i ntroduction to itm353. k ey i deas many failed systems were abandoned because analysts tried to...
TRANSCRIPT
INTRODUCTION TO ITM353
KEY IDEAS
Many failed systems were abandoned because analysts tried to build wonderful systems without understanding the organization and stakeholders.
The primarily goal of IS is to create value for the organization.
Software Analysis and Design jobs are among the best MIS jobs!
Software investment must be considered like any investment – enablement of benefit must be significantly greater than cost over the lifetime
KEY IDEAS The systems analyst is a key person
analyzing the business, identifying opportunities for improvement, and designing information systems to implement these ideas.
It is important to understand and develop through practice the skills needed to successfully acquire, design and perhaps implement new information systems.
SOME (DEPRESSING) EXAMPLES
Project First/Last cost estimate ($M)
First/Last schedule estimate (Months)
Status at completion
PROMS
(royalty collection)
12/21+ 22/46 Canceled, month 28
London Ambulance 1.5/6+ 7/17+ Canceled, month 17
London Stock Exchange
60-75/150 19/70 Canceled, month 36
Confirm
(travel reservations)
56/160+ 45/60+ Canceled, month 48
FAA Advanced Automation System
3700/7000+ 48/96 Canceled, month 70
Master Net (Banking)
22/80+ 9/48+ Canceled, month 48
SAD ANECDOTES
80% of the effort is in the last 20% of the implementation
“adding people to a late project makes it more late” “Requirements always change…” “Customers/Users never know what they want” “70% of successfully acquired systems are never used
or not used to the extent expected” “20% of the planned schedule is allocated for testing
yet 50% is actually used” “Cost, schedule, quality: pick any two”
DILBERT WILL BE OUR GUIDE…
LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understanding of challenges of IS acquisition,
creation, and management Acquire working understanding of MIS concepts and
vocabulary Learn effective means of creating, acquiring, and
tailoring IS modeling, analysis, design, testing and maintenance
Become knowledgeable in current MIS practices, skills, and tools
Gain hands-on experience with the acquisition of IS (your course project)
Your Goal is to become educated, thoughtful, and effective in MIS system analysis and design
Pre-classwork
Individualquiz
Groupquiz
In-classExercises
Homework
GroupProjects
ClassDiscussion
Q&A
Course Methodology
PRE-CLASS WORK You will frequently be asked to do work outside of class
No more than is expected for any 3 unit course (about 9 hours/week)
Usually work is to prepare you for team-based learning in class
There will be “challenge topics” which are addressed by review questions These prepare you for the individual quiz, group quiz, and in-
class exercises You know you are prepared for class when you can answer the
challenge questions with confidence There are multiple ways to address the challenge questions:
Read the relevant sections in the textbook Review the presentation slides (posted on the class website) Guess (maybe you already know the answers!)
Use whichever combination works best for you!
I will not cover all topic details and challenge questions in class There will be very few traditional lectures in this course. I find
them boring and ineffective for ITM353. There is too much detail and everyone is coming from different
perspectives, knowledge, and experience base.
INDIVIDUAL QUIZZES
Many classes will begin with an individual or group quiz. Based on the chapters and review questions assigned Used to ensure you are prepared for class
If you can address the review questions with confidence, you will do very well on the quiz
Take these seriously! Class alone will not prepare you for the quizzes.
Quizzes will be submitted in class and not returned
There will be no make-ups. If you miss a quiz due to an excused absence
(documented illness only), your grade will be calculated without this quiz. For unexcused absence, 0 for that quiz.
GROUP QUIZZES
Many classes will have a group quiz These will typically cover the same questions as
the individual quiz. Group will collectively decide on answers. Each
group member receives the same total score. You will be assigned to a group randomly. Group quizzes will be graded in class then
submitted.
WHY ARE WE BEING TESTED BEFORE MATERIAL IS DISCUSSED IN CLASS? Traditional “slide-and-doze” lectures are ineffective
with ITM353 material We are using the “team-based learning” approach to
education Each student is responsible for coming prepared for class
and participating in group exercises You are developing conceptual and interaction skills that
are critical for your future success The class materials (e.g. textbook) are high quality
Thorough coverage of key issues; minimum of “fluff” Covering what is already in the textbook is a waste of our
valuable time together This approach helps you develop good self-study skills
that are essential in a highly competitive business environment You will not get many lectures in your jobs, but you will
be expected to learn many things on your own.
IN-CLASS EXERCISES
Usually we will have one or more in-class exercises May be individual or group You may be asked to bring your laptops for some
exercises, and you will need them for the individual quizzes
The exercise(s) will always be based on the material for the challenge questions from the previous class
Exercises give you an opportunity to apply or experience something I am here to help you. Exercises are NOT exams. Usually we will aim to complete exercises in class, but
they may be assigned to be completed outside of class or in the next class.
Missed in-class exercises cannot be made-up. Excused absences will result in an adjusted grade
calculation, 0 otherwise.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
We will be unable to do more than introduce many of the methods and concepts while in class. To get more in-depth experience with these,
there will be several assignments to be worked on outside of class.
These may be individual or group depending on the assignment.
All of your in-class and homework assignments will contribute to the group project.
IN-CLASS PRESENTATIONS
Each student must make an in-class research presentation on a topic that will be assigned to you.
The purpose of this is twofold: 1. to give you the opportunity to do some in-depth
research on a systems analysis and design topic
2. to educate the rest of the class on this topic. You should treat this task as if you were
asked by your manager to investigate a topic and make a recommendation on whether that technique should be adopted as a standard practice in your workplace.
So think critically! Think about the costs and benefits of the
technique.
GROUP PROJECT
You will be assigned to a team to analyze, design, and implement a complex information system.
You will be expected to directly apply the concepts from the class to this project.
This is the most important feature of this class.
Example: http://thecookieladyhawaii.com/
I will assign you to teams by next week. You will need to start thinking about a topic immediately. I can provide some if you are stuck…
MY JOB You may be surprised to know that my job is
not to “teach” you facts and skills. This is an upper level course, it is NOT a “training” course. You are here to learn some different ways of thinking
about systems analysis and design, and project management
I am here to challenge you and help guide you though these challenges It’s up to you to learn and make it fun, interesting,
and worthwhile This class will be MIND NUMBINGLY BORING if
you are passive and expect to “be taught” the material. It’s up to you to:
Ask questions Bring in your own experience and thoughts Criticize the material, the textbook, me, etc… Always ask yourself “how might this apply?” Be adventurous; be willing to be wrong
TOPIC 0: WHAT IS SAD? Systems (software):
Collection of interrelated processes or applications that address a particular need(s)
Analysis Literally “to pull apart and examine” but for us it
means to clearly understand “what” a system’s purpose and the quality(s) to which it is expected to do it
Design The specification of “how” a system will do what is
intended and choices made for this
The key to success is to understand and manage different stakeholder needs
DISCUSSION: WHAT IS MIS?
What do MIS people do? What kind of positions available? Skills? Principles and practices?
EXAMPLE MIS – SAD JOBS Business Analyst Systems Analyst Infrastructure Analyst Change Management Analyst Project Manager Software Developer System Architect Maintenance Manager Quality Assurance Specialist
SKILLS EXAMPLES Technical communication Documenting Testing and debugging Modeling Programming Team management Managerial / organizational Business case analysis Decision analysis Process management Interface design Graphic design Interview / survey design
TOOLS/TECHNIQUES EXAMPLES
MS Visio .NET SQL Excel MS Project UML CMS (Content Management Systems) Prototyping tools …
TOPIC 0: WHAT SAD TOPICS ARE PRIORITY?
We only have one semester to study SAD! Too many topics, so must prioritize and focus
on the key areas.
Q: How shall we determine what to focus on?
A: We will interview MIS professionals to help us determine priorities, needed skills, and important tools/techniques
ASSIGNMENT #1: SAD AND MIS Your task is to interview an “MIS professional”
about SAD topics. “What should a successful MIS person know?”http://itm-vm.shidler.hawaii.edu/itm353/asst1.htm The “secret code” is:
ITM*353
Your reports will be aggregated in class to develop a consensus on which class topics we will focus on this semester!
I have provided a list of SAD topics, an example report, and a briefing for interviewees
** NOT MUCH TIME TO COMPLETE THIS **
PROTOCOL Select an MIS professional to work with (first
come first choice!) The person must be “cleared” by me in advance
Contact the professional by email or phone to establish a “real-time” mode of communication
(phone, in-person, web-conference, etc.) NO EMAIL-ONLY
Set up an interview time If you have trouble making contact, see me
immediately Perform the interview using the guidelines
provided Thank the professional for their time
Have your professional send me the report from their email account
NEXT FEW CLASSES: INTRODUCTION TO THE SDLC
Preparation for next classRead Chapter 1 in the book for next week
Yes, read it! You will have a quiz on it.Essential pages are listed in the scheduleDo the review questions indicated (the quiz will be based on these)
Note: You will need a laptop for many classes; be prepared to bring one. I will try to warn you in advance when laptops will be needed.