development life cycle (SDLC), to plan, analyze, design, implement, and support an
information system. , it remains a popular systems development method. Structured analysis is based on an overall plan, similar to a blueprint for constructing a building, so it is called a predictive approach. Structured analysis uses a set of process models to describe a system graphically.
Because it focuses on processes that transform data into useful information, structured
analysis is called a process-centered technique. In addition to modeling the processes,
structured analysis also addresses data organization and structure, relational database
design, and user interface issues.
A process model shows the data that flows in and out of system processes. Inside
each process, input data is transformed by business rules that generate the output.
Figure 1-26 shows a process model that was created with Visible Analyst, a popular
software development tool. The model, which represents a school registration system,
is a called a data flow diagram (DFD) because it uses various symbols and shapes
to represent data flow, processing, and storage. You will learn more about DFDs
in Chapter 5, and you can view a
Video Learning Session that explains
DFDs and how they are used as
modeling tools.
Structured analysis uses the SDLC to
plan and manage the systems development process. The SDLC describes
activities and functions that all systems
developers perform, regardless of which
approach they use. In the waterfall
model, the result of each phase is called a
deliverable, or end product, which flows
into the next phase.
Some analysts see a disadvantage
in the built-in structure of the SDLC,
because the waterfall model does not
emphasize interactivity among the phases.
This criticism can be valid if the SDLC
phases are followed too rigidly. However,
adjacent phases usually interact, as show by the dotted lines in Figure 1-27 and
interaction among several phases is not
uncommon. Other analysts regard the
waterfall model as a two-way water flow
model, with emphasis on iteration and user
input. Used in this manner, the traditional
model is not as different from agile methods
as it might appear to be.
The SDLC model usually includes five
steps, which are described in the following
sections: systems planning, systems analysis,
systems design, systems implementation,
and systems support and security.
SYSTEMS PLANNING The systems
planning phase usually begins with a formal
request to the IT department, called a
systems request, which describes problems
or desired changes in an information system
or a business process. In many companies,
IT systems planning is an integral part of
overall business planning. When managers
and users develop their business plans,
they usually include IT requirements that
generate systems requests. A systems
request can come from a top manager, a
planning team, a department head, or the
IT department itself. The request can be
very significant or relatively minor. A
major request might involve a new information system or the upgrading of an
existing system. In contrast, a minor
request might ask for a new feature or
a change to the user interface.
The purpose of this phase is to perform a preliminary investigation to evaluate an
IT-related business opportunity or problem. The preliminary investigation is a critical step
because the outcome will affect the entire development process. A key part of the preliminary investigation is a feasibility study that reviews anticipated costs and benefits and recommends a course of action based on operational, technical, economic, and time factors.
Suppose you are a systems analyst and you receive a request for a system change or
improvement. Your first step is to determine whether it makes sense to launch a preliminary investigation at all. Often you will need to learn more about business operations
before you can reach a conclusion. After an investigation, you might find that the information system functions properly, but users need more training. In some situations, you
might recommend a business process review, rather than an IT solution. In other cases,
you might conclude that a full-scale systems review is necessary. If the development
process continues, the next step is the systems analysis phase.
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS The purpose of the systems analysis phase is to build a logical
model of the new system. The first step is requirements modeling, where you investigate
business processes and document what the new system must do to satisfy users.
Requirements modeling continues the investigation that began during the systems planning phase. To understand the system, you perform fact-finding using techniques such
as interviews, surveys, document review, observation, and sampling. You use the factfinding results to build business models, data and process models, and object models.