Deploying IT resources (MIS 533) MBS in Management Information Systems and Managerial Accounting Systems (2006 / 2007) Fergal Carton Business Information Systems

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Last week More system design examples Bad system design –Think about who is using the system (& context) –Gap between physical and virtual User interface design rules: KISS Homework: categorise information related to Boole 6 and its contents

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources This week More system design examples Tutorials narratives Homework: categorise information related to Boole 6 and its contents Last system design examples Requirements discovery –Techniques –Requirements report –Functional vs. non-functional system requirements –Criteria for defining requirements –Impact if requirements are wrong Building a model: RyanAir example DFD’s: introduction Budget monitoring case

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources More systems design examples Golf club membership system –GUI # not always asked for (eg. renewal request refers to name) –Reductions for husband & wife members –Alphabetic listing of members for renewal Prescriptions management for Pharmacy –DPS # and PPS # same, no link to GMS #? –GMS entitlement has expiry date –Anything > €85 per family per month per pharmacy is re-imbursed –No centralised database for all pharmacies –Doctor must have signed prescription –How to recognise fraudulent prescriptions MPS for pharmacies –Irish s/w vendors are McLernon’s and Systems Solutions –Most implementation issues to do with user willingness to change –Doctor’s address should be entered –Ethical vs. control issues for pharmacist –Electronic prescription uncompetitive

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Homework: Boole 6 Room (#m 2, capacity, code, …) Furniture (tables, chairs, …) Equipment (a/c, audio visual, lighting, …) Students (student #, name, address, …) Course (lecturer, module #, programme, …) Condition (cleanliness, working order, …) …

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Homework: uses of LL6 info? Attendance tracking Capacity utilisation Cost and yield … Real time?

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Homework: LL6 overview

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Visio narratives Grocery Store ATM Budget monitoring RyanAir ticket purchase Purchase request and payment UCC travel requisition Film festival

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Drugs payment, welfare & health care One PPS number (=DPS) Prescriptions recorded in detail Link to welfare payments or entitlements? Link to treatment in hospital National coverage required

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Visio & database manuals Katie Dineen –Room 3818 ORB –By end of week

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Requirements discovery Meetings with users (who, when, what outcome, …) Checklist of questions that clarify user requirements Describe existing processes –Document how things are currently done –Review inputs and outputs of current process (screens, forms, reports) –Outline problems with current way of doing things (speed, risk of error, …) –What improvements are expected from system (single point of data entry, faster reports, less manual work, …) How to design and communicate the proposed solution –Review requirements documentation –Walk-through solution –Get sign-off from users

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Fact finding techniques Sampling of existing forms and files Site visits Observation of work environment Research of similar systems Surveys of users and management Interviews of users and management Prototyping Joint Requirements Planning (JRP)

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Requirements Definition Report Introduction –Purpose –Background –Scope General Project Description –System Objectives Requirements and constraints –Functional requirements –Non-functional requirements Conclusion –Outstanding issues Appendix (eg. Questionnnaires & responses)

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources System requirements System requirements describe the needs and desires of an information system –Must-have –Nice-to-have Requirements can be categorised as –Functional (an action) Eg. the system should process a spending request –Non-functional (a feature or constraint) Eg. budgets are confidential to the department concerned

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Why is identifying requirements important? Budget Monitoring : 3 different views Management interpretation IT interpretation User interpretation

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Criteria for defining system requirements Consistent not conflicting or ambiguous Complete all possible system inputs and repsonses Feasible can be met with available resources & constraints Required truly needed and fulfill purpose Accurate stated correctly Traceable directly map to system functions Verifiable can be demonstrated during testing

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Impact if requirements are wrong? Cost Delay Dissatisfaction leading to mis-use or dis-use High maintenance / enhancement costs Unreliability / down-time Reputation of IT suffers

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Building a model Process Flow Data Flow Diagram –Processes –Data Flow –Data store –Entities

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Example :

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Example : Input : –Flight details (eg. SNN-BVA, 8 Oct, 10.35) –Credit card details (eg. VISA no, Expiry date) Process : –Confirms price (eg. EUR 79) –Makes reservation & processes payment Output : –Reservation reference (eg.CGHKCA)

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Process flow

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Context diagram On-line reservation system Passengers Flight Operations Flight Schedule Flight reservation Reservation # Accounts Payment € Timetable Seat availability Reservations Seat prices

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources DFD’s : 3 types of logical process Function –A set of related and ongoing activities of the business –A function has no start and no end –It continually performs work as needed Event –A logical unit of work that must be completed as a whole –Triggered by a discreet input and is completed when the process responds with appropriate output –Sometimes calle d transactions Elementary process

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources All data flows begin and/or end at a process A process is needed to exchange data flows between external entities A process is needed to update (or use) a data store X X X A process is needed to present data from a data store X A process is needed to move data from a data store to another X

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources DFD’s: logical data flows Although data flows can be implemented in many ways : –Telephone calls –Business forms –Bar codes – s –Reports –Computer screens –Computer to computer communications (EDI, interface, …) … in DFD’s, we are only interested that the flow is needed, not how the flow will be implemented

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Data flow names should be : Singular (eg. order instead of orders) Unique –use adjectives / adverbs to describe how processing has changed a data flow Not to imply physical batches Order New Order X Process Order Process Order

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Data flow names : example Order New Order Process Order Process Order Customer

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Departments make spending requests Budget is checked in the allocated budget file If budget exceeded, request is rejected Approved requests are stored and used to create Purchase orders (PO’s) for suppliers Goods received notes (GRN) are matched with PO’s to identify any discrepancies When supplier invoice is received, 3 way match is made between PO, GRN and invoice prior to payment Example : Budget monitoring case

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Purchase request and payment Draw a context level diagram for the process Draw a Level 1 Data Flow Diagram What sort of analysis method would you use? What sort of output would you provide? Structure of User Requirements Report?

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Example : Budget monitoring case What analysis method would you use and why? –Interviews Management / Department interviews –Describe the special approval process –What are the “tolerance levels” for overspending of budget –How many requests, how long to approve, backlog issues –Documentation Copies of current spending requests List of departments and corresponding budgets Print-out from allocated budget file Copy of spending summary report Process for order supply of parts (PO’s?) Copy of delivery advice details –Requirements report

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources Example : Budget monitoring case What sort of output would you provide? –Requirements report –Questionannaires –Functional Decomposition –Data Flow Diagrams –ERD –Etc. How would you validate requirements? –JRP –Prototype –Approving Requirements report –…

MBS (MIMAS) / MIS533 / Deploying IT Resources

Budget monitoring case