CFR7104

Systems analysis

R Dorling

6 points
* 4 hours per week
* Second semester
* Peninsula
* Prerequisites: CFR7109
* Prohibitions: BUS2071, BUS4071, CFR1123, SYS1151, SYS1161, SYS1252

Objectives At the completion of this subject students should understand the use of models to represent abstractions of the concepts that are considered important when analysing user requirements, concepts such as processes, data, time, locations, organisations and motivations; know how to use techniques such as entity relationship modelling and the normalisation process to develop logical data models, and activity hierarchy diagrams and data flow diagrams for logical process models; and understand techniques such as decision trees and decision tables, state transition diagrams and entity life history diagrams, and how they may be used in the development of logical process models.

Synopsis The system development process and the role of systems analysis. Major concepts of interest: data, processes, time, locations, users and motivations. Object-oriented versus non object-oriented approaches. Modelling the static aspects of applications: extended entity relationship models; the relational model of data; the normalisation process; functional dependencies and normal forms; anomalies; transforming entity relationship models to relational models. Data structure models. Modelling the dynamic aspects of applications: activity hierarchy models; process dependency models; process triggers - events, pre-conditions and post-conditions; state transition models; entity life history models, data flow models. Modelling elementary process logic with action diagrams and mini specs. Methods for defining requirements. Quality provision through the use of walk throughs, reviews, consistency checks, prototyping, joint requirements planning (JRP) and joint application design (JAD) techniques. Scoping the application and integration with existing systems, function point analysis and estimation. The deliverables produced by the systems analysis activity.

Assessment Examination (3 hours): 60%
* Practical work: 40%

Prescribed texts

Beynon-Davies P Information systems development 2nd edn, Macmillan, 1993
Whitten J and others Systems analysis and design methods 3rd edn, Irwin, 1994

Recommended texts

Barker R and Longman C CASE*method: Entity relationship modelling Addison-Wesley, 1990
Barker R and Longman C CASE*method: Function and process modelling Addison-Wesley, 1992