SYSTEM ANALYSIS & DESIGN

(NMBA IT 03)
UNIT II

SYSTEM PLANNING AND INVESTIGATION

During this first phase of the development life cycle, security considerations are
key

to

diligent

and

early

integration,

thereby

ensuring

that

threats,

requirements, and potential constraints in functionality and integration are

considered. At this point, security is looked at more in terms of business risks
with input from the information security office. For example, an agency may
identify a political risk resulting from a prominent website being modified or
made unavailable during a critical business period, resulting in decreased trust
by citizens. Key security activities for this phase include:

Initial delineation of business requirements in terms of confidentiality,

integrity, and availability;

Determination of information categorization and identification of known
special handling requirements to transmit, store, or create information

such as personally identifiable information; and

Determination of any privacy requirements.

Preliminary investigation is the first step in the system development project. It

is a way of handling the users request to change, improve or enhance an
existing system. System investigation includes the following two stages:
1. Problem definition
2. Feasibility study
PROBLEM DEFINITION: The first responsibility of a system analyst is to
prepare a written statement of the objectives of the problem. Based on
interviews with the user, the analyst writes a brief description of his/her
understanding of the problem and reviews it with both the groups. People
respond to written statements. They ask for clarifications and they correct
obvious errors or misunderstandings. That is why a clear statement of
objectives is important. In other words, proper understanding of the problem is
essential to discover the cause of the problem and to plan a directed
investigation by asking questions like what is being done. Why? Is there an
underlying reason different from the one the user identifies? Following are
some possible definitions of problems:

The existing system has a poor response time

It is unable to handle the workload.

The
The
The
The

problem of cost that is the economic system is not feasible.

problem of accuracy and reliability
required information is not produced by the existing system
problem of security.

FEASIBILITY STUDY:
The actual meaning of feasibility is viability. This study is undertaken to know
the likelihood of the system being useful to the organization. The aim of
feasibility study is to assess alternative systems and to propose the most
feasible and desirable system for development.
Thus, feasibility study provides an overview of the problem and acts as an
important checkpoint that should be completed before committing more
resources. The feasibility of a proposed system can be assessed in terms of four
major categories as given below:
a) Organizational feasibility: the extent to which a proposed information
system supports the objective of the organizations strategic plan for
information systems determines the organizational feasibility of the system
project.
b) Economic feasibility: In this study, costs and returns are evaluated to know
whether returns justify the investment in the system project.
c) Technical feasibility: whether reliable hardware and software, capable of
meeting the needs of the proposed system can be acquired or developed by the
organizations in the required time is a major concern of the technical
feasibility.
d) Operational feasibility: the willingness and ability of the management,
employees, customers, suppliers, etc to operate, use and support a proposed
system come under operational feasibility. In other words, the test of
operational feasibility asks if the system will work when it is developed and
installed.

DIMENSIONS OF PLANNING
Planning for information system development must be done within the
framework of the organizations overall MIS plan. It may be viewed from two
dimensions:

The time horizon dimension specifies whether it is short range, medium

range or long range plan.

The focus dimension tells whether the primary concern is strategic,

managerial or operational

Dimensions of planning are an orderly approach that determines the basic

objectives, the strategies and policies needed to achieve the objectives, and the
plans to implement the strategies. The first task is strategic planning, i.e., to
set the MIS objectives and the results expected. The objectives must be set in
such a way that they meet the organizations needs. Once the objectives are set,
MIS policies are defined as a guideline to carry out the plan. These MIS policies
are in turn translated into long-range, medium-range and short-range plans for
implementation.

In determining the MIS strategic plan, the following are to be taken into
consideration

The MIS objectives and strategies that can be derived from the corporate
strategic plan.

The person who will review and approve the plan.

The time taken to complete the plan and the contents of the plan.

The highlights or focus of the plan (computer security, new application

development, new technology)

In most cases, the answers depend on the structure and complexity of the MIS
organization, the level of computerization in the firm, the hit rate of the MIS
division and the influence of MIS in getting projects approved by top
management.

MANAGERIAL AND OPERATIONAL MIS PLANNING

Managerial MIS planning combines strategic with operational plans. It is a
process in which specific functional plans are related to a specific number of
years. These plans show how strategies are to be carried out to achieve longrange plans. The next step is to find short-range plans that are used for
carrying out the day-to-day activities of the system. They are programmed
plans.
The MIS operating plan requires more user involvement to define the system
requirements. System development must support organizational MIS objectives
as laid out in the corporate plan. System development must also identify and
select applications that are the organizations priorities. Bowman, Davis and
Wetherbe have described this link as a three-stage model consisting of the
following

Strategic system planning establishing relationships between the

organization plan and the plan for a candidate system.

Information
requirements
analysis
identifying
organization
requirements to direct the specific application of system development
projects.

Resource
allocation
determining
hardware,
software,
telecommunications, facilities, personnel and financial resources to
execute the development of the system.

Thus planning for system development activities is a major aspect. Broad

corporate strategic objectives should be the basis for system development
objectives, which specify the goals in the form of specific action plans.
Formalizing the planning process makes it easier to reorient and gain the
support of upper, middle and operating management for candidate systems.
The following figure shows a top-down approach to planning, the relationship
between the corporate strategic plan and the goals and activities of the system
development function.
INITIAL INVESTIGATION AND REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS

SYSTEM INVESTIGATION CONCEPTS

Problem is a gap between systems goals and current system status.

Investigation is a way for a analyst to most understand the problem and groove
system, although that problems already to know.
Much report in detect problem not really reality because much situation, that
is :

Goal very ideal so difficult to done.

The system didnt developed because less resource, action or both.
System measurement not accurate.
Statement of goals is dated.
The gap between the ideal and the current system is temporary and
will decrease given patience.

In step problem solving, should give explanation about:

Formulation system status passing detailed investigation activity.

Getting consensus ideal system.
Developing some alternative to lessening gap between the ideal and
the current system.
Choose most alternative and sell to management.
Goal of investigation is to show problem that happened.

PROBLEMS OF SYSTEM INVESTIGATION

Some problems will happened in to do investigation, that is :
1. Time: An Analyst deficiency time resource, so just to do half
investigation activity.
2. Cost: Released cost correlate with time duration for investigation activity,
so the management will boundary cost.
3. Knowledge: Manager information system to order junior analyst not have
expert technical or not enough science, so effect of investigation result
not complete.
4. Politics: Manager or specific people maybe to send issues which that
target to blocked investigation activity.
5. Interference: There are some people to try arranged in investigation
activity, so will teasing or brings chaos.
REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS.

Requirement analysis stage is interaction intensive stage between system

analyst with end-user, where system development team to show the skill to get
response and belief user, so them get a good participation.
Four target exist want to reached on requirement analysis stage, that is :

Explain the completely system.

Describe the ideal information system.
Bring the ideal information system to now condition with
attention of resource problem.
Give a support of user confidence on system development team.

During to do requirement system need to selection the right method on

collecting data. That method is:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Interviews
Questionnaire
Observations
Procedure Analysis
Document Survey

FACTOR OF COMPANY STRATEGY.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: An information system may cause the
circumspection efficient products and consumer desire. Improve customer
satisfaction will no doubt increase sales. Such as increased sales, however,
difficult to predict and quantitative.
INCREASED SALES: Point of sales system (POS) of free storage tasks record.
Management expects sales staff time devoted to business this marketing and
increase sales. The only sales will increase the difficulty to predict in the
money.
CUSTOMER AND VENDOR COMMITMENTS: Company designing an online
feedback system and allow consumers direct access to the system. Consumers
are now locked (depending) on this system so that a commitment to faithful
(pleased) at the company. Consumer and vendor commitment difficult to
predict.
INFORMATION PRODUCT MARKETING: Often, new information system can be
used by other companies. As the American Airline system provides information

marketing products during 1970, the company developed a system of booking

ticketing and marketing system and is also used by service other airlines, so
that a product is profitable.