System Design and Analysis for Management - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theSystem Design and Analysis for Information Management. Answer: Introduction Information management is critical a component of the success of businesses today, this outcome is as a result of the benefits of knowledge management in the processes of decision-making. Furthermore, modern organizations demand more than the conventional information systems (IS) for the management role where real-time systems are incorporated to supplement the processes of collecting and analyzing data. Similarly, the Headspace project holds similar objectives where the existing IS infrastructure is to be advanced to include virtualized technologies. In essence, the organization has many patients who produce a lot of information through their personal stories (MIS, 2015). These stories aid medical practitioners in making decisions for their treatments. Therefore, adequate storage facilities that are readily available are needed to support all the practitioners roles. Now, this report highlights this element of information management, where cloud-based resources are to be combined wi th developed in-house IS. Moreover, the report outlines other supplementary features of the systems i.e. the non-functional requirements. Systems non-functional requirements These are the elements that determine the users judgment on the functionalities of the systems, they will, therefore, outline the end users reactions after using the proposed system. Non-functional requirements stem from the interaction of the users with the developed system (Rackspace, 2017). Moreover, they are a consequence of the collaboration of the different parameters of the systems including the merging of the systems functionalities. System qualities These are the characteristics or attributes that will facilitate the systems objectives which in this case are extended accessibility and availability(Lowey, 2017). In this case, they are: Maximum performance the proposed system must perform all its service regardless of their complexities or development platform. Reliability the system also must be robust and offer consistent functionalities across all application environments. Security protecting the data and ownership of the contents of the system. Systems usability the users should also feel satisfied with the systems functionalities due to the practicality of the systems elements(Rahman, Safadi, Basaula, 2015). System interface and user interface (UI) While the data management roles may occur within the background functionalities, the system will most often be judged by its visual displays. These include elements such as colour, icons and images. Therefore, the following requirements are necessary: Seamless availability and accessibility the GUI (graphical user interface) should be easily accessed based on the placement of the system parameters such as icons and input data boxes. Aesthetic appeal the colour schematics and images should interact in a manner that engages the user by continuously drawing their attention to the system. Dynamic by enhancing the system's practicality through different preferences, the users are able to adjust the system based on their individual requirements e.g. colour and images (Hassan, 2015). System constraints Several factors will hinder the requirements and objectives of the system stated above, they are: Time limitation as the organization will continue to operate regardless of the systems development progress. Deployment platform because of the variations in the users application environments. Cloud-based solutions Cloud-based resources are the most popular virtualization technologies that are rapidly taking over the digital world through their operational conveniences. In essence, cloud-based solutions offer users IT resources through online platforms which eliminate the need to establish and maintain the operational infrastructure. Moreover, these resources improve the availability and accessibility of services as physical connections are not always needed for the overall operations. In addition to this, specialized service providers (CSP) establish and maintain cloud resources which eliminates a lot of background functionalities from the end users who are left with only the front end functionalities(Primault, 2016). However, at the same time, these resources require the users to surrender their data to third-party members which raise serious concerns about data security and privacy. Strengths of cloud-based solutions Readily available with cloud solutions, the users can access and apply their resources at any given time and location so long as they have an internet connection. This benefit would also improve the outcomes of the Headspace project which requires high levels of system availability. Cost savings the service providers implements and maintain the foundational elements of the cloud resources which is always an added cost for the user that is now eliminated. Redundancy programs furthermore, because the service provider stores the resources in multiple locations, they offer multiple backup options(Levelcloud, 2017). Weaknesses Data security and privacy first, as stated in the proposal, cloud facilities may not be covered by the Australian legal stipulations. Moreover, data is handled by a third party member who uses unknown systems and locations for their services. Therefore, the lines of data ownership can be blurred which necessitates the need to implement proper security measures such as encryption and authentication. Furthermore, the project should also ensure they establish proper service agreements with the service provider particularly on the roles of maintaining and controlling the data, the key components of data ownership. System control another drawback of cloud-based solutions as the user is unable to adequately control their resources when hosted online. In all, the users cannot physically locate the resources used which eliminates some level of control(Primault, 2016). System development life cycle (SDLC) SDLC outlines a procedure for developing systems where all the stages of implementation are critically defined based on the systems requirements. Now, as already highlighted by the extensive non-functional requirements, modern information systems are characterized by complex functionalities and attributes. SDLC facilitates these functionalities by executing the development process while considering the objectives at hand(Stoica, Mircea, Micu, 2013). Moreover, since systems vary in functionalities and attributes, there are different types of development procedures i.e. SDLC approach, the focus of this sections report. Predictive SDLC A conventional and logical approach that uses traditional procedures to develop systems that have minimal requirements. Furthermore, as the name suggests, the process uses a predictable outline that sequentially implements each element of the system operation. In all, the predictive SDLC will start by identifying the overall system requirements such as functionalities, attributes and user preferences. These elements are then assessed to enact a logical implementation procedure that follows a sequential outline i.e. each stage is implemented one after the other without any overlap or concurrent execution(Okoli Carillo, 2010). Now, because of this operation principle, the approach does not adapt to changes and instead maintains a rigid operational structure. Pros of the approach Minimal resource requirements predictive approach uses predictable procedures that identify system resources before the implementation process. This enables the developer to budget for all the resources needed. Accountability to maintain the predictable approach, the method uses a stringent documentation process which improves the accountability of the system. Simple and easy to use all the elements of the implementation process are known and well defined which makes it easier to develop the final system(MSB, 2011). Cons Time-consuming the approach will require the developers to implement all the stages of development sequentially without any form of overlap. This outcome increases the time of development. Rigid deployment the approach does not respond to any system changes(MIS, 2015). Adaptive approach A modern outlook into systems' design that applies agile and flexible procedures in the development process. In essence, the approach will define the system requirements based on an ever-changing operation principle. Therefore, any variations in system requirements are adequately incorporated into the system design. In all, the procedure will start by identifying the system requirements, similar to the predictive process(MSB, 2011). Thereafter, the approach will split the implementation process into several stages which are run concurrently before the assembly of the final solution. Therefore, different experts are needed to implement each development stage an outcome that increases the expertise requirements of the method. Finally, iterative techniques are used to assemble the final solution which improves the quality of the systems. Pros Flexible and agile - any changes in the development process are adequately accommodated by the approach. Time efficient secondly, the simultaneous execution of the implementation stages reduces the time of development. Quality system furthermore, a user-centred approach characterizes the approach which improves the quality of the systems developed(Stoica, Mircea, Micu, 2013). Cons Resource intensive - the approach requires a lot of expertise which increases the resource requirements. Headspace recommendation The project at hand requires an agile solution that is able to adapt to the different changes of operation. Moreover, the system will be integrated with cloud solutions which also requires a lot of resilience and adaptability. Now, while the predictive approach may be cost-effective and accountable, it does not favour the attributes of the proposed system(MSB, 2011). Furthermore, it would require a lot of time to establish, a limitation that cannot be accommodated by the system. Therefore, the adaptive approach is suitable as it maximizes the qualities of the proposed system which are adequately discussed in this report. Conclusion Through this report, the different system considerations for the Headspace project have been highlighted including the non-functional requirement which dictates the interaction between the users and the system. Moreover, the report has outlined cloud solutions and their suitability in the system because of the benefits they offer including the high availability of resources. Finally, the report has discussed the different approaches to system development i.e. predictive and adaptive SDLC where the adaptive approach is highlighted as the method of choice. In all, this report has given an all-inclusive analysis of the development process of the Headspace project which is characterized by a modern outlook owing to its proposed agile features. References Hassan, A. (2015). Software Architecture. CISC 322, Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://research.cs.queensu.ca/~ahmed/home/teaching/CISC322/F09/slides/CISC322_02_Requirements.pdf. Levelcloud. (2017). Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud Computing. Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://www.levelcloud.net/why-levelcloud/cloud-education-center/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloud-computing/. Lowey, R. (2017). Non-functional requirements. Scaled agile framework, Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://www.scaledagileframework.com/nonfunctional-requirements. MIS. (2015). The System Development Life Cycle. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1166782/files/38198507/download. MSB, M. s. (2011). The System Development Life Cycle. Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1166782/files/38198507/download. Okoli, C., Carillo, K. (2010). The best of adaptive and predictive methodologies: Open source software development, a balance between agility and discipline. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://chitu.okoli.org/media/pro/research/pubs/OkoliCarillo2010IJAESD.pdf. Primault, C. (2016). Cloud Computing for Small Business Success. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://getapp.ulitzer.com/. Rackspace. (2017). Understanding the Cloud Computing Stack: SaaS, PaaS, IaaS. Support networking, Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://support.rackspace.com/white-paper/understanding-the-cloud-computing-stack-saas-paas-iaas/. Rahman, R., Safadi, W., Basaula, A. (2015). Functional And Non-Functional Requirements. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://ami-2015.github.io/MyGuide/d2-final.pdf. Stoica, M., Mircea, M., Micu, G. (2013). Software Development: Agile vs. Traditional. Informatica Economic?, Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://www.revistaie.ase.ro/content/68/06%20-%20Stoica,%20Mircea,%20Ghilic.pdf.