SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE

Systems Analysis and Design (SAD) is a series of processes that help analyze and design computer-based
information systems. SAD enables you to examine a business scenario with an aim of improving the business
using better procedures and methods. Systems development includes two major components called systems
analysis and system design. System analysis is the process of examining a system with the potential goal of
improving or modifying it.
In system analysis, you analyze a business problem domain to improve its quality and to identify the business
requirements to determine the solution. Whereas, in system design, you implement a technical solution based
on the business requirements that you identify during systems analysis. Therefore, you can say that analysis
specifies the objective of a system and design states how to accomplish the objective.
OBJECTIVES
• Introducing nature of analysis
• Explaining system development life cycle
• Identifying problems, opportunities and objectives
• Determining information requirements
• Analyzing system needs
• Designing the recommended system
• Developing and documenting the software
• Testing and maintaining the system
• Implementing and evaluating the system
Introducing nature of analysis :-
The system analysis stage in its most general form includes the following steps:
• Identifying various operations handled by the existing system.
• Understanding the activities involved in the existing system.
• Understanding the user requirements.
• Verifying the efficiency of the methods of working applied to the participants, such as users, analysts,
designers, and programmers of system development.
• Verifying the changes in the process of system development.
• Determining the tools required for analysis.
• Verifying that if the workload allocation is logical and whether users have to take part in both the systems, existing and new
simultaneously.
• Verifying that whether the documents are easily understandable by the user.
• Deciding the scope, boundary and focus of the new system.
• Deciding the functions of the new system.
system development life cycle:-
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a phased approach to analysis and design of information system. SDLC is a set of activities carried
out by the system analysts and system designers to develop an information system. SDLC consists of the following activities. They are:
• Identifying problems, opportunities and objectives
• Determining information requirements
• Analyzing system needs
• Designing the recommending system
• Developing and documenting software
• Testing and maintaining the system
• Implementing and evaluating the system
Identifying Problems, Opportunities and Objectives
Problems are undesirable situations that prevent the organization from fully achieving its purpose, goals and objectives. To avoid various
problems that can arise in an organization are:
• Check output against performance criteria
o Too many errors
o Work completed either slowly, incorrectly or incompletely
o Work not done at all
• Observe behavior of employees
o High absenteeism
o High job dissatisfaction
o High turnover
• Listen to external feedback
e.g. vendors, customers, suppliers etc
o Complaints
o Suggestions
o Lowering or loss of sales
For problem detection, it is important to observe the behavior of employees and listen to the external feedback.
 Opportunities for improvement include the following processes.
• Speeding up a process.
• Eliminating unnecessary steps.
• Combining processes.
• Reducing errors in input by changing of forms and screens.
• Reducing redundant output.
• Improving integration of systems or subsystems.
• Improving users' satisfaction.
Determining Information Requirements :- In this phase, the analyst tries to understand what information the users need to perform their
jobs. Information requirement determination involves studying the current business system to find out how it works and where
improvements should be made. System study results in an evaluation of how current methods are working and whether adjustments are
possible or not.
Sampling and investigating hard data, interviewing, questionnaires etc can serve as tools to define the information requirements. Sampling
can be defined as the process of systematically selecting representative elements of a population. Analyzing the documents helps to
understand how the organizational members engage in the process of organizing.
Analyzing System Needs:-
In this phase, the system analyst analyses the system needs and also the structured decisions. In system analysis, various tools and
techniques are used to plan for the future system by analyzing and recording the performance of the current system. The major tool used
in structural system analysis includes Data Flow Diagram (DFD), Data Dictionary, Decision Tables and Decision Trees etc.
Designing the Recommended System:-
Design is a blueprint to define the tasks that need to be performed to build a system. It forms the most creative and challenging phase of
SDLC that describes the final system and process to develop the final system. During the design phase, the technical specifications of the
proposed system are specified. It also includes the development of programs and program testing.
The design process of a software system involves two important phases, logical design and physical design. During logical design, the
dataflow diagrams developed during the structured analysis phase are converted into the design that reveals various kinds of quality
attributes supported by structured design. However, during the physical design phase, the necessary changes are made to the logical
design to incorporate the changes in end user requirements.
Following are the stages that are involved in the design process of a software system:
• Developing a preliminary design for the problem model
• Improving the initial design to include required features
• Evaluation and fine-tuning the features of the design
• Modifying the design to incorporate implementation limitations
• Developing detailed system documentation
• Obtain approval of the design from the top management
•Testing the developed design if the design is accepted
In this phase, the system analyst develops the logical design of the information system. He designs accurate data entry procedures to
ensure that the data going into the information system are correct.
The following are the points that should be kept in mind at this stage.
• Functions performed by the system.
• Interaction between functions
• Information that is to be transported by the system.
• The input that are transferred to produce output.
• The type of work performed by the system.
• The source from where the system gets information to perform the task.
• The destination where the result is given by the system.
Developing and Documenting Software:-
In this phase, the analyst works with the programmers to develop the required software. He/she also works with users to develop effective
documentation such as manuals, online help etc for the software. Software developers may install purchased software or they may write
new, custom designed programs. The choice depends on the various factors, such as cost and the time available to write software.
In organizations, programmers perform the tasks such as documentation of programs and providing explanation of why the procedures
are coded in specific ways. In some organizations, programmers are a part of their personal staff. In other firms outsourcing may be done.
Documentation is essential to test the program and carry on maintenance once the application has been installed
Testing and maintaining the System:-
The program testing can be used to show the presence of the bugs, but never to show their absence.
This phase involves system analysts and programmers. The information system, which is developed, is tested before being used in this
phase. It is much less costly to identify and rectify the problems before the system is signed over to users. Testing is a direct responsibility
of the programmer and the system analyst serves as an advisor. The different types of testing are
• Program testing: Program testing tests individual programs for syntax error and logic error. A syntax error is a program statement that
violates one or more rules of the language or package in which it is written. Logic error deals with the incorrect data fields, out of range
items and invalid combinations.
• String Testing: Each program will be tested with other programs to see that they interact well. Each portion of the system is tested against
the entire module with test and lives data.
• System Testing: System testing includes the forced system failure and validation of the system. The whole system is tested to verify that
the backup and recovery procedures are effective and efficient.
• User acceptance Testing: User motivation and knowledge are crucial for the successful implementation of an information system. User
acceptance test has the objective of selling the user on the validity and reliability of the system.
The maintenance of the system begins in this phase and is carried out on a routine basis throughout the life of the information system.
Maintenance may include updates also. Maintenance of the systems is an important issue.
Implementing and evaluating the System:-
In this phase, the system analyst helps to implement the information system. The process of ensuring that the information system is
operational and then allowing users to take over its operation for use and evaluation is called implementation. This involves training the
users to handle the system. The system analyst needs to plan for a smooth conversion from the old system to the new one by converting
files from old formats to new ones.
The total evaluation of the system is done in this final phase. After the system is installed, it must be maintained for the following two
reasons. They correct the software errors and enhance the software's capabilities. The approaches to implementation are:
• Using different strategies for training users and personnel, and making sure that each user understands any new role that he/she must
take on
• Choosing a conversion strategy
• Evaluating the new or modified information system
Training System Development Life Cycle
Systems analysts engage in educational processes with users through training. The trainer and the trainee determine training strategies.
The system analyst ensures that whose work is affected by the new information system is properly trained. Possible training sources include:
• Vendors
• Systems analysts
• External paid trainer
• In-house trainers
• Other system users Guidelines for training are:
• Establishing measurable objectives
• Using appropriate training methods
• Selecting suitable training locations
• Employing understandable training materials Following are the objectives of a training program:
• To enhance communication between amongst the members of the development team.
• To provide knowledge about the new system to the employees of the company.
• To increase user awareness.
• To obtain support for the new system from the top management.
• To provide information to the employees and the top management about the problems and issues that can be handled by the new system.
Conversion
There are five strategies for converting the old information system into the new one or modified one is the following.
• Direct changeover
• Parallel conversion
• Gradual (Phased) conversion
• Modular Prototype conversion
• Distributed conversion
Security of computer facilities, stored data and information generated is part of a successful conversion. The three interrelated aspects of
security are:
• Physical Security
• Logical Security
• Behavioral Security

Evaluation
Many different evaluation approaches are available for evaluating information systems, including cost-benefit analysis, the revised decision
evaluation approach and user involvement evaluations. The information system utility approach is a comprehensive and useful technique
for measuring the success of a developed system.