Question

5. Describe the systems development life cycle (SDLC) methodology in the context of a “real” example. In other words, think about (or imagine) a situation where you proposed the need for a new information system. For this system development effort, describe what happened (or should happen) during the definition, build, and implementation phases.

Answer 1

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model which includes policies and procedures for developing or altering systems throughout their life cycles.

Let us assume that there is a need for a new information system in a company. Now we will discuss about happenings during the phases of SDLC :

DEFINITION PHASE : The definition phase is the most important step in creating a successful information system. During this phase, objectives of information system and the concerned problems are discussed about. Also it involves studying the feasibility of the system. Resources, Costs, Time, Benefits and other items are considered in this phase.

BUILD PHASE : It involves gathering, analysing and validating the information. Build phase also involves defining the requirements and prototypes for new system. Also examine the information needs of end user. It also involves prioritizing the requirements of the users. It is also a very significant phase of SDLC.

IMPLEMENTATION PHASE : This phase comes after a complete understanding of system requirements and specifications. It is the actual construction process. The actual code is written here. The system here is ready to be deployed and installed in customer premise, ready to become running and live. Training may be required for the end users to make them familiar with the system. The implementation phase may take a long time depending on the complexity of users system.