Reasons for system development

it was recognised that the way in which software is developed must be radically changed because users needsnwere not being met.

this is to ensure software meets the users requirements, software is developed on time and within budget.

a quality process was not being followed. effective advances in hardware were not being used in the production of software.

to operate more efficently which can be done by

• reducing the cost of handling information.
• increasing the speed at which data can be processed.
• improving the quality of information that they use.

to operate more effectively which can be done by:

• increasing the ways that they make use of the information that they collect and store.
• providing relavant and up to date information that can help employees to make decisions.

they have made a strategic decision to develop their system because:

• they need to improve their competitiveness.
• they wish to diversfiy into a new business sector.

successful development projects require effective management, involving the end user of the system and effective ICT teamwork.

good management requires:

• understanding of ICT and what it is able to deliver.
• the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• effective communication skills.
• the ability to involve others and make them feel valued.
• the ability to control a budget.

formal techniques that will help with the effective managemnt of an ICT project include:

• agreeing on what needs to be delivered.
• dividing the project into tasks.
• setting a time scale
• approval to proceed.

costs include:

• development costs
• costs related to the uniqueness of the system application.
• investments in hardware and related quipment.
• on-going operational costs.

time - it is vital that the system can be developed within the time scale identified and is developed on schedule.

the main requirements of the new system will be identified and outlined in the requirements specification, which is a clear listing of what the customer wants in their final system. it includes:

• input/output processing will be defined.
• hardware and software requirements will be defined.
• a data model will be developed.
• constraints will be established.

what is the role of the system analyst?

analyses the data processing requirements of the organisations.

conducts fact finding methods - interviews etc and examines documents, conducts feasibility studies, draws up system specification and criteria against which the system can be evaluated.

 Its responsible for implementing the system and ensures it works properly.

describe the main role of the project manager?

the project manager is in overall charge of the project. allocates the budget, the schedule and the resources, monitors project progress and identifies and responds to risks.

Describe the main role of the programmer?

they write program code to meet the system specification. they plan the testing, test the code, document the code and finally debug or maintain the code.

systems were deliveried over budget

systems were not completed on time.

systems were becoming more complex.

develoments in software were not keeping pace with developments in hardware.

systems did not meet user requirements.

a computer system consits of the user interface, the processes and the data. the user interface allows data to be entered that requires processing and outputs results after processing. the user interface allows the user to interact with the computer and the software. a process is an activity carried out as part of a computer system. a process will typically take data in the form of raw facts and figures and produce information typically in the form of reports.