L545 Systems Analysis & Design

Week 2: September 9, 2008

Problems with Information Systems

Information Systems-centric

Problem w/ Traditional Systems Analysis Approach

Dataflow diagram

Problem w/ Traditional Systems Analysis Approach

Dataflow diagram

Consider the Work System

People and work practices are essential ingredients in IT success stories, and that supposed “computer glitches” often involve sloppy work practices and human error (Alter, 2006, p. 4)

Consider the Work System

Infrastructure

Envir

onm

ent Strategies

Customers

Products & Services

Work Practices

participants Information Technologies

Global Ginat’s CRM system

Contextual Design

Discover the everyday work practice of people

Contextual Design

Discover the everyday work practice of people

How Do We Know ….

To automate self-check out grocery system?

How Do We Know ….?

To automate self-check out grocery system?

Work Redesign

Work Redesign

Any Questions

Definition of A System A set of components that function

together in a meaningful way

Other examples of a system?

Definition of An Information System

Definition of An Information System

Any examples of an information system?

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC, or the waterfall method)

Problem definition Analysis Design/Development Testing Implementation Maintenance

What is a Problem?

A problem is a difference between things as desired and things as perceived (Gause & Weinberg)

What is a Problem?

A problem is a difference between things as desired and things as perceived (Gause & Weinberg)

Zero inventory

Defining Problems

Problem

Organizational goals

Defining Problems

Problem

Organizational goals

Long-term Scope Feasibility

You Cannot Solve a Problem Unless You know the Cause

Scientist

Observephenomenon

Formulatehypothesis

Performexperiment

Physician

Observesymptoms

Identifypossiblecauses

Conductdiagnostictests

Systems analyst (You)

Recognizeproblem

List possible causes

Study presentsystem

Communicate the hypothesis with the clients

A good problem statement includes: The problem: a list of symptoms

E.g., inventory value is $100,000 too high The objectives: the likely cause(s)

E.g., reduce inventory cost by $100,000 by eliminating obsolete inventory

Resources implications or scope: estimated resources needed to solve the problem (cost estimate)

E.g., the cost of this inventory system will not exceed $100,000

Specify what must be done, not how to do it

Problem Definition

The problem definition = the analyst’s preliminary sense of the problem (it could be wrong, thus keep an open mind)

See the assignment page for details: https://ella.slis.indiana.edu/~nhara/teaching/fall08/s556/assign.html

WSLC Overview Activity

1. Form groups of 5 people 2. Two teams will work on the UpNow

case, and the other two will work on the Websters4 case

3. Discuss the cases by asking the question on the worksheet

4. Report back to the class