System Analysis: Feasibility Study and Lifecycle Models

This document discusses the importance of following a procedural/staged lifecycle in a systems investigation and the components of a feasibility report. It also evaluates different systems lifecycle models and assesses the impact of feasibility criteria on systems investigation. The document provides insights into technical, operational, time, legal, and economic feasibility, and how these criteria can impact system investigation. It is relevant for the subject of system analysis and is suitable for college or university courses.

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System Analysis

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Contents
Task 1..........................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Evaluate difference systems lifecycle models [1][3]..........................................................................3
1.2 Discuss the importance of following a procedural/staged lifecycle in a systems investigation [2]....7
Task 2..........................................................................................................................................................9
2.1 Discuss the components of a feasibility report [4][5][6]....................................................................9
Technical Feasibility.............................................................................................................................9
Operational Feasibility.........................................................................................................................9
Time Feasibility..................................................................................................................................10
Legal Feasibility..................................................................................................................................10
Economic Feasibility..........................................................................................................................10
2.2 Assess the impact of different feasibility criteria on systems investigation.....................................11
Task 3........................................................................................................................................................13
3.1 Undertake a system (Adroit Ad System) investigation to meet business needs for the given
scenario.................................................................................................................................................13
3.2 Use appropriate systems analysis tools and techniques to carry out a system investigation in
relation to the given scenario................................................................................................................15
Techniques for System Evaluation.....................................................................................................15
Tools for System Evaluation...............................................................................................................16
3.3 Create documentation to support a system investigation in relation to the given scenario...........17
Problems and Opportunities..............................................................................................................17
Stakeholders......................................................................................................................................18
Data Collection..................................................................................................................................18
Entity Relationship Diagrams.............................................................................................................19
A sample ER diagram for Adroit Ads would have the following actors..............................................20
3.4 Evaluate how user and system Requirements have been addressed..............................................21
References.................................................................................................................................................23

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Task 1
1.1 Evaluate difference systems lifecycle models [1][3]
All companies need a perfect software development lifecycle model. It is necessary for project
success. Adroit Ads needs to define its software development lifecycle model to deliver high
quality results consistently. Choosing the right software development model is a concern for
most companies. Even Adroit Ads should pick a system that meets its requirements perfectly.
There are several different types of software developing life cycles:
1) Agile development
2) Waterfall model
3) V-shaped model
4) Evolutionary prototyping
5) Spiral model
6) Iterative and incremental method
Each of these SDLC models has unique advantages and drawbacks.
If Adroit Ads wants a simple lifecycle model, they should opt for the waterfall model. This is a
linear sequential model in which progress flow downwards. For a new phase to begin, the
previous phases should have been completed. If the project doesn’t have changing or evolving
requirements, the waterfall model would be an ideal pick.
Benefits of this model are:
1) This is a structured approach
2) Useful in planning and scheduling projects

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3) Verification is required at each stage.
4) Every phase has specific deliverables
Drawbacks in this model would be as follows:
1) Expensive model
2) Difficult to rollback
3) Requirements should be frozen at an earlier stage
The V-Shaped model is an extension of the original waterfall model. Instead of moving in a
linear fashion, processes take the shape of a “V”. early test planning differentiates the V-Model
from the waterfall model.
Benefits of the V-Model are:
1) Verification and validation happens at an early stage
2) If requirements are clearly understood, this model proves to be very useful.
3) Better chances of success than the waterfall model
Unfortunately, the V-Model is not as flexible as the waterfall model. Adjusting scope within the
project can be expensive and difficult.
Prototyping model revolves around the process of developing prototypes for a requirement. To
be more precise, incomplete versions of the program are carefully developed. This is an
important activity in this SDLC model. By visualizing several software components, gaps in the
development lifecycle can be eradicated. There are several different types of prototyping:
incremental, evolutionary, throwback and extreme.
Benefits of this model are:

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1) Reduced cost and time to develop software
2) Improved user involvement
Drawbacks of this model are:
1) Developers may misunderstand user requirements
2) Every prototype needs excessive development hours
The spiral model combines several SDLC models. It includes both prototyping and design
stages. It reaps the benefits of bottom-up and top-down concepts. The model favors complicated
projects. It breaks down planning, risk assessments and development to stages. If a huge system
needs to be developed in small stages, this model proves to be useful.
Benefits of this model are:
1) Estimates on time and cost become realistic.
2) Work oriented issues can be spotted at an earlier stage.
3) Developers show early involvement.
4) Risks in the system can be managed
Drawbacks of this model are:
1) Huge amount of cost and time should be invested to reach a complete product.
2) Teams should have special skills
The iterative and incremental model overcomes several weaknesses in the waterfall model. It
begins with a clear plan and ends with maintenance. The best thing about this model would be its
iterative cycles. Small portions of the product are developed in increments.
Benefits of this model are:

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1) Business value can be achieved at an earlier stage
2) Scarce resources can be used effectively
3) Change requests can be entertained easily
4) Problems will be detected at an earlier stage.
Drawbacks of the system are:
1) Needs heavy documentation
2) A standard set of tasks/processes should be followed
3) More customer involvement is necessary
Agile development is an improved version of iterative and incremental development. It involves
the collaboration of various cross-functional teams. Agile development works well with all kinds
of projects. It relies on interactive customers. What makes agile development interesting would
be “Change”.
Benefits of the model are:
1) The final product meets most customer requirements
2) Customers have the freedom to change requirements at any time.
3) Face to face talks and continuous inputs make project development interactive
Drawbacks of the model are:
1) Scalability
2) Documentation has to be done at each stage
3) Special skills are required from team members

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1.2 Discuss the importance of following a procedural/staged
lifecycle in a systems investigation [2]
Companies like Adroit Ads should follow a proper lifecycle approach. It will impact the overall
flow of processes in their product’s life cycle. Impacts of procedural lifecycle can be seen by
users, the company and society.
By following a procedural lifecycle model during system investigation, overall management and
the process of bringing a product to life becomes easy. The product would see a sustainable
direction during development. Sooner, Adroit Ads will harvest monetary and social returns. They
will be able to develop and apply cleaner processes. By incorporating procedural lifecycle
development, Adroit Ads will be able to improve its brand value and image. This will make the
company a true market leader!
Key benefits of procedural lifecycle in software development would be as follows:
1) Good lifecycle processes that are broken into clear stages will help you understand more
about upfront investments. This includes both time and cost.
2) Organizations are bound to be committed. It is very hard to use and follow a good
lifecycle model. It needs lots of skill. With this level of knowledge and focus, project
owners and teams are likely to stay committed. This will help Adroit Ads deliver quicker
products.
3) During software development, you may come across many unknown things. Procedural
development helps in uncovering these surprises. Once again, it is a matter of skill.
Experts who know how to manage procedural system investigation know the struggle and
have the right tools to execute effectively.

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4) Procedural lifecycle models are effective tools! These tools can be used during
discussions and planning. They make sense and can help in developing critical projects.
This is exactly what Adroit Ads needs.

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Task 2
2.1 Discuss the components of a feasibility report [4][5][6]
Feasibility report alias study is an analysis of the problem and various solutions. A good
feasibility report can uncover problems and propose ideal solutions. Before Adroit Ads kick
starts its project, it must perform a feasibility study. During this study, they can decide if the new
system is required and advantageous for the company. The feasibility report has to focus on three
important regions: market, organizational and technical issues. If the feasibility report is positive,
real work can begin!
The feasibility report should have a complete analysis of the entire system. Apart from technical
and management issues, the system should reflect on economic and operational feasibility too.
Technical Feasibility
During this study, engineers explore through the project’s technical aspects. Adroit Ads must
make sure its goals are technically achievable. They should check if the company’s current
technology supports these requirements. Technical feasibility looks into the organization’s core
requirements:
1) What kind of input is fed into the system? From where does this data originate?
2) What is the output of this proposed system?
3) What kind of processes happen in between? How will the company handle these
processes?
Operational Feasibility
Operational feasibility focuses on the need for the problem. It checks if the solution is
acceptable. Also, it verifies how the system can be developed. Operation study revolves around
people and social concerns. It looks into the following: internal problems, labor objections,

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organizational policies, conflicts and external issues. It checks if Adroit Ad’s current structure is
sufficient for the new system.
Time Feasibility
With adequate technical expertise, the analyst comes up with project deadlines. These deadlines
should be based on predetermined constraints. Based on the project deadline, engineers should
come up with a project schedule. Adroit Ad’s should come up with desirable deadlines. These
deadlines should be more desirable than mandatory. Of course, the analyst can propose few
alternatives.
Legal Feasibility
During this feasibility study, Adroit Ads should check if the new features conflict with existing
legal requirements. At all times, Adroit Ad’s new features should fall in line with the Data
Protection Acts. The company should use an external or internal legal counsel for these reviews.
Since the company focuses on becoming the best Advert firm around, they should be clear of all
legal aspects.
Economic Feasibility
Adroit Ads has several local systems. Each of these departments will be affected by the new
change. And, the current project can be “expensive”. To know more details of “how” expensive
this project can be, an economic feasibility study should be carried out. Automation is an
important but pricey thing in the IT industry. There are no borders to how and what can be
automated. Thus, the analyst should be clear with every new feature and it cost to the company.
Ultimately, the analyst has to produce a cost/benefit analysis report. This report will be of greater
use in making decisions. With this report, benefits and costs can be quantified easily.

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2.2 Assess the impact of different feasibility criteria on
systems investigation
Adroit Ads should leverage from its feasibility study to create effective project cycles. Different
feasibility criteria can have a solid impact on system investigation. With these criteria,
executives at Adroit Ads can decide which project gets a greenlight. Data from this report can be
used to shape the entire planning process. Here are four ways feasibility criteria can impact
system investigation.
First of all, feasibility study analyzes if there is a real need for change. It is very important for
internal project improvements (like automation) and for consumer offerings. Adroit Ads plans to
automate many tasks. Most of these tasks can be executed manually (current system). But, they
are inefficient and time consuming. Automation can improve the company’s ROIs and let
engineers focus on rewarding things. On the other hand, new creative consumer offerings will
increase Adroit Ad’s fame. It can become the market’s best advert ad company. Once again, the
brand would see better returns. Understanding the current market and demand is important for
companies like Adroit Ads. Without this, they will not be able to come up with proper project
plans. Also, they will not be able to design products that can survive in the industry.
Feasibility reports are required to assess resources. This is another important benefit of feasibility
studies. Changes proposed by the organization may require new resources. The right kind of skill
and knowledge is required to complete projects within real budgets and deadlines. With the help
of this criteria, Adroit Ads will know if new resources should be hired or relocated. There will be
plenty of details on how Adroit Ads should restructure its organization to achieve goals. With
such changes, the company has to engage in budget allocation (Accounts Team) and hiring (HR
and Payroll Team). Indeed, the feasibility study brings many teams in Adroit Ads together.

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Marketing feasibility checks if Adroit Ad’s new features would hit the market positively. There
are several ways to measure demand. During the study, analysts should be clear with what the
market needs and what is offered. Analysts should focus on many aspects like patents,
intellectual property rights and trademarks too. If there are legal roadblocks, they should be
uncovered carefully. Without the right feasibility criteria, it would be difficult to discover these
aspects. Most of Adroit Ad’s development would depend on marketing feasibility!
Finally, the feasibility report is critical in marking timelines. This is a major benefit in feasibility
criteria. With the study, it is possible to validate various timelines. When the company decides to
move into a formal project, the timelines will be extremely useful. It will help developers set
milestones and meet them strategically. Likewise, the timelines can be mapped against a quality
study too. When managers and analysts study timelines, they overrule least risky items with the
critical ones.
For a better project experience, all feasibility criteria should be analyzed and documented. The
criteria chosen during the study, should fall in line with the company’s system requirements.

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Task 3
3.1 Undertake a system (Adroit Ad System) investigation to
meet business needs for the given scenario
To begin with system investigation, Adroit Ads should bring together its primary stakeholders.
This includes the Creative Team, Accounts Team, Upper Management, HR & Payroll and
Customers. Each stakeholder plays a role in framing requirements. These requirements are meant
to help Adroit Ads go forward. The current proposal focuses on the creative team. It focuses on
how new technologies and services can be offered to customers for their ads and campaigns.
The creative team has placed the following requirements:
1) The creative team wishes to gather more customer requirements
2) The creative team needs to design better advertisements and launch finer campaigns.
They should help customers grab a better market.
3) The creative team has to combine with film directors and make better films. These films
should be much more intuitive and interactive. The team responsible for filming
advertisements and campaigns is quite big. It involves other stakeholders like actors,
crew and directors. Stakeholders should be aware of what the management wishes to
achieve in the long run. Their project plans must help the company become the town’s
best advert.
4) The accounts team at Adroit Ads is responsible for raising invoices. Invoices are raised
after a project gets completed. Invoices differ from one client to another. The final
invoice depends on the project and its complexity.
a. Currently, Adroit Ads gets projects for its interactive interface and affordable
pricing.

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b. As projects get complicated, prices are bound to increase. This is where Adroit
Ads loses many projects. The Accounts and Creative team should collaborate and
try to deliver services at good, customer-friendly rates.
c. Adroit Ads should offer an optimal number of services at minimal rates.
d. Details on projects and invoices should be discussed before “actual” planning. All
terms and conditions should be decided ahead of time.
5) The current HR and Payroll Department is managed manually. The company intends to
automate tasks. Upper management believes that automation can cut down costs, save
time and help employees focus on productive ideas. Automation is a long-term goal of
Adroit Ads.
a. Adroit Ads expects automated systems to take care of customer details, artist
details and projects.
b. The company wants to respond to advertisements and campaign requests
automatically.
c. The company wants to automate activities between the creative and accounts
team.
6) Adroit Ads manages numerous systems. These systems are spread across different
locations. Currently, the systems are not in-sync. For efficient and smooth processes,
these systems should be synchronized. The company intends to pair automation with a
proper network design. The design has to ensure the following:
a. Make sure all local systems are up-to-date.
b. Ability to interact with all branches.
c. Ability to maintain consistency across all systems.

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7) At the moment, Adroit Ads is not keen on legal systems. For the company to become the
market’s best advert agency, it should fall in line with local legal systems. All
applications and proposed components should be controlled by legal policies and
regulations.
3.2 Use appropriate systems analysis tools and techniques to
carry out a system investigation in relation to the given
scenario
Techniques for System Evaluation
It is possible to evaluate the current system using various techniques.
Two commonly used techniques are:
1) Work breakdown
2) Risk management
During work breakdown, the project is broken into smaller tasks and activities. These tasks
should be smaller units of work that are manageable. As an activity gets completed, engineers
and the upper management should be able to track. It is necessary to produce schedules of work.
This way, Adroit Ads will be aware of where they stand. These schedules will help in monitoring
overall progress. Cost breakdown structures can be derived from work breakdown structures.
Adroit Ads will be able to map every expenditure or ROIs to works done.
Another technique to evaluate systems would be risk management. As suggested by its name,
risk management deals with actions and possible risks. Even with best planners and a perfect
budget, things can go wrong. This is why Adroit Ads should manage its projects with resource
diagrams, breakdown of work, critical paths and other project risk management tools. These

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details will help in identifying and managing risks. Information from these reports will help in
contingency planning and risk mitigation.
Tools for System Evaluation
Adroit Ad’s proposed system involves many complex responsibilities. There are plenty of tools
to help with project management. These tools evaluate tasks and the amount of work done. One
of the market’s most commonly used system evaluation tool would be “PERT”. This is a
planning and control tool. It helps in defining and controlling tasks that are required to complete
a task. There are PERT charts and CPM charts to help engineers.
PERT revolves around the following steps:
1) Identifying activities and milestones
2) Identifying a sequence of activities
3) Designing a network diagram
4) Identifying the time required to complete an activity
5) Identifying critical paths
PERT charts are extremely useful in the following ways:
1) Improve the way in which activities are scheduled and planned
2) Improve resource allocation and forecasting
3) Identify all repetitive plans and patterns. These plans and patterns can be used elsewhere!
4) Ability to reschedule tasks easily.
Gantt charts are useful in scheduling tasks. The graphical tool represents start, stop and elapsed
times. The chart is ideal for managing progress. There are several ways to draw a Gantt chart.
The most common method is as follows:

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1) All activities in a specific plan can be listed
2) The number of days through completion should be noted
3) Activities should be scheduled
4) The current state of project should be analyzed and documented in the chart.
Benefits in using the Gantt chart would be as follows:
1) Easy to understand
2) Make it easy to spot “what if” situations
3) A great tool to begin negotiations with
4) Can be used to compare several projects
5) Helps in better communication of project status
6) Helps in comparing actual status with planned schedule
3.3 Create documentation to support a system investigation in
relation to the given scenario.
Problems and Opportunities
Adroit Ad wants to improve its creative unit. The company wishes to become the market’s best
brand for adverts. They are proposing several changes that can make Adroit a better player.
Adroit Ads’ goals for the current system are:
1) Provide better advertisement and campaign services.
2) To become to market’s best advertisement and campaign company.
3) To automate various teams and operations in the company.
4) To make sure branches are able to communicate seamlessly.
5) To make better profits and offer value to customers.
6) To connect various stakeholders.

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7) Make use of new technologies and services.
Stakeholders
Adroit Ads has several stakeholders. These stakeholders are tightly coupled with the company’s
performance.
Important stakeholders at Adroit Ads would be as follows:
1) Creative Team – Responsible for creating advertisements and campaign materials for
customers.
2) HR & Payroll – Responsible for managing finances within the company. Also, they take
care of recruitment. Currently, the HR and Payroll system manages its tasks manually.
3) Accounts – This team acts as a bridge between Adroit Ads and customers.
4) IT Team – All technological advancements and system management is done by this
team.
Data Collection
To take forward the proposed changes, ample data should be gathered from Adroit Ads. There
are several ways to gather information. With Adroit Ads, the following methods can be used:
questionnaires, direct observation and interviews.
Questionnaires are useful in gathering information from a huge number of people. In most cases,
questionnaires are standard paper-pen questions. These questions help analysts understand more
about the brand’s value and image.
Benefits of questionnaires are:
1) Information can be stored
2) Information will be accurate, reliable and valid

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3) Helps in comparing responses from a good number of people
4) Quite easy to evaluate quantitative details
Interviews have always been a way of gathering information from people. Adroit Ads can
conduct interviews with various teams and clients. Through planned interviews, they will be able
to understand individual views. There are several benefits in conducting interviews.
Benefits would be as follows:
1) When compared against questionnaires, interviews are cheaper!
2) Respondents can mention what is required and important
3) Data collection is rapid
4) The freedom to explore and know more
5) Some information can lead to newer insights and more clarity
However, interviews can be time consuming and difficult to summarize.
Gaps in every other data collection method can be filled using “Observations”. With
observations, you will be able to understand the actual dynamic of the situation. You will know
how Adroit Ads actually works. This is important if positive changes should be done to the
system. Both quantitative and qualitative data can be generated through observations. Yet, the
task can be tedious and time consuming.
Benefits of observations are as follows:
1) You will get a clear picture of what is happening at Adroit ads.
2) It will be easy to make or propose changes to the existing system.

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Entity Relationship Diagrams
With system investigation, it is possible to draw a complete entity-relationship diagram for
Adroit Ads. These diagrams give a comprehensive insight through the system and its critical
operations. A thorough systematic description of the system can be obtained through entity-
relationship diagrams. Before Adroit Ads kick starts development, it is necessary for the
company to perform a feasibility study and draw as entity relationship diagram. This way,
engineers can be clear with all possible operations.
A sample ER diagram for Adroit Ads would have the following actors
1) Client – responsible for giving new orders and evaluating the company’s creativity.
2) Creative Team – responsible for producing new advertisements and campaigns.
3) HR & Payroll Team – responsible for managing local teams and payroll.
4) Accounts Team – takes care of customers.
5) IT Team – handles technological aspects
6) Market – the current demand for advertisements and campaigns. Includes details of
current market leaders too!

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3.4 Evaluate how user and system Requirements have been
addressed
After thorough system verification, it is realized that Adroit Ads has the following requirements.
The company should focus on satisfying these goals. This way, they can become the market’s
best advert company.
1) To become the market’s best advertisement company, Adroit Ads should focus on
customer satisfaction. They should produce better advertisements and campaigns. These
advertisements and campaigns should give the customer an edge in their industry.
2) The company should have a reliable accounting unit. The Accounting Team should be
capable of producing accurate invoices. The invoices should be generated dynamically.
This means, the invoice should differ from one customer to another. Also, it should differ
from one project to another.

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3) The company should automate various systems. Primarily, its HR and Payroll unit should
be automated. Currently, the system uses a standalone application that is run manually.
Adroit Ads should focus on automating these systems. They should be able to generate
payroll and other critical reports automatically.
4) Adroit Ads should focus on centralized administration. This way, information from all
branches can be handled at a single spot. Teams required centralized administration to
make sure tasks are carried out proficiently.
5) Communication across Adroit Ads is a hassle. The new system should promise seamless
communication channels. Data and information should be exchanged without any
obstacles. This is where network design comes into the picture. The company has to hire
skilled professionals and design a perfect network. They should stress on parameters like
manageability and consistency.
6) Adroit Ads should follow standard methods for tracking project status. Clients are bound
to come up with various requests. Each project will have different milestones and
deadlines. Upper management should have reliable tools for handling projects. These
tools should synchronize all teams together.
7) Adroit Ads should have a secure and reliable way of communicating with clients. Once
again, responses can be automated in certain cases. For example, if a customer fails to
make timely payments, the requests should be sent automatically. Also, there should be a
specialized system to handle huge volumes of data.

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References
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Wesley, 01 edition.
2. Jacobsen, I., Booch, G. & Rumbaugh, J. 1999. The Unified Software Development
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