Chapter 1

Who is a Systems Analyst?

Role:
o Researches problems
o Plans solutions
o Recommends software and systems
o Coordinates development
Systems Analysis Stage:
o Examination of the business problem
o Gather information to determine requirements
o End product (deliverable): Set of system requirements
Most difficult part of this stage:
o Identify the specific requirements (AKA User requirements)
After requirements are gathered, then project goes into System Design stage
A systems analyst is familiar a variety of programming languages, operating systems, and
computer hardware platforms
Main focus is to write user requests into technical specifications
A systems analyst is a bridge between business and information technology professionals
May be responsible for: developing, cost analysis, design considerations, staff impact
amelioration, and implementation timelines

What is the SDLC?

Systems Development Life Cycle: the process of developing an information system

Phases:
o Planning: feasibility study is conducted to determine whether the new system is
feasible
o Analysis: requirements of the information system are clearly defined; determines what
the system will do
o Design: determines how the system will work
o Implementation: consists of creating all the components of the system and testing it to
make sure all components work as they should
o Maintenance: final step is to maintain the system until it is no longer in use

SDLC: Project Initiation

Where do IS projects come from?

o fulfill a business need
enable a business initiative or strategy
support a merger/acquisition
fix a point of pain
utilize a new technology
outgrowth of Business Process Management (BPM)
BPM:
o A methodology used by organizations to continuously improve end-to-end business
processes
can be formal or informal
internal and cross-organizational processes
o Benefits include:

enhanced process agility (being able to adapt to changes in customer demands)

process alignment with industry best practices
increased process efficiencies
o Main point is to look at a process and the way your organization is carrying it out and
see if there are ways that it can be improved
o Four-step continuous cycle:
define and map out the steps in a business process
create ways to improve on steps in the process that add value
find ways to eliminate or consolidate steps in the process that dont add value
create or adjust electronic workflows to match the improved process maps
o Ways that BPM to improve your business processes (which can lead to starting IS
projects):
Business Process Automation
create or adjust electronic workflows to match the improved process maps
after youve mapped out your process and decided on ways to improve it,
you now use electronic means and tools to automate the process
Ex: if changing process from customer ordering using paper to now
ordering using electronic means, this is Business Process Automation
Business Process Improvement
study the business process
create new, redesigned processes to improve the process workflows
and/or utilize new technologies enabling new process structures
Ex: if customer first needs to call in to start order then transferred to
sales rep to complete the order, the new system can be improved to go
directly to the sales rep
Business Process Reengineering
total overhaul of work processes
Ex: customers go to different departments for different customer service
needs (help desk, sales rep, marketing rep, etc). You can do an overhaul
where customers call one central place and store all customer information
in one centralized database system
Project Sponsor:
o person or group that sees the business need and is heavily involved to see the project
completed)
o driving force behind the project
o specifies overall business requirements
o determines business value
o formally requests a project via the System Request
o NOT the systems analyst nor the project manager not the person in charge
of the project
Why is the IT department often NOT the project sponsor of a systems development project?
o projects to develop new systems should be based on a business need, not just on a
technology
o oftentimes the IT department is not aware of all the needs and processes going on in
different departments

Feasibility Analysis: Should We Build It?

Questions that come up when a new project starts:

o is this project really worth doing?
o can we do this project?

o will the organization accept this if we go ahead?

Feasibility Analysis:
o detailed business case for the project
o outlines benefits, costs, and risks associated with a project
o critically important to reassess feasibility throughout the project as things change
and costs and benefits become more clear
3 components that are compiled into a feasibility study:
o Technical feasibility
Can we build it?
Sources of Risk:
Users and analysts lack of familiarity with the business application area
o Ex: if new systems is in sales and analyst or programmer does not
have experience in sales, the technical staff wont understand the
key needs of the system
to solve this risk is to have technical staff interact with sales
department throughout the development of the project
Lack of familiarity with technology
o have we used it before? how new is it?
Project size
o large projects are more complex and risky, technically speaking,
than smaller projects
o number of people, time frame, distinct features, etc
Compatibility with existing systems
o degree of integration required
Each source of risk specific to the project must be listed, as well as analyze how
that risk can be dealt with
o Economic feasibility
Should we build it?
Identify costs and benefits
will the benefits outweigh the costs?
assign specific dollar values to costs and benefits
determine cash flow
assess financial viability
Return on investment (ROI)
Break even point (BEP)
Net present value (NPV)
Tangible/Intangible Benefits
tangible have a dollar value associated with it
intangible dont, but should be added to the footnotes
Development Costs
those that occur during the building of the system
Operational Costs
costs that are ongoing once the system is already in place
o Organizational feasibility
If we build it, will they come?
Strategic alignment
are project goals aligned with business strategy?
Evaluate effect on various stakeholders
strong and influential project champion?
strong and widespread organizational management support?
receptive/resistant system users?

All projects have feasibility risks

o our goal is to know the risks we face and the significance of those risks and ways on
how to mitigate them
o Project Sponsor, Project Manager, and other team members need this awareness in
order for the project to succeed
o Once risks are known, steps can be taken to mitigate (lessen) them
o Essential to continuously review and revise the feasibility assessment throughout the
project
examine how well you are managing the risks that were identified and if
adjustments are needed
are there any new risks that have appeared?
Its estimated that around 50% of large systems development projects fail. Why do you think
this is so common?
o The planning phase of the SDLC is very critically important
o missed deadlines, poor planning, etc, all happen when the project is not carefully and
correctly planned ahead of time