Overview Of System Requirements

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

SYSTEM ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

In System Analysis of the new system more emphasis is given to understanding the details of an existing system and of the proposed one and then deciding whether the proposed system is acceptable or not and whether the old system needs upgrading or general improvement. Thus, system analysis aims at investigating a system to identifying problematic areas, and using the information to come up with a new system that will solve the identified problems. System analysis defines what the system will do when fully implemented.

CURRENT SYSTEM

The system of issuing books to students and the general public is based on the card system or some semi-automated system that only keeps record of activities but does not go a long way in making the process efficient and user friendly

Problems with the current system

It lacks a proper method of issuing books

Lacks specific information focusing on the availability of books and other reading materials

Lacks proper follow up and user feedback mechanism to cater for new user needs.

ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

From the above as well data and interview questions posed during questionnaire administration analysis it was found that many people had several issues related with design of the web interface. An overwhelming majority of the respondents were in the support of the development and introduction of the system. This is important as it ensure that there is no likelihood that the system will face any significant resistance once it is implemented.

The main issues that some or all of the respondents with the web interface are the following.

Organization of information on the screen is unclear.

Difficult to navigate between hierarchal menus and screen.

Feedback on the completion of tasks is unclear.

The design of the icons, symbols and labels are irrelevant.

The discovery of these issues helped in establishing the guidelines to overcome the difficulties users had found previously when using the web interface

The following recommendations might be helpful in designing the software user interface. These recommendations are based on the literature review, findings of questionnaire results, and comments of respondents during questionnaires conductions.

Avoid using different type of fonts. Select fonts based on their legibility.

Avoid exceptionally bright, fluorescent or vibrant colors.

Provide clear and consistent navigation mechanisms, avoid a very deep navigation.

Minimize irrelevant information on screen.

Clear organization of information content on a screen.

PROPOSED SOLUTION

The above stated problems can be solved by a proper library system.

Steps carried out in building a new improved system

This Section describes the principal functional and performance (non-functional) requirements of the library system. It shows ‘what’ the system is going to do to achieve its goals and objectives.

For each key issue or requirement, a strategy that satisfies overall project goals is constructed while considering best practices, available and emerging technology, time to implement and overall cost.

Final review and endorsement of the strategies presented by this document will enable me as the developer to continue with the implementation Phase of the Prototype.

System analysis is carried in three phases. The first phase is Feasibility Study which undertakes to check whether the project is practical. The second phase is Requirements Specification, which undertakes to gather information on what the system should do from as many sources as possible. Fact finding techniques such as Interviews, document review, focused group discussions and observation can be user to accomplish this task.

The aim to establish an easier access for the general public, users, employees and any other interested parties to the library system.

The library system

Middleware and Communication Technologies

Server

MySQL Database

Request / Response

Figure 4: Structure of the proposed solution

FEASIBILITY STUDY

A study taken to find out whether the system is viable or not was vital to make sure that the new system would be of help in efficient management of books and other reading materials. This study is concerned with analysis of the system operation, available technology and use of the available funds for the project. The available hardware and software resources that would support the system development process are also put into consideration.

The feasibility study was done during several visitations to Noida public library information system to find out how they were handling the issue. During the study, it was realized that the center faced several problems with the timely record keeping and monitoring of books in the library.

A feasibility study was carried out on the following areas in order to ascertain the viability of the project.

Technical feasibility

During the research, it was noted with concern that there was lack of enough hardware and software and more so skilled personnel to operate and maintain the system. It was also noted that the available software and hardware were outdated. It was therefore agreed that management would ensure purchase of newer computer systems and the staff would be trained on computer skills in order to be in a position to operate them. The table below shows the number of library users against their views on technical viability of the new system.

System is technically feasible

8

System is not technically feasible

4

Will be feasible with more computers

2

Not sure

1

Economic feasibility

This study looked at the financial assessment of the project in terms of cost-benefit analysis or basically to ensure that the system will be affordable to the organization and the benefit of the system when implemented will outweigh the cost of the system.

In order to perform the economic feasibility a research on the costs to be incurred in coming up with the new system and that of its benefits were both analyzed as follows: -

Item

Qty

Unit Cost

Price

Miscellaneous

Total Costs

Table of Costs

Costs saved on

Costs saved provision of manual information

Total

Table of Benefits

The tables (Table 1: Table of Costs & Table 2: Table of Benefits), shows that the benefits would be a higher than the costs hence, it was passed that the system was economically viable.

Intangible benefits

It will improve readers morale of exploring new book because it will make the work more enjoyable and easier

There is faster solution to problem facing a reader individually.

More timely information required for it is easier to retrieve the information faster than before.

Improved efficiency as the information on books available in the library is readily available to the readers and the employees.

Tracking of books will be simplified since the system can be queried to give the required information.

Imposition of fine will become automated reducing the manual work for the employees.

Operational Feasibility

This feasibility study method was carried out to check whether the new system conforms to the normal ways that the libraries run their work and ascertain whether the system is user friendly hence acceptable to the new users.

The development of the user interface being the one that the user would many a times interact with was designed in a very easy to understand way. This was meant to ensure that it would be user friendly hence give users ample time in using it. Again, the new system is just a development of the old system into a new format that utilizes electronic data processing instead of the manual process; this means that the old operations are still the same to be carried out except that this time electronic devices are used.

With all the advantages coming with the new system, 75% of the staff members and readers believed that the system would be viable operationally if well implemented, 19% felt the opposite while only 6% of the members were not sure.

Given that a good number of the staff members were positive that a new system would conform to the normal way the institution runs their work, the operational study was called viable.

Social Feasibility

This was based on the acceptability of the system by users. It dealt with the willingness and ability of the staff and readers to accept the proposed system. Most of the staff and readers are computer literate except for a few who feared that since they did not have computer skills, the introduction of a new system would displace them. Some of these stuff were relieved by the fact that there would be plan to offer a free training to its staff and some readers on the new system to enable them fully operate the new system without any difficulties.

The staff and readers were impressed by the information of the introduction of a new system. They readily welcomed the fact that a free training was in store for them and that the new system would not only be easy to operate but would ease their work a big deal.

LEGAL FEASIBILITY

This study method was carried out to find out whether the new system conforms by the laws, rules and regulations of the land, which it should not violate in one way or another.

The possibility of displacing some of the workers possess a great risk if they decided to file cases against the library, however, this relies on what legal factors have to be imposed. Nevertheless, the new system was granted a go ahead.

SCHEDULE FEASIBILITY

This was also carried out with an intention of assess the degree to which the potential time frame and completion time of the proposed solution meets organizational deadline.

REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATION

The purpose of the proposed system is to provide readers and the staff in the library with specified information based with their area of interest and also to receive data from users for example, they can give the names of books and other materials they would like the library to add to their current count of books.

OVERVIEW OF SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

INFORMATION DESCRIPTION

The information required for the system includes:

Project’s scope of information

Project progress

Project coordinator details

Start date and expected completion dates

Funds allocated to the project

THE SYSTEM USERS

Readers and the library staff.

Library manager

Research institutions

Local authority

USER ACCESS RESTRICTIONS

The information is openly accessible to the involved parties but varies depending on the type of login provided by the user.

USER OBJECTIVES

The involved parties want a system which will enable them to achieve the following objectives.

To establish a library system based on their current requirements.

To establish an interactive user friendly interface for the interested and involved parties to leave feedback.

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

These refers to the necessary tasks, action or activities that the system must accomplish, or enable the user to do. The system should be able to map these projects in an intuitive way and allow for user feedback. It should then be able to use this information to analyze project progress and fund utilization. The system should also provide an effective, efficient and fast access to information in the database.

The functional Requirements include:

Inputs:

User’s details

User’s area of interest

User’s area of study(optional)

Feedback information

Processes:

Logging in

Listing the books and reading materials available

Providing the book’s details

Showing List of authors.

Providing the specific author and the books he/she has written.

Adding User Feedback

Outputs:

Display of book details

Display of user details including his eligibility to borrow the specified book.

Users feedback

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

This involves the description of the system architecture for the project. This project will have three tier system design architecture, that is,

The Front end / Presentation

The middleware

Backend

The Frontend / Presentation Tier

This tier comprises of the website and the various user interface

The middleware

This is the communication media and technology in the network

The Backend

This will be MySQL database.

NON FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Maintainability – It will be easy to add more features if need be. The system will be easy to evolve and meet new technological changes.

Usability – The system will be very easy to use and understand even by those who have little knowledge on how to work with computers since it will be well documented and will have simple and user friendly interfaces.

Portability – The system will be able to be used in different environments, i.e. Hardware and software.

Economy – The system will be cost effective and within the budget scope.

Robustness – The system will have the ability to work even under unpredicted conditions.

Adaptability – The system will be easily adaptable and will not affect the running of the business in any negative way

Interactivity – Incorporation of social media

CONSTRAINTS:

Cost

Time: Development time from analysis to design, coding testing software validation and documentation is limited.

Development effort: the entire development process is limited to only one developer, who may not be in position to deliver a perfect system with all the necessary factors put into consideration.

DATA COLLECTION

Data collection involved finding facts of the projects being carried out in Nodia public library, aiming at gathering information on how the library carries out the activity of book issuing and managing the needs of the users. The research used both primary and secondary data. The secondary data was collected from related existing published data by other researchers available in libraries and over the internet while the primary data was collected by use of interviews and observation schedules.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews were conducted to the specific persons who were directly dealing with the main process of book issuing and other related issues .The reason that facilitated the use of this technique was to determine the processes carried out in issuing and receiving of books from users after their period has expired.

Various personnel who work in the local government development agency were interviewed and they include the following:

Library manager

Issuing officer

The readers

The respective Executive officers were asked if there was need of system which would help them with the management of the library. Also a number of staff were interviewed on how duties are carried in various departments in respect to where each works and how effectively they co-ordinate.

Some questions required that respondent’s rate statements on a scale of 1(strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree) and a "Yes" and "No" answer for others

OBSERVATION

This technique was used in order to get the required information about the current system. Reason as to why it was used was so that we could obtain the first hand information directly from the source persons on issue that were not easy to have a face to face conversations as some may be viewed to be too personal.

DATA ANALYSIS

The research evaluated the drawbacks of the old system comparing it with the user needs and how a new system could help curb these needs. The opinions of the staff were sought through the use of interviews. The responses obtained from them have been presented using descriptive methods such as bar charts, tables, pie charts where suitable, to give quick information to non-experts.

The table below summarizes the interviews response rate whereby the researcher managed to interview a good number of the staff.

Interviewed staff

11

Staff not interviewed

4

Total staff

15

Table : Interview Response Rate

The pie chart below shows the percentage of interviewed staff against that on the staff who were not interviewed.

Chart: Interview Response Rate

There were mixed feelings about the introduction of a new system in some library departments. Some members fearing to lose their jobs because of a need to be computer literate so as to use the new system, others were just not comfortable with the idea whereas others were not sure whether the introduction of such a system would affect them in one way or another. Below is a table of the employees’ feelings about the introduction of a new system.

Employees

No

Fearing to lose their jobs after implementation of a new system

2

Comfortable with a new system

4

Computer literate

3

Comfortable with training on the new system

5

Not sure about the effects of a new systems

1

Table : Employees views about a new system

Chart: Employees feelings about a new system

Feelings on Operation

Staff

System will conform with how the old system worked

12

System will not conform with how the old system worked

2

Not sure

1

Table : Employees Feelings on Operation

Chart: Staff feeling on the new system’s operation