Database Reference
In-Depth Information
As you can see from my description, I've left a few job titles out of the
picture. That's because each organization is structured a bit differently. For
the most part, when one develops a system, there are at least two depart-
ments involved. One is the end-user department (e.g., marketing, opera-
tions), which represents the end users, who have a need for a system to be
developed or modified. The end-user department turns to the computer
department—sometimes called IS (information systems) or MIS (manage-
ment information systems) or IT (information technology)—to help them
turn this need into a working system.
The end-user department is composed of experts who do a particular
task. Maybe they are accountants, or maybe they are in marketing—they
still are experts in what they do. They are managed, just like IS people, by
managers. We can refer to these managers as
business managers
, just like
we refer to a computer manager as an
IS manager
. While most systems
analysts work directly with those that report to the business manager, the
business manager still plays a critical role. We need to turn to this manager
if there is some information we need from the entire department or when
we need to have something done that only the business manager can direct.
SDLC: Systems Development Life Cycle
The development of computer systems has many moving parts. Each of
these parts has a name, e.g., analysis, design, etc. We call the entirety of
these steps a
systems development life cycle
.
Why do we call this a life cycle? A system has a life of its own. It starts
out as an idea and progresses until this idea germinates and then is born.
Eventually, when the system ages and becomes obsolete, it is discarded or
dies. So
life cycle
is really an apt term.
The idea phase of the SDLC is the point at which the end user, systems
analyst, and various managers meet for the first time. This is where the scope
and objectives of the system are fleshed out in a very high-level document.
Next, a team composed of one or more system analysts and end users
tries to determine whether the system is feasible. There are many reasons
why systems are
not
feasible: too expensive; technology not yet available;
not enough experience to create the system. These are just some of the
reasons why a system will not be undertaken.
Once the system is determine to be feasible, systems analysis is initi-
ated. This is the point when the analysts put on their detective hats and
try to ferret out all the rules and regulations of the system. What are the
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