Page 489 - Using MIS

Q1 How Are Business Processes, IS, and Applications Developed? 457
“Big range.” Zev sounds dubious.
“And, as shown on the fourth page, for reengineering all of our interfaces,
something between $225K and $300K.” James sits back to watch Zev’s reaction.
“Jared, what do you think?” Zev looks at Jared.
“It’s a question of how much we want to spend to position ourselves for the
future, Zev.” Jared knows its Zev’s money and his decision.
“That it is, that it is,” Zev ponders.
“Nicki, what’s your thinking?” Zev moves in his seat to get a better look at her face.
“Xbox could be huge, no doubt about it. And we’d be the first to really get into
that market space.”
“Can you sell this, Michele?”
“Without a doubt. It would be huge. It has to be incredibly exciting, though.
People expect Wow/Now on game devices.”
Zev sits silently for a minute or two. Then he looks back at the group, each person
at a time, as he speaks.
“Nope. I don’t want to do either one. We’re not ready for it. But what I do want to
do is develop an Xbox prototype. Use whatever technology will get you there fastest.
Then I want to try it out . . . not with all the bells and whistles, but enough that we can
see how well this gamer direction will work. Jared, bring me back a plan to do that.
James, I want you there too. Questions?”
Silence around the table until Jared speaks, “Thanks, Zev, we’ll do just that.”

Chapter preview

As a future business professional, you will be involved in the development of new
technology applications to your business. You may take the lead, as Jared has been
doing in developing PRIDE, or you might be an office manager who implements
procedures and trains people in the use of systems such as PRIDE. Or you might
become a business analyst and work as a liaison between users and technical staff.
If nothing else, you may be asked to provide requirements and to test the system to
ensure those requirements have been met. Whatever your role, it is important that
you understand how processes and systems are developed and managed.
We begin in Q1 by clarifying what we’re developing and introducing three different
development processes. Then, in the next series of questions, we’ll go into more
detail for each. In Q2, we’ll discuss business process management, and you’ll learn
how to interpret process diagrams that you may be called upon to evaluate during your
career in Q3. Next, we’ll discuss the stages of the systems development life cycle in
Q4, and then in Q5 summarize the keys to successful SDLC project management. Q6
then presents a newer, possibly superior development process known as scrum, and
we’ll wrap up this chapter in Q7 with a discussion of how information systems careers
are likely to change between now and 2025.

Q1 How Are Business Processes, IS,

and Applications Developed?

Many business professionals become confused when discussing business processes, information
systems, and applications. You can avoid this confusion by understanding that they are different,
by knowing those differences, and by realizing how they relate to each other. That knowledge will
make it easier for you to appreciate the ways that processes, systems, and applications are devel-
oped and, in turn, help you be more effective as a team member on development projects.