Dec 1998 PM217: Project Management (Question 4) Suggested Solutions

4.	(a) The first three stages in the system development life cycle are the feasibility study, requirements definition, and system specification. What are the other five?	[5]
	The other five stages are: System design (1 mark) Program design and development (1 mark) System testing (1 mark) Implementation and production (1 mark) System maintenance (1 mark)	[5]
	(b) Give a brief explanation of what is involved in each of the first three states i.e. feasibility study, requirements definition, and system specification. Your answer should include two tasks which must be carried out and two deliverables which must result from each stage.	[15]
	In each of the following one mark should be awarded for a suitable explanation, one mark each for up to two tasks associated with each stage, and one mark each for up to two deliverables associated with each stage, up to a maximum of 5 marks for each stage, and 15 marks in total. The tasks and deliverables listed are suggestions only, and other valid answers should receive credit. (i) Feasibility study – is undertaken to determine whether or not the proposed system is likely to prove practicable (1 mark). Suitable tasks to be carried out include: Produce written description of the proposed system Analyse cost of similar systems Produce rough estimates of size, cost and schedules Define benefits of the proposed system Report findings back to management Suitable deliverables include: Brief description of the proposed system Outline of the business considerations Outline of organisational structure Cost-benefit analysis Provisional schedule for delivery of end products of each key stage (ii) Requirements Definition – The brief description of the system drawn up in the feasibility study is expanded into a comprehensive set of user requirements (1 mark). Suitable tasks to be carried out include: Define scope of new system Interview users Perform analysis of current system (if applicable) Use information gained to produce the system requirements definition document Suitable deliverables include (some of these will be contained within the system requirements definition document): Analysis of the current system (if applicable) Summary of findings of user-interviews List of requirements of the new system A detailed summary of the proposed system, possibly including a prototype List of benefits which might accrue from the new system (ii) System Specification – is the set of activities which must be carried out to ensure that the user-requirements gleaned in the requirements definition are translated into DP-oriented language, and in particular that information requirements are translated into data requirements (1 mark). Suitable tasks to be carried out include: Define the type of the new system Draw a schematic diagram of the system Produce the data dictionary of the new system Perform a more detailed cost-benefit analysis Produce the system specification document Suitable deliverables include (some of these will be contained within the system specification document): Detailed description of the system, particularly its data and communication requirements System controls Detailed cost-benefits analysis	[15]