Systems Analysis – ITEC 3155 The World of the Modern Systems Analyst

1. Systems Analysis – ITEC 3155The World of the Modern Systems Analyst

2. Learning Objectives • Define the role and responsibility of a systems analyst in business. • What is a system? • Systems Analysis defined. • Approach to problem solving. • Skills required of the systems analyst. • A word about ethics Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

3. Learning Objectives (continued) • Types of information systems • Data / Data Representation • Abstraction Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

4. The role of the Systems Analyst • The person most responsible for the analysis and design of information systems. • Studies the problems and needs of a business to determine how the business system and information technology can best solve the problems and accomplish improvements for the business. • The product may be improved business processes, improved information systems or new or improved computer applications, or all three. • Note that the best solution may not have anything to do with the computer!!! Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

5. What is a system? • A collection of interrelated components that function together to achieve some outcome. • An information system is a collection of interrelated components that collect, process, store, and provide as output the information needed to complete a business task. • Subsystem – part of a larger system Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

6. Functional Decomposition • Dividing a system into components based on subsystems that are in turn further divided into subsystems. Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

7. System Boundary vs. Automation Boundary Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

8. Systems Analysis and Design • Systems analysis – process of understanding in detail what a system should accomplish • Systems design – process of specifying in detail how components of an information system should be physically implemented • Systems analyst – uses analysis and design techniques to solve business problems • Is more of a business problem solver than a technical programmer! Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

9. Analyst’s Approach to Problem Solving 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 Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

10. Required Skills of the Systems Analyst Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

11. Technical Knowledge and Skills • An analyst should have fundamental technology knowledge of • Computers / peripheral devices (hardware) • Communication networks and connectivity • Database and database management systems (DBMS) • Programming languages (for example, VB.NET or Java) • Operating systems and utilities Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

12. Technical Knowledge and Skills (continued) • Analyst uses tools • Software productivity packages • Integrated development environments (IDEs) for programming languages • CASE tools, testing, documentation support, reverse engineering, configuration management • Analyst understands SDLC techniques • Project planning, systems analysis • Systems design, database design, network design • Construction, implementation, systems support Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

13. 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 Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

14. People Knowledge and Skills • Systems analysts need to understand how people • Think • Learn • React to change • Communicate • Work (in a variety of jobs and levels) Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

15. People Knowledge and Skills (continued) • Interpersonal and communication skills are crucial to: • Obtaining information • Motivating people • Getting cooperation • Understanding the complexity and workings of an organization in order to provide necessary support Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

16. Integrity and Ethics • Analyst could have 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 • Analyst plans security in systems to protect confidential information Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

17. Systems Analyst • Systems thinking • Problem identification: difference between existing situation and the desired situation • Identifies data and processes that make up the information system. • Identifies Input/Output and interfaces • Project management skills • Interpersonal and communication (including listening) skills • Ability to work independently and in teams • Professionalism and high ethical standards Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

18. Types of Information Systems • Transaction processing systems (TPS) • Capture and record information about organization’s transactions • Management information systems (MIS) • Take information captured by TPS • Produce reports for planning and control • Decision support / knowledge-based systems (DSS/KBS) • Explore impact of available options or decisions (what-if scenarios) • Automate routine decision making Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

19. Types of Information Systems (continued) • Enterprise applications • Highly integrated systems that support company-wide operations and data • Often combine aspects of TPS, MIS, DSS/KBS • Communication support systems • Facilitate communication internally and with customers and suppliers • Office support systems • Help employees create and share documents Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

20. What is Data? • A collection of items • Words • Numbers • Images • Sounds • Data is the foundation of all information technology material. Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

21. Data as a concept • Each item is an abstraction of reality • Data represents, through symbols, items, ideas, concepts, etc. that which would otherwise be impossible to manipulate. • A symbol (letter, word, number, image, sound, etc.) is something that represents something else. Examples: alphabet, flag, traffic light, etc. • Symbolic representation is the idea of representing something by using something else (symbol). Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

22. Examples of Symbolic Representation • Letters B What is this? A symbol (letter) used to represent the sound “buh” Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

23. Examples of Symbolic Representation • Letters OKBO What is this? A collection of letters (symbols). Does it have meaning? Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

24. Examples of Symbolic Representation • Words BOOK What is this? A collection of letters (symbols) now called a “word”. Does it have meaning? WHY? English speakers have agreed that it represents a Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

25. Examples of Data Representation • Data Example SYMBOLS THAT REPRESENT PHYSICAL ITEMS ATTRIBUTES THAT DESCRIBE THE PHYSICAL ITEMS PHYSICAL ITEMS Papers Books Apple written typed red green red 1 Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

26. Some Common Symbols Symbol Symbol Name Meaning (represents) American flag A nation, people culture, etc. (noun) Traffic light Traffic control device (state or condition) Cupid Love (emotion) Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

27. Abstraction • Expressing a quality apart from an object • The expression of a quality of an object leaving out unnecessary or irrelevant details. • Abstraction is used to isolate only relevant facts about an object. • Abstraction simplifies a process or model. Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

28. Abstraction “Apple”? Whatis this? Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

29. Abstraction & “Apple” are two different things: 1. an example of a real, live fruit vs. 2. a word (symbol) that represents the name that we have assigned to that fruit Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

30. Abstraction • We say that the word “apple” is an abstraction of , • meaning that it expresses a particular quality or attribute of the real, live object. Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

31. Abstraction • We can also express other qualities of this fruit in addition to the name such as: • Color = Red • Condition = excellent • These qualities (attributes) come from observation and analysis and represent our evaluation of the real object. Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

32. Layers of Abstraction • Depending upon our view and interest in an object, our expression of quality or the attributes may be from differing perspectives. Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

33. Abstraction Real-world items Fruit (collective word for all similar items) Type, color (words that describe 2 attributes of each fruit) Apple, orange, pear, lemon, grape, cherry (single words that describe each item’s type) Red, green, orange, yellow (single words describing each item’s color) Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition

34. Next Week • Read Chapter 2 Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 4th Edition