In the direct cutover conversion strategy the new system

Chapter 11 describes the systems implementation phase of the SDLC. This chapter describes application development, installation, and evaluation.

OBJECTIVES

When you finish this chapter, you will be able to :

· Explain the importance of software quality assurance and software engineering

· Describe application development using structured, object-oriented, and agile methods

· Draw a structure chart showing top-down design, modular design, cohesion, and coupling

· Explain the coding process

· Explain unit, integration, and system testing

· Differentiate between program, system, operations, and user documentation

· List the main steps in system installation and evaluation

· Develop training plans for various user groups, compare in-house and vendor training options, and describe effective training techniques

· Describe data conversion and changeover methods

· Explain post-implementation evaluation and the final report to management

INTRODUCTION

Managing systems implementation involves application development, testing, documentation, training, data conversion, system changeover, and post-implementation evaluation of the results.

During systems implementation, the system design specification serves as a blueprint for constructing the new system. The initial task is application development, which requires systems analysts and programmers to work together to construct the necessary programs and code modules. Before a changeover, the system must be tested and documented carefully, users must be trained, and existing data must be converted. After the new system is operational, a formal evaluation of the results takes place as part of a final report to management.

If you have MIS CourseMate, you can view a Video Learning Session that explains how to use a structure chart to show program modules and their relationships.

PREVIEW CASE: Mountain View College Bookstore

Background: Wendy Lee, manager of college services at Mountain View College, wants a new information system that will improve efficiency and customer service at the three college bookstores.

In this part of the case, Tina Allen (systems analyst) and David Conroe (student intern) are talking about implementation tasks for the new system.

Participants:

Wendy, Tina, and David

Location:

Wendy Lee’s office, Monday morning, February 10,2014

Project status:

The system design specification was approved, and Tina and David are ready to implement the new bookstore information system.

Discussion topics:

Implementation tasks, including quality assurance, structure charts, testing, training, data conversion process, system changeover, and post-implementation evaluation

Tina:

Good morning, Wendy, We’re ready to start the implementation process, and I’d like to go over our plans, David will be assisting me, so I asked him to join us.

Wendy:

I’m glad you did. I met David during the interviews several months ago.

David:

Hi, Wendy, good to see you again. What’s next?

Tina:

Let’s talk about quality assurance, We’ll also discuss various implementation options, including agile methods, but we’ll continue with a structured approach for now.

Wendy:

Sounds good. What are the major tasks on your list?

Tina:

Well, the biggest task is to translate the design into program code and produce a functioning system. We’ll develop structure charts that the programmers can use as blueprints, and David will help me coordinate with the programmers.

David:

It will be great to see all the design work finally turn into a functioning system.

Tina:

It sure will. Anyway, we’ll proceed to do several types of testing, and we’ll document everything we do When we’re ready, we’ll put the new system into what’s called a test environment until we’re ready to go online with the operational environment.

Wendy:

What about training?

Tina:

We’ll consider several kinds of training — from vendors, or we might do our own.

Wendy:

Then what?