Information Systems Analysis and Design
Summer, 2002
Texts: Hoffer, J.A., J.F. George and J.S. Valacich, Modern Systems Analysis and Design, Third Edition, Reading, MA: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, 1999.
Gause, D.C. and G.M. Weinberg, Are Your Lights On? How to Figure Out What the Problem REALLY Is, New York: Dorset House, 1990.
Nelson, B. and P. Economy, Consulting for Dummies, Foster City, CA: IDG Books, 1997. (highly recommended)
Supplemental Materials:
Materials Used in the Masters Analysis Class:
MS Class Home Page http://www.umsl.edu/~sauter/analysis/msis488start.html
MS Current Events http://www.umsl.edu/~sauter/analysis/488current.html
Materials Specifically for this Class:
Class Home Page http://www.umsl.edu/~sauter/analysis/independent_start.html
Current Events http://www.umsl.edu/~sauter/analysis/independent_current.html
Related Materials:
Analysis Readings http://www.umsl.edu/~sauter/analysis/analysis_links.html
HTML Readings http://www.umsl.edu/~sauter/help/Links_HTML.html
Prerequisites: MSIS 423a (Applications of Programming for Business Solutions) or equivalent
Class Objectives: Systems Analysis and Design is the art of problem solving. Systems analysis is the study of a current business system and its problems, the determination and definition of business needs and information requirements, and the evaluation of alternative solutions. Systems design is the general and detailed specification of a computer and human solution that meets the requirements determined during systems analysis. During the life of a system, a systems analyst may monitor or evaluate its ability to continue to meet business requirements, and will design and implement modifications and enhancements in response to end-user requests and environmental changes.
At the conclusion of the course, you should be able to:
• Understand and use the systems development life cycle.
• Compare traditional methods of systems development to newer, emerging methods.
• Analyze an existing information system (whether manual or automated).
• Plan and organize an information systems development project.
• Analyze business processes.
• Prepare and present a feasibility study/cost benefit analysis.
• Develop process models and data models for an information system.
• Generate alternative solutions to an information systems problem and choose among them.
• Evaluate process and data representations.
• Document information system requirements.
• Prototype a user interface for a new information system.
• Work successfully with a group of your peers on a common problem.
• Use a CASE tool to support the information systems development process.
• Select the best design strategy
• Implement a proposal for a system from system specifications
• Design interfaces, forms and dialogs
• Evaluate usability of systems
• Document systems
• Design, document and implement a system
The vast majority of the work will be done independently by you this semester; we will not have regular class meetings. However, I will be available for questions and discussion as needed. Furthermore, we will meet for project discussions as you find it necessary.
Assignments: There are two assignments.
Paper: One of the questions we face if we hire an outside company to perform work is how to determine if what they do is “good” or the “best.” As you will learn, there are two methods by which a company may become certified for their SAD work: CMM and ISO (9001 or 2000 standards). Historically, CMM was a method used primarily in the United States, especially if the company wanted to bid work from the government, and ISO was the method primarily used outside the United States. With the advent of offshore software development, increasing numbers of non-US companies are seeking CMM certification, and some US companies are seeking ISO certification. In fact, if you look at the number of US and non-US companies seeking CMM certification (in the various levels), you would see there are more “highly certified” companies outside the US than inside the US as shown in the graphic below. In fact, some people believe this is evidence that the US-based software development process is being threatened by the offshore business.
You will investigate these phenomena in your paper. You will provide definitions of the CMM and ISO certification processes, and then discuss their similarities and differences. Search the CMM and ISO sites and gather data about who is seeking what kinds of certification. Discuss your findings: what does it tell you about the certification process, and what does it tell you about the future of software development in the US. Finally, provide evidence and argue either in favor of or against the hypothesis that US-based software development is threatened by offshore development. (Note: This topic relates to the topic of methodologies which should be addressed in your papers as well.)
The paper is an individual assignment.
Analysis Project: The purpose of the Project is to give students the opportunity to practice all of
analysis and design skills, and to meld the results of those activities into a coherent and professional
deliverable that demonstrates what you have learned. Generally, students work on a poorly defined project with a real client and do the project over a two semester time horizon. In light of the collapsed timeline, you will work on a somewhat more structured project as described below. It is intended that you work as a group and produce one set of deliverables.
Project Description: Students in the analysis classes learn to use a CASE tool and a project management tool. At UM-St. Louis right now, we are using Microsoft Visio as the CASE tool, and Microsoft Project as the project management tool. Your task is to develop a system which provides a tutorial for use of both tools for the students in the classes. This tutorial may be a standalone system, may be functional over the web or may use the software products as a teaching medium. However, the tutorials must provide a broad exposure to the tools and cover those aspects that are important in a systems analysis and design class. For example, when considering the CASE tool, your tutorial should provide support for a variety of documentation, including DFDs, ERDs Use Cases, Structure Charts, Data Modeling, Process Modeling, Object Modeling, State Diagrams, Sequence Diagrams, Activity Diagrams and Data Repositories. In addition, you must demonstrate a good methodological approach to the design. For example, I expect to see a cost benefit analysis, interviews or questionnaires of students, a prototype, good interface design, and full system documentation.
The project is a group assignment.
Exams: There will be one exam.
Final Exam: August 9, 2002
Make-up exams will be provided only for those students who have spoken with the professor prior to the exam and who have a justifiable reason for missing the exam. In add other cases, the student will receive a grade of zero (0) on the exam.
Grading Policy: The following proportions will be used for grading.
Term Paper |
32% |
Analysis Project: |
33% |
Exam |
35% |
Approximate letter grades will be assigned when exams and projects are returned. Students should remember, however, that the term average is a weighted average of the numerical grades, not an average of the approximate letter grades.
Topic |
Hoffer et al. |
Gause/ Weinberg |
Introduction to Systems Analysis
|
1-3 |
|
Systems Thinking
|
2 |
1-3 |
Process Modeling
|
8 |
|
Information and its Value |
||
Methodologies
|
3 |
|
Feasibility Analysis |
5-6 |
7-10 |
Interviews and Questionnaires |
7 |
4-6 |
System Requirements
|
14, 15 , 19 |
11-13 |
Data Modeling
|
10 |
|
Object Modeling
|
20 |
|
CASE Applications
|
4 |
|
Alternative Requirement Definitions |
11 |
|
Designing Forms and Reports |
13 |
|
Designing Interfaces and Dialogues |
14 |
|
Finalizing Design Specifications |
15 |
|
Distributed Systems |
16 |
|
Systems Implementation |
17 |
|
Systems Maintenance |
18 |
|
Ethics in Systems Analysis |