The Information Systems Life

Cycle

Databases & Information Systems

Lachlan M. MacKinnon

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 Why another lifecycle?
We have seen various types of software
lifecycle
These concentrate on design and
implementation of a software system
Now we are considering the whole
information system
Software is usually involved

But not always!

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 Requirements
capture
A version of the waterfall
System and process model
software
design
Implementation
and unit testing

Integration and
system testing

Planning Risk analysis Operation and

maintenance

Go / No go

Customer evaluation Towards a

Engineering completed system

Boehms spiral model

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 The system context
These models lack an overall picture of the
organisation and its business processes
A traditional structured design method
extended in this manner is shown next
(Based on Avison and Shah)
The similarities are clear
So are the new features

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 Problems with New business
existing system opportunities IS Information Systems
Managerial planning
lifecycle
directive Feasibility Feasibility After Avison and Shah p71
study study report

Systems User Project Resource Staff Methods

investigation requirements plans requirements assignment and tools

Current
Systems system
System
analysis data flow
requirements

Systems New system System Training and

design data flow specification test plans

Implementation Programs Procedures Documentation

New system
Review in operation
Evaluation New problem
and
maintenance report statement?

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 Whats similar?
Stages rather like waterfall

Repeats with review like spiral

Progress in terms of artefacts

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 Whats added?
Feasibility study

Review during maintenance

System is an open one

Operation feeds back to design

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon
 Feasibility study
Propose and evaluate alternatives
Establish priorities
Gather information
Perform cost-benefit analysis
Form options for computerisation
Present conclusions

The negative option is a valid option!

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon
 Review during maintenance
Learning from experience
Effectiveness of the solution
Correctness of function
Efficiency
Suitability for the business process
Effectiveness of the process
Kept to time?
Kept to budget?
Lessons learned for future developments
F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon
 System is an open one
Take account of influences from the
organisation which change over time
Managerial directives
often arbitrary
but often dominate decision making
New opportunities
business process change requires system change
Longer term information systems planning
system change to maintain business process
F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon
 Operation feeds back to design
Operation reveals errors - maintenance in
SE

Operation reveals bottlenecks for the business

Operation reveals new opportunities for

business

Operation reveals difficulties for users

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 Methodologies and models
A methodology (more properly a method!) is a
collection of tools and techniques which help
to make IS development more systematic
Typically a methodology defines a process by
which an IS system can be built
Typically a process is defined by the artefacts
required to be produced - models, documents,
plans etc.
The same models etc maybe used in different
methodologies
F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon
 Managing the process
Management requires
an estimate of the resources required for the
project
a plan for carrying out the project
a set of milestones and deliverable to assess the
plan
The estimation stage is the most difficult
A variety of software metrics have been
developed to assist in estimation for projects,
e.g. CoCoMo, FPA, KLOC

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 Problems with New business
existing system opportunities IS
planning
Managerial scope
directive Feasibility objectives
study
Management
budget The role of
Systems information needs people in IS
investigation operation of current development
Users system

Systems investigation
analysis analysis
Analysts requirements

Systems program design

design testing
Programmers system implementation

test system
Implementation initialise system
Users input data
use information
Review
and ensure smooth running
maintenance Operators and fix faults
technicians

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 Improving the process
As well as models to support the development
process, there is a growing interest in models
to support the improvement of the process
The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a
widely used model of how well controlled an
organisations processes are
CMM defines five levels of maturity in an
organisations processes and provides a guide
to improvement

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon

 Reading
Avison and Shah Chapter 3

Key Practices of the Capability Maturity Model,

Version 1.1 Mark C. Paulk, Charles V. Weber, Suzanne M.
Garcia, Mary Beth Chrissis, Marilyn Bush, Software Engineering
Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, CMU/SEI-93-TR-25 ESC-TR-
93-178,
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/pub/documents/93.reports/pdf/tr25.93.p
df

F29IF2: Databases & Information Systems Lachlan M. MacKinnon