This chapter introduces the systems development process, which comprises four distinct phases: systems analysis, design, implementation, and operation. Because your involvement in the systems development life cycle (SDLC) typically will be that of a user or manager, discussions in this and the next chapter emphasize participating in, rather than conducting, systems development.
Our introduction to the systems development process begins with a definition of systems development and an assessment of how well organizations achieve their systems development objectives. Then we consider management processes (i.e., controls) that can advance the achievement of systems development objectives. Third, we discuss business process engineering, a phenomena that has been the source of many systems development initiatives. We conclude with a brief discussion of change management, a process to increase acceptance of new systems by an organization’s personnel.
After this introduction, we examine the first phase in systems development: systems analysis. Organizations conduct the first step in systems analysis, the systems survey (often called a feasibility study) to decide what, if any, systems development efforts will be undertaken to solve an Information Systems problem. Organizations conduct the second step in the systems analysis phase, called structured systems analysis, to define the systems development problem and develop specifications for an Information System that will solve the problem.
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