Systems Analysis Activities

In designing a new system or upgrading the existing system, system analysts need to do analysis activities. Information system provides the desired benefits to organization if it implemented well. To accomplish this aim, system analysts defines what information system needs through completing the analysis activities. Basically, analysis activities are not the first or the second pass at defining the problem and need in a system. The first and second pass in sequence are generating fewer detail to decide a new or upgraded system is feasible and warranted; and assuming that the management of organization is committed to the project.

The following parts describe the analysis activities, but keep in mind that analysis activities are usually intermixed with any other activities during the system development life cycle (Satzinger, Jackson, and Burd, 2012):

Gather Detailed Information

This activity enforces system analysts to have a great detail information from people who are working with or people who will be using the system, either by conducting interview or watching them work and do such tasks. Planning documents and policy statements are mostly reviewed to obtain additional information. They also study the existing system of company’s business area including its system and work documentation. If they face a similar business need of other companies, they will look at what other companies have done with their business area. With all of these efforts, they try to identify and understand the activities of all the current and future users including the location where work occurs and the system interfaces with other systems to get a cleared understanding of the existing system.

Define Requirements

After the information gathered, system analysts define requirements for the new or upgraded system based on this information. According to Satzinger, Jackson, and Burd (2012), system requirement include the system must perform (functional requirements) and such related issues as user-interface formats and requirements for reliability, performance, and security (nonfunctional requirements).

Prioritize Requirements

Users and system analysts have to discuss to determine which functions are truly important and which are fairly important but not really required. Prioritizing requirements need to be done due to the limitation of resources and the need to justify the scope of system.

Develop User-Interface Dialogs

To most users who are working with the new or upgraded system, the user-interface becomes an issue. It does because they feel quite unsure about their requirements and the desired form of user-interface. These all are the matter of user-interface. Hence, system analysts need to develop user-interface prototypes on the actual devices which users will use and go on a demo to the users in later stages.

Evaluate Requirements with Users

In practice, the addition of system requirements may occur. The issue is that the addition occurs after the analysts have gathered the information in earlier stage. If this does so, analysts usually use an iterative process to fulfill system requirements with the new requests from users. Requirements models and prototypes are complete and accurate by conducting the processes of eliciting requirements, building models and prototypes, and evaluating them with users in many times.

Reference:

Satzinger, J. W., Jackson, R. B., & Burd, S. D. (2012). Systems Analysis and Design: In a Changing World Sixth Edition. Boston: Course Technology, Cengage Learning.