SADM 7/ed – ESSS CASE STUDY - Milestone 2: Problem Analysis SolutionPage: 2-1

MILESTONE 2 – PROBLEM ANALYSIS

Problems, Opportunities, Objectives, and Constraints Matrix

We are providing a sample Problems, Opportunities, Objectives, and Constraints Matrix. The matrix should be completed based on the solution of Milestone 1, the case background information, and the user interviews. The students should try to identify the causes and effects of the problems identified in Milestone 1. Make sure they identify causes rather than restating the problem. Also, make sure they specify proper objectives to correct the problems. You will have a multitude of different answers. Evaluate students’ thought processes in arriving at them. The following completed matrix illustrates one possible solution.

Note: When this case study appeared in the fifth edition of the textbook, it emphasized Savings Bond purchases as well as United Way contributions. The removal of Savings Bonds was one of the changes for the case study in this edition. Though it is unlikely any students remain on campus from the days of the fifth edition, any submissions that mention Savings Bonds are likely recycled.

Prepared by Kevin C. Dittman for

Systems Analysis & Design Methods 7ed

by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. DittmanCopyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2007

SADM 7/ed – ESSS CASE STUDY - Milestone 2: Problem Analysis SolutionPage: 2-1

PROBLEMS, OPPORTUNITIES, OBJECTIVES AND CONSTRAINTS MATRIX

Project:Employee Self Service System / Project Manager:Jack Mills
Created by:Kira Webster / Last Updated by:Kira Webster
Date Created:03/22/2006 / Date Last Updated:03/22/2006
CAUSE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS / SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT OBJECTIVES
Problem or Opportunity / Causes and Effects / System Objective / System Constraint
  1. Hardcopy telephone book, published quarterly, becomes quickly out of date. (Information)
/
  1. The company is growing and is very dynamic with lots of personnel changes that occur on a daily basis. Quarterly publication is not sufficient.
/
  1. Decrease time required by administrator to maintain employee information from 12 hours per week to 1 or 2. (Administrator will still need to perform updates on a limited basis and add new employees.)
  2. Eliminate hardcopy telephone books – savings of $27,000.
  3. Eliminate need for micro stand-alone application.
  4. Create an online “White Pages” possible viewed via the Web.
  5. Allow employees to input changes real-time.
  6. Integrate with phone and E-mail systems.
/
  1. System must be platform independent and accessible from all desktops and remote locations.
  2. New system must be secured to prevent unauthorized data access or modification.

  1. Redundancy of keying employee information in both micro and mainframe. (Efficiency)
/
  1. No automated interface between mainframe application and micro application.
  2. Employee information is not stored in a single source repository.
/
  1. Eliminate duplicate keying of information by providing a single source of entry for employee information – eliminate need for micro system.
/
  1. System must be platform independent and accessible from all desktops and remote locations.
  2. New system must be secured to prevent unauthorized data modifications.

  1. Cost of maintaining and operating current mainframe system excessive.(Economics)
/
  1. Processing costs may be excessive due to the reprocessing of transactions to correct information discrepancies.
  2. The mainframe platform is expensive to use in terms of transactions.
  3. Age and technology of system require a high level of IS support.
/
  1. Reduce operating costs by 50 percent.
/
  1. None

  1. Employee data may be out of sync across company systems.(Information)
/
  1. Information changes are submitted via forms and then have to be keyed into the system by an administrator, thus creating a lag time before the data in the system is current.
  2. Sequential files are used to transfer employee data to other systems on a periodic basis. Data is not available real-time.
/
  1. Provide a single source of entry for employee information and have the data available real-time for interfaces with other legacy systems.
  2. Allow employees to maintain their own information online.
/
  1. New interfaces must be according to legacy system specifications.

  1. HR cost and labor required for processing employee information changes excessive.(Economics and Efficiency)
/
  1. The process is too labor intensive for HR staff, which includes interacting with employees over information discrepancies and inputting data.
/
  1. Provide a single source of entry for employee information and have the data available real-time.
  2. Allow employees to maintain their own information online.
  3. Eliminate need for micro stand-alone application.
/
  1. System must be platform independent and accessible from all desktops and remote locations.
  2. New system must be secured to prevent unauthorized data modifications.

  1. Duplicate employee information stored in different databases. (Information)
/
  1. Employee databases are application specific and not enterprise specific.
  2. Employee information is not stored in a single source repository.
/
  1. Provide single source (database) for employee information.
/
  1. Project budget of $225,000 may not be sufficient to modify legacy applications to use single employee database. Provide sufficient interfaces instead.

  1. Users cannot get reports that they need in a timely fashion.(Information)
/
  1. Current system’s technology does not support ad-hoc report and inquiry functionality.
  2. IS cannot respond to reporting requests in a timely fashion because of backlogs and priorities
/
  1. Provide an ad-hoc reporting and inquiry feature for users
/
  1. New system must be secured to prevent unauthorized access of employee data

  1. Less than ideal United Wayparticipation.(Service)
/
  1. Maybe non-system related.
  2. No tracking mechanisms exist to monitor employee contributions
/
  1. Allow employees to setup contributions online.
  2. Provide management inquiry and reporting mechanisms to monitor contribution activity and status
/
  1. System must be platform independent and accessible from all desktops.
  2. New system must be secured to prevent unauthorized data modifications.

Prepared by Kevin C. Dittman for

Systems Analysis & Design Methods 7ed

by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. DittmanCopyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2007

SADM 7/ed – ESSS CASE STUDY - Milestone 2: Problem Analysis SolutionPage: 2-1

Context Diagram

The Context Diagram below is one possible solution based on the interviews in Milestones 1 and 2. This was drawn in Microsoft Visio. Visio cannot easily produce a Context Diagram exactly like the one shown in chapter 5. The Data Flow Model template found in the Software category can produce one that is like the sample except that the square Interface symbol must be used instead of the Actor symbol. This, of course, is DFD style.

Tentative List of Requirements

The list of requirements below is one possible solution based on the interviews in Milestones 1 and 2. Students may combine some requirements; evaluate their thought processes in building the list. Pay careful attention to the classification. In your class discussion you might point out that functional requirements show up in the context model, while generally non-functional requirements do not other than to specify the actors that can do send or receive certain information.

Requirement / Classification
The system should allow employees to update their own information, including addresses, phone numbers, emergency contact information, beneficiary information, paycheck deductions, office location, office phone number, and office e-mail address. / Functional
The system should be accessible over the web and be secure. / Non-functional
The system must provide a searchable online company directory. / Functional
The system should provide a facility that makes it easy for employees to sign up and manage United Way deductions and other payroll deductions from their desk. / Functional
The system should provide managers with the tools to monitor United Way participation activity / Functional
The system should provide ad-hoc query and reporting functionality. / Functional
The system should run on a system that is less expensive to operate than the mainframe. / Non-functional
The system should integrate all employee data databases into a single unified database. / Non-functional
A given employee's information (other than company directory information) should be accessible only by that employee, that employee's manager, and HR administrators. / Non-functional
The system should allow users to view the organization structure, meaning information about who an employee’s manager is and other employees who report to the same manager / Functional
The system should be easy to use, intuitive, and employ a graphical user interface / Non-functional

Prepared by Kevin C. Dittman for

Systems Analysis & Design Methods 7ed

by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. DittmanCopyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2007