The two most important skills required by a good System Analyst is firstly, a "Clear written and verbal communication" and the other " Flexbility and Adaptability (given possibility of changing customer requiurements), because communication forms the base or acts as an essential tool for a good system analyst, at the same time flexibility and adaptability proves to be beneficial in this rapidly changing and dynamic customer market. Communication is not essential for a good job but also for good team rapport.
If im in charge of this course next term, I would give more weightage to research, because by more researching, the individuals will exercise and compare their under developed knowledge to a vairety of other sources and in return benefit from them. The assignments should be based on more then one case in hand. There should be a use of video and audio fies related to the topics in the textbook. The students should be involved in group presentations and role plays.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Week 10
There are four kinds of maintenance tasks for a new system after it is been implemented. They are the corrective maintenance, adaptive maintenance, perfective maintenance and preventive maintenance.
Corrective Maintenance:
As the current AMMS has faced a number of shortcomings and in order to overcome these shortcomings, the new proposed system offers features and enhancements to tackle with the shortcomings. The proposed system offers a lot of changes at the operational level, hence in return the system would need corrective maintenance to diagnose and fix logic errors, restore proper configuration settings, debug program codes and update drivers and install software patch.
Corrective maintenance diagnoses and corrects errors in an operational system. This maintenance is also needed to resolve issues created by previous maintenance changes (Shelly, Cashman and Rosenblatt, 2006).
Adaptive Maintenance:
A lot of enhancements are proposed in the new AMMS where new features innovations and capabilities take birth. The proposed AMMS is supporting new Web-based operations and other innovations like any other system, AMMS would also have more enhancements in the future where the maintenance team would first analyze, design, test and implement the enhancements.
Adaptive maintenance adds enhancements to an operational system and makes the system easier to use. The need for this kind of maintenance usually arises from business environment changes such as new products or services, new manufacturing technology, or support for a new Web-based operation. Adaptive maintenance can be more difficult than new systems development because the enhancements must work within the constraints of an existing system (Shelly, Cashman and Rosenblatt, 2006).
Perfective Maintenance:
Perfective maintenance is important and a some what a common practice when an operational system undergoes maintenance for better performance. The AMMS involves a lot of data entry and data processing where the idea of abnormal termination of program is kept in mind when developing of the proposed system. Sturdy and reliable spreadsheets and software's are designed to be a part of the proposed AMMS.
Perfective maintenance involves changing an operational system to make it more efficient, reliable, or maintainable. This kind of maintenance task can improve system reliability. For example, input problems might cause a program to terminate abnormally. By modifying the data entry process, you can highlight errors and notify the users that they must enter proper data. In many organizations, perfective maintenance is not performed frequently enough (Shelly, Cashman and Rosenblatt, 2006).
Preventive Maintenance:
Preventive maintenance offers satisfying outcomes, where user satisfaction is increased; the system is more efficient and therefore, reduces the down time. Preventive maintenance does not receive a high priority that it deserves compared to other three kinds of maintenance tasks. Therefore, due to the above mentioned benefits, the proposed AMMS should undertake preventive maintenance.
To avoid problems, preventive maintenance requires analysis of areas where trouble is likely to occur. Like perfective maintenance, the IT department normally initiates preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance often results in increased user satisfaction, decreased down time, and reduced TCO (Shelly, Cashman and Rosenblatt, 2006).
References:
Shelly, G.B; Cashman, T.J and Rosenblatt, H.J. (2006), "System Analysis and Design", Thomson, Sixth Edition.
Corrective Maintenance:
As the current AMMS has faced a number of shortcomings and in order to overcome these shortcomings, the new proposed system offers features and enhancements to tackle with the shortcomings. The proposed system offers a lot of changes at the operational level, hence in return the system would need corrective maintenance to diagnose and fix logic errors, restore proper configuration settings, debug program codes and update drivers and install software patch.
Corrective maintenance diagnoses and corrects errors in an operational system. This maintenance is also needed to resolve issues created by previous maintenance changes (Shelly, Cashman and Rosenblatt, 2006).
Adaptive Maintenance:
A lot of enhancements are proposed in the new AMMS where new features innovations and capabilities take birth. The proposed AMMS is supporting new Web-based operations and other innovations like any other system, AMMS would also have more enhancements in the future where the maintenance team would first analyze, design, test and implement the enhancements.
Adaptive maintenance adds enhancements to an operational system and makes the system easier to use. The need for this kind of maintenance usually arises from business environment changes such as new products or services, new manufacturing technology, or support for a new Web-based operation. Adaptive maintenance can be more difficult than new systems development because the enhancements must work within the constraints of an existing system (Shelly, Cashman and Rosenblatt, 2006).
Perfective Maintenance:
Perfective maintenance is important and a some what a common practice when an operational system undergoes maintenance for better performance. The AMMS involves a lot of data entry and data processing where the idea of abnormal termination of program is kept in mind when developing of the proposed system. Sturdy and reliable spreadsheets and software's are designed to be a part of the proposed AMMS.
Perfective maintenance involves changing an operational system to make it more efficient, reliable, or maintainable. This kind of maintenance task can improve system reliability. For example, input problems might cause a program to terminate abnormally. By modifying the data entry process, you can highlight errors and notify the users that they must enter proper data. In many organizations, perfective maintenance is not performed frequently enough (Shelly, Cashman and Rosenblatt, 2006).
Preventive Maintenance:
Preventive maintenance offers satisfying outcomes, where user satisfaction is increased; the system is more efficient and therefore, reduces the down time. Preventive maintenance does not receive a high priority that it deserves compared to other three kinds of maintenance tasks. Therefore, due to the above mentioned benefits, the proposed AMMS should undertake preventive maintenance.
To avoid problems, preventive maintenance requires analysis of areas where trouble is likely to occur. Like perfective maintenance, the IT department normally initiates preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance often results in increased user satisfaction, decreased down time, and reduced TCO (Shelly, Cashman and Rosenblatt, 2006).
References:
Shelly, G.B; Cashman, T.J and Rosenblatt, H.J. (2006), "System Analysis and Design", Thomson, Sixth Edition.
Week 9
In Shelly, Cashman and Rosenblatt (2006), system changeover is defined as the process of putting the new information system online and retiring the old system. Four approaches to changeover have been identified in the textbook, direct cutover, parallel operation, pilot operation and the last approach is phased operation. Changeover can be rapid or slow, depending on the method selected or implemented.
Direct cutover as the name suggests is an instant changeover from the old system to the new. Parallel operation is a slowest method as it requires both, the new and the old system to run simultaneously for a specific period. On the other hand, pilot operation and phased operation fall between direct cutover and parallel operation. Each of these approaches has their own benefits and problems associated with their implementation.
Direct Cutover:
As mentioned above, direct cutover approach causes the changeover from old system to the new system to occur instantly. This approach is least expensive for changeover as the IT group has to operate and maintain only one system at a time. The down side of this approach is that direct cutover involves more risk then other approaches. Some problems can occur during direct cutover when the system goes into operation. Problems can result from data situations that were not tested or from errors caused by users. Another disadvantage of implementing direct cutover is that detecting minor errors becomes difficult as users cannot verify current output by comparing it to output from the old system. Many companies choose the direct cutover approach for implementing commercial software packages because they feel that commercial packages involve less risk of total system failure.
Timing is an important element to be considered while choosing the direct cutover approach. This is because most systems can operate on weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly cycles. For systems developed in house, most companies use direct cutover for non critical situations. It may also be the only choice, if the operating environment cannot support both the old and new systems or if the old and new systems are incompatible.
Parallel Operation:
This kind of changeover involves both the old and the new information systems to operate fully for a specific period of time. Data is input into both systems, and the output generated by the new system is compared with the equivalent output from the old system. Parallel operation changeover involves a lower risk which makes it beneficial to use it. if the new system does not work correctly, the company can use the old system as a backup until appropriate changes are made.
Parallel operation also has some costs. It is the most costly changeover method, because both the old and the new systems are in full operation, the company pays for both systems during the parallel period. Second disadvantage associated with this changeover method is that parallel operation may not be practical to use if the old system and the new system are not compatible technically. Parallel operation can also be inappropriate when two systems perform different functions or if the new system involves a new method of business operations.
Pilot Operation:
The pilot operation changeover method involves implementing the complete new system at a selected location of the company. A new sales reporting system, for instance, might be implemented in only one branch office, or a new payroll system might be installed in only one department. In these examples, the group that uses the new system first is called the pilot site. During the pilot operation, the old system continues to operate for the entire organization, including the pilot site. Therefore, the pilot operation is a combination of parallel operation and the direct cutover methods.
This changeover approach is less expensive then the parallel operation method and involves less risk of system failure. Also the period for changeover can be much shorter if the system proves successful at the pilot site.
Phased Operation:
This changeover method allows implementing the new system in stages or modules. This method combines the direct cutover and parallel operation to reduce risks and costs. In this method, a part of the system is given to all users. The advantage of choosing the phased operation method is that the risk of errors or failures is limited to the implemented module only. It is also less expensive than full parallel operation because only one part of the system can be worked with at a time. The disadvantage of using this method is that, if the system involves a large number of separate phases, phased operation can cost more than a pilot approach.
References:
Shelly, G.B; Cashman, T.J and Rosenblatt, H.J. (2006), "System Analysis and Design", Thomson, Sixth Edition.
Direct cutover as the name suggests is an instant changeover from the old system to the new. Parallel operation is a slowest method as it requires both, the new and the old system to run simultaneously for a specific period. On the other hand, pilot operation and phased operation fall between direct cutover and parallel operation. Each of these approaches has their own benefits and problems associated with their implementation.
Direct Cutover:
As mentioned above, direct cutover approach causes the changeover from old system to the new system to occur instantly. This approach is least expensive for changeover as the IT group has to operate and maintain only one system at a time. The down side of this approach is that direct cutover involves more risk then other approaches. Some problems can occur during direct cutover when the system goes into operation. Problems can result from data situations that were not tested or from errors caused by users. Another disadvantage of implementing direct cutover is that detecting minor errors becomes difficult as users cannot verify current output by comparing it to output from the old system. Many companies choose the direct cutover approach for implementing commercial software packages because they feel that commercial packages involve less risk of total system failure.
Timing is an important element to be considered while choosing the direct cutover approach. This is because most systems can operate on weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly cycles. For systems developed in house, most companies use direct cutover for non critical situations. It may also be the only choice, if the operating environment cannot support both the old and new systems or if the old and new systems are incompatible.
Parallel Operation:
This kind of changeover involves both the old and the new information systems to operate fully for a specific period of time. Data is input into both systems, and the output generated by the new system is compared with the equivalent output from the old system. Parallel operation changeover involves a lower risk which makes it beneficial to use it. if the new system does not work correctly, the company can use the old system as a backup until appropriate changes are made.
Parallel operation also has some costs. It is the most costly changeover method, because both the old and the new systems are in full operation, the company pays for both systems during the parallel period. Second disadvantage associated with this changeover method is that parallel operation may not be practical to use if the old system and the new system are not compatible technically. Parallel operation can also be inappropriate when two systems perform different functions or if the new system involves a new method of business operations.
Pilot Operation:
The pilot operation changeover method involves implementing the complete new system at a selected location of the company. A new sales reporting system, for instance, might be implemented in only one branch office, or a new payroll system might be installed in only one department. In these examples, the group that uses the new system first is called the pilot site. During the pilot operation, the old system continues to operate for the entire organization, including the pilot site. Therefore, the pilot operation is a combination of parallel operation and the direct cutover methods.
This changeover approach is less expensive then the parallel operation method and involves less risk of system failure. Also the period for changeover can be much shorter if the system proves successful at the pilot site.
Phased Operation:
This changeover method allows implementing the new system in stages or modules. This method combines the direct cutover and parallel operation to reduce risks and costs. In this method, a part of the system is given to all users. The advantage of choosing the phased operation method is that the risk of errors or failures is limited to the implemented module only. It is also less expensive than full parallel operation because only one part of the system can be worked with at a time. The disadvantage of using this method is that, if the system involves a large number of separate phases, phased operation can cost more than a pilot approach.
References:
Shelly, G.B; Cashman, T.J and Rosenblatt, H.J. (2006), "System Analysis and Design", Thomson, Sixth Edition.
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