Software

Software

1. Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

   • 1 - Requirements
     • Who are the end users?
     • What are they using the software for?
     • What features are needed?
       • Real-time analysis, multi-device access, multi-user access,… Control features
   • 2 - Design
     • Remove complexity from business process » Reengineer business processes
     • Requirement freeze – agree with users on software features/ functionalities
       • » Prevent project/scope creep
     • Business and process rules to include in software
       • Who can access software or data? What can users do? What can they not do? What rules and logics need to be included?
   • 3. Development
     • Write the code, outcome depends on:
       • Complexity of the software
         • Does it involve heterogeneous users and/or activities? Does it involve integration with existing systems?
       • IT capabilities
         • Number and skills of the programmers
       • Quality of the code/software depends on quality of inputs from the first 2 stages
   • 4 - Verification
     • Check for errors and bugs
     • Test to ensure the software works as intended
       • Manage new requests from users
       • Manage users’ expectation
       • user acceptance test
   • 5 - Documentation
     • Explain how to use the software
       • Writing user training manual
         • Since time consuming and no one read and ask anyway
           • Trade-off between documentation and technical support
     • Describe the specifications and architecture of the software and code
       • Help other programmers to understand the software
   • 6 - Maintenance
     • Provide technical support to users
     • Modify and enhance software (minor adjustment)

2. Strategic IT Spending

   • Manage demand for and supply of IT resources within firms
     • (Unlimited) Demand for IT resources: Company size, departments, business complexities
     • (Limited) Supply of IT resources: IT manpower, IT capabilities, IT budget
   • Achieve strategic alignment between IT and business
     • Focus on IT projects that add strategic value
     • Prioritize needs
     • Understand key drivers of business
       • Business-IT collaboration to identify key business goals E.g. improve retention rate, customer satisfaction
         • Identify IT capabilities to attain those goals, what softwares are need? Their capabilities to achieve those goals
           • Decide on which IT projects contribute to capabilities and achieving goals

3. Software Failures

   • Badly defined system requirements
     • Software projects are complex, involving lots of business rules, logics, and relationships
       • Users may not know what they want or what is feasible Developers may not understand the business processes and logics
     • Poorly defined requirements contribute to change requests
       • Making changes often lead to more errors, because softwares are complex, involving many rules and logics and relationship, new requirement may affect many relationships that were aready been given to the software, if not careful enough, more errors
       • STAGE 1 OF SDLS is CRITICAL
   • Inaccurate estimates of resources needed
     • IT projects are often viewed as cost items
       • Expected to do more with less, Minimizes cost
     • Project managers overpromise functionalities, costs, delivery before projects begin
       • Add programmers, reduce scope, take shortcuts later
         • Increase likelihood of error and failure
   • Focus on User Experience (UX)
     • Stakeholder interview, users from different departments, user research
       • User-centric, role-based mindset
     • Testing, feedback, interacting approach, n then take to development