Chapter three
The System Development Life
Cycle
3.1
3.1
Most organizations find it beneficial to use a
standard set of steps, called a systems
development methodology, to develop and
support their information systems
Like many processes, the development of
information systems often follows a life cycle.
The systems development life cycle (SDLC)
is a common methodology for systems
development in many organizations; it features
several phases that mark the progress of the
systems analysis and design effort.
There are several criticisms of the traditional
life cycle approach to systems development;
one relates to the way the life cycle is
organized.
To better understand these criticisms, it is
best to see the form in which the life cycle
has traditionally been portrayed, the so-called
waterfall (Figure 3-10).
It became too tempting to ignore the need for
feedback and to treat each phase as complete
unto itself, never to be revisited once finished.
Yet another criticism of the traditional waterfall
SDLC is that the role of system users or
customers was narrowly defined (Kay, 2002).
In addition, under the traditional waterfall
approach, nebulous and intangible processes
such as analysis and design are given hard-and-
fast dates for completion, and success is
overwhelmingly measured by whether those
dates are met.
In order to make this material as general as
possible, we follow a rather generic life-cycle
model, as described in more detail in Figure 3.2.
Notice that our model is circular.
We use this SDLC as one example of a
methodology but, more important, as a way to
arrange the topics of systems analysis and
design.
Thus, what you learn in this material, you can
apply to almost any life cycle you might follow.
3.6
3.6
As we describe this SDLC throughout the
material, you will see that each phase has
specific outcomes and deliverables that
feed important information to other phases.
At the end of each phase, a systems
development project reaches a milestone
and, as deliverables are produced, they are
often reviewed by parties outside the
project team.
Planning: an organization’s total information system
needs are identified, analyzed, prioritized, and
arranged.
Analysis: system requirements are studied and
structured
Design: the description of the recommended
solution is converted into logical and then physical
system specifications
Logical design all functional features of the
system chosen for development in analysis are
described independently of any computer
platform.
Physical design: the logical specifications of the
system from logical design are transformed into
technology-specific details from which all
programming and system construction can be
accomplished.
Implementation: the information system is
coded, tested, installed, and supported in the
organization.
Some systems analysts consider the life cycle to be a spiral, in
which we constantly cycle through the phases at different levels
of detail, as illustrated in Figure 3-3.
FIGURE 3-3 Evolutionary model SDLC.
Prototyping, computer-aided software
engineering (CASE) tools, joint application design
(JAD), rapid application development (RAD),
participatory design (PD), and the use of Agile
Methodologies represent different approaches
that streamline and improve the systems analysis
and design process from different perspectives
(CASE) refers to automated software tools
used by systems analysts to develop
information systems.
managers, and analysts work together for
several days in a series of intensive
meetings to specify or review system
requirements.
Prototyping, CASE, and JAD are key tools
that support rapid application development
(RAD).
Rapid application development is systems
development methodology created to
radically decrease the time needed to
design and implement information systems.
Participatory design is a systems
development approach that originated in
northern Europe, in which users and the
improvement of their work lives are the
central focus.
Agile Methodologies is a family of
development methodologies characterized
by short iterative cycles and extensive
testing; active involvement of users for
establishing, prioritizing, and verifying
requirements; and a focus on small teams
of talented, experienced programmers.
All system developers should be familiar
with two very general approaches to system
development, because they form the basis
of virtually all methodologies: the traditional
approach and the object-oriented approach.
This section reviews the major
characteristics of both approaches and
provides a bit of history.
This approach is often referred to as structured
system development. A refinement to
structured development, called information
engineering (IE), is a popular variation.
Structured analysis, structured design, and
structured programming are the three techniques
that make up the structured approach.
Sometimes these techniques are collectively
referred to as the structured analysis and
design technique (SADT).
Information engineering is a refinement
to structured development that begins with
overall strategic planning to define all of the
information systems that the organization
needs to conduct its business (the
application architecture plan).
An entirely different approach to information
systems, the object-oriented approach, views
an information system as a collection of interacting
objects that work together to accomplish tasks.
Conceptually, there are no processes or programs;
there are no data entities or files. The system
consists of objects.
An object is a thing in the computer system that is
capable of responding to messages. This radically
different view of a computer system requires a
different approach to systems analysis, systems
design, and programming.
A process used to create an information
system
Consists of:
◦ Methodologies
A sequence of step-by-step approaches that help
develop the information system
◦ Techniques
Processes that the analyst follows to ensure thorough,
complete and comprehensive analysis and design
◦ Tools
Computer programs that aid in applying techniques
END OF CHAPTER three
