SADM 7/ed – CTTS CASE STUDY - Milestone 1: Scope Definition Solution Page: 1-2
MILESTONE 1 – SCOPE DEFINITION SOLUTION
: Request for System Services
The students should have identified several problems and may have presented them in list format. Some may provide general descriptions of problems while others may go to the extra effort of giving concrete examples. The sample RSS provided here represents a general description. Some students may have given more specific descriptions such as those found in the first column of the problem statement matrix.
You might stress to the students that often user expectations are simply stated in terms of a new system that works! However, some users have very specific ideas or expectations of what software and technologies will be used. The important thing is that the systems analyst should listen to understand the user’s envisioned new system, without commenting, even if it seems ridiculous or premature at the time.
: Problem Statement Matrix
Students should try to identify problems and also opportunities that were mentioned in the narrative. It is possible they might have identified different ones and have stated completely different values for each of the cells. There is more than one right answer in systems analysis. There is also more than one wrong answer. Students should be able to defend their answers with specific statements from the case study exhibits. In this milestone enough information was provided to be able to quantify some but not all annual benefits. The form that follows illustrates one possible solution.
Stress to the students that this matrix is a living document. As the project moves through the life cycle, more facts are obtained and knowledge of the system’s problems, opportunities, scope, and other issues grows and can be refined.
Prepared by Gary B. Randolph for
Systems Analysis & Design Methods 7ed
by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. Dittman Copyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2007
SADM 7/ed – CTTS CASE STUDY - Milestone 1: Scope Definition Solution Page: 1-3
Prepared by Gary B. Randolph for
Systems Analysis & Design Methods 7ed
by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. Dittman Copyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2007