Systems Development and Project Management

With advances in the world of computing , information is more important than ever , and the development of information systems is a key factor in ensuring a thriving business model . Systems development typically follows a generalized pattern , but would pose minor differences which likely ensue from differing business environments or corporate structures . In to understand the systems development lifecycle one must understand that information systems are created in to assist or aid regular business functions in the performance of data gathering , data warehousing , analysis , reporting , and communication These business functions can be

as simple as collating a client contact list or as complex as the aggregation of financial data for multinational corporations like General Electric

The systems development lifecycle begins with Project Planning . In this phase , problems encountered by clients or opportunities seen by the developer or client help identify requirements and the objective of the systems development project . Problems and opportunities are highlighted in such a manner as to develop a conceptual framework which serves as a high-level view of a solution to cater to the requirements

The second phase of the cycle hinges on Systems Analysis . This phase includes determining the actual requirements of end-users . With the high-level concept in the prior part , specific requirements are documented along with possible alternative methods . In this phase a Cost-Benefit-Analysis may be necessary if the conceived solution appears to require a considerable amount of resources

After the second phase , user requirements are consolidated and subsequently translated into functional requirements in the Systems Design phase , wherein specific software behaviors and outcomes are defined . These functional specifications are designed according to client requirements , established or proposed procedures , and business rules . In the systems design phase , resource planning , budgeting , and allocation shall have significant impact on its implementation success although this would still depend largely on the model used for systems analysis and design , but would be most typical of the Fountain or Spiral model as opposed to the more linear Waterfall model

The fourth phase is where actual coding takes place and is generally called the Implementation , and is then followed by Systems Integration and Testing . These two activities are limited to a development or testing environment where system conditions can be controlled in to test out the capability of the developed or modified programs according to specified functional specifications outlines in the Systems Design phase . These two phases are critical and project managers should carefully plan and carry out testing activities . Errors in programming are identified and screened out in this phase so that line programmers can make necessary corrections and adjustments

The completion of the Systems Integration and Testing phase marks the beginning of the final phase of development . The program is placed in the production environment and a front-end of the program is deployed among specified end-users . In this phase , project managers should conduct a post-implementation audit . The goal of such an audit is to determine whether the developed software fully satisfies clients requirements , and possibly identifies further...