cs unit 3 project management & system development methodologies

define the term “project”

a set of activities that has a definite start and end point, resulting in the accomplishment of a unique outcome.

define the term “project management”

the process of planning, organising, and controlling resources to reach specific goals and complete a project within defined constraints.

what are the importance of project management?

• identifies issues early

• saves time & prevents wasted effort

• focuses on quality and goals

list the core processes of project management

1. planning

2. scheduling

3. budgeting

4. tracking

explain and state the actions taken during the planning process of project management

planning is the process of defining a project’s objective, scope, task, timeline and resources.

• identify the personnel, equipment, and financing required & where to find.

• identify the risks & strategies to overcome.

• create contingency plan (backup plan) incase original plans are distrupted.

explain and state the actions taken in the scheduling process of project management

scheduling is the process of planning and organising tasks and resources to ensure the project is completed on time.

• setting deadlines for tasks

• assign responsibilities by allocating tasks to specific teams

• determine the sequence of which activities are carried out

how are project schedules made?

GANTT and PERT charts

what does a GANTT chart show?

gantt chart shows the activities that has to be done and when.

list what is commonly seen in a gantt chart

1. the number of task

2. the task

3. the start and end date of each task

4. the duration of each task

5. the columns if dates.

6. arrows as predecessor.

what does a PERT chart show?

pert chart shows a realistic duration for tasks, taking into account optimistic, expected, and pessimistic duration estimated

what does a PERT chart commonly show?

1. circles representing the task number

2. arrows to show the duration and dependency of each task

explain and state the action taken in the budgeting process

the process estimates, allocates and manage the cost needed to complete a project.

• estimates cost during planning

• budget is to be approved by stakeholders or management

• financial control to ensure projects stays within the limit while tasks are being carried out.

explain and state the action taken in the tracking process

tracking is the process of monitoring and measuring the progress of tasks throughout the cycle of the project.

• compare the actual progress to original plan

• report problems early

• make adjustments if needed

• communicate the status of the project by creating progress reports.

what are the two system development methodologies?

1. prototyping

2. SDLC

explain what is meant by the term '“prototyping”

a system development approach where a working model (prototype) of the system is quickly built, tested, and improved based on the feedback from users

list the steps in prototyping

1. identify needs

2. build prototype

3. test & gather feedback

4. revise & improve prototype

state the four advantages of prototyping

1. saves cost

2. faster delivery

3. reduce misinterpretation

4. increase users’ involvement

state the four disadvantages of prototyping

1. system quality cant be tested as it only shows surface level functionality

2. users may misunderstand the prototype (thinking its final)

3. poor documentation

4. narrow focus (too focused on prototype cause developers to be distracted on complete project)

what does SDLC stand for

system development life cycle

define the term “SDLC”

sdlc is a structure framework with a series of stages used to produce a high-quality information system

list the stages of SDLC

1. preliminary analysis

2. system analysis

3. design

4. development

5. implementation

6. evaluation & maintenance

explain what is done during the preliminary analysis stage of SDLC and why its important

the problem is identified, and we determine the feasibility of the project.

its important because a well defined problem will help developers fully understand how to construct the system so that it performs as expected.

list the four feasibility studies

1. economic feasibility

2. technical feasibility

3. operational feasibility

4. schedule feasibility

explain what is done during the system analysis stage of SDLC and why its important

system analyst investigates what the system needs to achieve by using fact-finding techniques.

to understand how the problem might be solved.

list the four fact-finding techniques

1. observation

2. questionnaires

3. interview

4. document sampling

state some advantages and disadvantages of fact-finding technique: observation

advantages

• data is reliable as it reflects real behaviour

• analyst can observe exactly what is done during complex tasks

disadvantages

• employees may behave differently when they know theyre being observed (hawthorn effect)

• work observed may not be during typical conditions

• some tasks may not always be performed the same ways.

state some advantages and disadvantages of fact-finding technique: questionnaires

advantages:

• respondents can answer at their own convenience

• anonymous responses encourage more honest feedback

• responses can be analysed quickly

• inexpensive

disadvantages:

• no guarantee that all questions will be answered

• misunderstood questions can’t be explained

• can’t observe body language

• return rate may be low

state some advantages and disadvantages of fact-finding technique: interview

advantages:

• can observe body language

• can ask more in depth questions

• can encourage respondents to respond freely

disadvantages:

• impractical if respondents are located in a wide range

• time consuming

• must have good communication skills

state some advantages and disadvantages of fact-finding technique: document sampling

advantages:

• have access to recorded information abt the current system and its users

• can compare the actual operations to what the records suggests should be happening

disadvantage:

• time consuming

• old forms that are no longer in use may lead to inaccurate conclusions.

explain what is done during the design stage of SDLC

a technical blueprint is built to show how the proposed system will work.

what are the two types of design created during design stage? explain what they are.

1. logical design - a model of the proposed system to show users what the system will look like, what it’ll do, and what output is generated. using Data Flow Diagram; context diagram.

2. physical design - turns the logical model into detailed technology-specific specifications, identifying the exact technology and components needed for the system.

explain what is done during the development stage of SDLC

developers translate the system specification into a working software and tests the system to ensure bugs are removed & user requirements are fully met.

explain what is done during the implementation stage of SDLC

the new system is introduced into the organisation using changeover methods. files are transferred, users are trained, and user manual is written to guide employees.

what are the four types of changeover method?

1. direct cutover

2. phased conversion

3. parallel conversion

4. pilot conversion

explain and identify the advantages and disadvantages of the direct cutover method.

the old system is completely removed and the new system is introduced immediately.

advantage:

• cheapest and fastest.

disadvantage:

• if the new system fails, theres no way of returning back to the old system.

explain and identify the advantages and disadvantages of the parallel conversion method.

the old system and new system operates simultaneously for a period of time. outputs of both system are compared to ensure new system is running correctly, then old system is removed.

advantage:

• safest method. can continue with old system if new one fails

disadvantage:

• most expensive

explain and identify the advantages and disadvantages of the pilot conversion method.

a single location/department of the organisation is picked out as a pilot site. it is converted to the new system first. if the pilot is successful, then the new system is introduced through all the other locations.

advantages:

• only the pilot site is affected if new system fails.

disadvantage:

• data will be lost or disrupted for user of the pilot site if new system fails.

explain and identify the advantages and disadvantages of the phased conversion method.

the new system is introduced gradually, one module at a time.

advantage:

• staff can be trained gradually

• if one module fails, other parts of the system is still operation.

disadvantage:

• only suitable for systems that can be divided into module

• time-consuming

explain what is done during the evaluation & maintenance stage of SDLC

when the new system is fully implemented, it is continuously monitored and supported. problems are addressed through updates and maintenance activities.

explain why maintenance is needed when a new system is introduced.

• changing requirements from users

• bugs corrections

• software and hardware upgrades

• regulatory changes (to ensure legal compliance)

what are the four types of maintenance activities. briefly explain each.

1. corrective - ensure errors are fixed

2. adaptive - adds enhancements to improve the functionality of the system

3. perfective - modifying the system to make it more efficient, reliable, and maintainable.

4. preventative - analyse areas where trouble might occur and fixing it before problem arises.

identify and explain the two types of documentation done throughout the SDLC

1. system documentation - contains technical details to help developers understand the system in order to modify or extend it. necessary for ongoing maintenance & operation.

2. user documentation (user manual) - a manual explaining how the system works to guide users who are not familiar with the system.

identify the advantages and disadvantages of SDLC

advantages:

• improves project monitoring and control - checkpoints & documentation at every stage

• full traceability - theres documentation in every stage

• better team coordination - clearly defined responsibilities ensure every work in sync

disadvantages:

• time and cost overruns - lack of proper planning leads to longer time and money used

• extensive documentation is time consuming

• limited user involvement - users cant immediately view deliverables

• inflexibility - once sdlc is carried out, its hard to modify.

what is the name of the data flow diagram used in SDLC in the designing stage

Yourdon/DeMarco

what does a DFD context diagram show?

the context diagram shows a system as one whole process and how it interacts with external entities through data flows

explain each symbol used in a context diagram

circle = represents the system

boxes = represents an external entities (organisation or person) that provides & receives data from/to the system

curved arrows = represents the flow of data between the system and external entities..