Exam I Review: System Analysis and Design Concepts

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Structured approach to developing information systems.

Planning Phase

Identify business needs and define project scope.

Feasibility Analysis

Evaluates Technical, Economic, and Organizational viability.

System Proposal

Recommendations and feasibility results from analysis phase.

Information Gathering

Techniques for collecting system requirements.

Data Flow Diagram (DFD)

Visual representation of data movement in a system.

Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD)

Model showing data entities and their relationships.

Normalization

Process of organizing data to reduce redundancy.

Project Management Methods

Strategies like waterfall and Agile (SCRUM) for project execution.

Process Modeling

Creating models to represent system processes and data.

Implementation Phase

Develop, test, and deploy the information system.

Design Phase

Define how the system will function and components.

System Specification Document

Detailed description of system requirements for development.

User Acceptance Testing

Final testing phase to ensure system meets user needs.

Conversion Strategies

Methods for transitioning to a new system: parallel, direct, phased, pilot.

Role of the Systems Analyst

Facilitates communication between stakeholders and technical teams.

Business Process Automation (BPA)

Using technology to automate repetitive business tasks.

Business Process Improvement (BPI)

Enhancing existing processes for better efficiency.

Business Process Reengineering (BPR)

Radical redesign of business processes for significant improvement.

Cardinality

Describes the relationship between data entities in a model.

Security in IT Components

Measures to protect data and systems from unauthorized access.

Algorithm

Step-by-step procedure for calculations or problem-solving.

Systems Analyst

Analyzes business situations and designs IS solutions.

Problem Solver

Identifies inefficiencies in existing systems.

Business & Technical Expert

Bridges business needs with technology solutions.

Change Agent

Manages user expectations and system adoption.

Project Team Coordinator

Collaborates with stakeholders and project teams.

Business Analyst

Focuses on improving business processes.

Requirements Analyst

Gathers and documents system requirements.

Infrastructure Analyst

Ensures compatibility with IT infrastructure.

Change Management Analyst

Oversees user training and system adoption.

Project Manager

Ensures project stays on time and budget.

Business Process Management (BPM)

Methodology for improving business processes.

Business Process Automation (BPA)

Uses technology to enhance efficiency without workflow changes.

Business Process Improvement (BPI)

Redesigns processes for improved efficiency.

Business Process Reengineering (BPR)

Completely rethinks business processes for major improvements.

Information System (IS)

Combination of hardware, software, data, and processes.

Hardware

Physical devices like servers and computers.

Software

Applications and operating systems for computing.

Algorithm

Logical sequence of operations for problem-solving.

Data

Structured and unstructured information processed by IS.

Feasibility Analysis

Assesses viability of a proposed system.

Technical Feasibility

Evaluates if the system can be built.

Economic Feasibility

Determines if the project should be pursued.

Organizational Feasibility

Assesses user engagement and stakeholder support.

Data Flow Diagram (DFD)

Visual representation of data flow in a system.

Processes

Transform inputs into outputs in a DFD.

Data Stores

Store data for future retrieval in DFD.

External Entities

People or systems interacting with the process.

Data Flows

Movement of data between DFD elements.

Context Diagram

DFD Level 0 showing system interactions.

Normalization

Organizes data to minimize redundancy.

Cardinality

Defines relationships between entities (1:1, 1:M, M:M).

Attributes

Properties defining an entity in a model.

Student-Course Relationship

Example of entities and their attributes.

Entities

Objects with distinct existence in data modeling.

Feasibility Analysis

Assessment of technical, economic, and organizational viability.

Technical Feasibility

Compatibility with existing systems and technology.

Economic Feasibility

Cost savings or financial benefits of a project.

Organizational Feasibility

Alignment with organizational goals and strategies.

Information Gathering

Collecting data through surveys and interviews.

Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD)

Visual representation of entities and relationships.

Build vs. Buy Decision

Choosing between developing or purchasing a system.

User Interface Design

Creating user-friendly interfaces for applications.

Agile Methodology

Iterative development process with short cycles.

Unit Testing

Testing individual components for functionality.

Integration Testing

Testing combined parts of a system for correctness.

Post-Implementation Support

Ongoing assistance and maintenance after deployment.