Structure Systems Analysis and Design

Project Guidelines
PGDM 2010-2012

Note 1:
The Project ideas are available in //mandara/stud-fac/ADIS2010-2012/
StudentGroupsforADIS.xlsx. The Projects are assigned randomly to the Groups in
Section A and Section B. Elaborating on the Project Idea and assumptions made may be
provided with the Executive Summary and the Objectives of the Project Documentation.

The final document is due on the day of your presentation. The presentations will given
by groups randomly called by the faculty. The dates for the presentation will be
announced in due time.

Note 2: In most of the Project Ideas provided in the worksheet, fact-finding techniques
cannot be employed due to constraints of the arm-chair projects. The Groups are required
to brainstorm and use their imagination for drawing up the requirements, current
processes and problems for the System / Project.

The main deliverables (submissions) are:

Deliverable Max. Marks

Overview / Executive Summary - 5
Identifying the Business Processes, Requirements
CAD & DFDs - 10
Process Model for the Business Processes identified.
Process Specifications using Decision Tables / Trees.

ERDs & Normalized Tables - 10

Provide Structure for data storage
Presentation of the same in class 10
Project Assignment Total 35

All the deliverables have been developed to allow you to get most of the minimum
requirements of your project work done. Of course, if you can also expand your scope
and number of primitive DFDs if you like. Review of the SRS with the instructor is a
must, after each deliverable is completed. Reviews can be impromptu, or the groups can
ask for prior time slots with the instructor for doing so.

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Systems Requirements Statement Document – Guidelines

The purpose of the SRS in this the project is to outline the details of the current
operations of the organization functions to be supported by a new information system and
to demonstrate where the problems, bottlenecks, constraints, opportunities, and other
issues are in current operations.

If there is a current information system, this analysis includes a description of it. At this
point, you have not designed (in detail) a new system for the client. However, you need
to know at this point what is wrong with the current system, and hence be able to describe
and structure the functional requirements of a new system (in terms of some explicit
documentation techniques: data flow diagrams for both the current and new systems).
You also need to be able to explain what parts of the current system need to be changed
(both computerized and manual), but not necessarily how these part should change.

Thus, you can at this stage state what the logical or functional requirements are for a new
system. You should also be able to articulate a strategy for the design (i.e., how to
acquire/build the system, for what general platform the system is best suited). The
document you produce should be written to convince management to spend the necessary
resources to continue the project (that is, actually build the system) with certain system
goals.

System analysis and design is an iterative and recursive process, so do not be deceived or
frustrated by your experiences so far. It is natural to refine systems descriptions and
design throughout the project. It is up to your team to determine when it is necessary to
freeze certain documentation so that sufficient time remains to complete the project. You
should, however, begin to deal with the issue of freezing system requirements, since you
can never finish the project without this.

Use the following guidelines to help construct the System Requirements Statement.

1. Cover page (with standard information).

2. Table of Contents.

Be sure ALL pages are numbered. Do not provide multiple page numbers or a range
of numbers when listing topics. Be sure to indicate in the table of contents which
team members participated in which parts and what their role was.

3. Executive Overview.

Remember, the executive summary acts as an abstract for the deliverable and needs to
be updated as your deliverables evolve. Managers should be able to read the
executive summary and have a good high-level understanding of the project
deliverable. Following the outline below will help clean up any loose structure
problems identified in the proposal. Details of each of the items listed below are

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 presented in the body of deliverable (Remember these are indicative and not
exhaustive or limited.
 Introduction and background statement – Who are you, why are you delivering
this document?
 Brief project description (expanded upon in the narrative description). How or
why did the project come about – why was the project selected? Have you learned
anything since the last deliverable that has caused you to change directions?
 Problems statement – what is the nature of the business problem/opportunity.
 Summary of goals and objectives – what is the project trying to accomplish?
 Contents statement – what is included in this deliverable.

4. Description of the system using standard systems analysis notation and narrative
descriptions. This description should include physical data flow diagrams for the current
system..

5. Your group will also have a required "Walkthrough" with the instructor to present your
project status at this point in the project. This is an in-class professional briefing, as if
given to a project steering committee. The presentation is to last 15 minutes, with up to
an additional 5 minutes of questions. At least three members of the group must be
involved in giving the presentation, but all members must be in attendance to answer
questions and each must participate in its creation.

The presentation is to provide highlights of the Requirements Statement report, including

the reasons for a new system, the essentials of recommended design strategy for the
project (i.e., functional requirements for the new system),

A copy of your presentation materials should be distributed to the instructor before

the beginning of the presentation. The timing of this will be specified on the Time
Table.

The team will be graded on the Presentation and the Report submitted (This has been
indicated in a table above). Grading of the walkthrough will include elements of: content
adequacy, deliver/persuasiveness, professionalism and handling Q&A.