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System Life Cycle

The document outlines the system life cycle process that a systems analysis team undertakes when reviewing an existing system. It involves analyzing the current system through methods like observation and interviews. This informs the design of an improved system, including file structures, validation/verification, and interfaces. The new system is then developed, with individual modules and the full system tested before implementation. Thorough testing uses normal, extreme, and abnormal data to ensure robust functionality.

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Leslie Masiyandima
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34 views4 pages

System Life Cycle

The document outlines the system life cycle process that a systems analysis team undertakes when reviewing an existing system. It involves analyzing the current system through methods like observation and interviews. This informs the design of an improved system, including file structures, validation/verification, and interfaces. The new system is then developed, with individual modules and the full system tested before implementation. Thorough testing uses normal, extreme, and abnormal data to ensure robust functionality.

Uploaded by

Leslie Masiyandima
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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System life cycle

● A system analysis team is often brought in to review an existing system and suggest several
improvements
● This existing method used may be either a manual paper based system or a computer based operation
that is no longer regarded as adequate for the task

● Analysis → Design → Development and testing → Implementation → Documentation → Evaluation


. and review
● The basics steps in analysis stage can be summarized as follows
○ Fact finding/collecting data from the current system
○ Description of the current system- establishing the inputs, outputs and processing being sone
○ Identification of the problems with the current system
○ Agreeing the objectives with the
customers
○ Identifying and agreeing the
customer’s requirements
○ Interpreting the customer’s
requirements
○ Producing a cost benefit analysis
○ Producing a data flow diagram

Methods of fact finding


Observation
● Involves watching personnel using the existing system to find out exactly how it works
● Advantages
○ The analyst obtains reliable data
○ It is possible to see exactly what is being done
○ It is a relatively inexpensive method
● Disadvantages
○ People are generally uncomfortable being watched and may work in a different way
○ If workers perform tasks that violate standard procedures, they may not do this while being
watched

Interviews
● Involves a one-to-one question and answer session between the analyst and the employee
● Advantages
○ It gives the opportunity to motivate the interviewee into giving open and honest answers to the
analyst’s questions
○ It allows the analyst to probe for more feedback from the interviewee, as it is easier to extend a
question
○ It is possible to modify questions as the interview proceeds and ask questions specific to the
interview
○ It is a good method if the analyst wants to probe deeply into one specific aspect of the existing
system
● Disadvantages
○ It can be time consuming, relatively expensive and interviewee cannot remain anonymous
Questionnaires
● Involves sending out questionnaires to the work force and to the customers to find out views of existing
system and find out some key tasks that are carried out
● Advantages
○ The questions can be answered quite quickly
○ It is a relatively inexpensive method
○ Individuals can remain anonymous if they want
○ It allows quick analysis of the data
● Disadvantages
○ Often the number of returned questionnaires is low
○ The question are rather inflexible since they have to be generic
○ There is no immediate way to clarify vague or incomplete answer to a question

Looking at existing paperwork


○ Allows the analyst to see how the paper files are kept, look at operating instructions and training
manuals, check the accounts etc.
● Advantages
○ It allows information to be obtained which was not possible by any of the other methods
○ The analyst can see for themselves how the paper system operates
○ It allows the analyst to get some idea of the scale of the problem, memory size requirements,
type of input/output devices needed
● Disadvantages
○ It can be very time consuming
○ Because of the analysts time, it is relatively expensive
________________________________________________________________________________________
● Design
○ Once the analysis has taken place and the systems analyst has some idea of the scale of the
problem and what needs to be done, the next stage is to design the key parts of the
recommended system
● A list of tasks is summarized here
○ Designing data capture forms
○ Designing screen layouts
○ Designing output forms and reports
○ Producing systems flowcharts or pseudo code
○ Selecting and designing validation rules that need to be used
○ Selecting the most appropriate data verification methods
○ Designing and agreeing the file structures and tables
○ Selecting and designing the hardware and software requirements
○ Producing algorithms or program flowcharts
○ Designing a testing strategy/plan

Verification
● A way of preventing errors when data is copied from one medium to another
● Double entry
○ Data is entered twice using 2 different people
○ The computer compares the 2 entries, during or after data entry and identifies any differences
● Visual check
○ Checking for errors by comparing entered data on the screen with the data in the original
document
Validation
● Process where data is checked to see if it satisfies certain criteria when input into a computer for
example to see if the data falls within accepted boundaries
● Range check
○ Checks whether data is within given/acceptable values
○ E.g. a person's age should be in range more than 0 and less than 150
● Length check
○ Checks if the input data contains the required number of characters
○ E.g. if a field needs six digits then inputting a five or seven digit number causes an error
● Character/type check
○ Checks that the input data does not contain invalid characters
○ E.g. a person’s name should not contain any numbers but a person’s height should only contain
digits
● Format/picture check
○ Check that data is in a specific format
○ E.g. date should be in form dd/mm/yy
● Limit check
○ Similar to range check except that only one of the limits is checked
○ E.g. input data must be less than 10
● Presence check
○ Check if data is actually present and has not been missed out
○ E.g. in an electronic form, a person's telephone number may be required field and if no data is
present this should give rise to an error message
● Consistency check
○ Checks if fields correspond with each other
○ E.g. if ‘Mr’ typed into a field called title then the gender field must contain either ‘M’ or ‘Male’
● Check digit
○ Looks at an extra digit which is calculated from the digits of a number and then put on the end of
the number
○ E.g. check digits can identify 3 types of errors
■ If 2 digits have been inverted during input
■ An incorrect digit entered twice
■ A digit missed out altogether

Development and testing


● Once the design stage is completed, it is necessary to create the system to fully test it
● This section considers some of the development stages and testing strategies which are often adopted
by system analysts
● If the system contains files (e.g. a database) then the file structure needs to be finalized at this stage
(e.g. what type of data is being stored in each field, length of each field, which field will be the key field,
how the data files will be linked, etc.)
● Once the file structure has been determined, it is then created and fully tested to make sure it is robust
when the system actually goes live
● Since it is important that correct data is stored in files, there are certain techniques that need to be
adopted to make sure the data populating the file and database is at least of the right type & that it
conforms to certain rulesValidation routines and verification methods are used to ensure this happens
● Again, routines have to be fully tested to ensure they trap unwanted data but also to make sure any
data transferred from a paper-based system to an electronic system has been done accurately
● Any system being developed will have some form of user interface
● The types of hardware were chosen in the design stage
● How these are used to interface with the final system now needs to be identified, for example how the
screens will be used to collect the data and the way the output will be presented
● If specialist hardware is needed (e.g. for people with disabilities), then it will be necessary to finalize
how these devices are used with the system when it is implemented
● This will be followed by thorough testing to ensure the user screens are user friendly and that the
correct output is associated with the inputs to the system

Testing strategies

● Testing of each module needs to be done to ensure each one functions correctly on its own
● Once the development of each module is completed, the whole system needs to be tested (i.e. all
modules functioning together)
● Even though each individual module may work satisfactorily, when they are all put together there may
be data clashes, incompatibility and memory issues
● All of this may lead to a need to improve the input and output methods, file and database structures,
validation and verification methods
● It is a very time-consuming process but the system must be as perfect as possible before it goes live
● Testing will use many different types of data, which will fall into one of three categories: normal, extreme
or abnormal
○ Normal
■ This data which is acceptable/valid and has an expected outcome
■ E.g. the month can be any whole number in range of 1-12
○ Extreme
■ This is data at the limits of acceptability/validity
○ Abnormal
■ This is data outside the limits of acceptability/validity and should be rejected or cause an error
message

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