Information Systems for Managers

Q1. Define the term SYSTEM. Requirement analysis and definition is the foundation for any systems development. It is independent of the approach you take for design. Explain this statement with example.

Ans1) Information System is a combination of people, hardware, software, communication devices, network and data resources that processes (can be storing, retrieving, transforming information) data and information for a specific purpose. The operation theory is just similar to any other system, which needs inputs from user (key in instructions and commands, typing, scanning). The inputted data then will be processed (calculating, reporting) using technology devices such as computers, and produce output (printing reports, displaying results) that will be sent to another user or other system via a network and a feedback method that controls the operation.

The study of the relationship between the evolving role of information systems and the nature of strategic development in organisations is integral to understanding the role and effects of information systems. This includes the rationale and processes by which organisations identify the needs for development and how they assess the business and organisational consequences.

Requirements Analysis is the process of understanding the customer needs and expectations from a proposed system or application and is a well-defined stage in the System Development Life Cycle model.

Requirements are a description of how a system should behave or a description of system properties or attributes. It can alternatively be a statement of ‘what' an application is expected to do.

The purpose of System Requirements Analysis is to obtain a thorough and detailed understanding of the business need as defined in Project Origination and captured in the Business Case, and to break it down into discrete requirements, which are then clearly defined, reviewed and agreed upon with the Customer Decision-Makers. During System Requirements Analysis, the framework for the application is developed, providing the foundation for all future design and development efforts.

System Requirements Analysis can be a challenging phase, because all of the major Customers and their interests are brought into the process of determining requirements. The quality of the final product is highly dependent on the effectiveness of the requirements identification process. Since the requirements form the basis for all future work on the project, from design and development to testing and documentation, it is of the utmost importance that the Project Team creates a complete and accurate representation of all requirements that the system must accommodate. Accurately identified requirements result from effective communication and collaboration among all members of the Project Team, and provide the best chance of creating a system that fully satisfies the needs of the Customers.

Given the multiple levels of interaction between users, business processes and devices in global corporations today, there are simultaneous and complex requirements from a single application, from various levels within an organization and outside it as well.

The System Requirement Analysis Process covers the complex task of eliciting and documenting the requirements of all these users, modelling and analyzing these requirements and documenting them as a basis for system design.

The primary goal of this phase is to create a detailed Functional Specification defining the full set of system capabilities to be implemented, along with accompanying data and process models illustrating the information to be managed and the processes to be supported by the new system. The Functional Specification will evolve throughout this phase of the SDLC as detailed business requirements are captured, and as supporting process and data models are created, ensuring that the eventual solution provides the Customers with the functionality they need to meet their stated business objectives.

A dedicated and specialized Requirements Analyst is best equipped to handle the job. The Requirements Analysis function may also fall under the scope of Project