WK 3-LU2 Understanding and Modeling Organizational Systems PDF

TMF1913 SYSTEM ANALYSIS & DESIGN Learning Unit 2: Understanding and Modeling Organizational Systems Adapted or modified by the SA&D Team Semester 1, 2024-2025 Learning Objectives » Understand that organizations and their members are systems and that analysts need to ta...

TMF1913 SYSTEM ANALYSIS & DESIGN Learning Unit 2: Understanding and Modeling Organizational Systems Adapted or modified by the SA&D Team Semester 1, 2024-2025 Learning Objectives » Understand that organizations and their members are systems and that analysts need to take a systems perspective. » Depict systems graphically using context-level data flow diagrams, and entity-relationship models, use cases, and use case scenarios. » Recognize that different levels of management require different systems. » Comprehend that organizational culture impacts the design of information systems. Major Topics » Organizations as systems » Depicting systems graphically » Data flow diagram (DFD) » Entity-relationship model/ diagram (ERD) » Use case modeling » Levels of management » Organizational culture Three Main Forces Interacting to Shape Organizations Levels of management Design of organizations Organizational cultures Organizations are Composed of Interrelated Subsystems » Influenced by levels of management decision makers that cut horizontally across the organizational system » Operations » Middle management » Strategic management » Influenced by organizational cultures and subcultures Organizations as Systems » Conceptualized as systems designed to accomplish predetermined goals and objectives » Composed of smaller, interrelated systems serving specialized functions » Specialized functions are reintegrated to form an effective organizational whole » System and subsystem boundaries and environments impact on information system analysis and design. Interrelatedness and Interdependence of Systems » All systems and subsystems are interrelated and interdependent » All systems process inputs from their environments » All systems are contained by boundaries separating them from their environments System feedback for planning and control / ENVIRONMENT » » An ideal system self-corrects or self-regulates itself.  8 Question What does it mean with interrelatedness and interdependence of systems?  9 System outputs serve as feedback that compares performance with goals Feedback is received both internal and external to the organization. Anything external to an organization’s boundaries is considered to be an environment.  Organizational Environments Community Economic Political Legal Federal, state, State and local regional, local Physical location Market factors government laws, and guidelines Demographic profile Competition (education, income)  Openness and Closedness Output from Free flow of one system Open information becomes input to another Restricted Information Limited by Closed access to numerous rules only on a “need information to know” basis Virtual Organizations and Virtual Teams » A virtual organization has parts of the organization in different physical locations » Computer networks and communications technology are used to bring virtual teams together to work on projects Organizations of remote workers, Image source: Microsoft clip art Benefits of Virtual Organizations and Teams » Possibility of reducing costs of physical facilities » More rapid response to customer needs » Helping virtual employees to fulfill their familial obligations to children or aging parents Virtual Organizations, Image source: Microsoft clip art Taking a Systems Perspective Allows system analyst to understand businesses before they begin their tasks It is important that members of subsystems realize that they are interrelated with other subsystems Problems occur when each manager thinks that his/her department is the most important Bigger problems may occur when that manager rises through the ranks  Taking a Systems Perspective Outputs from one department serve as inputs for another such that subsystems are interrelated. 15 Perspective of Functional Managers In his/her new position, the former manager may still think of his/her old department as the most important. The potential for this problem to occur exists in almost any business. If the analyst interviews this manager early on, he/she may get a distorted view of the company structure. 16 Question Why it is important for system analysts to take a Systems Perspective? 17 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) » Enterprise Systems or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) describes an integrated organizational information system » Software that helps the flow of information between the functional areas within the organization » ERP systems include: » manufacturing components » sales and operations planning » distribution » managing the supply train Image source: https://www.javatpoint.com/erp-full-form  ERP and the Organization ERP can affect every aspect of the organization, including: Design of employees’ Skills required for job Strategic positioning of work competency the company Problems with implementation: Difficult to analyze a system currently Companies tend to design their in use and then fit the ERP model to business processes before ERP is that system implemented Issues to be Overcome for ERP Success » Many issues must be overcome for the ERP installation is to be declared a success: User acceptance Integration with legacy systems and the supply chain Upgrading functionality (and complexity) of ERP modules Reorganizing work life of users and decision makers Expanded reach across several organizations Strategic repositioning of the company  Depicting Systems Graphically Context-level data flow diagrams Entity-relationship model Use case modeling Image source: All images are from Microsoft clip art Context-Level Data Flow Diagrams » Focus is on the data flowing into and out of the system and the processing of the data » Shows the scope of the system: » What is to be included in the system » The external entities are outside the scope of the system » The basic symbols of a Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Process: transforms incoming data into outgoing information, the content level has only one process representing the entire system. Entity: entity, a person, group, department, or system that supplies or receives information. Data flows: the lines that connect external entities to the process.  Airline Reservation System Example of a context-level data flow diagram for an airline reservation system Four Basic Activities of Agile Modeling » Focus is on the entities and their relationships within the organizational system » Another way to show the scope of a system » Entity-relationship diagrams help the analyst understand the organizational system and the data stored by the organization. » Relationships show how the entities are connected » Three types of relationships: » One-to-one » One-to-many » Many-to-many Example: An entity-relationship diagram showing a many-to-one relationship Examples of Different Types of Relationships in E-R Diagrams Attributes (in E-R Diagrams) » Data attributes may be added to the diagram. Patron Name Patron Patron address Patron phone Patron credit card Creating Entity-Relationship Diagrams 1 List the entities in the organization 2 Choose key entities to narrow the scope of the problem 3 Identify what the primary entity should be 4 Confirm the results of the above through data gathering Use Case Modeling » Describes what a system does without describing how the system does » A logical model of the system » Use case is a view of the system requirements » Analyst works with business experts to develop requirements A use case always provides three things: An actor that initiates an event The event that triggers a use case The use case that performs the actions triggered by the event  28 Use Case Diagram Refers to a particular role of a user of the system Actor Similar to external entities; they exist outside of the system An oval indicating Use case symbols the task of the use case Arrows and lines used to diagram Connecting lines behavioral relationships  29 Four types of behavioral relationships and the lines used to diagram each » System scope defines its boundaries: ⋄ What is in or outside the system ⋄ Project has a budget that helps to define scope ⋄ Project has a start and an end time » Actors are always outside of scope » Communication lines are the boundaries and define the scope  30 Some components of use case diagrams showing actors, use cases, and relationships for a student enrolment example Developing Use Case Diagrams STEP 1 Review the business specifications and identify the actors involved STEP 2 May use agile stories Identify the high-level events and develop the primary use STEP 3 cases that describe those events and how the actors initiate them STEP 4 Review each primary use case to determine the possible variations of flow through the use case STEP 5 The context-level data flow diagram could act as a starting point for creating a use case  32 A Use Case Diagram Representing a System Used to Plan a Conference Four Steps used to Create Use Cases Use agile stories, problem definition objectives, user Determine if there requirements, or a are any iterative or features list looping actions 1 2 3 4 Ask about the The use case tasks that must be ends when the done customer goal is complete Why Use Case Diagrams are Helpful the systems analyst can concentrate on what humans want and Identify all the actors in the need to use the system, extend their capabilities, and enjoy problem domain their interaction with technology. Actions that need to be this makes it easy for the analyst to identify processes and aids completed are also clearly in communication with other analysts on the team and shown on the use case diagram business executives because a lot of the information the users impart to the The use case scenario is also analysts are in story form, it is easy to capture on the use case worthwhile scenario form. used to show the scope of a system, along with the major Simplicity and lack of technical features of the system and the actors that work with those detail major features.  35 The main reasons for writing use cases are their effectiveness in communicating with users and their capturing of user stories Management in organisations exists on THREE horizontal levels Management in organizations exists on three broad, horizontal levels which is Operational Control, Managerial Planning and Control, and Strategic Management. Each level carries its own responsibilities, and all work toward achieving organizational goals and objectives in their own ways. Managerial Levels » Different organization structure » Leadership style » Technological considerations » Organization culture » Human interaction » All carry implications for the analysis and design of information systems Levels of Make decisions using predetermined rules that have Operations management Control predictable outcomes Oversee the operating details of the organization Make short-term planning and Managerial control decisions about resources Planning and and organizational objectives Control Decisions may be partly operational and partly strategic Look outward from the organization to the future Make decisions that will guide middle Strategic and operations managers Management Work in highly uncertain decision- making environment Define the organization as a whole Managerial Levels Operations managers Middle management Strategic management need internal information in need of both short and highly dependent on that is of a repetitive, low- longer-term information information from external level nature need for information in real sources that supply news of highly dependent on time market trends and the information that captures need current information on strategies of competing current performance performance as measured corporations large users of online, real- against set standards high need for information of time information resources highly dependent on internal a predictive nature need for past performance information need for periodically information and periodic need for historical reported information information is moderate information, along with have little use for external information that allows information that allows future prediction of future events projections Managerial Levels » Organizations have cultures and subcultures » Learn from verbal and nonverbal symbolism Definitions of organizational culture, Image source: BusinessDictionary.com Organizational Culture Verbal Symbolism Myths Metaphors Visions Humor Nonverbal Symbolism Shared artifacts Trophies, etc. Rites and rituals Promotions Birthdays, etc. Clothing worn Office placement and decorations Summary » Organizational fundamentals » Organizations as systems » Levels of management » Organizational culture » Graphical representation of systems » DFD » ERD » Use case diagrams and scenarios » Levels of managerial control » Operational » Middle management » Strategic » Organizational culture Additional links » Design DFD Diagram 0 » https://youtu.be/Ik85hZkyYPA » Design Entity-Relationship Model » https://youtu.be/Tg_8UYoKoQ8 » Use case modelling » https://youtu.be/RMuMz5hQMf4