Systems Development
Course Listings

For further information, or to make a telephone booking, or to receive a competitive quotation for an in-house course, you can call Pentland Training now on 0800 328 2766.

All of our training courses can be delivered on your own site, at Pentland Training facilities, or at an off-site venue.

Hot Topics

3-day ITIL Foundation

5-day PRINCE2™ Practitioner

4-day Business Analysis

3-day Project Management Fundamentals

Course Title:
Business Systems Analysis, Design & Implementation

Duration: 9 days

Course Overview
The course fits a solid range of technical and personal skills into a single 9-day event, maximising the use of a single realistic case study throughout. Delegates are taken through a feasibility study from initial fact finding to the presentation of proposals to management. Delegates work in groups supported by lecture sessions, to produce deliverables in the systems development life-cycle. The requirements phase is conducted with realistic role-played interviews which are videoed to enable feedback to every delegate. Each syndicate group produces a development report which is used in a properly conducted meeting, and a final presentation is made to gain acceptance of the proposals by users. The course can also help delegates take a common approach in their systems proposals when back in the workplace.

Target Audience


Systems Analysts; Programmers appreciating the need to take the broader corporate view before launching into software/database production; Business Analysts; Consultants; Graduates; Senior Users , and non-IT people , who need to appreciate the work of the Analyst.

Course Content


Structured Methods Overview
System requirements
Why systems fail
The systems development life-cycle
The structured approach
Structured methods deliverables
Events, processes and data

Fact-Finding & Interviewing
Objectives of fact-finding
Procedures & data
Vital questions
Major considerations
Dealing with users
Terms of reference
Fact-finding techniques
Interview techniques
Planning the interview
Personality & attitude

Data Flow Diagrams
What is a DFD
Processes
External Entities
Data flows
Developing a Level 1 DFD

Entity Modelling
Purpose
Entities
Attributes
Relationships
Developing an Entity Model
Rationalising the model
Optionality
Added Value techniques

Logical Data Flow Diagrams
Purpose
Conversion from physical to logical DFD
Levels of Logical DFD

Function Hierarchy
Objectives
Constructing a Hierarchy
Identifying business functions

Physical Design
Steps in physical design
Batch Vs. real-time
Physical data
Input & output

Relational Data Analysis
Purpose
Definition of RDA
Types of key
Normalisation steps
3rd normal form data model

First-Cut Physical Data Design
Objectives
Stages in physical design

Object Oriented Analysis
What is an object
Messages
Subclasses & Superclasses
Summary of OO concepts
Information hiding
Abstract data types
Over-riding
Methodologies
Class relationships
Dynamic modelling
Risks and benefits

Report Writing
Communication types and objectives
Barriers to the written word
Initiation and authorisation
Levels of reports
Honesty and Impact
Arrangment and Structure
Style and Presentation

Implementation & Handover
Planning and control
Site preparation
Education & training
New equipment
System testing
Changeover
Data conversion
Documentation

Project Planning & Control
Role of the Project Manager
Planning Problems
The man-month
Risk Analysis
Project structures
Project monitoring & action

System Justification
Categories of Costs & Benefits
Quantifiable & non-quantifiable
Debtor control
Cash flow analysis

Meetings
Purpose of meetings
Preparation
Size of the group
Agenda
Chairing skills
Decisions/Actions list
Closing the meeting

Presentations
Objectives
Performance style
The Audience
Them
You
Level
Presentation organisation
Check list
Questions
Scripting
Visual Aids

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