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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