Developing Business/Information Technology Solutions

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Developing Business/InformationTechnology
Solutions
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2
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Learning Objectives

• Use the systems development process outlined in
  this chapter, and the model of IS components from
  Chapter 1 as problem-solving frameworks to help
  propose information systems solutions to simple
  business problems.

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Learning Objectives (continued)

• Describe how you might use each of the steps of
  the information systems development cycle to
  develop and implement an e-business system.
• Explain how prototyping improves the process of
  systems development for end users and IS
  specialists.

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Learning Objectives (continued)

• Identify the activities involved in the
  implementation of new information systems.
• Describe evaluation factors that should be
  considered in evaluating the acquisition of
  hardware, software, and IS services.

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Section I

• Developing e-Business Systems

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Information Systems Development

• The systems approach to problem solving applied
  to the development of information system
  solutions to business problems.

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The Systems Approach

• The systems approach to problem solving
• Recognize and define a problem or opportunity
  using systems thinking
• Develop and evaluate alternative system solutions

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The Systems Approach (continued)

• Systems approach to problem solving (continued)
• Select the system solution that best meets your
  requirements
• Design the selected system solution
• Implement and evaluate the success of the
  designed system

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The Systems Approach (continued)

• Systems Thinking
• seeing the forest AND the trees
• Seeing interrelationships among systems
  rather than linear cause-and-effect chains when
  events occur
• Seeing processes of change among systems
  rather than discrete snapshots of change,
  whenever change occurs.

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The Systems Approach (continued)

• Systems thinking (continued)
• Use a systems context
• Try to find systems, subsystems, and components
  of systems in any situation you are studying

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The Systems Development Cycle

• Investigation
• Analysis
• Design
• Implementation
• Maintenance

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Prototyping

• The rapid development and testing of working
  models of new applications in an interactive,
  iterative process.
• Sometimes called rapid application design (RAD).
• Simplifies and accelerates systems design.

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Prototyping (continued)

• The prototyping process

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Starting the Systems Development Process

• Systems Investigation Phase
• Feasibility studies
• Organizational feasibility
• Economic feasibility
• Technical feasibility
• Operational feasibility

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Starting the Systems Development Process
(continued)
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Starting the Systems Development Process
(continued)
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Starting the Systems Development Process
(continued)
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• Cost/Benefit Analysis
• Tangible costs
• Intangible costs
• Tangible benefits
• Intangible benefits

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Starting the Systems Development Process
(continued)
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Systems Analysis
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• Systems analysis is an in-depth study of end user
  information needs that produces functional
  requirements.

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Systems Analysis (continued)

• Traditionally involves a detailed study of
• Information needs of the company end users
• Activities, resources, products of one or more
  of the present information systems
• The IS capabilities required to meet information
  needs of the company, the end users, and all
  business stakeholders that may use the system

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Systems Analysis (continued)

• Organizational analysis
• Study
• Management structure
• The people
• Business activities
• Environmental systems
• The current information system

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Systems Analysis (continued)

• Analysis of the present system
• Analyze how the present system..
• Uses hardware
• Uses software
• Is networked
• Uses people resources to convert data resources
  into information products.
• How the IS activities of input, processing,
  output, storage, and control are accomplished.

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Systems Analysis (continued)

• Functional requirements analysis
• What type of information does each business
  activity require?
• Format, volume, frequency, response times
• What are the information processing capabilities
  required?
• Input, processing, output, storage, control

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Systems Analysis (continued)

• Functional requirements analysis (continued)
• Finally, develop functional requirements
• End user information requirements that are not
  tied to the hardware, software, network, data,
  and people resources
• Goal identify what should be done, not how to
  do it.

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Systems Design

• Specifies HOW the system will meet the
  information needs of users
• Focuses on three major products
• User interface design
• Data design
• Database structures
• Process design
• Processing and control procedures

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Systems Design (continued)

• User interface design
• Focuses on supporting the interactions between
  end users and the computer-based applications
• Display screens
• Interactive user/computer dialogues
• Audio responses
• Forms, documents, and reports

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Systems Design (continued)
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• System specifications
• Formalizes the design of the applications user
  interface methods products
• Formalizes database structures
• Formalizes processing and control procedures

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End User Development

• IS professionals play a consulting role
• Training in the use of application packages
• Assistance with the selection of hardware and
  software
• Assistance in gaining access to organization
  databases
• Assistance in the analysis, design, and
  implementation of your application

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End User Development (continued)

• The application development process
• Output
• What information is needed and in what form?
• Input
• What data are available? From what sources? In
  what form?

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End User Development (continued)

• The application development process (continued)
• Processing
• What operations or transformation processes will
  be required to convert available inputs into the
  desired output?
• What software package can best perform the
  required operations?

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End User Development (continued)

• The application development process (continued)
• Storage
• Control
• How will you protect against accidental loss or
  damage to end user files?

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End User Development (continued)
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Section II

• Implementing e-Business Systems

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Implementation

• This is the actual deployment of the information
  technology system.
• Follows the investigation, analysis, and design
  stages of the systems development cycle.

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Implementing New Systems
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Evaluating Hardware, Software, Services

• May require suppliers to present bids and
  proposals based on system specifications
• Minimum acceptable physical performance
  characteristics for all hardware and software
  requirements are established
• Large businesses and government agencies
  formalize requirements by listing them in a
  Request for Proposal (RFP) or a Request for
  Quotation (RFQ)

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• May use a scoring system for evaluation
• Determine evaluation factors and assign points
• Performance of hardware and software must be
  demonstrated and evaluated
• May use benchmark test programs

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Hardware evaluation factors
• Performance
• Speed, capacity, throughput
• Cost
• Lease or purchase price
• Cost of operations and maintenance

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Hardware evaluation factors (continued)
• Reliability
• Risk of malfunction maintenance requirements
• Error control and diagnostic features
• Compatibility
• With existing hardware and software?
• With hardware software provided by competing
  suppliers?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Hardware evaluation factors (continued)
• Technology
• Year of product life cycle
• Does it use a new, untested technology?
• Does it run the risk of obsolescence?
• Ergonomics
• human factors engineered?
• User-friendly?
• Safe, comfortable, easy to use?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Hardware evaluation factors (continued)
• Connectivity
• Easily connected to WANs and LANs that use
  different types of network technologies and
  bandwidth alternatives?
• Scalability
• Can it handle the processing demands of end
  users, transactions, queries, other processing
  requirements?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Hardware evaluation factors (continued)
• Software
• Is system and application software available that
  can best use this hardware?
• Support
• Is support available?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Software evaluation factors
• Quality
• Bug free?
• Efficiency
• Well-developed system of program code that does
  not use much CPU time, memory capacity, or disk
  space?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Software evaluation factors (continued)
• Flexibility
• Can it handle our processes easily without major
  modification?
• Security
• Does it provide control procedures for errors,
  malfunctions, and improper use?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Software evaluation factors (continued)
• Connectivity
• Web-enabled?
• Language
• Is the programming language familiar to internal
  software developers?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Software evaluation factors (continued)
• Documentation
• Well-documented? Help screens and helpful
  software agents?
• Hardware
• Does existing hardware have the features required
  to best use this software?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Software evaluation factors (continued)
• Other factors
• Performance, cost, reliability, availability,
  compatibility, modularity, technology,
  ergonomics, scalability, and support
  characteristics

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Evaluating IS Services
• Performance
• Past performance in view of past promises
• Systems development
• Are website and other e-business developers
  available? Quality and cost

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Evaluating IS services (continued)
• Maintenance
• Is equipment maintenance provided? Quality and
  cost
• Conversion
• What systems development installation services
  will they provide during the conversion period?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Evaluating IS services (continued)
• Training
• Provided? Quality and cost
• Backup
• Are similar computer facilities available nearby
  for emergency backup purposes?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Evaluating IS services (continued)
• Accessibility
• Services from local or regional sites?
• Customer support center?
• Customer hot line?
• Business position
• Financially strong with good industry market
  prospects?

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
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• Evaluating IS services (continued)
• Hardware
• Provide a wide selection of compatible hardware
  devices and accessories?
• Software
• Offer a variety of useful e-business software and
  application packages?

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Other Implementation Activities

• Testing
• May involve website performance testing
• Testing and debugging software
• Testing new hardware
• Reviewing prototypes of displays, reports, and
  other output
• Should occur throughout the development process

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Other Implementation Activities (continued)

• Documentation
• Sample data entry screens, forms, and reports are
  examples.
• Serves as a method of communication among the
  people responsible for developing, implementing,
  and maintaining the system
• A detailed record of the systems design
• Important in diagnosing errors making changes

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Other Implementation Activities (continued)

• Training
• End users must be trained to operate a new
• e-business system or implementation will fail
• May be limited in scope or may involve all
  aspects of the proper use of the new system
• Managers and end users must be educated in how
  the new technology impacts business operations
  and management

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Other Implementation Activities (continued)

• Conversion methods
• Parallel
• Both old and new systems are operated until the
  project development team and end users agree to
  switch completely
• Phased
• Only parts of the new application or only a few
  locations at a time are converted

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Other Implementation Activities (continued)

• Conversion methods (continued)
• Pilot
• One department or other work site serves as a
  test site
• Plunge
• A direct cutover to the newly developed system

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Other Implementation Activities (continued)
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Other Implementation Activities (continued)

• IS Maintenance
• Systems maintenance
• Postimplementation review

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Discussion Questions

• Why has prototyping become a popular way to
  develop e-business applications. What are
  prototypings advantages and disadvantages?
• What are the three most important factors you
  would use in evaluating computer hardware?
  Computer software?

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Discussion Questions (continued)

• Assume that in your first week on a new job you
  are asked to use a type of business software that
  you have never used before. What kind of user
  training should your company provide to you
  before you start?
• What is the difference between the parallel,
  plunge, phased, and pilot forms of IS conversion?
  Which strategy is best?

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Discussion Questions (continued)

• What are several key factors in designing a
  successful e-commerce or internet website?

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References
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• James A. O'Brien George M. Marakas.
  Management Information Systems Managing
  Information Technology in the Business Enterprise
  6th Ed., Boston McGraw-Hill/ Irwin,2004