The document discusses systems development life cycles and methodologies for developing decision support systems (DSS). It covers the phases of the systems development life cycle as well as alternative development methods like prototyping and agile development. The key aspects of successful DSS development highlighted include user involvement, managing requirements and scope, and an iterative development process incorporating user feedback.

1. Turban, Aronson, and Liang
Decision Support Systems and Intelligent
Systems, Seventh Edition
Chapter 6
Decision Support System
Development
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-1

2. Learning Objectives
• Understand the concepts of systems development.
• Learn PADI, the phases of SDLC.
• Describe prototyping.
• Understand which factors lead to DSS success or
failure.
• Learn the importance of project management.
• Describe the three technology levels of DSS.
• Understand the learning process involved in DSS
development.
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-2

3. Osram Sylvania Thinks Small,
Strategizes Big-Develops the Infonet
HR Portal System Vignette
• Creation of a specialized business portal to
solve specific problem
– Prototype
– Interactive, Web-based
– HR portal
• Think small, strategize big
– Focus on key problems first
– Plan to achieve quick small successes
• Intranet-based portal for hiring, job
postings, benefits, bonuses, retirement
information
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-3

4. Systems Development Life Cycle
• Four phases
– Planning
– Analysis
– Design
– Implementation
• Cyclical
• Can return to other
phases
• Waterfall model
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-4

5. Tools
• Computer-aided software design tools
– Upper CASE –
• Creates systems diagrams
– Lower CASE
• Manages diagrams and code
– Integrated CASE
• Combination
• RAD design tools
– Enterprise class repository and collaboration
– UML modeling
• Analysis and design software
• Code debugging methods
• Testing and quality assurance tools
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-5

6. Successful Project Management
• Establish a baseline
• Define scope of project
• Manage change and scope creep
• Get support from upper management
• Establish timelines, milestones, and
budgets based on realistic goals
• Involve users
• Document everything
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-6

7. Implementation Failures
• Lack of stakeholder involvement
• Incomplete requirements
• Scope creep
• Unrealistic expectations
• Project champion leaves
• Lack of skill or expertise
• Inadequate human resources
• New technologies
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-7

8. Evolutionary Disruptors
• Development environment
– Organizational cultural factors
– Loss of top management support
– User and analyst attitude
– User experience
– Development team capability
• Development process
– User education, support, involvement,
training
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-8

9. Project Management Tools
• Project management software can
allow:
– Collaboration among disparate teams
– Resource and program management
– Portfolio management
– Web enabled
– Aggregates and analyses project data
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-9

10. Alternative Development
Methodologies
• Parallel development
– Multiple development on separate systems
• RAD
– Quick development allowing fast, but limited
functionality
• Phased development
– Sequential serial development
• Prototyping
– Rapid development of portions of projects for user input
and modification
– Small working model or may become functional part of
final system
• Throwaway prototyping
– Pilot test or simple development platforms
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-10

11. © 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-11

12. Agile Development
• Rapid prototyping
• Used for:
– Unclear or rapidly changing
requirements
– Speedy development
• Heavy user input
• Incremental delivery with short time
frames
• Tend to have integration problems
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-12

13. DSS Development Methodology
• Prototyping
• Iterative design
• Evolutionary development
• Middle out process
• Adaptive design
• Incremental design
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-13

14. DSS Prototyping
• Short steps
– Planning
– Analysis
– Design
– Prototype
• Immediate stakeholder feedback
• Iterative
– In development of prototype
– Within the system in general
– Evaluation integral part
• Control mechanism
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-14

15. DSS Prototyping
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– User and management – Changing requirements
involvement – May not have thorough
– Learning explicitly understanding of
integrated benefits and costs
– Prototyping bypasses – Poorly tested
information requirement – Dependencies,
– Short intervals between security, and safety
iterations may be ignored
– Low cost – High uncertainty
– Improved user – Problem may get lost
understanding of – Reduction in quality
system – Higher costs due to
multiple productions
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-15

16. Change Management
• Crucial to DSS
• People resistant to change
• Examine cause of change
• May require organizational culture shift
• Lewin-Schein change theory steps
– Unfreeze
• Create awareness of need for change
• People support what they help create
– Move
• Develop new methods and behaviors
• Create and maintain momentum
– Refreeze
• Reinforce desired changes
• Establish stable environment
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-16

17. DSS Technology Levels
• DSS primary tools
– Fundamental elements
• Programming languages, graphics, editors, query systems
• DSS generator (engine)
– Integrated software package for building specific DSS
• Modeling, report generation, graphics, risk analysis
• Specific DSS
– DSS application that accomplishes the work
• DSS primary tools are used to construct integrated
tools that are used to construct specific tools
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-17

18. © 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-18

19. DSS
• Hardware
– PCs to multiprocessor mainframes
• Software
– Involves multiple criteria
– Develop in house, outsource, or buy off the
shelf
– Off the shelf software rapidly updated; many on
market
– Prices fluctuate
– Different tools available
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-19

20. DSS
• Team developed DSS requires substantial
effort to build and manage
• End user developed DSS
– Decision-makers and knowledge workers
develop to solve problems or enhance
productivity
• Advantages
– Short delivery time
– User requirements specifications are eliminated
– Reduced implementation problems
– Low costs
• Risks
– Quality may be low
– May have lack of documentation
– Security risks may increase
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-20

21. DSS
• DSS is much more than just a DBMS,
MBMS, GUI, interface, and
knowledge component
© 2005 Prentice Hall, Decision Support Systems and 6-21