1

SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Chapter 5

2

Key Definitions

The As-Is system is the current system and may or may not be computerized

The To-Be system is the new system that is based on updated requirements

3

Key Ideas

The goal of the analysis phase is to truly understand the requirements of the new system and develop a system that addresses them -- or decide a new system isn’t needed.

The line between systems analysis and systems design is very blurry.

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THE ANALYSIS PROCESS

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Analysis Across Areas

Combines business and information technology

Balance expertise of users and analysts

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The SDLC Process

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Three Steps of the Analysis Phase

Understanding the “As-Is” system

Identifying improvement opportunities

Developing the “To-Be” system concept

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Three Fundamental Analysis Strategies

Business process automation (BPA)

Business Process Improvement (BPI)

Business Process Reengineering (BPR)

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BUSINESS PROCESS AUTOMATION

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Business Process Automation

Goal:

Efficiency for users

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Identifying Improvements in As-Is Systems

Problem AnalysisAsking users to identify problems

Rarely finds significant monetary benefits

Root Cause AnalysisPrioritizing problems

Tracing symptoms to their causes

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Root Cause Analysis

Identify symptoms

Trace each back to its causes

Symptoms

ROOT CAUSES

Symptoms

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Root Cause Analysis Example

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BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

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Business Process Improvement

Introducing evolutionary changes

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Duration Analysis

Calculate time needed for each process step

Calculate time needed for overall process

Compare the twoDevelop process integration or parallelization

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Activity-Based Costing

Calculate cost of each process step

Consider both direct and indirect costs

Identify most costly steps and focus improvement efforts on them

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Benchmarking

Studying how other organizations perform the same business process

Informal benchmarkingCheck with customers

Formal benchmarkingEstablish formal relationship with other organization

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BUSINESS PROCESS REENGINEERING

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Business Process Reengineering

Radical redesign of business processes

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Outcome Analysis

Consider desirable outcomes from customers’ perspective

Consider what the organization could enable the customer to do

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Breaking Assumptions

Identify fundamental business rules

Systematically break each rule

Identify effects on the business if rule is broken

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Technology Analysis

Analysts list important and interesting technologies

Managers list important and interesting technologies

The group identifies how each might be applied to the business

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Activity Elimination

Identify what would happen if each organizational activity were eliminated

Use “force-fit” to test all possibilities

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Proxy Benchmarking

List similar industries

Look for techniques from other industries that could be applied by the organization

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Process Simplification

Eliminate complexity from routine transactions

Concentrate separate processes on exception handling

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DEVELOPING AN ANALYSIS PLAN

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Developing an Analysis Strategy

Potential business value

Project cost

Breadth of analysis

Risk

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Characteristics of Analysis Strategies

Business Business BusinessProcess Process ProcessAutomation Improvement Reeingineering

Potential Business Low-Moderate Moderate HighValue

Project Cost Low Low-Moderate High

Breadth of Analysis Narrow Narrow-Moderate Very Broad

Risk Low-Moderate Low-Moderate Very High

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Requirements Gathering

The goal of the analysis phase is to truly understand the requirements of the new system and develop a system that addresses them.

The first challenge is finding the right people to participate.

The second challenge is collecting and integrating the information.

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INTERVIEWS

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Interviews -- Five Basic Steps

Selecting interviewees

Designing interview questions

Preparing for the interview

Conducting the interview

Post-interview follow-up

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Selecting Interviewees

Based on information needed

Often good to get different perspectivesManagers

Users

Ideally, all key stakeholders

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Designing Interview Questions

Unstructured interviewBroad, roughly defined information

Structured interviewMore specific information

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Types of Questions

Types of Questions Examples

Closed-Ended Questions How many telephone orders are received per day?

How do customers place orders?

What additional information would you like the new system to provide?

Open-Ended Questions What do you think about the current system?

What are some of the problems you face on a daily basis?

How do you decide what types of marketing campaign to run?

Probing Questions Why?

Can you give me an example?

Can you explain that in a bit more detail?

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Questioning Strategies

High LevelVery General

Medium-LevelModeratelySpecific

Low-LevelVery Specific

TOP DOWN

BOTTOM UP

EXAMPLES?

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Interview Preparation Steps

Prepare general interview planList of question

Anticipated answers and follow-ups

Confirm areas of knowledge

Set priorities in case of time shortage

Prepare the intervieweeSchedule

Inform of reason for interview

Inform of areas of discussion

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Conducting the Interview

Appear professional and unbiasedRecord all informationCheck on organizational policy regarding tape recordingBe sure you understand all issues and termsSeparate facts from opinionsGive interviewee time to ask questionsBe sure to thank the intervieweeEnd on time

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Conducting the Interview Practical Tips

Don’t worry, be happy

Pay attention

Summarize key points

Be succinct

Be honest

Watch body language

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Post-Interview Follow-Up

Prepare interview notes

Prepare interview report

Look for gaps and new questions

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Interview Report

INTERVIEW REPORT

Interview notes approved by: ____________

Person interviewed ______________Interviewer _______________Date _______________Primary Purpose:

Summary of Interview:

Open Items:

Detailed Notes:

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Practice

You are interviewing the director of the PC lab at your school regarding a new program to support keeping track of students’ borrowing software

With a partner, write 5 questions you would ask the PC lab director

Take turns having one pair of students posing the questions to another pair of students

Be sure to take notes and write up the results when you have finished.

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JOINT APPLICATION DESIGN (JAD)

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JAD Key Ideas

Allows project managers, users, and developers to work together

May reduce scope creep by 50%

Avoids requirements being too specific or too vague

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JAD Important Roles

Facilitator

Scribe

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JAD Setting

U-Shaped seating

Away from distractions

Whiteboard/flip chart

Prototyping tools

e-JAD

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JAD Meeting Room

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The JAD Session

Tend to last 5 to 10 days over a three week period

Prepare questions as with interviews

Formal agenda and groundrules

Facilitator activitiesKeep session on track

Help with technical terms and jargon

Record group input

Help resolve issues

Post-session follow-up

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Managing Problems in JAD Sessions

Reducing domination

Encouraging non-contributors

Side discussions

Agenda merry-go-round

Violent agreement

Unresolved conflict

True conflict

Use humor

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QUESTIONNAIRES

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Questionnaire Steps

Selecting participantsUsing samples of the population

Designing the questionnaireCareful question selection

Administering the questionnaireWorking to get good response rate

Questionnaire follow-upSend results to participants

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Good Questionnaire Design

Begin with non-threatening and interesting questions

Group items into logically coherent sections

Do not put important items at the very end of the questionnaire

Do not crowd a page with too many items

Avoid abbreviations

Avoid biased or suggestive items or terms

Number questions to avoid confusion

Pretest the questionnaire to identify confusing questions

Provide anonymity to respondents

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Document Analysis

Provides clues about existing “as-is” system

Typical documentsForms

Reports

Policy manuals

Look for user additions to forms

Look for unused form elements

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Observation

Users/managers often don’t remember everything they do

Checks validity of information gathered other ways

Behaviors change when people are watched

Careful not to ignore periodic activitiesWeekly … Monthly … Annual

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Selecting the Appropriate Techniques

Interviews JAD Questionnaires Document Analysis

Observation

Type of information

As-is, improvements, to-be

As-is, improvements, to-be

As-is, improvements

As-is As-is

Depth of information

High High Medium Low Low

Breadth of information

Low Medium High High Low

Integration of information

Low High Low Low Low

User involvement

Medium High Low Low Low

Cost Medium Low-Medium Low Low Low-Medium

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Avoid Classic Analysis Mistakes

Reduced analysis time

Requirement gold-platingUser over-specification of features

Developer gold-platingToo many “cool” features

Lack of user involvement

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Proposal Outline

Table of contents

Executive summary

System request

Work plan

Analysis strategy

Recommended system

Feasibility analysis

Process model

Data Model

Appendices

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Summary

The analysis process aims to create value for the organization

Three main analysis strategies are BPA, BPI, and BPR

These strategies vary in potential business value, but also in potential cost and risk

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Your Turn

How do you know whether to use business process automation, business process improvement, or business process reengineering?

Provide two examples.