Systems Development Methodologies

Many IT terms has multiple definitions. We are going to explore these various definitions in terms of Information Systems Development.

Read the Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC) Handout that describes the various phases of the SDLC.

Read Chapter 12 - Information Systems Development

Answer the following questions based on your readings.

1. What are the similarities/ differences between the two descriptions of the SDLC?
2. What are the responsibilities of the following in the SDLC: ? systems analyst, steering committee, project team (who is on the team?), project leader
3. What tool is often used to plan and schedule time relationships among project activities?
4. Identify and define the four main types of feasibility
5. Identify and describe six methods of gathering data/ information used by systems analysts
6. Describe three possible situations that might initiate the SDLC.
7. During which step of the SDLC are the following tools used to describe the information system - Entity-Relationship (E-R) Diagrams, Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs, LDFDs), Project Dictionary, Data Dictionary?
8. Describe the purpose of each of the following Entity-Relationship (E-R) Diagrams, Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs, LDFDs), Project Dictionary, Data Dictionary
9. What are CASE tools? How are they used?
10. There are four systems development conversion strategies - identify and describe each.

Read about an alternative method of system development called Prototyping - http://www.is.cityu.edu.hk/Research/WorkingPapers/paper/9704.pdf

A prototype is a working model (working as in a model still in development). Prototypes can be used in either the SDLC (design phase) or in prototyping.

Describe the prototyping process described in the article as evolutionary systems development

In what situations would a prototyping approach be advantageous? (explain)

In what situations would the SDLD approach be advantageous? (explain)