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Selecting a suitable project approach

1. A construction company has a long history of implementing computer-based information systems to support the work of its branches. It uses a proprietary structured systems analysis and design method. It has been decided to create a computer model of the real estate market. This would try, for example, to calculate the effect of changes in interest rates on the value of the house. There is some concern that the usual methodology used for information systems development may not be appropriate for the new project.

(a) Why might this concern exist and what alternative approaches should be considered?

With traditional business systems analysis, there is usually an existing office procedure that managers hope to simplify somewhat. There are people who understand the details of the jobs currently being done. They can help the analyst establish the precise requirements that must be met. In short, there is a well-defined administrative equivalent of the application to be built.

With a computer model of the real estate market, there is probably no equivalent to a well-defined administrative model. Therefore, analysts will need to seek ideas about how such a model works from a variety of sources. Experts, such as seasoned real estate agents, can contribute their observations, but these are likely fragmentary rules of thumb. The academic literature on economic models could be studied. Ultimately, analysts will likely have to resort to building a prototype of the model. They will then test this to see if it behaves similarly to the real estate market. There is always the possibility that the real estate market behaves in a way that is too complex and inconsistent for a computer model to accurately mimic.

All of this suggests that the “traditional” IS development approach based on a cascading framework would be inappropriate. A more iterative prototyping approach is sensible.

(b) Outline a system development plan that illustrates the application of your preferred methodology for this project.

  • Define objectives: What does the management of the model organization want?
  • Browse existing software solutions and literature on the subject. Has anyone done this yet?
  • Consult experts. JAD (joint application development) sessions are mentioned in the text as a possible approach. There are many other techniques for obtaining relevant knowledge from experts in the field that should be considered.
  • Based on the above, develop an initial design prototype.
  • Build a prototype.
  • Give it a try, probably using actual data from the recent past; you can compare the results of the model with what actually happened.
  • Analyze the causes of discrepancies; modify the model and rerun.
  • Stop this cycle when time is up or there are no significant improvements.
  • Perform a general validation of the model’s accuracy, ease of use.

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