BIS303/03 Management Information Systems September 2021
COURSE ASSESSMENT (CA)
ASSIGNMENT 2
Question 3
(a) The Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) is in the form of a project. Describe the
phases in detail and what are done during each phase (20 marks)
BPR includes three phases; planning phase, design phase, and implementation phase. It is
also referred to as business process redesign, business process change management, and
business transformation.
Planning Phase
A close look is taken at the process to be reengineered. The requirements for the
“new” process are forecasted by focusing on the current and future needs of
customers, analysing what is currently accomplished by the old process, creating a
vision of what is to be achieved by the reengineered process and zeroing in on the
differences between the two. At the end of this phase, the reengineering team should
have a good grip on reality. If the planning results in a great desire to change, the
reengineering team will process to the next phase.
Design Phase
This phase involves designing a reengineered process which starts with actual
mapping of the new process and moves to the development of a change management
plan. In between these two steps, the jobs are redefined and redesigned, taking a
careful look at the technology available and considering the organisation’s resources.
Implementing Phase
This phase involves implementing a reengineered process. The new process is tested
and its success is gauged. An atmosphere of continuous process improvement is
promoted in which employees strive to make improvements that make a difference to
the customer.
(b) You are appointed as CIO for a well-known hospital. The medical staff of the
oncology ward would like to build an expert system for diagnosis. Your preliminary
review shows that the financial investment would be great. You have the options to
use either System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) or enduser system development
or prototyping approach to build this system. State the choice of your approach and
cite the reasons behind your choice. (30
marks)
Based on my opinion, I would go for Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
because it is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages
involved in an information system development project, from an initial feasibility study
through maintenance of the completed application. SDLC can apply to technical and
non-technical systems. In most use cases, a system is an IT technology such as hardware
and software. Project and program managers typically take part in SDLC, along with
system and software engineers, development teams and end-users. Every hardware or
software system will go through a development process which can be thought as an
iterative process with multiple steps. SDLC is used to give a rigid structure and
framework to define the phases and steps involved in the development of a system.
SDLC is also an abbreviation for Synchronous Data Link Control and software
development life cycle. Software development life cycle is a very similar process to
systems development life cycle, but it focuses exclusively on the development life cycle
of software.
In SDLC, documentation is crucial, regardless of the type of model chosen for any
application, and is usually done in parallel with the development process. Some methods
work better for specific kinds of projects, but in the final analysis, the most crucial factor
for the success of a project may be how closely the particular plan was followed. SDLC
can be made up of multiple steps. There is no concrete set number of steps involved.
Around seven or eight steps appear commonly; however, there can be anywhere from
five upwards to 12. Typically, the more steps defined in an SDLC model, the more
granular the stages are. In general, an SDLC methodology follows these following steps:
o Analysis: The existing system is evaluated. Deficiencies are
identified. This can be done by interviewing users of the system and consulting with
support personnel.
o Plan and requirements: The new system requirements are
defined. In particular, the deficiencies in the existing system must be addressed with
specific proposals for improvement. Other factors defined include needed features,
functions and capabilities.
o Design: The proposed system is designed. Plans are laid out
concerning the physical construction, hardware, operating systems, programming,
communications and security issues.
o Development: The new system is developed. The new
components and programs must be obtained and installed. Users of the system must be
trained in its use.
o Testing: All aspects of performance must be tested. If
necessary, adjustments must be made at this stage. Tests performed by quality assurance
(QA) teams may include systems integration and system testing.
o Deployment: The system is incorporated in a production
environment. This can be done in various ways. The new system can be phased in,
according to application or location, and the old system gradually replaced. In some
cases, it may be more cost-effective to shut down the old system and implement the new
system all at once.
o Upkeep and maintenance: This step involves changing
and updating the system once it is in place. Hardware or software may need to be
upgraded, replaced or changed in some way to better fit the needs of the end-users
continuously. Users of the system should be kept up-to-date concerning the latest
modifications and procedures.
Other steps which may appear include project initiation, functional specifications,
detailed specifications, evaluation, end-of-life and other steps that can be created by
splitting previous steps apart further. Benefits of abiding by a clearly defined SDLC
model include:
o Having a clear view of an entire project, workers involved, estimated costs and
timelines.
o Gives project managers a projected base cost of the project.
o Goals and standards are clearly defined.
o Developers can move back a step if something does not go as expected.
References
Chand, S. (n.d.). 3 Phases of Applying for a Business Process Reengineering Model.
Retrieved from Your Article Library: https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business/3-
phases-of-applying-for-a-business-process-reengineering-model-3/21182
Gillis, A. S. (2019, June). systems development life cycle (SDLC). Retrieved from TechTarget
Serach Software Quality:
https://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/systems-development-life-
cycle
The Easy Guide to Business Process Reengineering. (2021, April). Retrieved from Creately:
https://creately.com/blog/business/what-is-business-process-reengineering/
