IFSM 436 Systems Analysis and Design

FALL 1996
Instructor : Kok Swee Khoo
Office : Room #452 Academic IV
Telephone #: 445-3687
E-mail : khoo@gl.umbc.edu
Office Hrs : Tue & Wed 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Other times will be by appointment only. _________________________________________________

Fall 1996 Grades

Course Description

This course provides a methodical approach to developing computer systems including feasibility study, systems planning, analysis, design, testing, implementation and software maintenance. Emphasis is on the strategies and techniques of systems analysis and design for producing logical methodologies for dealing with complexity in the development of information systems. The course approaches the development of information systems from a problem-solving perspective. This course builds upon concepts to which the student has been exposed in previous classes.

Prerequisites: IFSM 202 and IFSM 410

Course Objectives

Be familiar with the concepts of a system and what it means to develop and implement an information system in an organisation.
Be familiar with the major phases of the system development life cycle.
Be able to identify the information and processing needs of the organisation.
Be able to elicit, identify, recognise and capture requirements for information systems.
Be able to produce a structured system specification for a simple system from system analysis.
Be able to clearly represent the system analysis and design by means of basic diagrammatic modelling tools.
Be able to design the information system from the specifications including the user interface, menu structure, system modular structure, etc.

Course Materials

Whitten, Bentley, and Barlow. Systems Analysis and Design Methods. Third Edition, Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin, 1994.
Class Notes (updated as class progresses)
Exercises & Case Studies (updated as class progresses)
Additional References.

Class Format

The class will be conducted primarily as a lecture. Class periods will also include discussions of relevant material and case studies. Each student is expected to read the assigned chapters beforehand and to be able to actively participate in class discussions; on-the-job experiences are encouraged.

Course Grading

Two Exams 45% (20%, 25%)
Term Project 40%
Class Participation 10%
Research Survey 5%

The following distribution guidelines will be followed in this class:

A -- Top 15%-20%
B -- Next 25%-30%
C -- Next 35%-50%
Students with very low scores may receive D or F

Exams

Exams will consist of short case studies and/or brief essay questions. No make-up exams will be given except under extreme circumstances, and only when permission is received from the instructor in advance.

Scholastic Integrity

Students are expected to maintain a high standard of scholastic integrity. Cheating on exams or assignments, plagiarizing, interfering with another student's work, any other misrepresentation of the student's work, etc are serious offences and will be handled by the appropriate authorities in the department and the university.

Course Project

A semester-long project will allow the student to practice the skills learned in class. The project is to be completed by teams of four or five members. The product will be a professionally produced systems analysis and design of an application for an organization. It is the responsibility of the teams to find an organization that will let the team complete a systems analysis. The type of organization is not restricted; it may be a small business, a non-profit organization, or a division of a corporation. The choice should depend on the ease of access to and cooperation from the company or unit, and on the perceived information systems needs of the organization.

The project will be completed in stages. At the end of each stage, each team will submit one portion of the project (a "deliverable"). Each deliverable should be submitted in duplicate (two copies). The teams are to organize the project documentation in a three-ring binder, with each group member keeping a copy of the entire project.

Planning for each stage is highly recommended. Planning means that the team (1) identify activities to be completed during this stage (2) identify team member(s) responsible for those activities and (3) establish deadlines for completion of those activities. Be certain to allocate enough time in establishing deadlines so that the person(s) having primary responsibility for an activity can complete a draft version that can be checked by at least one other group member. It is also a good idea to allow yourselves several days before the delivery date for final packaging of the material to be submitted. The deliverables submitted will be assessed, either by signing off or rejecting the deliverable. In the case of a rejection, the group will have one week to re-do that deliverable. The deliverables are due on dates specified below. They will not be accepted late. Teams are to turn in whatever they have on that day.

DUE DATES for Deliverables:

9/23 (latest 9/30) Project Proposal
9/30 Project Scope and Feasibility Analysis
10/7 Contract between Team and Client
11/4 Systems Analysis (requirements,ERDs,DFDs,etc.)
12/2 Systems Design (user interface, menus,etc.)
12/16 Final Project Report

Additional materials to be included in the final report:

Design of the user interface e.g. menu screens
Documentation and Implementation Plans e.g. systems structure
Project documentation, charts and appendices e.g. user manual

The final report must be professionally prepared and organized, containing all the earlier deliverables as well as the supplementary materials noted above. The report should also contain an assessment of the project, including such information as what did and did not work, suggestions or recommendations, and any group or process issues that had a significant impact on performance.The final report should be systematically organised in a three-ring binder.

Teams will present their projects to the class on Dec 16,1996 the last day of class.

As occurs in many project groups in organizations, team members will have the opportunity to evaluate the performance of the other members at the conclusion of the project. The evaluation will be formal and confidential. The instructor will formally weigh the evaluations when assigning grades to individual team members. This means that each team's members may not receive the same grade for the project.

Final Reports are due on Dec 16, 1996. No late projects will be accepted.