System Analysis & Design believe that system analysis and design is a good very good class that teaches students how the real business world works. At the beginning of the class students are instructed to break up into groups of six people that will form a small company to develop an information system for one of four businesses. The students are given the name of the business that they are to build a new system for and information on what that company needs is. They are then instructed to go into their groups and start to develop standard forms that any business needs (a company logo, letterhead and company brochure). Once the company has developed these essentials it is time for the students to start the analysis phase of the system development life cycle. The student’s start by analyzing that information that they were given about the companies needs and start to develop useful questions for the company to help them develop their new information system.
Once the students receive the answers to their questions they can start the development stage of the system development life cycle and go out and look for information and possible prices for the new system to help them develop a contract for the company to agree upon. While the students are waiting for the company to sign the contract they map out the flow of data through the new system in a data flow diagram then convert that data into a user flow diagram that has pictures and is easier for the company to understand the flow of data through the new system… At this point in the project the students should be developing a Gantt chart which helps keep track of where they are at in there project and keeping track of how much time they are working on the project so that that information can be added to the billable hours and budget report forms. After the students are finished with the previous things it is time for them to give their first presentation to the company to show them the work that they have done so far and update them on the projects progress showing them the data flow diagram and user flow diagram to show them how information will flow through their new system. After the completion of their first presentation students enter the implementation phase of the system development life cycle. Now the students start to develop a prototype which can be just a fake that looks something like that actual system or it can be a fully working prototype.
When this is finished the students go along adding finishing details to all of their work and start working on their final presentation to be given. The final presentation should show off all of the students work, explain the new system fully and clearly, and the students should give the company a demo of the prototype. During the class we did not get to do the maintenance phase of the system development life cycle. I feel as though this is a good class that helps students understand the real business place. If I could have changed one thing about the class it would be to not let the students choose their groups. If you get in a group of your friends then some of the responsibility is lost and you may find your self in the same situation that my group was in where instead of a group of six people you are in a group of two trying to do the work of six..