Term Paper on "Company, Stellar Systems Consulting Is Helping Dave"

Term Paper 5 pages (1577 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

company, Stellar Systems Consulting is helping Dave transfer from hardcopy to a computer system and has provided him with a proposal for how to address the Systems Planning and Selection and Systems Analysis phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

In short, the Software Development Life Cycle is split into three stages. These are firstly the Systems planning and Selection where the provider helps Dave and his organization clearly and thoroughly think through their goals as to why they need this particular information system, and to make as coherent as possible their requirements. This will include the kind of data that they wish to share and feature on their network system as well as hardcopy reports that they wish to share with stakeholders, consumers, and other employees. Step 2 includes the Implementation, testing, and documenting (System Analysis) where testing the system occurs. This would enable the provider to test for defects and correct them before they actually occur. Finally, in Step 3: Deployment and maintenance, Dave and his company receive training regarding how to effectively employ their new system and thought is invested into maintenance matters so as to prevent problems occurring with the system ahead of time. More specifically, Code can be added ahead of time to correct unforeseen problems so that the organization will gain the utmost from this new technology.

The steps of the systems design stage and the steps of the implementation and operation stage that Dave will now need to address are elaborated on below.

Systems design stage

Simply proceeding with selecting any of the most recent computer systems and haphazardly piecing a computer system together may likely prove more destructive to the client (in this case, Dave) in the long run. For me, on the other hand to ask Dave what he wishes may prove futile, since Dave, naive in the field of computer networks, may be uncertain. It is, therefore, best for the consultant to approach the subject from the perspective of a naive but concerned prospective client, slant questions that Dave and his stakeholders is most likely to ask that stand central to the topic, and then proceed to helping them put together a database that best reflects the needs of their organization.

It is, consequently, important to know our objective at the outset so that we can plot out questions and fill these in, in order to ascertain that we are achieving what the database is intended to achieve, that the database is relevant, and that the data is formulated in a way that information retrieval techniques will most effectively be implemented and be used to the optimum advantage.

As Davidson (2007) observes, poor prior planning and designing due to the impulsive intention of just getting into the job and making it work, often results in problems later on with the lack of time to go back and fix these problems properly. More so, if haphazard planning and impulsive construction of the information system occurs, far more expense and time would be taken up in having to redo and correct the job, and, if left uncorrected, "hacking" may occur later with the database left in its incomplete state.

The consultants should ascertain that the needs of each member (employer and employees as well as all stakeholders) are addressed and that the data should be structured in a confidential and accurate manner. The IT system, furthermore, should be designed so as to facilitate connectivity between the various departments, its diverse employees, and between the internal system and external related systems.

Moreover, only the data and information systems that are relevant to Dave's business should be included. The design objective, in other words, should be to increase information flow through integration, to improve Dave's business, to facilitate better connection between employees and customers, to decrease mistakes, to improve speed and efficacy of finished product, to strengthen ties with distributors and providers, and to lower possibility of mistakes occurring. These are just some of the matters that that stage should endeavor to achieve.

In short, there should be a highly reliable network, server, and storage in an economical manner. Users should have a common look and feel across applications and all stakeholders should be involved in contributing to the database.

Emphasis of care, when designing the system, should concentrate on problems that need to be solved, not on the quality or recency of computer software systems per se. It is the usability of the program that the consultant should have in mind, as well as whether, or not, the system succeeds in making workflow easier and more effective. Concentrating on these objectives and working together with Dave's team to predict and solve problems will create a superior information-based system.

Additionaly, the design stage also involes prject planning, and feasibitly analysis where sometimes (although not, perhaps, in this case, the study is soemtiems presented to upper mangermetn in roder to gain funding. In all cases (including in this instance too) the prjuct wil be asseed in its three areas of deasibtiltiy: operational, technical, and economical, This format will alos also be used as pereimteres in roere to keep the prject ont rack and to evlate its progress. The prohect is tehn broken down into it svairous pices and goals, a s descriebd above, with, per recommendation, the consulatn and the group draign diagrams of stage sna obejctiev to keep tehm on track. The functions and the operations are described ind eatial, inclduign the business rules, process diagrams, screne layouts, and toehr documentaion, The sytm will be seen as a set of modules or subsystems (SDLC Definition)

The implementation and operation stage

My consulting firm will set up a 'scope document' where Dave is shown the scope of the development in clear and tangible terms. This 'scope document' can also serve as legal document in the eventuality of disputes. Plans will be made to address possible deficiencies of the IT system that may occur once in place. Provider will also work out necessary OT strictures that are intended to manage the investment and ensure accountability of the technology.

The critical problems that the information system should aim to eliminate are threats to security of data system, particularly of information that is vulnerable to Dave's business. Firewalls must be in place. Privacy, confidentially, and security must be indefeatible. Attention to the ongoing needs and environment and clarity of the design is important since the database must keep up with the most recent information on a regular and consistent basis.

For these reasons, too, all stakeholders must be on the same page

The information system is put into place. Testing of the program -a significant and inseparable part of the process - follows, where it is assessed that the IT system is functioning efficiently and optimally fulfilling all of Dave's requirements. Testing the system would enable the consultant to test for defects and correct them before they actually occur.

The last element in this step involves documenting the internal design of the software inserted so that future maintenance and enhancement can be carried out as well as necessary repairs done in the least frustrating manner. This performance may involve the drafting of an Application Programming Interface (API) that stands for a particular set of rules and specifications whereby software programs can communicate and interact one with the other. This API serves as an interface between the different software programs in Dave's new system so that all work together cohesively in a well-formed network.

Dave's company will need to receive training regarding how to effectively employ their new system. Thought too should be taken into maintenance matters since maintaining and enhancing the software, particularly if difficulties arise, can often take more time than inserting the software in the first place. Code can be added ahead of… READ MORE

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