IMAT1906 Systems Development

1. IMAT1906 Systems Development Lecture week 6: systems analysis (1) : feasibility

2. Today’s Agenda • Recap what is system development • Understand business problem • Fact-finding techniques • Feasibility study IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

3. Recap: what is system development • Inception: • Looks at a business problem • Elaboration: • Analyses problem • Designs solution and computer system to support business area • Construction: • Develops and tests computer system • Transition: • Implements computer system • Helps business area to build new system into work practices IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

4. Context • So far in this module we have • Looked at a scenario: the second hand bookshop • Evaluated an existing system: Student 2 Student • Seen ways of documenting the scenario and system • Rich picture • Mind map • Use case diagram and description • Now we go on to • Consider a system that does not yet exist • Rather than one single scenario, we will use many little ones over the next few weeks, to illustrate different parts of development process IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

5. Business problem • System development starts with recognition of business problem, for example • New function required for existing system • New business process needs a computer system to support it • Leads to system request and business case • Outline of business problem • Request made to IT director, chief analyst, IT department manager, system developer – as relevant in the organisation • Usually a formal document of some kind • Often includes business case giving reason investment needed, costs, benefits IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

6. Understanding business problem • Analyst or developer starts by understanding business problem • Builds a rich picture to show what the business problem is and its context, how it fits in the organisation • We have seen how to do rich pictures • How to find out what goes into the picture? • Work with the business people who know their areas • User involvement and teamwork • Analysts and users need to work together as a project team • Communication and interpersonal skills • Need to find out the facts.... IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

7. Where are we on agenda • Recap what is system development • Understand business problem • Fact-finding techniques • Feasibility study IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

8. Factfinding for overall understanding • Factfinding is done at two major stages of system development • Overall understanding, for feasibility study • Detailed understanding, for requirements specification • For overall understanding, need to talk to people • Main techniques are • Interviews • Workshops IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

9. Interviews (1) - preparation • Interviews for overall understanding • Talking to senior people, often managers • Focus on what happens and why rather than on how or when • How to prepare for an interview • Decide what you want to find out • Work out questions to find out those things • Identify who to talk to (interviewees) • Arrange meetings and invite interviewees • List the questions and any follow-up questions • Prepare for taking notes, either yourself or a scribe IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

10. Interviews (2) - questions • Open questions • Have open-ended answers • Allow person to develop ideas • For example • “what do you think....” • “can you tell me about....” • Often lead to follow-up questions to find out more about something they’ve said • Closed questions • Have short or yes/no answers • Good to confirm facts • For example • “do you work in Accounts Department” • “how long have you worked in this role” IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

11. Interviews (3) - conducting • Remind yourself of the questions • Introduce yourself, put the person at ease, confirm they understand the purpose of the interview, confirm how long it will take or any other time constraints • Ask the questions in a natural manner • Allow the person time to think and respond • Ask follow-up questions as they arise • Summarise what you’ve heard about a topic before moving on to a new topic • Make notes as you go along, as unobtrusively as possible • Keep an eye on the time • May not follow all of your interview plan but that’s fine IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

12. Interviews (3a) - conducting • 5 minutes before end, summarise what you’ve heard • Close the interview: • Thank them for their time and thoughts • Confirm any actions you have agreed IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

13. Interviews (4) – afterwards • Follow-up activities: • write up your interview notes • send a copy to the interviewee inviting them to confirm your understanding of what they’ve said • incorporate their comments in your notes IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

14. Workshops for overall understanding • Sometimes possible to get several senior people together at once • Preparation similar to interview preparation except • More people to invite and coordinate availability • Larger meeting room to arrange • Need flipchart paper and pens to collect discussion notes • Still need to think about purpose of workshop and prepare questions or topics for discussion IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

15. Workshops (1) - conducting • Remind yourself of the questions and topics • Welcome participants, thank them for their time, confirm how long it will take or any other time constraints • State purpose of workshop for example to understand need for new system and likely scope • State what you hope to get out of it for example understanding the business problem • Ask the questions or introduce each topic for discussion • Make notes of the main points and agreed conclusions • On flipcharts so all can see and refer back to during workshop • Summarise what you’ve heard about a topic before moving on to a new topic IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

16. Workshops (1a) - conducting • Keep an eye on the time • May not follow all of your workshop plan but that’s fine • 5 minutes before end, summarise what has been agreed • Close the workshop: • Thank everyone for their time and thoughts • Confirm any actions that have been agreed IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

17. Workshops (2) – follow-up • Similar activities to interview follow-up: • Write up the notes from the flipcharts and any other notes • Send a copy to participants inviting them to confirm your understanding of what emerged from the discussions • Incorporate their comments in your notes IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

18. Rich Picture • Using the information found by interviews and/or workshop • Identify main players or users • Identify main processes • Identify main things used or exchanged by players • Draw a rich picture • Include any conflicts or potential hotspots identified in the fact-finding • Share the rich picture with people you talked to, to confirm you’ve understood it right IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

19. Where are we on agenda • Recap what is system development • Understand business problem • Fact-finding techniques • Feasibility study IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

20. Feasibility study • Purpose of feasibility study is to confirm whether the system development project • Is feasible, ie can be developed with reasonable chance of success • Is worth going ahead with, ie will give reasonable return on investment or will give required business improvement • Study is usually done in short timescale and is not a full analysis of the business problem • Result of a feasibility study is a feasibility report • Usually presented in hard copy and also delivered in a presentation to senior management • Allows senior management to decide business priorities and whether to go ahead with the system development or not IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

21. Feasibility types • Technical feasibility – are there technical reasons not to develop the system • Operational or business feasibility – are there operational business reasons not to develop the system • Economic or financial feasibility – are there financial reasons not to develop the system IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

22. Technical feasibility • Looks at technical resources needed to develop or purchase, install and operate the system • Compares likely performance against technical criteria • May investigate several different options for development, comparing costs and benefits • Concerned with configuration of components rather than precisely which makes or versions of hardware and software • Questions to be asked: • Are the necessary hardware, software, network components available • Is the necessary technical expertise available IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

23. Operational or business feasibility • Looks at human, organisational and business aspects needed for system to be successful • Compares likely performance against business and organisational criteria • Unlikely to prevent development but may inform system requirements • Questions to be asked: • Will users have difficulty with proposed system • Will system provide expected benefits • Will new system bring changes to existing job roles • What new skills will be required • Is the proposed system supported by senior management and is there a firm timetable IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

24. Economic feasibility • Looks for a financial return that outweighs the costs of development • Compares likely financial benefits with expected costs • Likely to be used to prioritise proposed developments or to select different options for a development • Questions to be asked: • What are the tangible (measurable) financial benefits • What is the cost of developing the system • What is the cost of not developing the system ie making do with current process • What are the intangible (hard to measure) benefits IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

25. Feasibility report • Report sets out how the feasibility was investigated and what the conclusions are • Presented to senior management • Decision makers need to balance three types of feasibility and not ignore any one of them • Development project can be: • Technically sound but too expensive to be economically feasible • Operationally supportive but expensive to develop • Financially viable – typically one option will give a better financial return while compromising the technical or operational suitability IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

26. For further reference.... • Fact-finding techniques: • Skidmore & Eva chapter 5 • Shelly & Rosenblatt pp 155-166 • Cadle et al pp 26-39 • Feasibility: • Skidmore & Eva chapter 4 • Shelly & Rosenblatt pp 63-66, 75 • Note that Shelly & Rosenblatt also mention Schedule Feasibility, which other authors include in Operational or Business Feasibility • Cadle et al pp 128-131, 133-146 IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11

27. Summary • System development starts with identified business problem • Initial investigation using fact-finding techniques for overall understanding of business problem • Use findings to clarify understanding and begin feasibility study • Investigate three types of feasibility • Feasibility report for management to support decision to go ahead with system development IMAT 1906 Lecture Week 6 (c) De Montfort University 2010-11