Software System Development Process

Software Systems development requires an organized, step by step approach. The steps should be natural and have well-defined results. The completion of each step should provide a check-point where it can be determined whether the next step can be carried out or not.

The Conception Phase starts as someone, the user or anyone else, recognizes a problem or an opportunity, which has a data processing solution. The systems analyst and the user meet to develop information, mainly description of the problem or opportunity, goals, benefits and project scope.

The Initial information of the Conception Phase are generally recorded in a document called Project Request Form, whatever be its format. In the Conception Phase face to face discussion with the user is the best way to collect the true and exact facts.

Since users mostly can't explain their problems properly, the systems analyst must have interviewing skills. He should know what questions to ask. Thus Conception and Initiation are the preliminary phases involving a lot of queries, and interviewing those people who will be using the system. As stated earlier, one has to know what questions to ask to bring out the exact requirements. Users are not always very clever in expressing what they actually need.

Goals to be achieved and benefits to be derived from the software system must be well defined and documented. It will show whether the solution is adequate or not. A systems analyst should have a reasonably good understanding of the user's business and particularly the functional area for which the system is to be developed.

Sources from which information have been derived should be properly listed.

Benefits should be quantified in terms of money and should be listed in a sequence such that the first one is the easiest one to quantify.

A rough estimate of the project development cost is necessary against which the money values of the benefits are to be compared.

All the departments & sections as well as personnel that will be affected by the software system are recorded to determine the size of the project.

'User' is the manager, lowest in the organization, to whom all affected areas report.

Analysis and design are the two most vital phases, which can ensure a long life of the software.

Analysis part is all about understanding and ascertaining what the system is supposed to do.

In involves preparation of the Context Analysis Diagram,
Data Flow diagram, top level as well as lower level ones,
identifying external entities involved with the system, like the departments affected by the system or outside people,
processes that are required to convert raw data into processed data,
which then becomes usable, meaningful information for the user,
blowing up the processes to identify the sub-processes existing within the major (top level) processes, and identifying the data structures that are required to be updated by the various processes.
converting processed data into meaningful, understandable data, properly formatted and printed or shown on the screen,

Design part is supposed to take care of how the system should perform all that has been ascertained in the Analysis part. It involves preparing structure charts, module specifications, logic involved, checks and validations that need to be incorporated, taking care of interfaces with other systems, and exporting or importing data to or from other systems.

Building a software is a costly affair. A company cannot build it from the scratch every year, though upgradations are always done according to the changes that take place in course of time. So a long life of the software is very essential. Another very vital thing is the changeability of the software system,.... how far and how long it can undergo changes. The more flexible it is, the longer will be its life. So its development cost will automatically be spread over a long period,....seven to ten years... thereby lowering the yearly charge. Changeability totally depends on the Design part..... how the individual modules of the software are related to one another, and how far the modules are independent. The more independent a module is, the less will be chances of other modules getting affected by a change made in one particular module. More the changes a system can take, the more will be its life and the more beneficial it will be for the company using the software.

Another very vital thing is designing the database structure, and individual data file structure. There are rules and principles to do that. This also affects the changeability of the system. A poor database structure will make the system too rigid, ....life span will not be more than four years. It has to be scrapped after that period.

Then comes the Construction Phase when the actual programming work, building up the data files and the database, syntax and logical testing etc. are done. Interactions with the user are necessary, as and when required.

At the end comes the System Testing part when tests like Stress Testing, Volume testing, Data Validation Check Testing etc. are done.

This completes an overview of the system development process.

Economic Functions of the Government

The functions that a modern government should perform basically hover around securing freedom from want and better working conditions. The functions that a modern government is expected to perform can be categorized under the following eight heads.

1. Securing Full Employment

In any modern day economy unemployment is a serious problem. One who is unemployed has to depend upon others to satisfy his basic economic wants. He cannot afford to raise his standard of living, which always remains low. This way he remains frustrated also. Unemployment in a large scale leads to social and other kinds of disorders. A country facing large scale unemployment thus wastes a lot of its human resource, which is the most valuable of all economic resources.

There may also be under-employment and disguised unemployment. These are also equally bad as unemployment. Unemployment leads to low income, low effective demand, and low level of national income.
The government should take up more public works and make fresh investments in areas like building of roads, bridges, dams etc. This will create employment for many. Also the government can induce private investors to invest in new areas by lowering the cost of investment, primarily interest rate, and by providing better infrastructural facilities.


2. Improvement of the Standard of living

Everybody wants better food, better clothes, better housing and the like. All economic policies of the government should be directed towards the fulfillment of these wants. Endeavours by the government to create fresh income for the people will ensure improvement in the standard of living. Increasing the per capita income seems to be the objective here.

In less developed countries development of the agricultural sector is of great importance as a large number of workers engaged here have primarily a low level of income. Development of the industrial sector, transport, commerce, foreign trade also helps to improve the overall standard of living of a country.

Ensuring a sustainable level of investment seems to be the goal with scope for future growth. This will go a long way in fulfilling the desires of the people.

3. Reduction of Inequalities in Income and Wealth

Uneven distribution of income and wealth can be seen in almost every country in varying degrees. When wealth and income gets concentrated in the hands of a few, it becomes a very harmful thing for every economy and society.

Redistribution of income and wealth is absolutely necessary from time to time, and its duty lies with the government. The government can do this by revising the tax system, thereby collecting more taxes from the rich and giving tax relief to the poor. Excess tax collected from the rich can be spent by the government to provide free education, free medical facilities, low cost housing etc. to the poor. Ensuring minimum level of wages, giving foods at a subsidized price are some other measures through which the inequality can be eliminated to some extent. However, in a free economy some level of inequality will always be there.

4. Keeping the Value of Money Stable

A stable price level is always necessary for the well being of the people of a country as well as for its economy. Rising price level reduces the real income in the hands of people. They can buy less things with their income. Income does not increase at par with rises in price level. So rising level of prices affects the living standards of middle class and the poor.

When prices fall, producers start producing less to curtail the supply with an expectation that it will bring the price level up again.

Through adoption of various fiscal and monetary measures a government can keep the price level steady to a great extent, though some fluctuations will always be here. Fiscal and monetary measures help to keep the value of money stable.

5. A Stable Currency and Banking System

Money is the central element of every economy. In order for the economy to function healthily a good, stable currency system is necessary. This is connected with the banking system of a country, which handles the major portion of the currency. A government should ensure a sound banking and currency system so that the economy can function smoothly.

6. Controlling Monopolistic Practices

Monopoly is harmful for the society as well as the economy. Consumers get exploited by it as they have to pay higher prices charged by the monopolists. Monopolists can control affairs unfairly by paying lower wages to workers and thereby increasing their profit. This promotes income inequality. So it is the duty of the government to curb the growth of monopoly.

7. Better Terms and Conditions

As labourers are poor, they cannot bargain with their employers. So they somehow have to accept the terms and conditions of work laid down by the employer. Such terms and conditions may at times be unfavourble for the labourers. Here the government must step in and make laws in order to protect the interests of the labourers. There should be laws to govern the pay, the working conditions as well as the welfare and other benefits of the workers.

8. Social Security

Financial insecurity is in itself a very serious thing that affects everyone. When there is sickness, accident, death or unemployment, the poor finds it very difficult to tackle the situation. They do not have savings to fall back upon. In such situations it is the duty of the government to come to the help of the poor.

A fund is created where the worker, employer and the government contributes. When some worker falls sick, meets with an accident etc. he is provided with a certain amount out of that fund to tackle the situation. Old age benefits, pensions to widows, orphans, maternity benefits, unemployment benefits etc. can also be provided out of this fund. Thus social security eliminates certain insecurities of the poorer sections of the society. In case of social security contributions made by the government is of prime importance as contributions made by the workers and employers are highly inadequate. Governments of developing countries have fewer funds to contribute in this regard.