How to Set Up Information Systems

, by Bell, Simon; Wood-Harper, Trevor; Wood-Harper, A. T.

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ISBN: 9781853839580 | 1853839582
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 9/1/2003

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A spectacular dialogue of the deaf has been on-going for many years. Information systems are as misunderstood today as they have been for a decade. The designers who make them, the managers who commission them and the stakeholders who use them consistently fail to communicate with each other resulting in the inevitable plethora of systems failures which appear in the media every week. This book seeks to address the key problem of transforming organizational need into information systems delivery. Using understandable language, real world examples and user-focused tools and techniques it aims to deliver sustainable information systems in even the most complex contexts. This is important reading for all concerned with making information systems sustainable, especially professionals in IT. It should also be of interest to environment and development organizations, business schools and software developers.

List of Figures and Tables	p. ix
Preface	p. xii
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations	p. xiv
Introduction to the Book	p. xv
Purpose	p. xv
Tools and methodology	p. xv
Structure	p. xvi
Chapters	p. xvi
Appendices	p. xvii
Glossary of buzzwords	p. xvii
Suggested reading and references	p. xvii
Information Systems and Organizations	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Information systems: A catalogue of failures?	p. 7
Conclusions	p. 12
Exercise	p. 13
What is Systems Analysis and Systems Design?	p. 15
Introduction	p. 15
Basics of a systems analysis and systems design methodology	p. 15
Example of a systems analysis and systems design methodology in action	p. 17
The reductionist	p. 20
The systemic	p. 21
What is the research approach and methodology of this book?	p. 21
Conclusion	p. 24
Exercise	p. 25
The Role of the Systems Planner or Systems Analyst	p. 26
You the analyst: First thoughts	p. 26
The history of the analyst	p. 31
You the analyst: Second thoughts	p. 33
Present reflection and self analysis	p. 33
Reflecting on the development of the analyst	p. 33
Conclusions	p. 37
Exercise	p. 38
Terms of Reference and Selecting our Planning/Development Tools: Sequence and Schedule	p. 39
The reality of analysis: Terms of reference	p. 39
Understanding the information environment: Information audit	p. 40
The context of an analysis methodology: Selecting the right tools	p. 43
The soft systems approach	p. 44
Information modelling	p. 44
Social and technical requirements	p. 44
Human-computer interface	p. 45
Technical aspects	p. 45
Ways of using Multiview	p. 46
Conclusion	p. 49
Exercise	p. 49
What is the Problem? The Human Activity System: Making a Model	p. 50
Introduction to the human activity system	p. 50
The rich picture	p. 52
Preparation	p. 52
The primary components of the rich picture: Structures	p. 54
The primary components of the rich picture: Processes	p. 58
Putting together the rich picture	p. 59
The root definition	p. 67
Introduction	p. 67
Three examples of CATWOE	p. 68
The new system (in concept)	p. 71
Introduction	p. 71
Conceptual model/systems model	p. 73
Conceptual model: Main activities for the information system project	p. 73
Systems model: Main systems involved in the information system	p. 74
Final considerations	p. 78
Conclusions	p. 78
Exercise	p. 79
The human activity system phase	p. 79
On root definitions and systems models	p. 80
Developing a systems model	p. 81
Information Modelling: Making a Workable System	p. 82
Introduction to information modelling	p. 82
Entities, attributes, functions and events	p. 85
Entity models/tables	p. 87
Attributes	p. 91
Functional decomposition	p. 93
Double checking on entities and functions	p. 96
Events	p. 98
Tying it all together	p. 99
Conclusions	p. 99
Exercise	p. 100
Technical Needs, Social Needs: Getting the Right Balance	p. 102
Introduction to socio-technical systems	p. 102
Predict future environment analysis	p. 105
Outline social and technical objectives	p. 107
Social objectives of the proposed information system	p. 107
Technical objectives of the proposed information system	p. 108
Generate social and technical alternatives	p. 108
Rank the alternatives	p. 109
Cost-benefit analysis	p. 111
Tabulate and grade	p. 112
List major factors	p. 112
Human and computer tasks	p. 113
People tasks	p. 113
IT tasks	p. 114
Conclusions	p. 115
Exercise	p. 116
The Human-Computer Interface	p. 117
Introduction to the human-computer interface	p. 117
The nature of the interface	p. 119
Some interfaces	p. 120
The technical interface	p. 120
Social issues	p. 123
Security	p. 125
Considering the technical interface	p. 125
The case study: Specific issues	p. 127
Considering the social interface	p. 130
The case study: Specific issues	p. 130
Considering the security interface	p. 131
The case study: Specific issues	p. 132
Implementing the interface design	p. 133
Conclusions	p. 134
Exercise	p. 134
Technical Aspects: What is Needed?	p. 135
Introduction	p. 135
The application area: What we want to do	p. 137
The case study	p. 139
The database area: The data store	p. 140
The case study	p. 140
The retrieval area: What we want from the system	p. 141
The case study	p. 142
The management area: How to control the system	p. 142
Controlling your system with the operating system	p. 143
Job priority control	p. 144
Security	p. 145
User support	p. 148
The maintenance area: Keeping the system going	p. 149
Preventative maintenance	p. 150
Corrective maintenance	p. 150
The monitoring and evaluation area: Learning about the system	p. 151
Rule of thumb	p. 152
Key indicator	p. 152
The logical framework	p. 153
An issue of risk?	p. 153
Assessing risk value	p. 154
Prioritizing the risks	p. 155
Putting it all together: The technical package	p. 155
Conclusions	p. 156
Exercise	p. 156
The Total Design, Training, Hardware, Software and Implementation	p. 157
Introduction to implementation issues	p. 157
Training	p. 158
The communication of skills	p. 158
Repetition of skills out of the training room context: Self confidence and self reliance	p. 159
Specific training issues to be aware of	p. 160
Software selection	p. 161
Case study	p. 163
Hardware selection	p. 164
Case study	p. 165
Implementation	p. 165
Conclusion	p. 166
The Multiview methodology	p. 166
The learning organization methodology	p. 167
Appendices
Systems analysis and systems design: Methodologies in relation to each other	p. 169
The project cycle: Seeing the task in perspective	p. 172
Some thoughts on answers to the exercises	p. 176
Glossary of Buzzwords	p. 193
Suggested Reading	p. 199
References	p. 203
Index	p. 215
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How to Set Up Information Systems

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