system analysis

Task

You are required to analyse the requirements for the Internet portal of a university. To do this you are required to assume the role of a business/systems analyst and engage in the process of requirements gathering and produce requirement specifications based on your analysis.

Option 1 – In-class simulation
You need to engage in role play and perform a simulation of systems requirements gathering processes at a hypothetical organization.

Working in pairs (virtual or face-to-face), simulate the interview process.

Each student should be assigned one of the following roles: interviewer, & interviewee. Simulate the interview as suggested below:
• Preparation
• Interview (15 minutes)
• Feedback

IMPORTANT NOTE

Provide a report on the answers to the requirements gathering process questions given below with specific focus on lessons learned during the simulation.

Alternative Option 1

The following is an Alternative Option for Assessment 3. Thus you can complete this Option for Assessment 3

instead of the one described in the Subject Outline.

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Length: 1500 words(+/- 10% not counting references)

Option 1 – Observation

You are required to analyse the effectiveness of the Internet portal of a movie theatre. To do this you are required to

use both ‘research’ and ‘observation’ information gathering techniques. You will need to research the existing portal

and other information you can find about that business. You also need to observe how at least two (2) users interact

with the portal and its information systems. The 2 users you observe cannot be students undertaking this subject.

For each user you need to make 2 Observations. To do this, you will inform the user of the Scenario, then allow the

user to carry the scenario out by interacting with the Portal. You will observe and take notes of their interaction. You

will repeat with a second scenario for each user. Thus, you will have 4 observations in total:

User 1 – Observation Scenario A

User 1 – Observation Scenario B

User 2 – Observation Scenario A

User 2 – Observation Scenario B

Some examples of scenarios are (you can create your own if you like):

(A) You want to take your date to a romantic dinner and movie next Sat. Before booking your dinner

reservation, you want to be sure that you can finish dinner without rushing it, and still get to the movie on

time. You therefore want to find out when movie X (you choose the same one for all 3 participants) is

showing that evening.

(B) You want to book your tickets online, so that you don’t have to cue after that romantic dinner, but can go

straight in.

You need to choose one company and clearly state your choice in your introduction. Examples include, but are not

limited to the following: Hoyts, Village, United Cinemas and Forum 6. Amongst the information sought are answers

to the following questions.

Questions you need to address are:

1. What are the major business objectives and processes (operations) that the organisation carries out?

2. List the information systems that are used to support their portal and describe how they related to the

overall business objectives and processes.

3. Detail the scenarios you developed and how the users you observed interacted with the portal, when

carrying out the tasks of those scenarios.

4. Recommend improvements to the portal and describe the analytic consequences. For instance, not all

theatres provide systems for purchasing tickets online. If the organisation were to add such functionality,

what do the analysts need to consider?

5. Describe the stakeholders involved. Who are they? Why do analysts need to consider their interests?

6. Discuss, in detail, the data collection techniques you used to answer the above questions.

Option 2 – Work Place Learning
You are required to conduct a real-time requirements gathering processes at the university. Thus you need to approach any University IT department near you and find staff willing to be interviewed.

Provide a report on the answers to the requirements gathering process questions given below.

Regardless of your choice of options indicated below, Questions you need to address are:

1. What are the major business objectives and processes (operations) that the organisation carries out?

1. List the information systems that are used to support their portal and describe how they related to the overall business objectives and processes.

1. What are the major functions of the portal?

1. What are the major benefits of the current system?

1. What are the costs? Consider both the set-up costs to implement the system and on-going costs.

1. Describe the stakeholders involved. Who are they? Why do analysts need to consider their interests?

1. Who are the main users of the current system? Give the details of the people you interviewed to answer the above questions and discuss their relationship with the system.

1. Discuss problems with the current system. Areas to include are:

7. bugs and system crashes;

7. incorrect data and data redundancy;

7. lack of functionality;

7. user unfriendliness and lack of flexibility;

7. manuals and help;

7. any other areas.

1. Recommend improvements to the portal and describe the analytic consequences. For instance, not all universities provide systems for online enrolments. If the organisation were to add such functionality, what do the analysts need to consider?

1. Discuss, in detail, the data collection techniques you used to answer the above questions.

Rationale

This assignment is intended to develop and test your ability to research the role of information systems in solving business problems. Using some data gathering techniques you will also learn about the role of the system analyst in the development of information systems.

Marking criteria

Assignment 3 – Marking Criteria
1. The major business objectives and processes (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
The overall goals of the business (why it is in business) are clearly expressed
The overall business objectives are clearly expressed
The major business processes are clearly expressed
The major business processes identified are logically related to what the organisation does (its overall goals)
2. A listing of the information systems (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
At least 3 information systems are described
The information systems described, logically relate to the processes they automate

3. The major functions (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
The major functions of the current system correctly identified
The major functions of the current system clearly expressed
The major functions identified logically relate to how the current system is used

4. The major benefits (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
The major benefits of the current system (to the business) correctly identified
The major benefits of the current system clearly articulated
The major benefits identified make sense in light of how the current system is used

5. The costs (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
The development and operational costs appropriately estimated
The development and operational costs represent the major costs’ categories
The development and operational costs reflect the scope of the system

6. Stakeholder identification (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
At least one stakeholder from each major category (client, user, technical support) is identified
The analyst’s involvement with each stakeholder category is sufficiently described

7. The main users of the system and the people interviewed (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
The main users of the current system correctly identified
More than one person interviewed
The details of the people interviewed provided

8. The problems with the current system (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
The problems with the current system adequately identified and clearly stated
The areas listed in Question 5 appropriately and adequately covered
The steps taken to identify the problems appropriately discussed
The problems identified discussed in light of a desired situation
The problems identified make sense

9. Improvement recommendations (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
The recommended improvements logically follow from the data gathering investigations undertaken
Analytic considerations for implementing the recommendations are sufficiently described

10. The data collection techniques (5 marks)
Excellent (5) Good (4) Satisfactory (3) Borderline (2) Poor (1)
More than one data collection technique used and discussed
The steps taken in the collection of data sufficiently described
The questions asked during the collection of data appropriately formulated and discussed
Information obtained appropriately analyzed and reported