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IMS1805Systems Analysis

Topic 1: Introduction to Systems Analysis

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Agenda

• Aims: • To introduce the unit and the way it will be taught• To develop an understanding of the basic

concepts of analysis as a human activity, and to prepare the ground for the rest of the unit

• Unit Administration• Teaching the unit• Analysis

• what is it?• what forms does it take?• why do we do it?• who does it?

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1. Introductions

• Lecturer and Unit Leader - Martin Atchison• Tutors:

• Martin Atchison• Anne Hamilton• Manoj Kathpalia

• Class

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Unit Administration: General

• See unit outline• No more handouts! Use the web site• For tutorial allocation, use Allocate+• To change into a tute which is full, find

someone who is prepared to swap with you• If you have a problem with tutorial

allocation, talk to your tutor

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Unit Administration:Help with Problems or Complaints

• Fellow students• Tutor • Lecturer• Unit Leader• Undergraduate co-ordinator (Kathy Lynch)• Associate Head of School (Chris

Gonsalvez)• Head of School (Graham Farr)• etc

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2. Teaching the unit

• See unit outline for details of official teaching objectives and content

• Your objectives• My objectives• Possible teaching approaches• Proposed teaching format• Lecture and tute materials

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Problems you may have

• With the unit• It seems too easy (conceptually simple)• It seems too hard (practically impossible)• You can’t see the point of it; it doesn’t seem to

apply to anything• You can’t find the limits to it; it seems to

include everything

• With me• I talk too much (and too fast)• I use obscure examples• I expect too much of you

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Problems I may have

• With the unit• Too much to get through• Material too complex (or too apparently simple)• Too hard to explain (in both its simplicity and

its complexity)• I know it too well to be able to explain it well

• With you• You won’t get interested• You won’t do the work• You won’t understand

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Teaching perspectives

• The view from outer space• The view from 10,000 metres• The view from 500 metres• The view from 20 metres• The view from ground level

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My expectations

• You will develop a sound understanding of the basic concepts of analysis

• You will develop an understanding of how these concepts are applied in practice through various analytical techniques

• You will develop the ability to carry out some basic analytical techniques

• You won’t become an expert (and may start to feel that you never will!)

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Teaching method

• Lectures – role and purpose• Tutorials – role and purpose• Teaching sequence:

• Teach then do?• Do then teach?• … Teach - Do – Teach – Do – Teach - Do - ….

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3. Analysing Analysis

• To Analyse: “To take to pieces; to separate, distinguish, or ascertain the elements of anything complex, as a material collection, chemical compound, light, sound, a miscellaneous list, account or statement, a sentence, phrase, word, conception, feeling, action, process, etc.”

(OED online)• How much time do you spend doing analysis each

day?

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Examples of analysis in action

• Instinctive analysis

• Learned informal analysis

• Learned formal analysis

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Informal analysis versus formal analysis

Informal analysis• Intuitive, instinctive• Based on learned

behaviour/previous experiences

• Inductive• Internalised• Techniques used but not

explicit

Formal analysis• Rational, structured• Based on formal logic

• Deductive• Externalised• Based on techniques

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Key elements of analysis

• 1. Observation/perception: Gathering information about the object/situation

• 2. Discrimination/selection: Choosing what is important and what isn’t; focussing on the key factors within context

• 3. Identification/Comprehension: Identifying relationships and patterns; establishing causal relationships and connections

• 4. Representation: Describing and modelling the object of analysis

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Analysis and action

Situation

Uncertainty/incomprehensionNeed/problem/opportunity

Analysis

Possibilities for action

Action

(Revised analysis)

(need for clarification)

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4. Analysis in human behaviour

• We are all analytical machines:• Our input devices

• Our processing device

• Our storage device

• Our output devices

• Doing analysis is fundamental to our nature; it distinguishes us from other creatures

• (Consider a baby as an analyst; Consider Tom Hanks in ‘Castaway’)

• Most of our day-to-day analysis is informal; but formal analysis is a key professional skill

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The need for formal analysis: Problem-related factors

• Complexity of the situation:• Many elements; many inter-relationships, complex

inter-relationships; many possible outcomes; etc

• Importance of getting it exactly right

• Need to communicate our understanding of the situation to others

• Changing environment; we want to make sure our current understanding will continue to be accurate

• Using tools to help automate parts of the analysis

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The need for formal analysis: Person-related factors• New/unfamiliar situations; we cannot

rely on intuition or previous experience

• Need/desire to learn and improve our understanding of the object/situation

• Need to improve the speed/accuracy of our responses to situations

• Need/desire to change parts of the object/situation to improve outcomes

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Formal analysis

• Most formal analysis requires formal training

• Many simple formal analytical techniques are learnt very early in life by most people

• More advanced techniques need to be learnt and practised

• Differences in personality and mental make-up influence how well we can do different types of formal analysis

• The need to learn and practise means our attitudes towards analysis strongly influence how skilled we become

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What skills/attitudes are needed in a good analyst for information systems?

• Skill at informal analysis does not necessarily correlate with skill at formal analysis

• Different types of analysis require different skills and aptitudes

• Need to consider the nature of information systems

• Consider in more detail in next lecture

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This week’s tute

• Start practising doing some formal analysis• Note the need for:

• Observation/perception• Discrimination/selection• Recognition/comprehension• Representation

• Note the issues involved in each of these tasks