Systems Analysis and Design   

Developing or updating an information system is not only a technical challenge; in fact, it’s also a whole business package. Therefore, it will be advantageous for you to search and evaluate the business, technical, and soft skills (interpersonal and intrapersonal) needed to complete a productive information system. As a part of the course requirements, you will perform a systems analysis and design on a business or operation. You are encouraged to start thinking about your project from the first day of class. Please note that this class is one of the most important classes in the CIS curriculum. Many of the skills that you have acquired thus far will be applied here.

Regardless of your topic, you must complete the first three phases of the system development life cycle (SDLC) process:

1. Analysis of the business case
2. Systems analysis
3. Requirements modeling
4. Data and procedures modeling
5. Object modeling
6. Systems design
7. Input design
8. Output design
9. User interface

Project Choices

Listed below are two possible approaches to the completion of the project. Once you choose an approach for your project, you must send your project choice to the instructor by email no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT of Module 1.  The project will utilize structure analysis as the preferred methodology. The final outcome is expected to be submitted as a PDF file.

Project 1: Cloud computing has become a viable and competitive option to the client/server networking model due to its lower cost, scalability, and agility. A local business in your town has asked you to develop a full plan, an analysis to determine the requirement and a design to specify the input, output, and processing prerequisites. Since you are a knowledgeable systems analyst, you have decided to take the job. You understand all the benefits that come along with cloud computing. To assure a functional development life cycle, you have also decided to point out any negative issues with cloud computing such as security, untested new technologies, and training requirement. You are aware that it should take no more than seven weeks to complete the first three phases of SDLC.

Project 2: A midsized business with 100 end-users has asked you to develop a new intranet with a prioritizing requirement list. It is clear to you that the business cannot function without an intranet these days. After the initial meeting with CFO and IT director, you were asked to start the job. They want you to produce a preliminary investigation report stating the following:

1. The problem or the opportunity
2. Define the project scope and constraints
3. Problem fact findings
4. Analyze organization charts
5. Review documentation
6. Conduct a user survey
7. Study usability, cost, benefit, and schedule data
8. Evaluate feasibility
9. Operational
10. Technical
11. Economic
12. Present recommendation to management

you describe the system analysis phase activities by:

1. Listing and describing system requirements including inputs, outputs, processes, performance, and controls
2. Using fact-finding techniques, including: interviews, documentation review, observation, questionnaires, sampling, and research
3. Defining total cost of ownership (TCO) finally, you need to:
4. Design a successful interface design
5. Design effective source documents and forms
6. Describe output and input controls and security

Software required to complete the project include MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint, Visio (or similar package), MS Project, and a statistical package. You may use trial versions of MS Project and Vizio.