Module 3 – Advanced Systems Analysis and Design (lv 5)

Executive summary

This section examines the role of systems analysis and design in developing effective information technology solutions for organisations.

Learners begin by exploring the roles involved in systems analysis and design, including business analysts, systems analysts, system architects and stakeholders. They then examine requirements analysis and systems development methodologies.

The section progresses into requirements gathering, where learners explore approaches such as interviews, workshops, observation and document analysis. They also examine prototyping, use cases and scenarios as tools for understanding and communicating system requirements.

Learners then develop documented requirements and explore the impact of technology choices on system design. The section concludes with the creation of functional and data models and an evaluation of the benefits and limitations of proposed designs.

Aims

• Understand the roles involved in systems analysis and design.
• Analyse business requirements.
• Evaluate and select appropriate development methodologies.
• Gather and document system requirements.
• Develop prototypes, use cases and scenarios.
• Distinguish between functional and non-functional requirements.
• Produce functional and data models.
• Evaluate the benefits and limitations of proposed system designs.

Summary of learning outcomes

• LO1 — Understand roles, methodologies and approaches used in systems analysis and design.
• LO2 — Understand approaches to requirements gathering, prototyping, use cases and scenarios.
• LO3 — Be able to produce documented and structured system requirements.
• LO4 — Be able to produce and evaluate functional and data models for a system.

Indicative content

• Systems analysis roles: business analyst, systems analyst, system architect and stakeholders.
• Requirements analysis: understanding organisational needs and analysing business requirements.
• Development methodologies: approaches including DSDM and Extreme Programming.
• Requirements gathering: interviews, workshops, observation and document analysis.
• Prototyping: prototype types and their role in communicating and validating requirements.
• Use cases and scenarios: describing system behaviour and user interactions.
• Technology and design: hardware, software, platforms and services and their impact on design decisions.
• Requirements notation: functional and non-functional requirements and basic UML notation.
• Functional and data models: process models, data models and appropriate levels of detail.
• Design evaluation: benefits, limitations, strengths and weaknesses of system designs.

Assessment approach

Understanding is reinforced through quizzes, scenario activities and short-answer exercises.

Practical activities include selecting appropriate requirements-gathering approaches, creating use-case descriptions and scenarios, producing requirements specifications containing appropriate modelling elements, and developing functional and data models.

Learners are also required to evaluate the benefits and limitations of their designs and justify technical and methodological choices.