What is System Analysis?

What is System Analysis? A Formal Definition:

Systems analysis is the dissection of a system into its component pieces for purposes of studying how those component pieces interact and work.

Systems analysis is done for the purpose of subsequently performing a systems synthesis. Systems synthesis is the re-assembly of a system’s component

pieces back into a whole system – hopefully an improved system.

1 Survey and

plan the project

2 Study and analyze the

existing system

3 Define

and priortize the business requirements

Project and System Scope

System Improvement

Objectives

Business Requirements

Business Requirements to the design phase

to the configuration phase

Repository

Documentation

Documentation

Documentation

SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Systems Analysis Activities

Survey problems, opportunities, and directives The purpose of this activity is to quickly survey and evaluate each

identified problem, opportunity, and directive with respect to urgency, visibility, tangible benefits, and priority.

Negotiate project scope The purpose of this activity is to define the boundary of the

system and project.• The boundary should be defined as precisely as possible to

minimize the impact of ‘creeping scope’. Plan the project

1.1 Survey

problems and

opportunities

1.2 Negotiate

project scope

1.3 Plan the

project

Repository

1.4 Present

the project

System Owners

System Owners

and Users

Request for

system services

Request for

system services

problem survey

statement

Problem survey statement

scope statement

Request for

system services

Problem statement

Scope statement

Project plan

Problem statement Scope statement

Project plan

System Management

Project templates and

Project standards

Project charter

Project charter

INFORMATION SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK

SYSTEM

ANALYSTS

SYSTEMBUILDERS

(components)

SYSTEMDESIGNERS

(specification)

SYSTEMUSERS

(requirements)

SYSTEMOWNERS

(scope)

ExistingDatabases

andTechnology

Business Subjects

data scope

FOCUS ONSYSTEM

DATA

Business Functions

process scope

FOCUS ONSYSTEM

PROCESSES

System Context

other systems

FOCUS ON SYSTEM

INTERFACES

ExistingApplications

and Technology

ExistingInterfaces

andTechnology

ExistingNetworks

andTechnology

Operating Locations

geographic scope

FOCUS ONSYSTEM

GEOGRAPHY

Survey Phase(establish scope and project plan)

FASTMethodology

Customers order zero, one, or more products. Products may be ordered by zero, one, or more customers.

Mar k eting

Adver tis ing

Orders

Sales

Cancella tions Serv ices

Order Management

SystemCustomer

Accounts Receivable Database

Warehouse

Bank

Order Picking Order

Credit

Credit VoucherSurvey

Phase

PROBLEM STATEMENTS

PROJECT: Member Services Information System PROJECT MANAGER: Sandra Shepherd

CREATED BY: Sandra Shepherd LAST UPDATED BY: Robert Martinez

DATE CREATED: January 15, 1997 DATE LAST UPDATED: January 17, 1997

Brief Statements of Problem, Opportunity, or Directive Urgency Visibility AnnualBenefits

Priorityor Rank

Proposed Solution

1. Order response time as measured from time of order receipt to time of customer deliveryhas increased to 15 an average of 15 days

ASAP High $175,000 2 New development

2. The recent acquisitions of Private Screenings Video Club and GameScreen will furtherstress the throughput requirements for the current system.

6 months Med 75,000 2 New development

3. Currently, three different order entry systems service the audio, video, and game divisions.Each system is designed to interface with a different warehousing system; therefore, theintent to merge inventory into a single warehouse house been delayed.

6 months Med 515,000 2 New development

4. There is a general lack of access to management and decision-making information. Thiswill become exasperated by the acquisition of two additional order processing systems(from Private Screenings and GameScreen).

12 months Low 15,000 3 after new system isdeveloped, provide userswith easy-to-learn and -use reporting tools.

5. There currently exists data inconsistencies in the member and order files. 3 months High 35,000 1 Quick fix; then newdevelopment

6. The Private Screenings and GameScreen file systems are incompatible with theSoundStage equivalents. Business data problems include data inconsistencies and lack ofinput edit controls.

6 months Med unknown 2 New development.Additional quantificationof benefit might increaseurgency.

7. There is an opportunity to open order systems to the Internet, but security and control isan issue.

12 months Low unknown 4 Future version of newlydeveloped system

8. The current order entry system is incompatible with the forthcoming automaticidentification (bar coding) system being developed for the warejhouse

3 months High 65,000 1 Quick fix; then newdevelopment

Systems Analysis Activities

Study the current system Model the Current System

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to learn enough about the current

system’s data, processes, interfaces, and geography to expand the understanding of scope, and to establish a common working vocabulary for that scope.

• Draw system models. – The recommended sequence of models is (1) INTERFACE, (2)

DATA, (3) PROCESS, and (4) GEOGRAPHY. • Verify the system models.

– The goal is to reach consensus agreement on ‘what’ the current system is all about.

Analyze business processesAnalyze problems and opportunities

The purpose of this activity is to:•(1) understand the underlying causes and effects of all perceived problems and opportunities, and •(2) understand the effects and potential side effects of all perceived opportunities.

Establish system improvement objectives and constraints

Systems Analysis Activities

Prepared by Kevin C. Dittman for

Systems Analysis & Design Methods 4ed

by J. L. Whitten & L. D. BentleyCopyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 19989

Systems Analysis

Modify project scopeOutline business system requirements

The purpose of this activity is to identify, in general terms, the business requirements for a new or improved information system. A classic input-process-output framework should prove sufficient to structure the activity

2.1 Model

the current system

2.3 Analyze

problems and

opportunities

2.4 Establish system

improvement objectives

Repository

1.4 Present

the project

System Owners

Approval to

continue project

scope statement

problem statement

cause/effect analysis

System models

System improvement

objectives and constraints

All prior deliverables

and revised

project plan

Detailed Study

Findingssystem models

2.2 Analyze

the business

processes

Process models

Process anaysis models

Process analysis data

Cause/effect analysis

2.5 Modify project

scope and plan

System models

cause/effect analysis

system improvement

objectives and constraints

Project plan

INFORMATION SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK

SYSTEM

ANALYSTS

SYSTEMBUILDERS

(components)

SYSTEMDESIGNERS

(specification)

SYSTEMUSERS

(requirements)

SYSTEMOWNERS

(scope)

ExistingDatabases

andTechnology

Database Structures

Database Scehma

Data Problemsand Opportunities

data capturedata access

data reliabilityinfo accuracy

info timeliness

Business Subjects

FOCUS ONSYSTEM

DATA

Application Programs

Application Schema

Process Problemsand Opportunities

throughputresponse timecost and value

efficiencyservice

Business Functions

FOCUS ONSYSTEM

PROCESSES

Component Programs

Interface Schema

Interface Problemsand Opportunities

controlservice

integrationinteroperability

service

System Context

FOCUS ON SYSTEM

INTERFACES

ExistingApplications

andTechnology

ExistingInterfaces

andTechnlogy

ExistingNetworks

andTechnology

Network Programs

Network Schema

Geographic Problemsand Opportunities

servicecost and valueresponse timeaccessibility

security

Operating Locations

FOCUS ONSYSTEM

GEOGRAPHY

Study Phase

(establishsystem

improvementobjectives)

Survey Phase(establish scope and project plan)

FASTMethodology

Customers order zero, one, or more products. Products may be ordered by zero, one, or more customers.

Marketing

Advertising

Orders

Sales

Cancellations Services

Order Manage me nt

Sys temCustomer

Acc ounts Receivable Data base

Warehous e

Ba nk

OrderPicki ng Orde r

Credit

Credit Voucher

StudyPhase

Page 1 of 5

PROBLEMS, OPPORTUNITIES, OBJECTIVES AND CONSTRAINTS MATRIX

Project: Member Services Information System Project Manager: Sandra Shepherd

Created by: Robert Martinez Last Updated by: Robert Martinez

Date Created: January 21, 1997 Date Last Updated: January 31, 1997

CAUSE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT OBJECTIVES

Problem or Opportunity Causes and Effects System Objective System Constraint1. Order response time is unaccept-

able.1. Throughput has increased while

number of order clerks was down-sized. Time to process a single or-der has remained relatively con-stant.

2. System is too keyboard dependent.Many of the same values are keyedfor most orders. Net result is (withthe current system) each ordertakes longer to process than isideal.

3. Data editing is performed by theAS/400. As that computer has ap-proached its capacity, order edit re-sponses have slowed. Because or-der clerks are trying to work fasterto keep up with the volume, thenumber of errors have increased.

4. Warehouse picking tickets for or-ders were never designed to maxi-mize the efficiency of order fillers.As warehouse operations grew, or-der filling delays were inevitable.

1. Decrease the time required to proc-ess a single order by 30%.

2. Eliminate keyboard data entry foras much as 50% of all orders.

3. For remaining orders, reduce asmany keystrokes as possible by re-placing keystrokes with point-and-click objects on the computer dis-play screen.

4. Move data editing from a sharedcomputer to the desktop.

5. Replace existing picking ticketswith a paperless communicationsystem between member servicesand the warehouse.

1. There will be no increase in theorder processing workforce.

2. Any system developed must becompatible with the existing Win-dows 95 desktop standard.

3. New system must be compatiblewith the already approved auto-matic identification system (for barcoding).

3.1 Outline

Business Requirements

3.2 Model

business system

requirements

3.3 Build

discovery prototypes

Repository

3.5 Modify project

plan and

scope

System Owners

Approval to

continue project

system improvement

objectives

requirements statement outline

system models

Discovery prototypes

Requirements statement

outline

All prior deliverables

Revised scope

and plan

requirements statement

outline

3.4 Prioritize Business

Requirements

System models

Discovery prototypes

Business requirements'

priorities

System models

Business requirements

outline

Revised plan