROJECT REPOSITORY - a database that contains
  information pertaining to all the systems
  development projects that your organization has
  undertaken using the CASE tool.
• REVERSE ENGINEERING - the ability of a CASE tool
  to analyze existing software and create design
  documents from it.

40
ADVANTAGES OF CASE TOOLS
CASE Tools
9-40

• Increased speed and efficiency of SDLC.
• Repository of project information.
• Valuable control checking.
• Deployment of systems across multiple platforms.

41
REALITY OF CASE TOOLS
CASE Tools
9-41

• You must still have a solid background in
  analysis and design.
• CASE tools are not for knowledge workers.
• You must spend more time in front-end processes.
• Integrated CASE tools require a detailed
  organizational understanding.

42
JOINT APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT (JAD)
JAD
9-42
a workshop that unites management, IT
specialists, and knowledge workers to define and
specify the logical requirements and technical
alternatives for a proposed system.

• The goal is to eliminate the communications gap
  between participants.
• Participants include

- JAD facilitator - Scribe - Executive
sponsor - Knowledge workers - Project
manager - IT specialists
43
THE JAD PROCESS
JAD
9-43

• 1.Establish the JAD Project
• 2.Introduce Participants to the Project and JAD
  Workshop
• 3.Prepare JAD Workshop Materials
• 4.Perform the JAD Workshop
• JAD workshops usually meet 4 to 8 hours for 3 to
  5 days.
• The result of a JAD workshop is a document that
  describes the logical requirements for the
  proposed system and suggests several alternative
  technical solutions.

44
JAD ADVANTAGES
JAD
9-44

• Improved Systems Design that Better Meets the
  Needs of Knowledge Workers.
• Reduced Delivery Time for the New System.
• Improved Relations Among Management, IT
  Specialists, and Knowledge Workers.
• Increased Sense of Ownership by Management and
  Knowledge Workers.

45
TO SUMMARIZE
9-45

• Systems development is an important undertaking
  for each and every organization.
• Your participation during systems development is
  important because you are a
• business process expert
• liaison to the customer
• quality control analyst
• manager of other people

46
TO SUMMARIZE
9-46

• The Whos of systems development
• Insourcing or IT specialists within your
  organization
• Selfsourcing or knowledge workers such as
  yourself
• Outsourcing or another organization
• The Hows of systems development
• The traditional SDLC
• Prototyping
• CASE tools
• Joint application development