System Analysis Current Weaknesses

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Information system has become an essential part in almost every activity of people life, especially for business and management sectors, which involve vast usage and interaction of data. One might say in this information era, the lack of information system implementations certainly leads a company or business to the brink of failure. Transaction Processing System (TPS), Decision Support System (DSS) or Management Information System (MIS) are some common information systems that have been used by many top global brands in the world such as McDonalds, Apple or Coca-Cola to better utilize their management and achieved great success.

Realize the significance of information system, UNICOLXL, a private college has also practiced information system into their management but it has not performed it to the fullest. Accordingly, the following report will provide an analysis of the current system and recommend some methods for further improvement for the college to operate its information system more effective.

2. Information System

The technology is now developing at a rapid rate and as a business firm in educational sector; UNICOLXL should be adaptive and proactive with technology changes as it contributes a huge role in their daily operation. Although the college has established their information system sufficient for data management but still, remain several problems relate to system integration, communication and staff development.

2.1. System analysis: Current weaknesses

For each application when the student applies for the programme, the Programme Director (PD) will make decisions and all the date will be stored in the Student Application Database (SAD). Subsequently, when the enrolment has been accepted, the student will finally enrol on the programme and details are recorded on the College's Student Enrolment System (SES). This procedure on the one hand break it into small and more manageable segments to process data in a proper and systematic order, on the other hand, it encounters some issues including data redundancy and data inconsistency. To be more specific, the procedure requires the student to provide their information in both stages, which means the data will be recorded twice and store in both SAD and SES. This results a waste of storage resource and may cause data inconsistency, where each system may have different values from the same attributes (Laudon, 2012). Moreover, problems may arise when the student inputs the data in each stage differently due to the processing time between stages, which also lead to data inconsistency For example, student may provide different contact number or address due to some unexpected reasons. In addition to this, validation for new programme is time consuming, as several sections of the validation documents require generic organisational information, which are not programme specific, and staffs have to research for the information themselves. These problems mainly stem from diverse connection inside the system and the interrelationship between sectors.

Internal communication in the system is still underdeveloped. The first communication problem is the cancellation of lectures due to sickness or inevitable causes may lead to late notification to the student. Dissatisfaction from student may arise from inadequate communication system between the college, staff and student. Moreover, the process redesign for new and enhanced processes for staff is also encountering problem as whenever there is an available update, the delivery of the latest change are usually disseminated by email. Internet email is unstable because in cases of lost or invalid sending, the email may not reach the staff, which noncurrent and poor performance is unavoidable. In addition to this, the student services of the college still not perform it best as in some cases, staff needs to solve existed problems independently or depend on external agencies liaison. Staff development of the school is also need to amend, as the college ongoing operation needs to ensure the overall standard of staff to avoid under-performance.

Regarding the situation, the college need to undertake Replacement Integrated System (RIS) in order to solve the problems related to information system as well as improving the business performance of the college.

2.2. Replacement Integrated System

By accessing the problems of data redundancy and data inconsistency while using SAD and SES, weakness of the system is its complexity. The college could use software such as Database Management System (DBMS) that provides data centralization and act as an interface between application programmes like SES to interact with information from physical data files from SAD to enhance flexibility. For example, student information and PD's decision recorded in the database will be extracted to proceed with the enrolment when the student arrives so they can avoid providing the information twice. In addition, the college could use the software as an embedded system to develop an online enrolment process on its website to save time and minimize the events of data issues.

2.2.1. Business Intelligence

By implementing Educational Data Mining (EDM) tool, which help to discover the pattern and the relationship of corporate data within the databases to predict the future behaviour relates to educational domain. For example, the college could use the EDM for enrolment to predict the suitable course programme for new applicants based on their previous performance and make recommendations; or they could use EDM to predict the performance of a student based on his/her punctuality to warn or advice for adjustment. Yadav and Pal (2012) conducted a case study proved that students with mathematics or BCA (Bachelor of Computer Application) students are performed better in MCA (Master of Computer Application) courses compare to the student of B.A (Bachelors of Arts) without mathematics.

2.2.2 Continuity with existing systems

The college should be careful while implementing changes to the existing system and execute it in a systematic and most effective way in order to prevent any disruption and unnecessary cost. The new system changes have to go through a testing stage where it will be critically checked for performance and efficiency; whether the change is needed and what are the pros and cons. During the testing stage, the college could use the parallel strategy that enables the old and the new systems can run at the same time to the point where the improvements can be seen in and respectively implement the new system in replacement for the old one. In addition, if the new system is not sufficient to replace the existing one, they still able to use the old system without affecting the daily operation. However, parallel strategy could be very time consuming and require high cost for extra resources and staff. Eventually, if the evaluation and required standards for changes are acceptable and proved to be efficient, the new system can proceed to implementing stage. Further development and continuous measurement of existing system should be applied in order to keep up with the advance technology and better optimizing the system.

As the college is facing the problem relates to the validation of new programmes, instead of using the parallel strategy, the college could use the phase approach strategy to introduce the new system in stages and focus functionally, by applying the Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools. CASE tools provide an integrate interface for system development and automated framework for implementation and interaction with DBMS; it helps create a fully integrated development environment (Rob and Coronel, 2009). The staff responsible for validation can avoid repeatedly researching generic information since the tool can provides information repository, which stores data specifications, formats and entity-relationship diagram that enable the staff to produce validation document faster.

2.2.3 Staff Training

Due to the busy schedule of teaching, the staff development courses are taking up slow. The college might overcome this problem by implement a Learning Management System (LMS). This system provides many useful and flexible tools for educational purposes including management, assessment, delivery, communication, learning and training. For staff development, LMS supports many flexible ways for self-learning and training such as online training videos, group learning and live instruction; make it possible for those who under a fix schedule. Currently, one of the latest LMS and very popular LMS is Blackboard Learning System from Blackboard Inc. In addition, Blackboard Inc delivers other services such as Blackboard Connect, Blackboard Collaborate offer a more social, interactive learning experience as well as enhance the community relationship (Blackboard, 2013). The use of Blackboard can enhance the managing performance of the college by solving many existing communication problems and time-sensitive matters. For example, by using Blackboard Connect, class cancellation can be well timed notified; student services from the community can provide more supports for student problems; more secure and reliable delivery of latest procedures to staff. Alternatively, the college could use Facebook as a method to promote a more exciting learning and communicate environment since everyone is quite addicted to Facebook nowadays, especially young people.

3. Web Site

Web Site is essential for the development of Internet technology as its applications have been a great support for both data management and advertising in business. UNICOLXL has taken the importance of Web Site into consideration and gradually developing. However, only little effort was put in as the whole sector was still underdeveloped and complexity in term of accessibility and linkage.

3.1 Current weakness

Currently, the college is using the university's corporate Programme Curriculum Database (PCD) to record programme. Besides the SAD and SES which are using for enrolment purpose, College's Student results System (SRS) is using for student profile including ID, Name and Programme as well as the module marks. However, accessing and operating these systems requiring dedicated software installed on the user's machines, thus it is quite troublesome for users who do not have the software. For example, if a student wants to check his result from the last exam, he has to use the suitable machines in the college to access, which is complicated and inflexible. Additionally, the timetable system of the college is also standalone system and only accessible through web based interface, which currently support for desktop view only. As for students who despite bringing those heavy laptops to class and would prefer smart phones or tablets, it is a flaw that the website does not support mobile version.

The college is indeed looking for ways and ideas to improve its operation such as enhance internet marketing by Facebook or implement staff and student portals but nothing has been done as the school is still unsure and having vague knowledge of benefits and risks of such implementations.

3.2. Ideas for Improvements

3.2.1. Linkage and Accessibility

To solve the problem of linkage between the website and data applications, the college need to enhance its web based application. Currently, the website is only use for advertising and providing programme information. SES, SAD and SRS are still running separately with no linkage at all, not to mention these applications only accessed within the college. It needs some kind of unified software or tool that can integrate every applications and accessible outside the college. It would be a wise choice for the college to implement Web Server to solve this problem since it can locate and manage stored Web pages to deliver the requested Web pages to the user's computer (Laudon, 2012).

Particularly, applications such as SES or SRS can be altered into web-based application and link to the college homepage, which runs as a web server to solve the problems of linkage. Moreover, as these applications are accessible through the college website so the student or staff can access them in different locations as long as they can connect to Internet, whether at home or public places without specific software installation. There are many popular web servers in the market with various proficient and professional features for educational institutions such as Apache HTTP Server from Apache, Internet Information Service from Microsoft or Google Web Server from Google.

3.2.2 Mobile interaction

Lacking of mobile interaction is a weak spot of the college website in these days where digital technology is developing in a rapid pace. Numerous of portable and gadget devices such as smart phone and tablet are presented everyday and threatening to the desktop computer and laptop existence. People would prefer going to class or work with such small and convenient devices to those heavy laptops or unmoveable PCs. Fortunately, the modern technology now provides many ways for mobile interactions, either through mobile website version or through dedicated mobile application. The Mobile Web Initiative (MWI) can deliver the content, applications and services of many website under mobile web platform to various mobile devices (World Wide Web Consortium, 2013). Alternatively, the college could use mobile operating systems such as iPhone operating system (iOS) from Apple or Android from Google to create mobile applications for specific needs. For example, they could develop a college community application where staff and student can login to access information and services relate to the college such as timetable, programme information and individual services.

3.2.3 Staff/ Student Portals

The college currently needs to manage its knowledge more structured and has come up with the ideas of staff and student portal, which is quite popular nowadays since many college, university and private educational institutions are using it. This portal is critical important as it provides the entry to the college intranets applications or web pages which contain many essential as well as highly classified information for various purposes. It helps to improve the accessibility and construct the data management within the college more efficient. For that reason, the portal needs to be proficient, flexible and secure enough to ensure the managing performance of the college, thus the maintaining and managing cost is respectively high.

One particularly intranet portal suitable for the college is Microsoft SharePoint. The Microsoft SharePoint provides intranet and extranet portal services as well as available across various devices including mobile phones that help the organization easily manage capabilities, policies and security content and applications (Microsoft, 2013).

4. Security

Once the system runs smoothly, it would be wise to maintain its daily performance, which means system security and maintenance are extremely crucial. The more advance of modern technology certainly gives organizations and individuals more benefits and priorities but it also means that there are more chances to expose to new threats such as system error or crime. Especially for UNICOLXL, security and control are top priority since the school has to deal with large and complex amount of information. Furthermore, the college also have to prepare for business continuity planning to ensure not only the college is making good business but also the future of student is taken care of.

4.1. IT Systems security

Recently, the college has been under the threat of computer abuse, where there was an incident that a student using the college's IT system to gain unauthorised access to a Military Computer System. This could turn to a serious offense as an unauthorised access to Military Computer System may considered as a national security threat and if there are any damage or lost to the system, not only the individual who commit the crime, but also the college would hold great responsibility. In addition, there were numerous of cases where there are students use other student accounts to send or spam email to the whole student staff body. In other words, the security problems of the college is most likely internal threats since it involves serial commitments of computer abuse from students.

Apparently, there was no incident involves with computer crime or system failure but that doesn't mean the system will be perfectly safe in this high technology world. Hacker, spammers or viruses for example, theses threats could cause serious damages or even destroy the whole system, causing tremendous loss to the business. For instance, there are numerous of hackers able to penetrate to almost any system using viruses or similar methods to steal information, gain unauthorised control or destroy the system. In 2009, new computer worm named Conficker intruded into millions of Windows-based PCs around the world to perform remote control on massive numbers computers capable of stealing financial data and other information (Smithsonian, 2012).

Currently, the college official corporate database are managed by a small-dedicated IT team responsible for data backed up and system failure event but doesn't have any alternative Continuity Plan to combat IT system risks.

4.2. Information System Policies

There are various useful methods to prevent such threats thanks to advance information technology. In the event of computer abuse, the college should implement security policies to prevent unauthorised accessing using the IT system and in this case, the problem was students have too many authorities whilst using the college's IT system. Acceptable use policy (AUP) should be implemented so that acceptable and unacceptable actions while using the IT equipment and services are clearly defined for every user and strictly require personal responsibility. For further protection, the college may want to apply identity management to identify and control appropriate accessibility to system services and system resources for different type of users as well as protect sensitive information (Laudon, 2012). Accordingly, the college could use Oracle Identity Management platform to enhance their security protection. The platform provides many useful solutions and products including access managing, identity protection and directory services (Oracle, 2013).

As for protection against computer crime such as hackers or viruses, there are many tools delivering professional protection solutions and services including Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) or Antivirus and Antispyware software. Alternative, the college could use Unified Threat Management (UTM) systems, which can run multiple security features on separate servers such as Check Point Software Technologies, Cisco, and Juniper (eSecurity Planet, 2012).

4.3. Business Continuity Planning

In order to maintain the business effectively, the college needs to develop business continuity and disaster recovery planning for any unexpected events that may lead to business failure. To obtain a strategic framework of a successful planning, Noakes-Fry and Diamond (2001) pointed out the three phases of a consistent continuity planning: Establish the foundation, develop and implement the plan and maintain the plan, which are extremely important while executing the plan.

Since the college is an ongoing day-to-day business, using server room for data backup is not sufficient, for example, in case of natural disaster or unexpected accidents, which could damage a certain part or the entire IT facility, eventually, essential information or resources are all gone. The college can use cloud computing from cloud providers as a third party, who supports cloud-computing services for emergency restoration in case of data disruption and backup plans rather than implementing their own backup facility, which is high cost and unstable. Cloud computing can provide the college a great benefits of scales and resources where mostly any cloud providers such as Microsoft, Cisco or VMware are able to set up recovery plans in multiple locations which reduce redundancy and high cost effective. Alternatively, they could use cloud computing as a hybrid method combining with their existing backup facility so they would have increase the flexibility when devise business continuity planning.

5. Conclusion

In respect of the college problems, the fundamental point is the college should revise the whole information system and consistently implementing new approach and method to enhance the management while using information system technology. The information system sector should replace the existing system or integrate it with EDM for database management and LMS for staff training to be more efficient as well as continually measure and appropriate implement system development. As for communication, using web servers to achieve better consistent linkage between software as well as implementing mobile interaction and portals to develop a flexible effective and secure accessible are necessary. IT security and policies methods such as AUP and UTM should be precisely carry out to prevent any IT risks as well as considering alternative backup method such as cloud computing to enhance the flexibility and productivity of business continuity.

In conclusion, information system technology in one hand could provide the business many benefit and opportunities for advancement, in the other hand; it could inflict great damages through crime and improper behaviours while using it, thus requires everyone responsibility while using it.