• Analysis

• Design

• Constructing the Solution

• Testing

• Installation and Conversion

• Review and Maintenance

• In an iterative method a project is broken down into sub-tasks.(1)

• Each subtask is taken through the development life cycle in a cyclic way until it is complete (1).

• The iterative method allows loop back during the life cycle when requirements are changed or added (1).

• Each subtask can be developed in detail before the whole requirement is agreed (1)

• At the start of the project the client’s requirements are fixed and then cannot be changed. 
• The deliverables, which are documents or systems that will be given to the client at each phase of the project, will be agreed by the client and the project team at the start of the project. 
• The project manager can plan each phase of the project with certainty because the requirements and deliverables are fixed and cannot change. 
• The project is broken down into a sequential set of phases (or stages) (analysis, design, construction, testing, installation & conversion and review & maintenance). 
• Once a phase has been signed off it will not be repeated. 
• At the end of each phase the client will have a review to check the quality of the deliverables and if they are OK will sign them off  and will also give approval to proceed to the next phase of the project.

six stages of testing

1. Module /unit testing - testing the individual sections of the software 
2. Integration testing - the modules are combined (put together) one at a time and debugged
3. functional testing - intended to test the operation of the system and may pick up errors that were missed previously
4. systems testing - tests the complete, integrated solution in preparation for user testing
5. user testing - is where actual users of the system will put it through its paces and offer their comments
6. operational tesing - conducted in the actual environment in which the solution will be working OR in a SIMULATED environment

1. Corrective - corrects any errors that were missed during testing
2. Adaptive - is altering the system to meet the new requirements of an organisation (e.g. changes to legislation or security threats)
3. Perfective - Tweaking the system to make it as efficient as possible

Document management systems

Def: Used to store paper based documents electronically (1).   Documents were scanned and stored as image files, with keywords, authors and other data similar to a library system (1) which are easy to search for (1) links can be set up making it easy to cross-reference between documents (1)

Ex: Some organisation (e.g. insurance companies) receive paper documents in many different forms DMS is used to digitise them by scanning them in and organising them

Workflow systems

• Def: software that helps organisations analyse and manage business processes (1) and identify possible problem areas that are slowing down the information flow (1) which may affect the efficiency of the organisation.

• Ex: In a call centre workflow management lets managers define activities and allocate staff to them(1) Workflow management systems use databases and networks so each user is given access to the data they need at exactly the right time (1) If a workflow management system identifies a bottleneck or any other problems, Managers can re-allocate team members to do different jobs(1)
  Workflow systems often include document management systems

Systems for collaborative working

• Def: These enable teams to work on one project or activity at the same time (1) Collaborative systems allow parts of the project to be “locked” while individual team members work on that part (1)   

Ex: An example could be where developers are working on systems documentation: while one developer is updating a document, others can read it, but not update it(1).  

Customer relationship management (CRM) systems

• Def:  Customer Relationship Management system records details of all transactions and contacts made with a customer (1) and stores information about them in order to improve the service that a customer receives (1).  CRM software stores the customer data centrally so that the up to date information is available to all departments (1)

• Ex: Loyalty card systems  used by retailers are an example of a CRM system. (1) When purchases are made the customer presents the loyalty card and the CRM systems accumulate points or credit.  The customer data is used to analyse shopping habits and often used to identify "target" customers and for trend analysis

Back office systems

• Def: Back office systems run the internal operations (1)  of an organisation and are not accessible or visible to the general public.  (1)

Ex: An example of a back office system is Accounts.  (1)

Transaction processing systems

• Def: Transaction processing systems carry out the day to day activities of most organisation at an operational level (1) These systems might deal with commercial transactions such as customers buying tickets or paying bills (1) and others involve receiving data such as making bookings, enrolling students etc(1).

Management Information Systems (MIS)

Def: Management Information Systems (MIS) convert data from internal and external sources into information (1). It is then communicated in an appropriate form for managers at different levels  to make decisions (1)

The data that is produced by the lower levels of the organisation all feeds into the MIS, is summarised and presented in forms that are easy for managers to interpret

Ex: For example, the bakery manager in a supermarket chain may require details of past seasonal sales details in order to determine order levels (1

Decision support systems

Def: Decision support systems are high level management information systems used by senior managers to make strategic decisions(1).  

Ex: For example, the Board of a supermarket would require information about competitor activity and likely potential customers before making the decision to open a branch in a new ar

Human Resources systems

Def: Human Resources systems can be used to record personal details of all staff , including start date , qualifications and training  and past employments and experience. Some HR systems are also combined with payroll packages.

Payroll

Def: A payroll system calculates the amount that is owed to employees based on factors such as the time they worked, their hourly wages or salaries.

Ex: Payroll systems carry out tasks that include keeping tracking of hours, calculating wages, withholding taxes and deductions, printing and delivering payslips and paying tax and national insurance to the government.