School of Management, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
MN10314 Requirements analysis: tools and techniques |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Certificate |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: CW 30%, EX 70% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: This unit introduces students to the concept of information requirements and to a variety of methods of representing organisational activity. It will complement any studies on other units of software design and development by developing students' understanding of how principles of requirements analysis can be applied to aid the development of information systems in organisations.
Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete the unit will: i) appreciate the organisational needs satisfied by different forms of information system. ii) understand the information requirements of specialist and non-specialist users of information technology. iii) apply a range of techniques for representing information requirements. iv) explain and comment on the meaning of models expressed in common requirements analysis techniques. Skills: Intellectual skills: * Understand the contribution of information systems to organisational activity. (T, F, A) * Understand the principles underlying particular requirements analysis methods. (T, F, A) Professional skills: * Apply common systems analysis techniques to practical problems. (T, F, A) * Set the use of common systems analysis techniques in the context of relevant systems development methodologies. (T, F, A) Practical skills: * Appreciate the nature of an organisational problem and the appropriate analysis technique for representing and addressing it. (T, F, A) * Translate organisational information requirements to practical steps that can be designed into information systems solutions. (T, F, A) Key skills: * Written communication (F, A) * Working in groups (T, F) * Problem solving (T, F, A) Content: * Types of information systems in organisations. * Organisational problems and information systems analysis. * Common requirements analysis techniques and the principles that underpin them: e.g. data flow analysis; entity relationship modelling; object oriented analysis. * Use of analysis techniques within systems development methodologies. * Benefits and limitations of computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools and desktop databases. * Links between requirements analysis and system implementation. |