Life Cycle of USeP

Consider your school, how do you know that the life cycle was developed specifically for the university. How do we know that it meets our needs?

I am currently studying at the University of Southeastern Philippines. I would have to admit that I had a hard time figuring out what are the stages or life cycle that our university underwent or developed. However, I have read their Strategic Plan which had quite a contribution for me to have an overview on our University's life cycle. But before I lay down my understanding on the University's developed life cycle I will first define what a life cycle is.





Initial Idea
All projects must start with an initial idea. Usually this consists of a brief definition on what is the project all about, what is its purpose and what the project aims to accomplish. How will the success of the project be measured?

Feasibility Study
Expanding on the Initial Idea, the Feasibility Study involves drawing up the terms of reference, which state the objectives and scope of the project, how long it should take and how the results should be presented. The terms of reference are usually drawn up by senior management. The feasibility study must determine if development of the project is justified in terms of economic and organisational terms. The main role of the analyst in the feasibility study is to analyse the current system at a high level. Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) are used to describe how the current system performs and to illustrate known problems. Feasibility studies are not carried out for all projects, and smaller projects omit this stage.

Requirements Analysis
The Requirements Analysis stage defines a series of possible solutions to the problem and presents them to management in terms of business options. These options may be supported by technical documents such as high-level DFD’s, Logical Data Models (LDM) and Work Practise Models. The requirements analysis report must also contain financial and risk assessments to be presented and supported by outline implementation descriptions. The steps involved within the requirements analysis will define the flow of data in the system, deriving system functions and to develop user role specifications, prototypes and process specifications.

Systems Analysis and Specification
The Systems Analysis stage is an extension to the feasibility study. If the project has a feasibility study then the bulk of the work has already been done. A terms of reference will also be required if one does not exist. The output from this stage is the System Specification which gives precise details of what the new system is required to do, but does not go into how it does it. It provides a logical model of the new system. Once agreed, the specification is the basis for the work done by the system designers.

Systems Design
This stage deals with how the requirements of the new system are carried out (how the logical model is implemented as a physical system). The system designer will develop a number of design options and test them against the requirements specification and design criteria. The one that comes closest to the design brief with the most cost effective use of equipment and personnel is selected and broken down into more detailed specs. Because of this the design stage has two phases: produce outline designs based on requirements specification with input from users and the detailed designs produced from the selected design.

Development
This is the only stage in the development where program code is written. The designs and specifications provide enough detail for the programmer to code and test individual modules. Each unit is tested to ensure that it meets the requirements of the specification.

Testing
Within the life cycle there are various levels of testing as well as the unit testing performed in the development stage.

Link testing ensures that programs work together, e.g. the data passed from one program to another has the correct format.

System testing ensures that the system as a whole performs according to the design specification. Recovery procedures must be tested as well as normal operation procedures.

Finally user acceptance testing is carried out by the users in stages to ensure that the system is usable.

Any modifications are passed back to the design stage where changes are made as necessary and passed to the development team.

Implementation
When the testing has been carried out to the users satisfaction the system, or parts of it, are put live. The “put live” phase can also be known as implementation, cutover or production. This is when the users start using the system to carry out their business activities.

There are two main approaches to implementation a project:

Phased: Stand-alone subsets of the system are implemented over a period of time.
Big Bang: The whole system is put live in one go.
Some systems will require special programs or tasks to convert existing data to a format usable by the new system. The process of changing data from the old system to the new is called conversion.

Maintenance and Review
Once the system is put into place, maintenance is required to ensure satisfactory operation. Maintenance should include regular reviews and evaluations to ensure that it is achieving its objectives, identify any aspects that can be improved or any operational problems. Maintenance falls into two categories, implementation of new features or elimination of errors.

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project, from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application.

Various SDLC methodologies have been developed to guide the processes involved, including the waterfall model (which was the original SDLC method); rapid application development (RAD); joint application development (JAD); the fountain model; the spiral model; build and fix; and synchronize-and-stabilize. Frequently, several models are combined into some sort of hybrid methodology. Documentation is crucial regardless of the type of model chosen or devised for any application, and is usually done in parallel with the development process. Some methods work better for specific types of projects, but in the final analysis, the most important factor for the success of a project may be how closely the particular plan was followed.

To sum it up, an SDLC methodology follows the following steps:

1. The existing system is evaluated. Deficiencies are identified. This can be done by interviewing users of the system and consulting with support personnel.

2. The new system requirements are defined. In particular, the deficiencies in the existing system must be addressed with specific proposals for improvement.

3. The proposed system is designed. Plans are laid out concerning the physical construction, hardware, operating systems, programming, communications, and security issues.

4. The new system is developed. The new components and programs must be obtained and installed. Users of the system must be trained in its use, and all aspects of performance must be tested. If necessary, adjustments must be made at this stage.

5. The system is put into use. This can be done in various ways. The new system can phased in, according to application or location, and the old system gradually replaced. In some cases, it may be more cost-effective to shut down the old system and implement the new system all at once.

6. Once the new system is up and running for a while, it should be exhaustively evaluated. Maintenance must be kept up rigorously at all times. Users of the system should be kept up-to-date concerning the latest modifications and procedures.

The University

As I have observed while reading the Strategic Plan of our university, I could conclude that they are using the Traditional Systems Life Cycle. Indicated on the Strategic Plan Action is conducting different studies on different factors that comprises the University. Analysis was also included in the Strategic Plan. They have involved a so-called Key Performance Indicators on the different concerned factors. Under that Key Performance Indicators are the possible response of the concerned group of people.

The life cycle developed by our university will most probably meet our needs (if only it will be strongly implemented) , for the fact that they had made a deep study and a thorough analysis. If you are wondering why I'm using the term "will" it is because I have noticed on the Strategic Plan that some of the projects are YET to be implemented.

References:
http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid92_gci755068,00.html
http://usep.edu.ph
http://sharpertutorials.com/design-methodology-and-system-lifecycle/

Steps in CSF Approach

Identify and discuss the steps for "critical success factors" approach? (at least 1,500 words)

Critical Success Factor
A key area where satisfactory performance is required for the organization to achieve its goals
A means of identifying the tasks and requirements needed for success
At the lowest level, CSFs become concrete requirements
A means to prioritize requirements

Critical Success Factors are the essential areas of activity that must be performed well to achieve the mission, objectives or goals for a business or project. By identifying the Critical Success Factors, it can create a common point of reference to help direct and measure the success of the business or project. As a common point of reference, Critical Success Factors help everyone in the team to know exactly what's the most important. And this helps people perform their own work in the right context and so pull together towards the same overall aims.

Executives and employees spend a fair amount of time doing things which don't really make the business more successful. When you stop to consider it, there are only generally a limited number of areas - like sales or product development - which make your business succeed. With insight and analysis you can select these things, the critical success factors. A business will succeed or fail depending on how you approach your unique set of critical success factors. Understanding these factors and paying 100% attention to them is a sure way to add power to your efforts and jump start towards a new level of performance.

Steps in Critical Success Factors Approach:

Step 1: Identify your critical success factors
Step 2: Establishing the measurements
Step 3: Setting the baseline
Step 4: Set new goals
Step 5: Closing the gap
Step 6: The Ben Franklin Rotation Program

Step 1: Identify your critical success factors

The first step is to identify the special set of CSFs. This may have already crossed peoples mind in the past, and answered it by instinct. The answers maybe correct answers, but they have to think deeper and broader. I have read from http://www.paullemberg.com/criticalfactors.html a list of factors believed to critical in an enterprise. The list below are only based on that site, this also depends on the business that you have. You may add factors to the list to describe the critical influences on a business' success.

Distribution - this could be direct sales, telesales, third- party sales, etc.	Lead generation	Customer satisfaction
Referrals	Research	Product development
Production, including quality, costing, run-rates, etc.	Sufficient investment capital, sufficient working capital	Customer support / technical support
Quality assurance	Sales process / sales life cycle	Market research
Customer education	Sales compensation	Recruiting
Personnel retention programs	Expense management	Intellectual capital development
Training	Marketing communications	Logistics
Employee equity	Executive leadership	Training and development
Corporate goals / strategic objectives	Values and beliefs	Mission/purpose
Individual accountability	Productivity & effectiveness metrics	Internal communications
Strategic and tactical planning	Executive team	Board of directors/advisors

It is a must to be specific when identifying the CSFs. Don't say "people" when the issue is recruiting, employee satisfaction, training or compensation. Don't say "marketing" or "sales" when the issue is lead generation. Test your assumptions by imagining a decline in a particular factor. You should be able to think of the pros and cons of each factors then come up with a solution for each cons.

In selecting factors, limit your list to no more than seven. Why seven? Cognitive theory suggests that human minds are efficient at juggling from five to nine separate trains of thought - the average and oft- quoted number is seven. Our plan is for you to keep your eye on the ball, you want to limit the balls to those you can keep your eye on.

Step 2: Establishing the measurements

Your next step is to establish a measurement scale for each critical factor. Some of these measures will be quantitative; some qualitative. Sales is an easy one: dollars of revenue measured against budget. Leads generated is also easy - how many? You can further break down sales by product and leads by sources, or you can stick to the consolidated numbers. Choose the measure which best reflects your understanding of how the issue affects your business.

Everything is measurable, you just need the right system. How can you measure your effectiveness in sales compensation? You could establish a compound metric which includes total compensation as a percentage of sales revenue, juxtaposed against goal attainment. Marketing communications is also difficult. One way to measure this is to subjectively assess the quality of your marcom pieces; you could also measure whether you have the total complement of marcom pieces you require. Or, measure whether prospects respond to your marcom efforts. Most likely you will combine all three to get one measure. A final example is measuring your efforts in the area of your Board of Directors / Board of Advisors. Measures include: do you have one? Are all the board seats filled? Is the board effective for your intended purpose? Measuring the Board factor would likely blend each of these.

Step 3: Setting the baseline

Once you've established a measurement structure for a factor, the next step is setting a baseline. Each factor should be set against a normalizing scale ranging from 1 to 10. Subjectively this can translate into non-performing(1), poor (2-3) , mediocre (4-5), good (6-7), great (8-9), and outstanding (10).

Step 4: Set new goals

Next, create a "gap" between where you are - your baseline - and your target for that factor. You already have a sales plan, so your gap exists between your current revenue and your budgeted revenue. You may consider your baseline a 5, and your target an 8. Implicit in this 1- 10 scale are judgements about your intentions: will reaching your budgeted revenue put you at 8 (almost great) or 10 (outstanding)? Where do you want to peg your efforts? If you've assessed your employee training at a 4 (mediocre), are you shooting for a 7 (good) or a 9 (great)? You can see from this how your measurement structure and goal system will impact how you allocate your company's resources and energy.

Step 5: Closing the gap

You now have a baseline and a target for each factor. Between them they define a factor gap - your challenge is to close it. Each gap becomes the focus of a meditation which asks the question: What will close the gap between our current level of this factor and our desired level? What possible actions will raise that measurement? You may have intuitive responses to these questions, and when appropriate, trust your gut. If need be, back that gut response with research - but only when cost effective. (Sometimes the most cost effective research is implementation, particularly in simple matters.)

Use any idea generation process you are comfortable with. Develop several possible initiatives to raise the level of that factor. With luck your ideas will work together and harmonize in terms of impact or implementation requirements. If you create competing ideas, select the best alternatives. Choose based on return on investment, required resources, scheduling conflicts, time to impact, total cost, and likelihood of success versus risk of failure. Depending on the specific factor, and the size of the gap, you may plan to close it in stages or shoot the gap all at once. You can launch one initiative at a time, or implement several initiatives in parallel. You may find my GamePlan!" methods useful in designing your gap-closing programs. Once you launch your gap-closing initiatives, continually measure your results. Report your progress to participants and stakeholders, and post it publicly.

Step 6: The Ben Franklin Rotation Program

As a young adult, Ben Franklin identified thirteen virtues he aspired to. In order to implement these virtues in his life he devised a "Plan for Self Examination", a program whereby he focused his attention, one virtue at a time, for one week at a time, rotating through the entire list four times a year. He kept a detailed log of the actions he took to develop the virtues in himself, along with his personal results. The article I've read adapted Franklin's concept and called it the Ben Franklin Rotation Program. At any point in time, you will have in place a program for improving every one of your critical factors. But in any given week, your primary attention will be on only one factor.

Using Franklin's principles, at the beginning of each week, focus your mind - or collective mind of your management team - on improving that week's factor. What new actions can you take, what new attitudes can you adopt, what new or renewed approaches are available - which will enhance your performance in that one specific area? Do that "thing" wholeheartedly for the entire week. Franklin also shows us how to track your progress in this venture. Create a score sheet detailing your Critical Success Factors. This sheet should detail each factor, its measurements, your current 1-10 rating and your target rating, along with your next action steps for improving that rating. Each factor also gets a weight, which enables you to develop an overall score. Each week, re-rate all the factors on the score sheet, and graph your progress. You may also graph the overall score. Publish the score sheet and the graphs. You can establish a reward system based on individual progress, or, using the factor weights, you can develop a bonus structure which incentivizes total progress.

This simple system will focus your attention on improving each one of your critical success factors. With carefully selected factors, you insure both rapid performance increases and balance in your company.


Critical Success Factors therefore produces results that express the needs of the enterprise clearly and (hopefully) completely. In addition it also allows us to measure success and prioritize goals in a sensible way. CSFs when used together with traditional usage scenarios, ensures that the needs of both the user and the enterprise are being met.

References:

http://www.paullemberg.com/criticalfactors.html

http://www.w3.org/2002/ws/arch/2/04/UCSFA.ppt