- How does developing new systems produce organizational change?
Developing a new information system is a form of planned organizational change. Four kinds of technology enabled change are (a) automation, (b) rationalization of procedures, (c) business process redesign, and (d) paradigm shift, with far-reaching changes carrying the greatest risks and rewards. Many organizations are using business process management to redesign work flows and business processes in the hope of achieving dramatic productivity breakthroughs. Business process management is also useful for promoting, total quality management (TQM), six sigma, and other initiatives for incremental process improvement. - What are the core activities in the systems development process?
The core activities in systems development are systems analysis, systems design, programming, testing, conversion, production, and maintenance. Systems analysis is the study and analysis of problems of existing systems and the identification of requirements for their solutions. Systems design provides the specifications for an information system solution, showing how its technical and organizational components fit together. - What are the principal methodologies for modeling and designing systems?
The two principal methodologies for modelling and designing information systems are structured methodologies and object-oriented development. Structured methodologies focus on modelling processes and data separately. The data flow diagram is the principal tool for structured analysis, and the structure chart is the principal tool for representing structured software design. Object-oriented development models a system as a collection of objects that combine processes and data. Object-oriented modelling is based on the concepts of class and inheritance. - What are the alternative methods for developing information systems?
The oldest method for developing systems is the systems life cycle, which requires that information systems be developed in formal stages. The stages must proceed sequentially and have defined outputs; each requires formal approval before the next stage can commence. The systems life cycle is useful for large projects that need formal specifications and tight management control over each stage of systems development, but it is very rigid and costly. Prototyping consists of developing an experimental system rapidly and inexpensively for end users to interact with and evaluate. Prototyping encourages end-user involvement in systems development and iteration of design until specifications are captured accurately. The rapid creation of prototypes can result in systems that have not been completely tested or documented or that are technically inadequate for a production environment. Using a software package reduces the amount of design, programming, testing, installation, and maintenance work required to develop a system. Application software packages are helpful if a firm does not have the internal information systems staff or financial resources to custom develop a system. To meet an organization’s unique requirements, packages may require extensive modifications that can substantially raise development costs. End-user development is the development of information systems by end users, either alone or with minimal assistance from information systems specialists. End-user-developed systems can be created rapidly and informally using fourth-generation software tools. However, end-user development may create information systems that do not necessarily meet quality assurance standards and that are not easily controlled by traditional means. Outsourcing consists of using an external vendor to develop (or operate) a firm’s information systems instead of the organization’s internal information systems staff. Outsourcing can save application development costs or enable firms to develop applications without an internal information systems staff. However, firms risk losing control over their information systems and becoming too dependent on external vendors. Outsourcing also entails “hidden” costs, especially when the work is sent offshore. - What are new approaches for systems development in the digital firm era?
Companies are turning to rapid application design, joint application design (JAD), agile development, and reusable software components to accelerate the systems development process. Rapid application development (RAD) uses object-oriented software, visual programming, prototyping, and fourth-generation tools for very rapid creation of systems. Agile development breaks a large project into a series of small subprojects that are completed in short periods using iteration and continuous feedback. Component-based development expedites application development by grouping objects into suites of software components that can be combined to create large-scale business applications. Web services provide a common set of standards that enable organizations to link their systems, regardless of their technology platform, through standard plug-and-play architecture.
Which of the following may occur when systems are created rapidly?
Which of the following may occur when systems are created rapidly, without a formal development methodology? Testing and documentation may be inadequate.
In what stage of systems development are design specifications created?
The conceptual design stage is the stage where an identified need is examined, requirements for potential solutions are defined, potential solutions are evaluated, and a system specification is developed.
The most important phase in the system development process is determining system requirements. If the requirements are wrong, the system will be wrong. If the requirements are determined completely and correctly, then the design and implementation will be easier and more likely to result in success.
What is the process of creating workable systems in a short period of time?
The process of creating workable information systems in a very short period of time is called: prototyping.
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