This document discusses selecting the best alternative design strategy for a system. It describes generating at least three design alternatives (low-end, high-end, mid-range) and selecting the best one using qualitative and quantitative criteria. Sources of software, requirements, constraints, and issues to consider in generating alternatives are discussed. An example of selecting the best design for Hoosier Burger's inventory system using a weighted approach is provided. The document also discusses updating the Baseline Project Plan and generating design strategies for Internet applications.

1. Copyright 2002 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Modern Systems Analysis
and Design
Third Edition
Jeffrey A. Hoffer
Joey F. George
Joseph S. Valacich
Chapter 11
Selecting the Best Alternative
Design Strategy
11.1

2. Learning Objectives
Describe different sources of software
Learn to assemble the various pieces of
an alternative design strategy
Learn how to generate at least three
alternative design strategies
Discuss selecting the best design
strategy using both qualitative and
quantitative methods
11.2

3. Learning Objectives
Learn how to use the results of the
analysis phase to update a Baseline
Project Plan (BPP)
Discuss design strategies and how they
are applied to the Internet
11.3

4. Selecting the Best Alternative
Design Strategy
Two basic steps
1. Generate a comprehensive set of alternative design
strategies
2. Select the one design strategy that is most likely to result in
the desired information system
Process
 Divide requirements into different sets of capabilities
 Enumerate different potential implementation environments
that could be used to deliver the different sets of
capabilities
 Propose different ways to source or acquire the various
sets of capabilities for the different implementation
environments
11.4

5. Selecting the Best Alternative
Design Strategy
Deliverables
1. At least three substantially different system
design strategies for building the replacement
information system
2. A design strategy judged most likely to lead to
the most desirable information system
3. A Baseline Project Plan (BPP) for turning the
most likely design strategy into a working
information system
11.5

6. Generating Alternative Design
Strategies
Best to generate three alternatives
 Low-end
 Provides all required functionality users
demand with a system that is minimally
different from the current system
 High-end
 Solves problem in question and provides many
extra features users desire
 Midrange
 Compromise of features of high-end alternative
with frugality of low-end alternative
11.6

7. Drawing Bounds on
Alternative Designs
Minimum Requirements
 Mandatory features versus desired
features
 Forms of features
 Data
 Outputs
 Analyses
 User expectations on accessibility,response
time and turnaround time
11.7

8. Drawing Bounds on
Alternative Designs
Constraints on System Development
 Date when system is needed
 Financial and human resources
 Elements of the system that cannot change
 Legal and contractual considerations
 Dynamics of the problem
11.8

9. Issues to Consider in
Generating Alternatives
Outsourcing
 The practice of turning over responsibility
of some to all of an organization’s
information systems applications and
operations to an outside firm
 Can provide a cost effective solution
11.9

10. Issues to Consider in
Generating Alternatives
Sources of Software
 Hardware manufacturers
 Packaged software producers
 Custom software producers
 Enterprise solution software
 Application Service Providers
 In-house development
11.10

11. 11.11

12. Criteria for Choosing
Off-the-Shelf Software
Cost
 In-House versus purchased
Functionality
 Mandatory, essential and desired features
Vendor Support
 Installation
 Training
 Technical Support
Viability of Vendor
11.12

13. Criteria for Choosing
Off-the-Shelf Software
Flexibility
 Ease of customization
Documentation
 User documentation
 Technical documentation
Response Time
Ease of Installation
11.13

14. Validating Purchased Software
Information
Information from vendor
 Request for proposal
 A document provided to vendors to ask them to
propose hardware and system software that will meet
the requirements of your new system
Software evaluation period
Customer references from vendor
Independent software testing service
Trade publications
11.14

15. Hardware and Software Issues
Existing Platform
1. Lower costs
2. Information system staff
is familiar with operation
and maintenance
3. Increased odds of
successfully integrating
system with existing
applications
4. No added costs of
converting old systems
to new platform or
transferring data
New Hardware and
System Software
1. Some software
components will only run
on new platform
2. Developing system for
new platform gives
organization opportunity
to upgrade technology
holdings
3. New requirements may
allow organization to
radically change its
computing operations
11.15

16. Implementation and
Organizational Issues
Implementation Issues
 Technical and social aspects of implementation
need to be addressed
 Training
 Disruption of work
Organizational Issues
 Overall cost and availability of funding
 Management support
 User acceptance
11.16

17. Hoosier Burger’s New
Inventory Control System
Replacement for existing system
Figure 11-2 ranks system requirements
and constraints
Figure 11-3 shows steps of current
system
When proposing alternatives, the
requirements and constraints must be
considered
11.17

18. Hoosier Burger’s New
Inventory Control System
Figure 11-4 lists 3 alternatives
 Alternative A is a low-end proposal
 Alternative C is a high-end proposal
 Alternative B is a midrange proposal
11.18

19. Hoosier Burger’s New
Inventory Control System
Selecting the most likely alternative
 Weighted approach can be used to compare the
three alternatives
 Figure 11-5 shows a weighted approach for
Hoosier Burger
 Left hand side of table contains decision criteria
 Constants and requirements
 Weights are arrived at by discussion with analysis team,
users and managers
 Each requirement and constraint is ranked
 1 indicates that the alternative does not match the
request well or that it violates the constraint
 5 indicates that the alternative meets or exceeds
requirements or clearly abides by the constraint
11.19

20. Hoosier Burger’s New
Inventory Control System
Selecting the most likely alternative
 According to the weights used, alternative
C appears to be the best choice
11.20

21. Updating the Baseline Project
Plan (BPP)
The Baseline Project Plan (BPP) was
developed during project initiation and
planning
Baseline Project Plan (BPP) can be used as
an outline of a status report at analysis phase
Schedule will be updated to reflect actual
activities and durations
An oral presentation of project status is
typically made at this phase
11.21

22. Internet Development: Selecting
the Best Alternative Design
Strategy
Pine Valley Furniture WebStore
 Requirements and constraints were
compiled by consultant and team (see
Table 11-8)
11.22

23. Internet Development: Selecting
the Best Alternative Design
Strategy
 Proposed system is a scalable, three-tier
approach
 Scalable
 The ability to seamlessly upgrade the system through
either hardware upgrades, software upgrades or both
 Three-tier
 Web Server
 Provides connection to the internet and presentation of
HTML page
 Applications Server
 Middle layer of software and hardware that lies
between Web server and corporate network
 Corporate network
 Existing organizational computing infrastructure
11.23

24. Summary
Sources of Software
Identifying requirements and constraints
Generating alternative design strategies
Selecting the best design strategy
Updating a Baseline Project Plan (BPP)
Selecting the best design strategy for
Internet applications
11.24