Systems Development and Implementation

Question 1

What is the purpose of systems development?

Answer 1

Structured approached to making sure that systems are delivered on time, on budget.

• Identifies responsibilities
• Activities and critical development path
• Define project review and approval in development

Question 2

Risk of system development?

Answer 2

• The system doesn’t work
• Cost over runs (cost WAY more than it was supposed to)
• Gets behind schedule

Question 3

Reasons they fail?

Answer 3

• Lack of senior management knowledge
• Difficult in specifying requirements
• Emerging technologies may not work
• lack of standardized project management and methods
• Resistance to change; lack proper “change management”
• Lack of proper change management or change control
• Scope and project creep
• Lack of user participation and support
• Inadequate testing and training
• Poor project management, underestimation of time, scope, etc.

Question 4

What processes can be put in place to make sure they succeed?

Answer 4

• Traditional (systems development life cycle)- built a small model of the system, in small segments

Question 5

Who is involved in system development life cycle?

Answer 5

• IT Steering Committee:
• Concerned with strategic plan. Review, approve, and prioritize systems development proposals
• Include members from IT department and functional user areas
• Lead systems analyst
• Manages development team
• Direct contact with end users
• Usually responsible for developing overall programing logical and functionality
• Systems Analyst and Application Programmers
• Designing, creating, the programs.
• Moan and kvetch about the system
• Ender Users
• Identify problems and often suggest first-pass solutions

Question 6

What is the waterfall model? Stages of SDLC?

Answer 6

LOGICAL GROUPING OF THE SDLC

SYSTEM PLANNING AND BUILDING:

1) Planning and feasibility:
* Can it be built?
* Is it cost effective?
* Will it meet user needs?

2) Analysis and requirements:
* Understand what the system is going to do?
* Document system requirements
* Parties sign to signify agreement on requirements
* Joint Application Development (JAD)
* ACCOUNTANT ROLE: Asked to prepare RFP for hardware and software. Evaluate vendors, service, commitment, training, tech support

3) Design and develop
* Specify technical systems, hardware, software.
* How is it going to fit together as opposed to technical architecture
* Programmers user design specification to purchase hardware

IMPLEMENTING TESTING AND MAINTAINING

1) Test
* Individual processing unit: Each component unit (hardware, software, do the modules work together, do the other systems work together)

2) Implementation (data conversion, user training including security and how to use it)
3) Maintenance- Monitoring, system updates.