System Analysis

Topics Covered:
• Project initiation
• Determining project feasibility
• Project scheduling
• Managing project activities
• Manage systems analysis team members
Project Initiation
Projects are initiated for two broad reasons:
• Problems that lend themselves to systems solutions.
• Opportunities for improvement through
• Upgrading systems.
• Altering systems.
• Installing new systems.
Organizational Problems
Identify problems by looking for the following signs:
• Check output against performance criteria
• Too many errors.
• Work completed slowly.
• Work done incorrectly.
• Work done incompletely.
• Work not done at all.
• Observe behavior of employees
• High absenteeism.
• High job dissatisfaction.
• High job turnover.
• Listen to feedback from vendors, customers, and suppliers
• Complaints.
• Suggestions for improvement.
• Loss of sales.
• Lower sales.
Project Selection
Five specific criteria for project selection:
• Backed by management.
• Timed appropriately for commitment of resources.
• It moves the business toward attainment of its goals.
• Practicable.
• Important enough to be considered over other projects.
Possibilities for Improvement
Many possible objectives exist including:
• Speeding up a process.
• Streamlining a process.
• Combining processes.
• Reducing errors in input.
• Reducing redundant storage.
• Reducing redundant output.
• Improving system and subsystem integration.

Feasibility Impact Grid (FIG) – A feasibility impact grid (FIG) is used to assess the impact of any improvements to the existing system. It can increase awareness of the impacts made on the achievement of corporate objectives. Current or proposed systems are listed on the left while objectives are listed on the top. Red arrows indicate a positive impact and green arrows indicate implementation.
A feasibility study assesses the operational, technical, and economic merits of the proposed project.
There are three types of