systems development life cycle (SDLC)
the overall process for developing information systems (planning, analysis, design, development, testing, implementation, maintenance)
7 Distinct Phases of SDLC?
Planning, Analysis, Design, Development, Testing, Implementation, and Maintenance
planning phase
establishes a high-level plan of the intended project that determines project goals
What does the Project Management Institution (PMI) do?
develops procedures and concepts necessary to support the profession of project management
project
a temporary activity a company undertakes to create a unique product, service, or result
project management
the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements
project manager
an individual who is an expert in project planning and management, defines and develops the project plan, and tracks the plan to ensure the project is completed on time and on budget
analysis phase
the firm analyzes its end-user business requirements and refines project goals into defined functions and operations of the intended system
design phase
establishes descriptions of the desired features and operations of the system, including screen layouts, business rules, process diagrams, pseudo code, and other documentation
development phase
takes all the detailed design documents from the design phase and transforms them into the actual system (actual physical implementation)
testing phase
brings all the project pieces together into a special testing environment to eliminate errors and bugs and verify that the system meets all the business requirements defined in the analysis phase
8 forms of system testing
1) alpha testing
2) development testing
3) integration testing
4) system testing
5) User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
6) Unit testing
implementation phase
the organization places the system into production so users can begin to perform the actual business operations with it
4 System Implementation Methods
Parallel Implementation
Plunge Implementation
Pilot Implementation
Phased Implementation
maintenance phase
the organization performs changes, corrections, auditions, and upgrades to ensure the system continues to meet business goals
waterfall methodology
Oldest and best known methodology, a sequence of phases in which the output of each phase becomes the input for the next. The SDLC steps are performed one at a time in order
iterative development
consists of a series of tiny projects
agile methodology
aims for customer satisfaction through early and continuous delivery of useful software components developed by an iterative process using the bare minimum requirements
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
a business-driven enterprise architecture that supports integrating a business as linked, repeatable activities, tasks, or services. SOA ensures that MIS systems can adapt quickly, easily, and economically to support rapidly changing business needs
3 SOA concepts?
Service, Loose Coupling, Interoperability
Interoperability
the capability of two or more computer systems to share data and resources, even though they are made by different manufacturers
loose coupling
the capability of services to be joined on demand to create composite services or disassembled just as easily into their functional components
scrum methodology
uses small teams to produce small pieces of software using a series of "sprints" or 30 day intervals to achieve an appointed goal
tangible benefits
easy to quantify and typically measured to determine the success or failure of a project (decreased expenses, time, errors, increased quantity and quality)
intangible benefits
difficult to quantify or measure (decision making, service, goodwill, morale)
examples of tangible and intangible benefits?
Tangible: decreased expenses, decreased processing errors, decreased response time, increased quantity or sales, increased quality
Intangible: improved decision making, improved community service, improved goodwill, improved morale
feasibility
the measure of the tangible and intangible benefits of an information system
6 Types of Feasibility Studies
1)Economic: measures cost effectiveness of a project
2)Operational: measures how well a solution meets identified system requirements to solve the problems
3)Schedule: measures project time frame
4)Technical: measures practicality of technical solutions a
5 primary reasons projects fail?
-Unclear or missing business requirements.
-Skipped SDLC phases.
-Changing technology.
-The cost of finding errors.
-Balance of the triple constraints.
3 primary variables of projects? (triple constraint)
Time, cost (resources), and scope
If one changes, others are likely to change too
SMART criteria for Successful Objective Creation
Specific
Measurable
Agreed upon
Realistic
Time frame
insourcing (in house development)
uses the professional expertise within an organization to develop and maintain its information technology systems
outsourcing
an arrangement by which one organization provides a service or services for another organization that chooses not to perform them in-house
Common resources companies outsource?
rapid growth, financial savings, the internet and globalization, core competencies
3 forms of outsourcing options available for a project?
Onshore, Nearshore, Offshore
onshore outsourcing
another company within the same country
nearshore outsourcing
company in nearby country
offshore outsourcing
writing code and developing systems in far countries
outsourcing benefits
increased quality/efficiency, reduced operating expenses, access to outsourcer's expertise, increased flexibility
outsourcing challenges
length of the contract, threat to competitive advantage, loss of confidentiality