System Requirements And Fact-Finding Methods For Smith Antiques

Functional and non-functional requirements for a management information system

System requirement level includes functional and non-functional requirement type. It is important for every system to ensure proper working. The Smith antique needs to have proper management information system that will ensure managing the details. Details regarding every customer needs to be managed properly. The newly developed management information system will also help in understanding the customer requirements. This items will automatically get placed at the wish list. There are several customers associated with the organization thus proper arrangement needs to be made that will ensure the easy access of the system. The system requirements that needs to be considered here includes the functional and non-functional one. This are the major requirements that are needed to be addressed properly for smooth running of the information system. It is important to address this requirements. The main functional requirement regarding a system includes business rules, administrative functions, Transaction corrections, adjustments and cancellation and functions related to administration. Apart from this the legal and regulatory measure also plays an major role.

Non-functional Requirement Type. The requirements are said to be non functional when they are used to refer to the attributes of users and helps in identifying the system environment. This are used for defining the standards related to business rules and refines the function that is taking place within the system. The main non functional requirement includes performance of the system, proper scalability, measuring the capacity of the system, availability , reliability and easy recoverability. Apart from this the system also ensures proper maintainability throughout its lifecycle and manages the environment as per the need of the system.

The method that involves formal processes for gathering information is known as fact finding method. The process involved in fact finding includes research, interviews, questionnaires’ and many more techniques. This will help in gathering the information from employees and will ensure that the collected information has fulfilled all the requirement. It is also called information gathering or data collection. The role of system analyst is to develop a proper research questions that will help to address each and every activity taking place within the system. Fact finding includes collection of data and information based on techniques that contains proper sampling of the data that is already existing within the system, the research that is being developed and the observations related to the working of the employee. The major fact finding methods includes observation, interview and questionnaires. This methods will help the employees of Smith Antiques in information collection process.

Role of system analyst in fact-finding

Observation: the technique that includes the system analyst to observe others performance and includes participating with the activities. This help to understand the task that are going within the system and will help in observing the employees behaviour. This are mainly used for validating the data collected using other data collection method. Apart from this the method is used when the complexity within system gets prevented and there is need for proper justification from the end users. While using this fact finding method it is important to ensure that the system analyst has obtained permission from appropriate supervisors and will develop a special form that will help preparing the reports. Apart from this the system analyst needs to decide when the techniques is going to be implemented within system and the participants. The major advantages offered with this fact finding method includes proper reliable data can be achieved, relatively inexpensive method, includes proper practical experience and allows the work measurement. Beside the advantages there are several disadvantages that are faced with this technique that includes the behaviour gets altered and sometimes people may act as the management team want to see them. They won’t really reveal their behaviour at the time of observation. Thus it becomes really difficult to understand the real working of the system.

Questionnaires: this is a special purpose documents that helps in analysing the collected information and opinions from the respondents. There are mainly two types of questionnaires available that helps in collecting the information this includes free format and fixed format. The free format will include several question related to the system that the respondents need to answer in brief. On the other hand fixed format includes multiple choice question along with ranking and rating. It is important to develop a good set of questionnaire that will be able to determine the facts and opinions collected from the employees. Every answers needs to be examined properly so that there is no error observed within the set of questions. Apart from this the system analyst needs to ensure that no question should be biased or the responses observed can be altered. The possible advantages of this system is that it ensures quick responses, easy to develop and evaluate and allows to maintains real facts. Apart from this it maintains anonymity.  The responses observed can be evaluated faster than other methods. The major disadvantages of this method is that as it is anonymous it becomes difficult to determine who has participated and who have not. Thus this leads to less number of respondent. Sometime sit is observed that respondent may not answer each and every questions within the set. This are very inflexible thus it becomes difficult to reframe the questions. It becomes difficult to understand the body language of the respondent.

Observation as fact-finding method

Interviews: one of the most important and often used fact finding technique is interview. With the help of interview the analyst can collect information directly from the employees. This is the best way of collecting the data. One to one interview helps in disclosing the facts that people are not able to disclose in front of other members. The main objective behind conducting an interview includes finding acts, verifying the facts and clarifying them with other employees. This helps to generate enthusiasm among the employees. The ends user can be get involved with this type of method and helps in identifying the requirements. The steps that are associated with the interview includes selecting interviewers, preparing them for the interview , conducting thorough interview and taking follow up at each step. The major benefits of this fact finding method includes motivating the interviewee to respond freely. More feedback can be probed quickly and can adapt their questions are per the need of the individual. Moreover with the interview body language will help in understanding the behaviour of the employee towards the organization. The disadvantages of this system includes: the process is time consuming, the interviewer should be better at interactive skills.

There are several types of system development tools that helps in facilitating the smooth evaluation of the system this includes:  Engine Yard, DevDocs, Public Api, Divide.io, Codeship, Codefresh, Node, Wercker, Stamply, Github and Codekit.

Engine Yard

Engine Yard is basically a platform that acts as a service provider that helps in configuring and automating the application. This also helps in deploying the application within the cloud. Engine Yard aims at managing and deploying their apps within the cloud so that they can continue their best task that is what they do best writing beautiful application. This tool is available online and needs to be paid for performing the activity.

DevDocs

This is one of the fastest online documentation browser that helps in developing the system. This are very much beneficial for developers as they are available at free of cost.  Devdocs.io is a fast reference manual aggregator that is used for popular front-end languages and libraries.

The process through which the system is developed is known as system development method. The two development method that helps in system are RAD and SDLC.

RAD  

Rapid Application Development model aims at developing models that are based on prototyping and iterative. This does not includes any proper planning and ensures that the developed system is free from error. This application focuses mainly on gathering information from the users with the help of workshops. This helps in addressing the requirements properly. This develops the project rapidly without any problem. Rapid application development is basically a development methodology used for software that helps in minimizing the planning procedure and focuses on rapid prototyping model. The major fact related to this aspect includes successful development of prototypes that allows reusability of codes. The RAD model design includes the attributes that is analysis, design, building and testing phases. This are included in an iterative development cycles.

Questionnaires as fact-finding method

SDLC is a process that is used for developing a proper software project. This includes detailed development of the plan  this include the process that describes the way system is being developed, maintained, replaced or enhanced in future. The life cycle is used for defining the methodology that will help in improvement of the quality of software and will also help in development process. This is the best development process with detailed strategy. The steps related to SDLC are as follows:

Phase1: Planning and Requirement Analysis

This stage is associated with analysing the requirement and determining the fundamental stages within the SDLC. This are basically performed by the senior members within the system who is responsible for gathering the inputs from customers. This tasks are generally performed by senior members associated with the planning process that will help in taking inputs from the customers, in order to perform surveys for market, in the department of sales and domain professionals in the industry. This information are further used for the purpose of planning the basic approach that will help in conducting the product feasibility study in the fields of operational, technical and economical. Apart from this it also includes planning for the feasibility and proper accessibility of the system.

Phase 2: Defining Requirements

After the analysis of requirement it is important to define requirements as per the need of the system. This step includes proper detailing regarding the requirements. This is probably done through the Software Requirement Specification document. The stage contains every product supplies along with the intended project life cycle.

Phase 3: product design building

Software Requirement Specification is used as the product reference that will help architects to come up with appropriate and best architecture for the aimed product. This product will be developed after analysing the requirements of the product. More designs gets developed after the requirements are specified in SRS and more than one design approach is being proposed for DDS – Design Document Specification. DDS is basically reviewed by every crucial stakeholders. This are being assessed baser on the various parameters that includes proper risk assessment, robustness of the products, and modularity of the design, budget and time constraints. Once all the design are evaluated it becomes important to select the desirable design and product. Design approach helps in clearly defining the modules that are related to data flow representations and communication with the help of external module. Internal design associated with the module needs to be addressed properly. This will propose an architecture that will clearly define the minutest of the details associated with DDS.

Interviews as fact-finding method

Phase 4: Developing the desired Product

The fourth phase is related to the actual development of SDLC that gets started at the initial stage and the product is need to be built. Once the design is developed properly it becomes important to organize a code that will generate proper system. While developing a system it becomes important to follow proper guidelines that are provided by the organization and their programming tools. The tools included are compilers, debuggers, interpreter and many more. This are used for generating codes efficiently. The different type of high level programming languages that offers such features are C++, Pascal, java, PHP and C. this programming languages are chosen in respect to the software that is being developed.

Phase 5: Testing

This stage is associated with the subset of all the other stages within the model of SDLC. The testing activities associate with this includes proper procedures. However, this stage is referred to the only stage that involves testing of the developed product defects and report are made properly until the product is delivered successfully with the help of SRS.

Phase 6: Proper Deployment in the Market along with Maintenance

The product is tested in this stage and is ready to be deployed and needs to be get appropriately ready as per the need of the market. The product deployment needs to be done based on the strategy. The product needs to be released first along with the limited segment and are then tested in under business environment (UAT- User acceptance testing).

Based on the feedback, the products are being released that ensures proper enhancement within the targeted segment of the market. This are needed to be designed as per the software development process. Apart from this SDLC is also known as Software Development Process Models”. Every process model associated with the software follows a series of steps that are unique toward its type. This ensures success within the process of software development life cycle.

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