ITEC 3010 “Systems Analysis and Design, I”

Lecture 1.b
Introduction to Systems Analysis.
Basic Concepts

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[Prof. Peter Khaiter]
III. Systems Analysis and Design.
Systems Analyst

1. The analyst as a business problem solver

ISs are crucial to modern business organizations
The key to successful system development is
systems analysis and design
Def. Systems Analysis (SA) is the process of
understanding and specifying in detail what the
information system should do.
Systems Design (SD) is the process of specifying
in detail how the many components of the information
system should be physically implemented.
Systems Analyst (SAn) is a business professional
who uses analysis and design techniques to solve
business problems using information
technology and who develops IS. 2
The analyst as a business problem
solver (cont’d)

Any IS is to solve problems for an organization

Systems analyst is a problem solver rather
than a technical programmer (see Figure 1-12)
A great variety of special skills is required:
Technical Knowledge and Skills
Business Knowledge and Skills
People Knowledge and Skills
Integrity and Ethics

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Analyst’s Approach to Problem
Solving
Fig. 1-12
Research and understand the problem
Verify benefits of solving problem outweigh the costs

Define the requirements for solving the problem

Develop a set of possible solutions (alternatives)

Decide which solution is best and recommend

Define the details of the chosen solution

Implement the solution

Monitor to ensure desired results 4

Required Skills of the Systems
Analyst

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Technical Knowledge and Skills (1
of 2)

 An analyst should have fundamental

technology knowledge of
Computers / peripheral devices (hardware)
Files and database systems
Input and output components and alternatives
Computer networks and protocols
Programming languages, operating systems, and
utilities
Communication and collaboration technology

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Technical Knowledge and Skills (2
of 2)

 Analyst uses tools

Software productivity packages
Integrated development environments (IDEs) for
programming languages
Visual modeling tools and code generation tools

 Analyst understands SDLC techniques

Project planning, cost/benefit, interviewing
Systems requirements modeling including
Design, database design, network configuration
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Business Knowledge and Skills

 Analyst must understand

Business functions performed by organization
Strategies, plans, traditions, and values of the
organization
Organizational structure
Organization management techniques
Functional work processes

 Systems analysts typically study business

administration/management in college with a
major in CIS or MIS 8
People Knowledge and Skills

 Primarily a systems analyst must

be an effective communicator

 A systems analyst must be able to

perform various roles such as
negotiator, teacher, mentor,
collaborator, and manager

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Integrity and Ethics

 Analyst has access to confidential

information, such as salary, an
organization’s planned projects,
security systems, and so on.
Must keep information private
Any impropriety can ruin an analyst’s
career
An analyst plans the security in systems to
protect confidential information
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3. The Environment Surrounding
the Analyst

Types of Technology Encountered

• Desktop systems
• Networked desktop systems that share data
• Client-server systems
• Large-scale centralized mainframe systems
• Systems using Internet, intranet, and extranet
technology

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Typical Job Titles and Places of
Employment

• Programmer analyst
• Business systems analyst
• End-user analyst
• Business consultant
• Systems consultant
• System support analyst
• System designer
• Software engineer
• System architect
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Places of Employment

• Programmer analysts working for the

company
• Systems analysts working for the
company
• Independent contractors
• Outsource provider employees
• Consultants
• Software development firm employees

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Just For Fun
http://www.getfunnypictures.com/crt229.html

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4. The Analyst’s Role in Strategic
Planning

 Special projects affecting executives

designing an executive information system
Business process management – redesign and
improvements to existing processes
 Strategic planning process (5 or more years
in the future)
 Information systems strategic planning
One of the key components of the strategic plan
Application architecture plan (business focus)
Technology architecture plan (infrastructure focus)15
Components of an Information
Systems Strategic Plan

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IV. Rocky Mountains Outfitters
(RMO): Case Study

 RMO sports clothing manufacturer and

distributor about to begin customer support
system project
 Need to understand the nature of the
business, approach to strategic planning, and
objectives for customer support system
 RMO system development project used to
demonstrate analysis and design concepts
 Reliable Pharmaceutical Service (RPS) is a
second case study for classroom purposes
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Introduction to RMO Business

 Began in Park City, Utah supplying winter

sports clothes to local ski shops
 Expanded into direct mail-order sales with
small catalog—as catalog interest increased,
opened retail store in Park City
 Became large, regional sports clothing
distributor by early 2000s in Rocky Mountain
and Western states
 Currently $180 million in annual sales and
600 employees and two retail stores
 Mail-order revenue is $90 million; phone-
order revenue is $50 million
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Early RMO Catalog Cover (Fall 1978)

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Prospective RMO Catalog Cover
(Fall 2010)

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RMO Strategic Issues (1 of 2)

 Innovative clothing distributor; featured

products on Web site ahead of competitors
 Original Web site now underperforming
Slow, poor coordination with in-house, poor supply
chain management, poor technical support
 Market analysis showed alarming trends
Sales growth too slow, age of customers
increasing, Web sales small percentage of total
sales

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 RMO Strategic Issues (2 of 2)

 Enhanced Web site functions

Add specific product information, weekly specials, and all
product offerings
 Detailed IS strategic plan
Invited consulting firm recommended focusing on two key
strategic issues:
Supply chain management
Customer relationship management
Supply chain management (SCM) is a process that integrates product
development, product acquisition, manufacturing, and inventory management
Customer relationship management (CRM) is processes that support marketing,
sales, and service operations involving direct and indirect customer
interaction
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RMO’s Organizational Structure

 Managed by original owners

John Blankens – President
Liz Blankens – Vice president of
merchandising and distribution
 William McDougal – Vice president of
marketing and sales
 JoAnn White – Vice president of finance
and systems
Mac Preston – Chief Information Officer
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RMO Current Organization

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RMO Locations

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RMO Information Systems
Department

 Mac Preston – Assistant vice-president and

chief information officer (CIO)
Recent promotion made after IS strategic plan
created
CIO reports to finance and systems VP
CIO is increasingly important to future of RMO
Given its strategic importance, IS department will
eventual report directly to the CEO

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RMO Information Systems
Department Staffing

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Existing RMO Systems (1 of 3)

 Small server cluster system

Supports inventory, mail-order, accounting,
and human resources
High capacity network connects distribution
and mail-order sites
 LANs and file servers
Supports central office functions,
distribution centers, and manufacturing
centers
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Existing RMO Systems (2 of 3)

 Supply Chain Management System

Client/Server system in C++ and DB2
 Mail Order System
Mainframe COBOL/CICS. Unable to handle phone
orders
 Phone order system
Oracle and Visual Basic system built 6 years ago
 Retail store systems
Eight-year-old point-of-sale and batch inventory
package, overnight update with mainframe
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Existing RMO Systems (3 of 3)

 Office systems
LAN with office software, Internet, e-mail
 Human resources system
Thirteen-year-old mainframe-based payroll and
benefits
 Accounting/finance system
Mainframe package bought from leading vendor
 Web Catalog and Order System
Outside company until 2011. Irregular performance
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The Information Systems Strategic
Plan

 Supports RMO strategic objectives

Build more direct customer relationships
Expand marketing beyond Western states

 Plan calls for a series of information system

development and integration projects over
several years

 Project launch: New customer support system

to integrate phone orders, mail orders, and
direct customer orders via Internet
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RMO Technology Architecture Plan

 Distribute business applications

Across multiple locations and systems
Reserve data center for Web server, database, and
telecommunications
 Strategic business processes via Internet
Supply chain management (SCM)
Direct customer ordering via dynamic Web site
Customer relationship management (CRM)
 Web-based intranet for business functions
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RMO Application Architecture Plan
(1 of 2)

 Supply chain management (SCM)

Product development, product acquisition,
manufacturing, inventory management
 Customer support system (CSS)
Integrate order-processing and fulfillment system
with SCM
Support customer orders (mail, phone, Web)
 Strategic information management system
Extract and analyze SCM and CSS information for
strategic and operational decision making and
control

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RMO Application Architecture Plan
(2 of 2)

 Retail store system (RSS)

Replace existing retail store system with
system integrated with CSS
 Accounting/finance system
Purchase intranet application to maximize
employee access to financial data for planning
and control
 Human resources (HR) system
Purchase intranet application to maximize
employee access to human resources forms,
procedures, and benefits information 34
Timetable for RMO Strategic Plan

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The Customer Support System
(CSS)

 RMO core competency is their ability to

develop and maintain customer loyalty
 CSS is a core system supporting complete
customer relationship management
Inquiries, order entry, order tracking, shipping,
back ordering, returns, sales analysis
 Systems analysis activities will define system
requirements in detail
 Strategic plan’s stated objectives will form
guidelines as project proceeds

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RMO CSS: Memo

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 Readings

• Chapter 1 – The World of the Information

Systems Analyst (covered today)

• Next lecture: Chapter 2 – Approaches to

System Development

• Lecture notes available at class web site

(downloadable as PowerPoint slides or in
PDF-format)

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