Introduction
Summary
What Constitutes a Business System?
Analysis and Design can be focused and brief
Investigate and identify problems, opportunities and objectives
Analyze current systems and document requirements
Present findings and alternatives

Designing the improved system
Once decisions have been made about what issues will be addressed and alternative solutions have been selected, these are consolidated into a description of the proposed new system.

The proposed new system might require the development of custom software like a database. It may only require that new forms or procedures be created, or some combination of possible solutions. The goal is to meet business objectives and to address the issues identified.

If the System Proposal calls for new procedures, forms, etc. then any specific details not previously identified must be fleshed out, and documentation created, reviewed and approved.

The scope of the project will dictate how to proceed from this point. If the System Proposal identifies an off-the-shelf software product then the design will be relatively fixed and we can move on to the implementation phase. It should be noted that for most established fields, off-the-shelf software could meet 80 – 95% of the needs of an organization, and this option should be considered before committing to a custom application development project.

If custom application development is required, the System Proposal must be converted into a form that communicates the requirements of this application to programmers in a non-ambiguous way. Data entry procedures, the user interface, reports, control and backup procedures, and the data structure of the application must be defined such that no critical detail is left out, or left to the interpretation of a programmer who may not be intimately aware of the needs of the organization. The results of this level of detailed application description are called ‘program specification packets’ and may contain input and output layouts, file specifications, processing details, decision trees or tables, data flow diagrams, a system flowchart, and any legacy code that can be used as a starting point. The analyst may require additional tools to communicate an accurate description of the logic and business rules of the application to programmer(s).

Again, the level of detail provided here will depend on the scope of the project and executive direction. Large, complex development projects may require significant details prior to beginning programming. More simple applications, or applications that evolve over the course of time, or that may be developed based on existing systems, could conceivably require no more than the statement of goals, objectives, and requirements contained in the System Proposal. As long as the owner of the system is aware of the trade-off between the level of detail and the short and long-term costs involved, the design process can be adjusted accordingly.

Developing, documenting, and testing the custom application
Implementing, evaluating and maintaining the new system