Chapter 1: Introductionn to Systems Analysis & Design

agile methods

developing a system incrementally by building a series of prototypes & constantly adjusting them to user reqirements

app

A software application that runs on a mobile device

ALM (application lifecycle management)

Activities that cover the entire SDLC

Application Software

Software programs

AI

The attempt to recreate natural intelligence through software in machines

B2B

A commercial exchange between businesses, typically enabled by the Internet or electronic means

B2C

A commercial exchange between businesses & consumers conducted over the Internet

Big Data

Extremely large datasets requiring nontraditional approaches to deal with them, sometimes characterized by volume, variety, & velocity

BYOD

Employees are in charge of their devices at work, not the IT department

Business Model

A graphical representation of business functions that consist of business processes

BPM (Business Process Modeling Notation)

A standard set of shapes & symbols used to represent events, processes, & workflows in computer-based modeling tools

Business Profile

A definition of a company’s overall functions, processes, organization, products, services, customers, suppliers, competitors, constraints, & future direction

Business Rules

How a system handles data & produces useful information, reflect the operational requirements of the business

Business Support Systems

Provide job-related information support to users at all levels of a company

CASE Tools

Powerful software used in computer-aided systems engineering to help systems analysts develop & maintain information systems

Certification

A credential an individual earns by demonstrating a certain level of knowledge & skill on a standardized test

Class

A term used in object-oriented modeling to indicate a collection of similar objects

CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering)

Technique that uses powerful programs called CASE tools to provide an overall framework for systems development

CASE (Computer-Aided Systems Engineering)

Tools that support a wide variety of design methodologies

Corporate Culture

A set of beliefs, rules, traditions, values, & attitudes that define a company & influence its way of doing business

Critical Thinking Skills

Ability to compare, classify, evaluate, recognize patterns, analyze cause & effect, & apply logic

Data

The raw material or basic facts used by information systems

Data Center

A large concentration of networked computers working together

DFD (Data Flow Diagram)

Graphical representation of the system, showing its stores, processes, & transforms data into useful information

Data Science

Interdisciplinary fields that blends computer science, math & statistics, & business methods to analyze large datasets

Deliverable

A polished, final product, suitable for its intended use; often coincide with the completion of each SDLC phase

E-Commerce

Transactions that occur on the Internet

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

Process that involves computer-to-computer transfer of data between companies

Empowerment

A business practice that places more responsibility & accountability throughout all levels of an organization

Enterprise Applications

Company-wide applications

Enterprise Computing

Information systems that support company-wide data management requirements

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)

Process that establishes an enterprise-wide strategy for IT resources

Feasibility Study

Initial investigation to clearly identify the nature & scope of the business opportunity or problem

Groupware

Programs that run on a network that enable users to share data, collaborate on projects, & work in teams

Hardware

Physical layer of the information system

Help Desk

Centralized resource staffed by IT professionals that provides users with the support they need to do their jobs; show people how to use system resources more effectively, provide answers to technical or operational questions, make users more productive by teaching them how to meet their own information needs

Horizontal System

Basic system that is commonly used by a variety of companies

Inference Rules

Instructions that direct a knowledge management system to identify data patters & relationships

Information

Data that has been changed into a useful form of output

Information System

Combination of information technology, people, & data to support business requirements

IT

Combination of hardware, software, & telecommunication systems that support business operations, improve productivity, & help managers make decisions

IDE (Integrated Development Environments)

Application for building other software applications

Iterative

Adaptive method typically uses a spiral development model, builds on a series of iterations

Knowledge Base

Popular systems development technique that uses a group of users, managers, & IT professionals who work together to gather information, discuss business needs, & define new system requirements

Legacy System

Older system that is typically less technologically advanced than currently available systems

Machine Learning

Application of computer science & artificial intelligence that uses automated approaches to pattern recognition & predictive analysis based on large datasets

MIS (Management Information Systems)

Computer-based information system used in business planning, control, decision making, & problem solving

Mission-Critical System

Information system that is vital to a company’s operations

MBSE (Model-Based Systems Engineering)

Approach to systems engineering that relies on domain models to design large-scale systems & convey information between engineers

Modeling

Process that produces a graphical representation of a concept or process that systems developers can analyze, test, & modify

Moore’s Law

Prediction that computing power would double every 18-24 months due to increased miniturization of electronic components

NoSQL databases

Database systems that use a flat, nontabular (nonrelational) structure to store & process large-scale datasets

Object

In object-oriented analysis or programming, an object represents a real person, place, event, or transaction

Object-Oriented (O-O) Analysis

Act of understanding an information system by identifying things called objects, popular appoach that sees a system from the viewpoint of the objects themselves as they function & interact with the system

Personal Digital Assistant

Program that responds to user requests through a natural interface to provide assistance to general-purpose queries

Preliminary Investigation

Initial analysis to clearly identify the nature & scope of the business opportunity or problem

Process

Procedure or task that users, managers, & IT staff members perform

PLM (Product Lifecycle Management)

Product-Oriented

Companies that manufacture computers, routers, or microchips

Project Management

Process of planning, scheduling, monitoring, controlling, & reporting upon the development of an information system

Properties

In object-oriented (O-O) analysis, characteristics that objects inherit from their class or possess on their own

Prototype

An early, rapidly constructed working version of the proposed information system

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Technology that users high-frequency radio waves to track physical objects

Requirements Engineering

Used in systems planning phase of SDLC, involves using various fact-finding techniques to describe the current system & identify the requirements for the new system

Scalable

Ability of a system to expand to meet new business requirements & volumes

Service-Oriented

Company that primarily offers information or services or sells goods produced by others

Software

Program run by computers for a specific function or task

Spiral Model

Development model with a series of iterations or revisions based on user feedback

Stakeholder

Anyone who is affected by the company’s performance

Strategic Plans

Long-range plans that define the corporate mission & goals

Structured Analysis

Traditional systems development technique that uses phases to plan, analyze, design, implement, & support an information system

Supply Chain

Traditional systems development technique that uses phases to plan, analyze, design, implement, & support an information system

SCM (Supply Chain Management)

Coordination, integration, & management of materials, information, & finances as they move from suppliers to customers within & between companies

System

Set of related components that produces specific results

System Design Specification

Document that presents the complete design for the new information system along with detailed costs, staffing, & scheduling for completing the next SDLC phase, systems implementation

System Requirements Document

Document that contains the requirements for the new system, describes the alternatives that were considered, & makes a specific recommendation to management

System Software

Programs that control the computer, including the operating system, device rivers that communicate with hardware, & low-level utilities

Systems Analysis & Design

Process of developing information systems that effectively use hardware, software, data, processes, & people to support the company;s business objectives

System Analysis Phase

2nd SDLC phase, build a logical model of the new system

System Analyst

Person who plans, analyzes, & implements information systems

System Design Phase

3rd SDLC phase, create a blueprint for the new system that will satisfy all documented requirements

SDLC (Systems Development Life Cycle)

Activities & functions that systems developers typically perform, regardless of how those activities & functions fit into a particular methodology

Systems Implementation Phase

4th SDLC phase, new system is constructed

Systems Planning Phase

1st SDLC phase, system project gets started; project proposal evaluated to determine its feasibility

Systems Request

Formal request to the IT department that describes problems or desired changes in an information system or business process

System Support & Security Phase

During the systems support & security phase of the SDLC, IT staff maintains, enhances, & protects the system

Technical Support

Necessary to support the wide variety of IT systems & users

TP (Transaction Processing Systems)

Operational systems used to process day-to-day recurring business transactions

User Productivity Systems

Applications that provide employees of all levels a wide array of tools to improve job performance

Users

Stakeholders inside & outside the company who will interact with the system

Vertical System

System designed to meet the unique requirements of a specific business or industry

Waterfall Model

Traditional model of software development; graph that depicts result of each SDLC phase flowing down into the next phase