DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION PHASES

The purpose of the development and implementation phases is to construct the new or modified system, using the physical design specifications from the Design Phase, to test it, to deliver it and pass acceptance and to set it to work in the organisation.

The Steps in the Development Phase:

1. If the software is to be custom-built the programs are assigned to a programmer or team of programmers to be developed

2. Otherwise the software is purchased and modified if necessary

3. Hardware is purchased

4. Testing of individual components is performed using the testing plan from the design phase.

5. Testing of combined components is conducted using the testing plan from the design phase.

1. A conversion method to change-over from the old system to the new system is chosen.

2. Testing of the whole system once it has been put in place is conducted.

3. The users and technicians are trained and appropriate user documentation produced.

4. When the system is up and running, there is a formal acceptance and handover from the developers to the organisation.

5. Procedures & Techniques are set up to monitor and maintain the new system.

The Steps in the Implementation Phase:

The steps on the previous slides are divided into 2 groups:

• Project Management: concerned with management procedures that need to be followed to build the new system, install it, test it and finally hand it over to the organisation - development

• Conversion Methods: describes the various choices available for converting from an old system to a new system, and the various factors that need to be taken into account and implemented - implementation

1. Project ManagementIs defined as the planning, organising, directing and

controlling of resources to meet a certain objective within a specific timeframe and within a prescribed budget.

A project is defined as any activity that has a defined start point and end point, and a number of steps along the way.

The management of a project is divided into two main areas:

A). Production & Testing ManagementB). Implementation Management

A). Production Testing Management

• The documents specifying the physical design of the system needs to be turned into reality in the form of working programs on a working machine.

• The hardware and software need to be purchased or developed and thoroughly tested.

B). Implementation Management

• Once the system has been built and tested the old system needs to be decommissioned and the new one installed and commissioned, and this requires a conversion plan.

• As with any stage in the SDLC there is a necessity for creating a plan. The systems development and implementation plan can be graphical and it should set out the step-by-step requirements to complete the development and implementation of the project.

Steps in Planning a Project

• Define the goals of the project so that it is known precisely what is required at the end of the project and how it is going to be achieved.

• Determine the major tasks that are involved incompletion of the project.

• The sequence of tasks also need to be determined.• Identify the resources that will be needed in order to

complete the project.• Set up a calendar schedule to determine exactly how

long each task will take.

Project Management Tools

• Charts known as Gantt and PERT charts (Performance Evaluation and Review Techniques) are used to plot the progress of a project.

• They are graphical representations of the tasks that need to be completed in the project and the relationships that exists between each task.

• Software such as MS Project and Minuteman allow developers to use software to plan complex projects.

• The software can present tasks in a Gantt or PERT chart, monitor resources, track the progress of tasks and order the progression of tasks.

• They can present critical path analysis - to allow project managers to determine ways of improving the timeline of a project, speed up certain tasks, and get the project back on track if it begins to fall behind schedule.

2. Conversion Methods

• There are a number of approaches to the cut over to the full reliance upon a new system. Once the system is believed to be fully operational, it’s available for use in the organisation. The system now become part of the Conversion Phase during which time the changeover to the new system takes place.

• Project Managers form a conversion plan, where the timing and management of the conversion is organised. This plan describes the activities that have to be undertaken in order to cut over to full scale use of the new system. The plan includes the activities to be undertaken and who will be responsible for each activity. A timetable should be set up that indicates when each activity will start and finish.

• A good conversion plan takes into account possible problems and ways to deal with them. E.g. missing files and documents along with situations not taken into account during the design phase are just some of the problems that might be experienced during the changeover.

• There are 4 main strategies for changing over from one system to another:

• Direct Conversion

• Parallel Systems

• Pilot Systems

• Phase In

Direct Conversion

• There is a complete change over in a very short time, from the old system to the new. The changeover is normally undertaken over a specified period of time to enable users to become comfortable with the new system as well as to transfer any information that might be necessary.

• Direct conversion can be very effective. Users are required to begin using the new system immediately after a specified date. From a managerial / owners point of view, this method is preferred as there are no duplication costs. If significant problems arise they can be costly, as return to the old system is impossible. This type of conversion is often used in non-critical applications.

• Advantages:• A fast and efficient changeover• Can save money

• Disadvantages:• Staff can be alienated due to the quick

changeover• Can lead to loss of productivity and profits

if managed badly.

Parallel Systems

• Involves running both the old and the new system side-by-side for a period of time.

• An advantage of this system is the security it affords i.e. where there are doubts about the new system then the organisation can revert to the old system.

• The main advantage of using this system is that the results of the new system can be checked and rechecked against the results of the old system. Any bugs in the new system can be fixed before the old system is decommissioned.

• The disadvantages are that the costs could be high, because two systems are running at the same time and therefore jobs/ procedures are performed twice. This could lead to confusion by the employees performing the jobs.

Pilot System• Where a new system involves drastic changes in an organisation or

very new techniques are to be used it is advisable to implement a working version of the system in one small department of the organisation before launching the application on the organisation as a whole. Once the system is fully working in one part of the organisation then it can be installed throughout the organisation.

Advantages: • ability to make changes to the new system as a

consequence of trials in a real situation is very useful. • The members of the organisation who participated in the

pilot can be assets in the full implementation of the system, because they can be considered ‘experts’

Disadvantages:

• If the pilot system is not properly handled, users may form the impression that the new system is accident prone.

• It is time consuming to implement and its not always effective in picking up problems.

Phase-in Method

• In a very large organisation it may be best to implement the new system through a phase-in method. It may be that an application is large or complex, that large numbers of staff require training or that equipment has to be purchased over time. It may not be possible or desirable to implement the new system all at once in the whole organisation.

• Differences between Pilot and Phased in are:– Pilot – used as an aid in the development of an

application.– Phased In – application fully developed but

takes time to completely install throughout the organisation.

3. Other Factors that need to be implemented

To have the new system fully implemented there are a number of other areas that may also need to be considered:

• Manually stored files must be converted to computer-based files

• The physical environment may need to be modified to accommodate the new system.

• Consumables such as stationary, printer cartridges, disks and disk storage facilities will need to be purchased.

• Ergonomic requirements such as glare filters for computer screens, ergonomic desks, etc… need to be attended to.

4. Procedural Requirements of the New System

Any changes to procedures that were used in the old system or any new procedures will need to be documented and used in the training of staff.

• Examples of procedures:

5. Data and information

– Data from the old system needs to be transferred to the new system. Since file formats of the old and new system may be different – fields may be merged or split, or extra fields may be needed – care needs to be taken in planning for the transfer of data and careful planning must be undertaken for this to be successful.

6. Cost of implementation

– The financial cost involved with implementation of a new or modified system can be quite considerable. Cost of hardware and software, training or disruption to work may cause the organisation to reconsider the conversion method.

7. Effects on Organisations and Individuals

– There are many effects associated with implementing an Information System. There can be positive and negative effects. These effects on people and the organisation have to be taken into account and planned for in the conversion changeover.

Positive:– Providing job enrichment– Staff learning new skills and receiving

training to help with new tasks

Negative:– Depersonalisation of services– Customers and employees who have to

adapt to a new system

– Lists of people who will be affected and how they will be affected need to be produced. Also plans should be made that detail what communication and training affected users will receive prior to changeover.

8. Training of Staff and Customers

• One of the major issues when implementing a new or modified system is the training of staff and customers. Two main reasons why training is important:

• the users of the system need to learn how to perform the procedures that are part of the new system

• the necessity to build confidence in the system while overcoming any negative attitudes that might have formed about the new system. Customers who need to use the system have to be trained as well as staff eg. Automated payment of bills over the phone or Internet. The training is of the form of step-by-step instructions that the user listens to on each occasion the service is used.

• General Users: Staff that uses the system in their day-to-day work need to be trained and made familiar with the system so that a smooth transition can be made on the day of changeover without loss of production or inconveniences for customers and other staff.

• Customers – they need to be informed of any changes that will affect them. This could be different documentation on paper or on the screen. The reasons why the change has occurred needs to be explained and a contact person, address or phone number given if further explanation or help is required..

• A training strategy needs to be developed that should be out into place before the full implementation

Training Strategy– Who is to be trained – within most organisations there will be experienced

and inexperienced users/operations, as well as managers, programmers and/or technicians who are responsible for the system. Each group needs specialised training. Consideration needs to be given to the needs of the customers who will use the system.

– The training to take place - it’s important to be clear about what each group needs to learn, to be able to use the new system efficiently and effectively.

– Who should conduct the training – the key requirement for good training is to have an instructor who knows the software extremely well and has good communication skills. It doesn’t matter if the instruction is an outside expert or in-house trainer.

– The length of the training course – this will depend on the needs of the person being trained. “One-off” sessions without follow up are poor ways in which to deliver effective training. On-going support is often necessary.

• Where and when the training will take place – when a new system is implemented, time taken for training is regarded as time away from the job – a common mistake. The time and place for training should be clearly described to the uses and sessions should take place when users are fresh and able to concentrate

9. Types and Purposes of User Documentations

– Instructions about how to sue software must accompany the new system, known as User Documentation. This documentation can be presented in a number of ways, each suited to different types of personnel associated with the system. User Documentation should be in place before the changeover is completed.

The types of User Documentation:

– Technical Reference manual – created for technicians and describes how the system operates and also describes the specifications of the hardware and software. Information is also provided on how to perform modifications to the system if the need arises. Other information contained would include details on how to maintain the system.

– User Guide – a non-technical guide to support the use of the system. It’s a basic set of instructions, which may include how to perform such functions as access, the system, save files, print files and generally how to navigate around the program.

– User Manual – contains more extensive details about the program than the user guides.

– Quick Manual – a non-technical guide that allows the user to get started on installing and using the program. Only provides very basic details on the most common features of the program and is often only one page.

– Trouble-shooters guide – a guide briefly describing how to deal with malfunctions of the system. It gives tips and hints on how to overcome problems that are to be performed before the technicians are called.

– Procedures Manual – illustrates the steps and procedures that must be followed when operating the system. It gives details of which tasks need to be performed, by whom and when.

– An example is the procedure for backing up of data that will specify what files need to be backed up, when it is to be done, by whom, the extent of the backup and where the backups will be stored.

• Trouble-shooters guide – a guide briefly describing how to deal with malfunctions of the system. It gives tips and hints on how to overcome problems that are to be performed before the technicians are called.

10. Disaster Recovery Plans

– A disaster recovery plan is a written plan detailing the procedures that need to take place if there is a major disaster such as power outages, virus, fire, etc. The steps in the plan are to guide the restoration of the computer to an operational state.

– A disaster recovery plan should be developed and tested before the new system is completely implemented.

There are four components to a DRP:

(a) The Emergency Plan

(b) The Backup Plan

(c) The Recovery Plan

(d) The Test Plan

(a) The Emergency Plan

– This plan states the actions to be taken as soon as the disaster has happened. Because each disaster will be different, there will be different emergency procedures to follow. Each procedure has a number of steps leading to a consistent outcome despite the type of disaster.

The plan would include:– Names and telephone numbers of people and

emergency authorities (police/fire) to contact. – Certain procedures need to be followed in

relation to computer equipment such as shutting down the computers.

– Employees evacuated– Procedure that allows for re-entry into the

facility.

(b) The Backup Plan

– The development of a system for making effective backup needs to have been developed for this plan to be effective. The appropriate people should be trained and documentation detailing the exact procedures to be followed needs to be produced.

– The backup plan specifies how the organisation will use their backup files to resurrect the files necessary to resume operations. If, due to the disaster, a change of location is needed, a source of replacement equipment needs to have been organised.

– The backup plan is activated directly after the Emergency plan.

(c) The Recovery Plan

– This plan specifies the operations that need to take place so that the system can be fully operational. There could be possibly two committees that would look after the situation. One committee could look after the software replacement and the other could be responsible for hardware replacement.

(d) The Test Plan

– The test plan is a ‘dry-run’ of the disaster recovery plan. It is a simulation of a disaster and is written so that tests on how the organisation would respond to the disaster can be conducted.

11. System Access Controls

– A successful changeover method would need to cater for any data and information security and access requirements. All passwords and other security arrangements need to be documented and in place before the system is put into service.

12. Maintaining the new system

Once the system has been tested, procedures and techniques are needed to establish a maintenance routine, so that I can achieve its goals and objectives. The maintenance of a system involves responding to small difficulties and problems that can occur and to perform routine tasks such as printer ink replacement and installation of upgrades to software.

– In large organisations help-desk and technical staff need to be employed and trained.

– The use of help desk and technical staff is very important in the first few weeks after the new system is put into place.

– Also monitoring procedures need to be set up that will record performance data that will be used in evaluation phase and the solving of problems that arise.

– Software upgrades are a major maintenance task.

– There are four types:

Slipstream upgrade– This is a relatively small upgrade to the

software. It happens routinely and is often without inconveniencing the user of the system.

Patch– A patch is a small change that corrects a

problem. Patches are often used to rectify small bugs that may appear in a program. Anti virus program manufactures often release patches to their in field installed code to detect and provide remedies for new viruses.

New Release – A new release improves on some parts of the

software, but it fundamentally operates the same as before. It will require minor alterations to user documentation and also possibly involves more training.

New Version– The program is currently on the system, however a

new version will upgrade the current version, because there are new functions and features that can be used

• Part of the maintenance requires arrangements that need to be made with the suppliers of equipment (hardware and software) to rectify future problems that may occur.

• A maintenance agreement should be entered into when the equipment is purchased. This ensures that the suppliers or their designated maintenance organisation are the designated people that the purchaser has contact with to ensure that the equipment can be replaced or fixed as soon as possible

EVALUATION PHASE

– The final phase of the SDLC involves monitoring, evaluating and maintaining the system.

– The system is evaluated to determine how effectively it meets the objectives identified in the Feasibility Study.

– The objectives are continually assessed over the life of the system in three aspects:

a) Performance, b) Reliability and c) Management of Change.

– If the objectives are not adequately met, then the process of Analysis begins again.

a) Performance Evaluation

• At this stage the system is fully tested and implemented.

• Now the systems analyst is concerned with evaluating the efficiency and productivity of the technology.

• These characteristics can be objectively measured and compared to the estimates indicated in the analysis and design phase.

• Efficiency is measured in terms of the times, cost and effort to complete a set task Eg we might measure the time taken for a robot arm to weld a car piece, or the effort needed to produce a report.

• Productivity is concerned with the efficiency of the overall process Eg we could measure how many cars are produced in a full working day.

• Efficiency and Productivity could be evaluated in the following ways:

1.Observing the system’s capacity to handle peak periods of demand.

2.Surveying staff to determine tasks completed during a set period such as one day or one hour.

3.Timing the completion of a task4.Calculating the total cost of one

working day including wages, electricity and materials used.

b) Reliability

• Many problems with a system only appear after the system has been implemented.

• These can include faulty equipment, incorrect procedures and inadequate training.

• The reliability of the system should be continually supervised to ensure that procedures are producing their desired effect.

• Procedures such as security, backup and validation could be assessed in the following ways:

1. Random shut downs of the computer system to determine if processes can be carried out manually.

2. Removal of selected files to determine if backup procedures are reliable.

3. Using computer professionals to test security measures

c) Management of Change

• An essential part of evaluating the system is assessing the effects of change on job specifications, work environment, procedures, etc.

• These changes can be monitored in the following ways:

1. Surveying staff reactions to the new system.

2. Testing staff knowledge of the procedures

3. Monitoring frequency and cause of sick days

4. Assessing adequacy of training (can be also achieved by surveying people being trained).

Maintenance

• A program of ongoing maintenance of the system, which considers technology, procedures and personnel requirements, needs to be established.

• This could include replacing faulty equipment, modifying procedures or training new staff.

Costs and Benefits

• The function of top level management in this process is to evaluate the overall costs and benefits of the system.

Economic CostsThe introduction of the new system will have

both direct and indirect economic costs:a) Cost of new equipmentb) Employment of design team and computer

professionals.c) Possible loss of production during

implementation of systemd) Disruption to staff and possible redundancy

payments.

Social Costs

Changes in information systems can lead to negative effects on personnel and society:

a) Repetitive strain injuryb) Deskillingc) Loss of employmentd) Stress due to change and technology.

Economic Benefits

The introduction of new system should have economic benefits:

a) Increased efficiency and productivity.b) Improved quality controlc) Improved customer serviced) Enhanced decision – making

Social Benefits

Changes in information systems can lead to benefits for personnel and society:

a) Increase in staff skills and job satisfaction

b) Health and safety reformsc) Higher level of flexibility