Gathering & Modelling System Requirements

This course will provide delegates with the necessary skills and awareness required for them to perform effectively as systems analysts. The analysis techniques taught are tried and tested and are the basis of all the major analysis methods.
The case study is an important feature of the course. It is based on a small zoo and covers a number of the functional areas of the zoo including administration, accounts and animal welfare. The subject matter is totally removed from anything likely to be encountered by delegates in the normal working environment. This helps to avoid pre-conceived ideas and therefore allows concentration on applying
the principles of systems analysis.


Objectives

- To provide delegates with a thorough understanding of the analysis
function and its role in the project life cycle
- To provide delegates with the skills and techniques for them to
approach systems analysis in a structured manner
Who Should Attend?
This course is aimed at those who are new to analysis and require a solid grounding in the skill of gathering and modelling system requirements. It will also benefit those who have been working in this field but have had no formal training in systems analysis.


Prerequisites
Delegates are expected to be computer literate, although no prior knowledge of systems analysis is assumed.


Course Content
Introduction to Systems Analysis
This is an introductory session, which puts systems analysis in context. It introduces the software lifecycle and explains how analysis fits within the lifecycle. In this session delegates are introduced to the concepts of process, data and object modelling.

Gathering Requirements
In this session, the importance of thorough investigation is discussed and delegates are introduced to the various methods of requirement capture, their application, advantages and disadvantages. In particular, the interviewing technique is covered in detail.

Data Modelling (Entity-Relationship Modelling)
This is one of the main sessions on the course and will provide delegates with a full understanding of this important technique. The training will enable delegates to carry out a full data modelling exercise from identification of entities and relationships through to the production of a data structure together with its supporting documentation.

Relational Data Analysis (To Third Normal Form)
This is another approach to data analysis and complements the logical data modelling approach. This is another major session on the course.
As a result of this session, delegates will have a full understanding of the normalisation process through to the production of a fully normalised set of relations.

Process Modelling
This session will provide delegates with sufficient information to enable them to use Data Flow Modelling as an analysis tool. Following this session, delegates will be able to produce a full Data Flow Diagram Hierarchy and will have an understanding of its supporting documentation. Also covered in this session is entity/event modelling and delegates will be given an appreciation of how these modelling techniques fit together.

Object Modelling
This session introduces delegates to the principles of object-oriented modelling. Following this session, delegates will understand the key concepts involved in object-oriented modelling, know how to analyse a problem using object-oriented methods and have an appreciation of the advantages and disadvantages of object-oriented approaches.