Lecture 10 Building Information Systems PDF

Lecture 10 BHMS4472 ICT in Business Building Information Systems ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology) Learning Objectives How does building new systems produce organizational change? What are the core...

Lecture 10 BHMS4472 ICT in Business Building Information Systems ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology) Learning Objectives How does building new systems produce organizational change? What are the core activities in the systems development process? What are the principal methodologies for modeling and designing systems? What are alternative methods for building information systems? What are new approaches for system building in the digital firm era? Systems Development and Organizational Change (1 of 2) IT-enabled organizational change Automation – Increases efficiency – Replaces manual tasks Rationalization of procedures – Streamlines standard operating procedures – Often found in programs for making continuous quality improvements ü Total quality management (TQM) ü Six Sigma Systems Development and Organizational Change (2 of 2) Business process redesign – Analyze, simplify, and redesign business processes – Reorganize workflow, combine steps, eliminate repetition Paradigm shifts – Rethink nature of business – Define new business model – Change nature of organization Organizational Change Carries Risks and Rewards Business Process Redesign Business process management (BPM) – Variety of tools, methodologies to analyze, design, optimize processes – Used by firms to manage business process redesign Steps in BPM 1. Identify processes for change 2. Analyze existing processes 3. Design the new process 4. Implement the new process 5. Continuous measurement Business Process for Purchasing a Book from a Physical Bookstore Redesigned Process for Purchasing a Book Online Tools for Business Process Management Identify and document existing processes – Identify inefficiencies Create models of improved processes Capture and enforce business rules for performing, and automating processes Integrate existing systems to support process improvements Verify that new processes have improved Measure the impact of process changes on key business performance indicators Systems Development Activities that go into producing an information system solution to an organizational problem or opportunity – Systems analysis – Systems design – Programming – Testing – Conversion – Production and maintenance The Systems Development Process Systems Analysis Analysis of problem to be solved by new system – Defining the problem – Identifying causes – Specifying solutions – Identifying information requirements Feasibility study Systems proposal report Information requirements – Faulty requirements analysis is a leading cause of systems failure and high systems development costs Systems Design Describes system specifications that will deliver functions identified during systems analysis Should address all managerial, organizational, and technological components of system solution Role of end users – User information requirements drive system building – Users must have sufficient control over the design process to ensure the system reflects their business priorities and information needs – Insufficient user involvement in design efforts is major cause of system failure System Design Specifications (1 of 2) Category Specifications Output Medium, Content, Timing Input Origins, Flow, Data entry User Interface Simplicity, Efficiency, Logic, Feedback, Errors Database Design Logical data model, Volume and speed requirements, File organization and design, Record specifications Processing Computations, Program modules, Required reports, Timing of outputs Manual Procedures What activities, Who performs them, When, How, Where Controls Input controls (characters, limit, reasonableness), Processing controls (consistency, record counts), Output controls (totals, samples of output), Procedural controls (passwords, special forms) System Design Specifications (2 of 2) Category Specifications Security Access controls, Catastrophe plans, Audit trails Documentation Operations documentation, Systems documents, User documentation Conversion Transfer files, Initiate new procedures, Select testing method Cut over to new system Training Select training techniques, Develop training modules, Identify training facilities Organizational Task redesign, Job redesign, Process design, Organization Changes structure design, Reporting relationships Completing the Systems Development Process (1 of 3) Programming – System specifications from design stage are translated into software program code Testing – Ensures system produces right results – Unit testing: Tests each program in system separately – System testing: Test functioning of system as a whole – Acceptance testing: Makes sure system is ready to be used in production setting – Test plan: All preparations for series of tests A Sample Test Plan to Test a Record Change Completing the Systems Development Process (2 of 3) Conversion – Process of changing from old system to new system – Four main strategies ü Parallel strategy ü Direct cutover ü Pilot study ü Phased approach – Requires end-user training – Finalization of detailed documentation showing how system works from technical and end-user standpoint Completing the Systems Development Process (3 of 3) Production and maintenance – System reviewed to determine if revisions needed – May include post-implementation audit document – Maintenance ü Changes in hardware, software, documentation, or procedures to a production system to correct errors, meet new requirements, or improve processing efficiency Systems Development Core Activity Core Activity Systems analysis Identify problem(s), Specify solutions, Establish information requirements Systems design Create design specifications Programming Translate design specifications into program code Testing Perform unit testing, Perform systems testing, Perform acceptance testing Conversion Plan conversion, Prepare documentation, Train users and technical staff Production and Operate the system, Evaluate the system, Modify the system maintenance Structured Methodologies (1 of 2) Structured: Techniques are step-by-step, progressive Process-oriented: Focusing on modeling processes or actions that manipulate data Separate data from processes Data flow diagram – Represents the system’s component processes and flow of data between them – Logical graphic model of information flow Data dictionary – Defines contents of data flows and data stores Data Flow Diagram for Mail-in University Registration System  Structured Methodologies (2 of 2) Process specifications – Describe transformation occurring within lowest level of data flow diagrams Structure chart – Top-down chart, showing each level of design, relationship to other levels, and place in overall design structure Copyright © 2022, 2020, 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd. All Rights Reserved  High-level Structure Chart for a Payroll System Copyright © 2022, 2020, 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd. All Rights Reserved Object-Oriented Development (1 of 2) Object – Basic unit of systems analysis and design – Combines data and the processes that operate on those data – Data in object can be accessed only by operations associated with that object Object-oriented modeling – Based on concepts of class and inheritance – Objects belong to a certain class and have features of that class – May inherit structures and behaviors of a more general, ancestor class Class and Inheritance Object-Oriented Development (2 of 2) More iterative and incremental than traditional structured development – Systems analysis: Interactions between system and users analyzed to identify objects – Design phase: Describes how objects will behave and interact; grouped into classes, subclasses, and hierarchies – Implementation: Some classes may be reused from existing library of classes, others created or inherited Objects are reusable – Object-oriented development can potentially reduce time and cost of development Traditional Systems Life Cycle Oldest method for building information systems Phased approach – Development divided into formal stages – “Waterfall” approach: One stage finishes before next stage begins Formal division of labor between end users and information systems specialists Emphasizes formal specifications and paperwork Still used for building large complex systems Can be costly, time-consuming, and inflexible The Traditional Systems Development Life Cycle Prototyping (1 of 2) Building experimental system rapidly and inexpensively for end users to evaluate Prototype: Working but preliminary version of information system – Approved prototype serves as template for final system Steps in prototyping – Identify user requirements – Develop initial prototype – Use prototype – Revise and enhance prototype The Prototyping Process  Prototyping (2 of 2) Advantages of prototyping – Useful if some uncertainty in requirements or design solutions – Often used for end-user interface design – More likely to fulfill end-user requirements Disadvantages – May gloss over essential steps – May not accommodate large quantities of data or large number of users ü May not undergo full testing or documentation Copyright © 2022, 2020, 2018 Pearson Education, Ltd. All Rights Reserved Application Software Packages, Software Services, and Outsourcing (1 of 3) Application software packages and software services – Save time and money – Many packages offer customization features Evaluation criteria for systems analysis include: – Functions provided, flexibility, user-friendliness, required resources, database requirements, installation and maintenance efforts, documentation, vendor quality, and cost Request for Proposal (RFP) – Detailed list of questions submitted to software vendors – Used to evaluate alternative software packages and cloud software services Application Software Packages, Software Services, and Outsourcing (2 of 3) Outsourcing: several types – Cloud and SaaS providers: subscribing companies use software and hardware provided by vendors – External vendors ü Hired to design, create software ü Domestic outsourcing o Driven by firm’s need for additional skills, resources, assets ü Offshore outsourcing o Driven by cost-savings Application Software Packages, Software Services, and Outsourcing (3 of 3) Outsourcing Advantages/Disadvantages – Advantages: Allows organization flexibility in IT needs – Disadvantages ü Hidden costs, for example: – Identifying and selecting the vendor – Transitioning to vendor ü Opening up proprietary business processes to third-party Total Cost of Offshore Outsourcing Rapid Application Development (RAD), Agile Development, Automated Software Testing, and DevOps (1 of 3) Rapid application development (RAD) – Process of creating workable systems in a very short period of time Joint application design (JAD) – Used to accelerate generation of information requirements and to develop initial systems design Rapid Application Development (RAD), Agile Development, Automated Software Testing, and DevOps (2 of 3) Agile development – Focuses on rapid delivery of working software by breaking large project into subprojects that can be completed in short periods of time Automated software testing – Tools to perform examinations of software, report outcomes, compare results with earlier test runs DevOps – Builds on agile development principles as an organizational strategy Rapid Application Development (RAD), Agile Development, Automated Software Testing, and DevOps (3 of 3) Low-code development – Enables faster development of applications, with minimal hand- coding, using visual modelling in a graphical interface No-code development – Includes built-in tools that enable user to create apps without any coding – Some disadvantages o Have limited functionality o Users can create applications without proper management oversight Mobile Application Development Mobile websites Mobile web apps Native apps Special requirements for mobile platform – Smaller screens, keyboards, multitouch gestures, saving resources (memory, processing) Responsive web design – Websites programmed so that layouts change automatically according to user’s computing device 41