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IPT
CORE TOPICS
9.1 Project Work (20%)
9.2 Information System & Databases (20%)
9.3 Communications Systems (20%)
OPTIONS
9.4.1Transaction Processing (20%)
9.4.2 Decision Support
9.4.3 Automated Manufacturing
9.4.4 Multimedia Systems (20%)
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Project Work
9.1.1 Project Management
9.1.2 Social & Ethical Design
9.1.3 Understanding the Problem
9.1.4 Making Decisions
9.1.5 Designing Solutions
9.1.6 Implementing
9.1.7 Testing, evaluating & maintaining
9.1.1 Project Management
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Projects
• A PROJECT is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product or service.– Temporary means an END DATE– Unique means the end result (final deliverable)
is different than the results of other endeavours of the organisation
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Project Management
The application of a range of activities to meet particular requirements:
Range of activities– knowledge– skills– tools, and– techniques
• Carried out during all stage of a project
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Advantages of PM
• Cost control
• Development within specified times
• Organised use of the available hardware and software
• An improved end product
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Project Manager
• The person (or firm) responsible for planning, coordination, and controlling a project from inception to completion
• Expected to bring the project ‘in’ on time and on budget to a specific quality
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Steps in Project Management
1. PLAN• Understand the problem• Making decisions
2. DESIGN• Designing and building the solution
3. DEPLOY• Implement solution• Testing, Evaluation and Maintaining
This equates to UM-DITEM (System Development Cycle)
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System Development Cycle
BENEFITS• Efficient system • Error free as
possible
Understand the problem
Make decision
Design solution
Implement
Test, evaluate, maintain
Statement of problem
Type of new system
New system
Using new system
Change In purpose
Change typeOf system
Change system
Change useOf system
Problems
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System Development Cycle (2)
UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM(Capture user requirements & prototype system)
MAKING DECISION(Review requirements, constraints & feasibility)
IMPLEMENTING(Planning: conversion, participant training, testing)
TESTING, EVALUATING & MAINTAINING(System test, evaluation form, modifications
Design ReportBuilt Solution
Activities Deliverable
RequirementsReport
FeasibilityStudy
DESIGNING SOLUTIONS(Scope & build solution)
ImplementationPlans
EvaluationReport
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Project Plan
• A management document for the project in terms of its objectives, justification and how the objectives will be met.
• Used as a record of decisions and a means of communication among stakeholders
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Project Plan
Contents
• Project Title– Project Statement
• Overview– Background– Aims & Objectives– Direction– Planned Deliverables
• Resources– People– Timeframe– Money– Resources
• Gantt Chart
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Project Statement
• Project statement:– Objective– Timeframe– Budget
e.g Develop a new web site within six months for a total cost not exceeding $50,000
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Project Schedule
Gantt chart
Understanding the problem
Making decision
Designing solutions
Implementing
Testing, evaluation &maintaining
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Time (weeks)
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Gantt Chart
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Communication Skills
• Actively listening (hearing)
• Conflict resolution
• Negotiation
• Interview techniques
People in the project must be kept informed
Team Building is crucial
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Active Listening
• The art of giving individual, undivided attention to a speaker in a genuine effort to understand their point of view
• Important when interviewing or surveying users as part of a project
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Conflict Resolution
• Conflicts among people arise from time to time
• The process of resolving a dispute or disagreement
• Methods include:– negotiation, – Mediation, or – arbitration
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Methods of Resolution
• Negotiation: discussion between people intended to produce agreement
• Mediation: negotiation conducted by an independent third-party.
• Arbitration: formal hearing and determination of a dispute by an impartial referee agreed to by all parties.
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Interview Techniques
• An important analysis tool
• Opportunity to interact with people who have first-hand practical knowledge
• Consider similarities and differences:– Interview– Survey– Questionnaire
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Team Building
• Process of getting people working well together
• Each team member usually has a specific role
• What would some of those roles be?
9.1.2 Social & Ethical Design
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Social Issue
• A social issue may arise when a decision or action we make impacts other people in a negative way. For example:– loss of jobs due to new system– privacy of people’s personal data is
jeopardised
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Ethical Issue
• An ethical issue can arise when a decision or action we make is perceived by other people as being inappropriate or wrong. For example:– you might be legally able to publish personal
information you have collected because the person clicked a box on a computer screen without thinking BUT it is clear that the publication of the data will cause the person embarrassment. What should you do?
9.1.3Understanding the Problem
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Steps in Understanding
• Preliminary investigation– Determine the exact nature of the problem– Determine if a ‘quick-fix’ is possible or if new
system required– Details of existing system and processes examined
• Collect data from participants and users
• Produce User Requirements Report and Project Plan (including Gantt Chart)
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Prototypes
• Working model of an information system, built in order to understand the requirements of the system:– used when the problem is not easily understood– Repetitive process of prototype modifications and
participants’ feedback until the problem is understood
• can be the basis for further development
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Prototyping Cycle
Create
Prototype
Implement
Communicate with participants
Feedback from participants
Modifyprototype
Evolutionary prototyping
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System Environment
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System Environment (2)
9.1.4Making Decisions
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Making Decisions
• Conduct a Feasibility Study of proposed solutions and the judging criteria:– is it economically feasible?– is it technically feasible?– does it fit the objectives of the owners of the
information system and are there participants who can operate it (organisational)?
– can it be implemented in the available time- frame?
• Produce Feasibility Report– Benefits, costs and risks
9.1.5Designing Solutions
A Building Solution
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Refine Prototype
• Initial prototype concentrates on inputs and outputs (sample data)
• Enhanced prototype involves making prototype more user friendly and developing underlying processes using real data
• Screen & report generators used
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Participant Development
• Participant development, when people within the information system develop the solution
• Participant designed solutions
• Special Computer-Aided Systems Engineering software (CASE) often used
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Design Tools
Tools used in designing, including:– Context Diagrams– Data Flow Diagrams (DFD)– Decision trees & tables– Data Dictionaries– System flow charts
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Context diagramGraphical method for representing a system
using a single process
Process
Externalentity
Single process:Circle represents the entire system
Data flow:Flow of data between process and external entities
External entity:Represents any person or organisation that sends data to or receives data from the system
ID number
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Video Store System
Hire Videos
Distributors
Employees
Customers
Video details
Hiring details
Receipt
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Video Store System
VSS
Distributors
Employees
Customers
Product details
Hire & sales g details
Receipt
Product details
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Data flow diagramGraphical method for
representing a system
using a number of processes
Process
Externalentity
Process:Circle represents the various processes involved
Data flow: Flow of data between processes, external entities and data store
External entity: Represents any person or organisation that sends data to or receives data from the system
Datastore Data store: location where data is stored
ID number
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Distributors
Customers
PurchaseVideos
ProcessRentals
Video Details
Register Members
Membership Card
Employees
Video & Member ID
CustomerDetails
NameAddressPhone#
VideoDetails
TitleID#
ProcessEnquiry Title
Title
ID #
ID #
Date available
Duedate
Video Card
Member IDDue Date
Customer Record Card
Video ID Date
ProcessOverdues
Date
Date Member ID
Member ID
CustomerDetails
Overdue letter
Jim’s Video Store
Data Flow Diagram
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Decision Trees
Diagrammatic way of representing all possible decisions and their resulting actions
Load application
OS loading?Check all connections
Light on?
Power on? Reinstall OS
Turn power on
Y
N
Y
Y
N
N
e.g. determine a basic computer problem
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Decision Tree Example
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Decision Table
• Table that represents all possible conditions and actions
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Decision Table Example
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Decision Table
Describe a process within a system
Conditions RulesEmployee salary due Y Y Y N NBank accepts employee salary Y Y N Y NBank account details held by employerY N Y Y N
ActionsPay employee by direct debit Y N N N NPay employee by cheque N Y Y N NDon't pay employee N N N Y Y
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Four Quadrants
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1 - Determine Conditions
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2- Determine Actions
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3 - Construct Condition Alternatives
Usually two alternatives (Y/N) per condition2* X where x = number of conditions
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4 - Simplify table
Eliminate logical inconsistencies
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4a - Simplified Table
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5 - Complete Actions
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Data Dictionaries
Table that describes the data in a system
Field Name Data Type Field Size Description/Example
Field_Name Text e.g 25e.g perons surname/"Smith"
NumericDatePercentageGeneral
ID_Key Numeric 7Autogenerated by system e.g "12345
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Data Dictionary Example
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System Flow Chart
• Graphical method of representing both the flow of data and the logic of the system
• Many of these symbols have become out of date as a result of changes in technology.
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Flow Chart Symbols
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System Flow Charts
• Graphical method of representing both the flow of data and the logic of the system
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Receipting Flow Chart
B
B
9.1.6Implementing
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Implementation Plan
• Training• Conversion• Testing methods
• Develop an implementation plan for the project– convert from the old to the new system– determine the training needs arising from the creation
of a new system
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Participant Training
• Need to consider:– Requirements& complexity of new system– Previous skills of participants– When training can occur– Who will do the training (trainers and
participants)
• Who needs training?– Operators, system managers (participants);
users (managers)
• Methods of training
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Training Methods
Method Advantages Disadvantages
ManualsCheap, portable, accessible Can be paper or digital
Difficult and costly to keep up to dateBulky to carry around
Courses
Useful when several people need to be trained at same timeInstructors able to answer questions & demonstrate techniques
ExpensiveImpreactical for only a few people
ConsultantsUsually very familiar with the solution May only be available for short time
Computer-aided tutorials
InteractiveVisual demonstartion of proceduresAvailable anytime user has time
Difficult to develop and expensive due to multimedia components in better types
Assistants such as wizards
Online help to guide userAvailable when neededOften automate regular tasks
Cost makes them unlikely except for very large projects
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Conversion Methods
• DIRECT: immediate change with all data transferred on a specific date– Minimal transition costs BUT high risk
• PARALLEL: old and new at same time– Extra work load but LOWER risk (BUT can be confusing)
• PHASED: Gradual implementation of new system• PILOT: Trial new system in a small part of the
organisation– Longer lead time but lower risk
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Conversion Methods (2)
• Methods are not necessarily mutually exclusive e.g.– Might run a pilot then implement fully using
direct, phased or parallel
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Deciding Testing Methods
• Stress test - loads to stretch capacity of system
• Participant testing - people familiar with requirements
• Bench testing - checks each component against specification
• System test - tests all components working together
• Acceptance test - check delivered product against specifications
9.1.7Testing, Evaluating &
Maintaining
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Test & Evaluate
• Testing and evaluating the solution with live test data
• Checking to see if the original objectives of the project have been achieved (acceptance testing)
• Compare the new system to the old and evaluate whether objectives for the project have been met (Project Evaluation)
Did we get what we wanted on time & on budget?
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Maintaining
• Documenting the system
• Fixing ‘bugs’
• Accommodating changes e.g. changed legislation, tax rates etc.
• Enhancements to the system
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Documentation
• The operation manual detailing procedures participants follow when using the new system
• Document the new system
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THE END