The system requirements document is the deliverable, or end product, of the systems
analysis phase. The document details all system requirements and constraints, recom
mends the best solution, and provides cost and time estimates for future development
work. The system requirements document is the basis for the management presentation.
At this point, the firm might decide to develop an in-house system, modify the current
system, purchase or customize a software package, perform additional systems analysis
work, or stop all further work.
As you prepared for the transition from the systems analysis to systems activities,
you learned that a prototype is a working model of the proposed system that you can
use to verify the system requirements with users or as a basis for the new system.
You learned that a set of interactive tools, called a fourth-generation environment, can
help you construct the prototype. A fourth-generation environment includes screen gener
ators, report writers, application or code generators, and fourth-generation languages, all
of which interact with a data dictionary developed with CASE tools. You also reviewed a
set of systems design guidelines and suggestions, including user considerations, data con
siderations, and processing considerations. Finally, you learned about trends in software
development, including outsourcing, agile development, and various other topics.