Documentation and Evaluation Stage

Documentation Stage

In documentation stage there are two types: For the end user and for future developers

• User documentation is like the instruction manual book to let the user know how to use the software or system.

This can consist of the following :

1. the purpose of the system/program/software package
2. how to log in/log out
3. how to load/run the software
4. how to save files
5. how to do a search
6. how to sort data
7. how to do printouts
8. how to add, delete or amend records
9. screen layouts (input)
10. print layouts (output)
11. hardware requirements
12. software requirements
13. sample runs (with test data and results)
14. error handling/meaning of errors
15. troubleshooting guide/help lines/FAQs
16. tutorials

• Technical documentation

It is for the developers or programmers who will improve the system or make some future improvements to the system or mantaining the system

This can consist of the following :

1. purpose of the system/program/software
2. program listing/coding
3. programming language used
4. flowchart/algorithm
5. input formats
6.  hardware requirements
7.  software requirements
8.  minimum memory requirements
9.  known bugs in the system
10.  list of variables used (and their meaning/description)
11.  file structures
12.  sample runs (with test data and results)
13.  output formats
14.  validation rules
15.  meaning of error messages.

Evaluation Stage

It is the stage where the system has been running, and the user compares the new system with the old one. If the analyst finds any problem by the feedback from the customer, the system will have to be re design again.

To evaluate the system, the analyst will:

1. compare the final solution with the original requirement
2. identify any limitations in the system
3. identify any necessary improvements that need to be made
4. evaluate the user’s responses to using the new system
5. compare test results from the new system with results from the old system
6. compare the performance of the new system with the performance of the old system
7. observe users performing set tasks, comparing old with new
8. measure the time taken to complete tasks, comparing old with new
9. interview users to gather responses about how well the new system works
10. give out questionnaires to gather responses about the ease of use of the new system

Hardware may need to be updated because:

1. of feedback from end users
2. new hardware comes on the market, making change necessary
3.  there are changes within the company which require new devices to be added or updated

Software may need to be updated because:

1. of feedback from end users
2. changes to the company structure or how the company works may need
3. modifications to the software
4. changes in legislation may need modifications to the software.

Development stage, testing stage and implementation stage

Here I am going to show you how the development stage, testing stage and implementation stage

Development stage

After your done Analysis and Designing Stage, you will start doing stage. Development stage is a stage to finalize all the files structure and put all the parts that you design or made into one single system. Example, if there are files, you organize it according to the type of file and make a file structure.

To make sure the right data is in the right file and are following the rules that are set, there are methods that are adopted to check this, which are Validation Routine and Verification Method (Which are discuss in the previous blog). These are test again to ensure unwanted data to be trap and to make sure all data in paper could be transfer into electronic system accurately.

 How you use the system (User Interface), after putting the system together, will be made in this stage, how will the input gather data and how will the output present the data. If there is a special hardware, it will be necessary to finalise how these devices are used with the system

Testing Stage

As the name of the stage is, this stage is for testing the system that you design. You will test each module in your system. After testing the modules, you test the whole thing. if it fails you go back with Development Stage. The reason to test it whole, after testing each module, is because some data could clash or there could be a issue when working with another file.

Testing will use many different types of data, which will be in one of three

Categories. Normal, Extreme and Abnormal. Let’s use an example : A date (dd/mm/yyyy)

ü  Normal: It is in the range of the type of data. E.g. the month, there will only be in 1-12, that is a whole number.

ü  Extreme: It is the most limits of the range. E.g. the month, the limit in months will be 1 or 12.

ü  Abnormal: it is beyond the range. E.g. The month, which shouldn’t be 13, 0, 1.34, -1.

Implementation Stage

After it works on the Testing Stage, you will have to replace the new version with the old one, but before you implant it, you must train you staff so they can work on the new system and change all the paper based file into the electronic system.

After you finish that, you implant it. There are 4 ways to implant it (Each with a disadvantage and advantage, it can be seen in the table below). Direct Changeover, Parallel Running, Pilot Implementation or Phased Implementation.

Direct Changeover: It is to directly change the whole system overnight or when the system isn’t busy.

  Parallel Running: The old and new system will be there, but the old one will slowly fade away and the new one will eventually take over

  Pilot Implementation: The new system will be placed only in one part of the company. If it proved that it works, it will go to another part of the company.

Phased implementation: The new system will be introduced step by step, when it works satisfactorily the whole system will replace the old one.

System analysis and Design

 

In this blog, I am going to show you about the system analysis and design. Here are the steps.

 

Analysis

It is a stage when the company or you check existing systems to see what they lack and what you can improve in your own system.

1.     You collect the data of the other/current systems

2.     See how the existing system works (e.g. their Input, Processing and output/result)

3.     Finding the Problems of the existing system

4.     Agreeing with the customer about the Target of the system

5.     Finding and agreeing with the customer about their requirement/Need

6.     Understanding about the customer’s needs

7.     Analysis about the cost of the system and the profit

8.     Modeling its process aspects

On the first step, which is collecting data, there are 4 ways you could do it: Observation is observing a person using the other/current system

Questionnaires are sending questionnaires to the customer to see their view on the existing system

Interviewing is a session to interview the customer/employee

Looking at existing paperwork is seeing the paper files that tell you how the system works. (Ex. manuals/instruction)

Design

This is the stage where you design and make your own system or the stage to improve your own system after the last stage, Evaluation and review, is done.

At this Stage, you design what it will look like (Ex. Screen layout, input and output form, file structure, etc.), what the system requirement is (Software and Hardware), selecting & designing rules and how the system works.

 Verification

A way to prevent errors when data is copied to another location/medium. There are 2 common ways, which are:

Double Entry : the data is entered twice. Then the computer compares the two data, whether during or after the data entry, if there are any differences between the two.

Visual Entry : It Checks the data for errors by comparing  the data on the screen with the original Documents

Validation

A process to see if the data meets the criteria when it is inserted to the computer. Here are some common techniques of validation when writing computer software:

Range Check = Check if data is within acceptable requirements

Length Check = Check the input data has the required numbers of Character

Character Check = Check if it has no invalid characters

Format Check = Check if the data is in a specific Type/Format

Limit Check = Check to see the Limit or how far can it work

Presence Check = Check if the data is there and not missed

Consistency Check = Check to see if each field is tied up/ responding to each other

Check Digit = Check if there is a mistake in the data in digits