Evaluating Alternatives for Requirements, Environment, and Implementation

1
Chapter 8

• Evaluating Alternatives for Requirements,
  Environment, and Implementation
• Part 1

2
Objectives

• Describe process for packaging/prioritizing
  system requirements based on the desired system
  scope and level of automation for the new system
• Describe the strategic decisions that determine
  the target deployment environment and the design
  approach for the new system
• Determine alternative approaches for system
  development
• Evaluate and select a development approach based
  on the needs and resources of the organization

3
System Analysis Activities
Chapter Focus

• Final steps overlap with initial steps and done
  iteratively
• Steps
• Define priority of each event (function)
• Define the level of automation for each event
• Define the deployment environment (hardware,
  operating system, network)
• Identify design alternatives (e.g., custom
  development vs. package)
• Evaluate design alternatives
• Select alternative and present to management

4
Project Management Perspective

• The final activities of the Systems Analysis
  phase are largely (but not entirely) project
  management activities
• Overall goal is to precisely define scope and to
  specify how system will be implemented. This
  allows the project manager to quantify the
  following dimensions of the project

• Human resources
• Procurement
• Communications
• Risk

• Time
• Cost
• Quality

5
Deciding on Scope and Level of Automation

• Scope determines which business functions
  (events) will be included in system
• Level of automation is how much automated
  computer support exists for functions included in
  scope
• Aim is to precisely define functions in scope and
  level of automation for each function to avoid
  scope creep
• Requests for addition of system functions after
  requirements have been defined and decision has
  been made
• To avoid, formalize the process
• Get key stakeholders to participate and sign off

6
Prioritizing Requirements

• Assume that Event Function
• Use an expanded Event Table
• Typically, priority is defined when Event table
  is built, then refined
• Priority Mandatory, Important, Desirable

7
Defining Level of Automation

• High
• System takes over processing of business function
  
• Ask the question how should this function be
  done ideally
• Medium
• Midrange point which combines features from low
  and high alternatives
• Low
• Simple computer records keeping
• Often involves automating existing, manual tasks

8
Exercise Student Registration
Define potential levels of automation for each
function