Systems Development Essentials

Course Overview

Fundamentals of Systems Development

This course is concerned with the fundamental skills of systems development. Its focus is on systems investigation and quality assurance as it is perceived that these underpin all systems development. The course also introduces the delegate to how the systems development effort could be organised. The course contrasts four different lifecycles, defining the advantages and disadvantages of each, and then addresses the detail of one of these, the structured systems development approach: • The structure (milestones/ stages /phases) • The activities (detailed steps/tasks described within an approach) • Three primary models associated with the method; process, data and simple event models • For each model, the delegates are taught to describe the modelling notation, interpret the model, quality assure the model against standards and requirements Delegates are taught to understand the fundamental differences between object-oriented and structured systems development. They are also taught the basic principles of the agile movement and to recognise how a commitment to software package implementation changes the structure of the approach.

Who will the course benefit?

Solutions Architects. Business Analysts seeking to gain more insight into software development processes. Developers and programmers seeking to widen their knowledge of software development and progress their careers into Analysis and Design work. ICT project managers seeking to understand and de-mystify the jargon surrounding software development.

Course Objectives

To provide an introduction to system development principles.

Skills Gained

This course will enable delegates to:

This course will enable delegates to:
• Identify the tasks and disciplines required for systems development and implementation. • Investigate a system • Interpret business requirements and produce systems requirements • Quality assure the systems requirements documentation
• Design test cases for the requirements • Describe commonly-used development lifecycles. • Describe in detail the structured systems approach • Describe the structure and activities of a structured systems approach
• Describe, interpret and quality assure the key models that the structured systems approach uses for defining the process, static and event perspectives of the system
• Make effective use of different methods of interpersonal communications. • Quality assure the systems requirements documentation
• Identify different architectures for systems development solutions • Conduct a system review • Explain how CASE tools might be used to support the method

Pre-Requisites

Course Content

CASE tools

• Features • Life-cycle coverage • Requirements traceability • Advantages and disadvantages

Quality Assurance

• Definitions of quality • Requirements-driven testing • Types of walkthrough and inspection • Post-project reviews • Service Level Agreements

System Design, Implementation and Maintenance 10%

• Aspects of the production environment • Design principles and constraints (legal, ethical, financial) • Sign off and hand over • Post-implementation reviews • Different types of maintenance

Systems Investigation

• Fact finding approaches, such as Workshops, Prototyping, Interviewing, Questionnaires (for usability or package selection, for example), Scenario analysis, Other approaches • Functional Requirements Definition • Non-Functional Requirements Definition • Documenting system requirements • Human aspects of systems investigation and introducing change

Methodologies

• Structure and content of a chosen representative method • Describe and interpret three representative models from the method, showing at least, Process perspective, Data perspective, Event perspective • Roles within the chosen method • Products within the chosen method

Systems Development Lifecycles

• Waterfall • V model • Incremental • Spiral • Other appropriate lifecycles • Advantages and disadvantages of each approach • Selection of an appropriate approach

Development Approaches

• Component-based • Evolutionary/iterative/agile • Bespoke development • Software package solutions • Other appropriate approaches

Systems Architecture

• Different levels of Architecture - Enterprise, Systems, Infrastructure (networks, databases) • Inputs at Enterprise level • Inputs at System and Infrastructure level • Impacts of design decisions

The role of the systems Analyst and Designer

• Identify the Actors/Roles and Responsibilities within systems development and implementation (for example, designers, developers, testers, technical architects and others) • Characteristics of the systems analyst/designer

Follow-on Courses
ISEB System Modelling Techniques: Object Oriented / UML [SMTOO]

Examinations

On completion of this course delegates may wish to sit for the ISEB Certificate in Systems Development Essentials. This certificate can be used towards the ISEB Systems Development Diploma