---SAD2 Assignment # 6---

Consider the following dialogue between a systems professional, John Juan, and a manager of a department targeted for a new information system, Peter Pedro:

Juan: The way to go about the analysis is to first examine the old system, such as reviewing key documents and observing the workers perform their tasks. Then we can determine which aspects are working well and which should be preserved.

Pedro: We have been through these types of projects before and what always ends up happening is that we do not get the new system we are promised; we get a modified version of the old system.

Juan: Well, I can assure you that will not happen this time. We just want a thorough understanding of what is working well and what isn’t.

Pedro: I would feel much more comfortable if we first started with a list of our requirements. We should spend some time up-front determining exactly what we want the system to do for my department. Then you systems people can come in and determine what portions to salvage if you wish. Just don’t constrain us to the old system.

Required:

a. Obviously these two workers have different views on how the systems analysis phase should be conducted. Comment on whose position you sympathize with the most.
b.What method would you propose they take? Why?

For me, both sides state their opinion about on how to improve and develop the old system. It is essential and commendable that both parties have their own methods in implementing and creating new information system. But in the story above, they have their own notion which results to a conflict. Both ideas would convince you to choose one, at some point to the other. Anyways, for me to decide on which idea is better, let me first state my understanding on both parties.

John’s Points of View (P.O.V)

As what I understand of John’s point is that he tried to point out that in analyzing the problem it is more effective if they would first scrutinize the old system and this is through reviewing important documents and workers performance. By this, they could now determine the strength and weaknesses of the old system, by gathering all this information’s they could provide solutions for the weaknesses and improvements and add some strength features to the existing system.

Since John is consider as a system professional it is expected that he has more knowledge on how to develop and modify improvements to a certain system. He gains more experience since he encountered giving vices to his clients, and as a system professional he has wide understanding on how a certain project must be processed as to what method should be used and what stage to improve.

Peter’s Points of View (P.O.V)

Now this time let me discuss my understanding of Peter’s point, he stress out that since the project proposed to him is not unusual, thus assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the existing system is not a solution or not as successful method in creating new one. Since he encountered scenario like this, he conclude that in making and using the same method like this, they end up not getting their expectation to the system which they compromised.

He wanted that they have to define the need of requirements since it is the first phase of creating a new system rather than specifying the old one. In addition to his point, he wanted that they have to appraise the true needs of their departments to create a system that meet their requirements.

My Points of View (P.O.V)

After considering both opinions, I decided to go with Peter’s idea, provided that John’s idea is also considered

The problem arises because they are debating on what to do and how to work out to improve the existing system in the company. New system is created because of the deficiency of the old one or maybe because workers in organization stated the need to change the system as a solution to the problem which they all facing.

The problem can only be cleared by fully understand the needs of a certain team, or defining on what or who is really affected by the problem. In the case of Peter he knows what are the things that need to improve in his department. Although John can do some interview to show the problem of the department. If Peter could identify the requirements needed and if he has a different way of establishing a new system, then definitely, it wouldn’t align with the actual needs of the organization.

In analyzing the problem, one has to establish their goals on why they develop a system. Goals are considered as requirements in themselves, particularly high level since goals speak of the domains.

Method to use:

Choosing the method to use requires consideration of various factors. In my own notion thinking that the system is planned to be implemented in a certain department of the company, I would consider Agile Methodologies. It is because developers won’t strive to have new methodologies if they are contented in the existing methodologies such as the waterfall, or traditional sequential development. However, each methodology is advantageous over the other in its own way.