SAD_CHAPTER3

System Analysis and
design
Chapter 3: System Implementation and

maintenance
Learning outcomes
After completing this chapter students are expected to:

 Describe systems construction, implementation and
evaluation
 Understand the implementation strategies used by
firms outline the activities or steps needed to impel
a new system.
Major System Implementation and maintenance
Activities
 System implementation is the construction, installation and
testing of system components and the delivery of the system
 System implementation involves six major activities. These are:
 Coding- turning the physical design specifications created at the
design stage into working computer code by programmers.
 Testing- conducting various tests to ensure that the information
system delivers what is expected of it
 Installation- the process during which the current system is
replaced by the new system.
 Documentation- system documentation and preparing user
manuals
 Training users- providing training to users on general and
specific topics
 User support- providing such services as help desk support,
online help and bulletin boards
Coding
 It is a process of converting the physical design specifications

into working computer code by programmers.
 Programming language selection and coding styles.
System Testing
 There are various types of testing mechanisms based on
various approaches.
 Static and dynamic testing- in static testing the code is not
executed whereas dynamic testing involves execution of the
code.
 Automated and manual testing- this depends on whether the
testing is done by the computer or by people.
 Based on the above distinctions there are seven types of
testing approaches outlined
Coding:
 Inspections- are formal group activities where participants
manually examine code for occurrences of well-known errors.
Syntax, grammar and some other routine errors can be checked
 Syntax Checking- a procedure performed to identify known
errors in the code
 Walkthroughs- are tests where not only the known errors but
also what the code does is checked.
 Desk checking- involves checking the program does what it is
expected to do by an independent
 Unit testing- is an automated test method where each module
of the program is tested alone
 Integration testing- is a process of testing the modules of the
program by incrementally integrating them
 System testing- refers to the testing of the information system
as a whole (as a complete entity).
Coding:
 Acceptance testing is testing done by users using real
data over an extended time-period in a real
environment.
i. Alpha testing (verification testing) - where the system
is run in a simulated environment using simulated
data.
ii. Beta testing (validation testing) - where the system is
run in a live environment using real data.
 During validation or beta testing the following are
checked:
a. System performance
b. Peak workload processing performance (stress testing)
c. Human engineering test
d. Methods and procedures test
e. Backup and recovery testing
System Conversion (Installation)
 The process of moving from the current information system to the
new one is called system conversion or installation.
 The following are commonly used installation strategies:
Abrupt Cut-over (Direct Installation)
 In an abrupt cut-over the old system is terminated on a specific date
and the new system is placed into operation.
 There are no transition costs in a direct installation
Parallel Conversion (installation)
 In parallel conversion both the old and new systems are operated for
some time period.
 This ensures that all major problems in the new system have been
solved before the old system is discarded.
 The outputs are compared to check if the new system is performing
well.
 It can be costly as the two systems need to be operated over some
period
Location (Pilot) Conversion
 When the same system will be used in numerous
geographical locations, it is usually converted at one
location first.
Advantages:
 Limits potential damage and potential cost
 IT staff can devote all their effort at the pilot site
Disadvantages:
 If the different locations require sharing data, extra
programs will need to be written to synchronize the
current and the new systems
 Some parts of the organization will not get the benefits of
the new system until the pilot installation has been
completely tested.
Location (Pilot) Conversion
e.g
Phased (Staged) Conversion
 The phased conversion is an incremental approach where
the new system is brought on-line in functional
components
Advantages:
 Risk and cost are spread out over a period of time
 Allows for some benefits from the new system even before
the whole system is ready.
 Each phase of change is small and manageable for users
Disadvantages:
 Bridge programs connecting old and new databases
 A phased installation is like bringing out a sequence of
repeated conversions at each phase and a long period of
change which may be frustrating and confusing to users.
Phased (Staged) Conversion
Documentation
 Each information system developed results in various
documents of its own. The contents of the final documentation
may vary from organization to organization and from the SDLC
followed. However, the following can be reasonably expected to
be included in any system documentation:
 System requirement specification
 Test reports
 Resource requirements specification
 User’s guide
 Management plan
 Release description
Maintenance and its type
 The system maintenance phase is the last phase in the SDLC and
makes the SDLC a life cycle.
Corrective Maintenance
 It refers to changes made on the information system to repair defects
in the design, coding, or implementation of an information system.
Adaptive Maintenance
 Adaptive maintenance involves making changes to an information
system to evolve its functionality to changing business needs or to
migrate it to a different operating environment.
Perfective Maintenance
 Perfective maintenance involves making enhancements to improve
processing performance, interface usability or to add desired but not
necessarily required system features.
Preventive Maintenance
 Preventive maintenance involves changes made to a system to reduce
the chance of future system failure.
 The adaptive, perfective and preventive maintenance activities lead to
corrective maintenance activities if not carefully designed and
implemented.
Thank you!
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System Analysis and

Chapter 3: System Implementation and

After completing this chapter students are expected to:

 It is a process of converting the physical design specifications

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