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Running head: IMPLEMENTA= TION PHASE OF ENTERPRISE-LEVEL SYSTEMS
Implementation Phase of Enterprise-Level Systems
Implementation Phase of Enterprise-Level Systems
The Implementation Phase of an Enterprise-level System desig= n is the phase in the SDLC where all planning and design comes to fruition. “This Phase will provide users with the documentation and training re= quired to use the system effectively” (Government of British Columbia Information Management Branch, 2001). In this paper= , I will examine the Build and Implementation Phases, while focus= ing on a specific CASE Tool used for system development.
The CASE tool I will focus on is Oracle’s Designer/2000 software product as described by Dr. Paul Dorsey and Peter Koletzke. In developing a process that fits with Designer/2000, Dr. Dorsey and Mr. Kolet= zke re-designed the traditional SDLC. As they describe it, “We found the basic steps of the CASE design process too broad. Therefore, we have added = the transition steps of Pre-Analysis and Pre-Design to the basic methodolog= y as well as including Implementation in the overall process. We have named our expanded CASE method, CADM (CASE Application Development Method), pronounced cad-em” (Dorsey & Koletzke, 2000). Although Designer/2000 and CADM are relevant to the Enterprise-level System design as a whole, this paper will focus on the Build and Implementatio= n Phases.
The Build Phase = of Enterprise-level System Development “deals with the development, unit testing and integration testing of the application modules, screens, and reports. In addition, this Phase addresses the preparation and establishmen= t of the technical environment for development, testing and training of user representatives” (Governmen= t of British Columbia Information Management Branch, 2001). This phase is the precursor to the Implementation Phase, and thus is very important to succes= sful implementation of the finished system.
Using Designer/2000, this phase should flow smoothly, assumi= ng the previous phases are complete in a like fashion. With information provided f= rom previous phases, the developer begins the actual coding that will become the final system. In addition, documentation of the system and its operations develop. “This Phase is usually carried out in parallel with the development of user procedures and user documentation from the Implementati= on Phase. Both of these will be required for module testing, upon the completi= on of the Build Phase” (Govern= ment of British Columbia Information Management Branch, 2001).
The final deliverables of the Build Phase are the database a= nd applications ready for testing. Oracle’s Designer/2000 helps the data= base building along by providing the developer with material from previous SDLC phase. “Database building involves direct generation using Designer/2= 000. All triggers and data structures can be kept within the physical model in Designer/2000, so the building of the database is a straightforward operation” (Dorsey & Koletzke, 2000). The database provides the backbone of the new system, = and must meet all system requirements as determined in the previous phases.
Typically, the applications designed for user-access to the database develop in parallel with the database. The developer has several software options to choose from when designing the application. However, on= ce again, Designer/2000 offers its own solutions, should the developer choose = to go this route. “The exact activities you perform in Designer/2000 dep= end on your choice of products for the application modules. If you decide to use Oracle Developer/2000 Forms, Reports and Graphics for the product set, the Designer/2000 generators can give you a quite complete set of working modul= es which may or may not need modification after generation” (Dorsey & Koletzke, 2000). <= /p>
In the traditional SDLC, the Build Phase ends with a test of= the applications and database. Sometimes, the Testing Phase occurs at the begin= ning of the Implementation Phase. “Individual system components that successfully completed unit and integration testing during the Build Phase = are now subjected to a more rigorous system and acceptance testing, as defined = by the testing plans” (Governm= ent of British Columbia Information Management Branch, 2001). In either case, a test of the applications and database completes before implementation begin= s.
However, Dr. Dorsey and Mr. Koletzke feel this test is typic= ally inadequate, and so they have a separate Testing Phase in CADM. “Testi= ng is one of the most important but usually most poorly conducted phases in the system design process. The key to proper testing is to use multiple tests. = No single test, no matter how carefully conducted, will find all of the errors= in a system” (Dorsey & Kol= etzke, 2000). To this end, they cite several testing methods to elicit the most complete results. “To achieve this goal, you must perform unit-level tests application by application. The testing process should be meticulous,= using test data, automated testing scripts, code walkthroughs, and interviews with the system developer. You also must perform overall database-level checks” (Dorsey & Kolet= zke). By the end of the Testing Phase, the new database and applications are read= y for implementation.
There are several methods for implementing a new system at t= he enterprise-level. One such method is a phased approach, whereby the implementation of the new system is module-by-mod= ule to ensure compatibility and reliability. This careful approach is time consuming. However, this seeming disadvantage is an advantage for those nee= ding to learn the new system. Another advantage to this approach is the focus of= the developer on one module at a time, ensuring it is working correctly before = proceeding to the next.
Another method of implementing a new enterprise-level system= is the parallel method. In this method, the new system exists at the same time= as the old system. “In most cases, running the new system in parallel wi= th the legacy system requires double entry into both systems while the bugs are being worked out” (Dorsey &= amp; Koletzke, 2000). The largest advantage to this method involves the reliability of existing data until all of the bugs work themselves out of t= he new system. However, there are several large disadvantages to this method. = One being the labor required to maintain two systems at once, along with the confusion encountered by users when using two systems at once. Organizations requiring the safety net for sensitive information prefer this method. Nevertheless, it is a costly and time-consuming process.
One more solution for implementing an enterprise-level syste= m is the Big-Bang approach. In this = risky endeavor, the old system is simply cut-off, and the new system brought on-l= ine to replace it. “In this approach, there is no turning back. If you use this approach, it is critical that the system is well tested” (Dorsey & Koletzke, 2000). T= he advantage of this approach is the potential time and cost savings in the instant implementation of the new system. The potentially devastating disadvantages involve the complete loss of data, and intense maintenance required as bugs appear.
“While there are no special activities that occur in t= he Implementation phase from the Designer/2000 standpoint, you can produce huge volumes of documentation of all sorts using the Repository Reports tool as = well as reports you come up with based on the Designer/2000 API views” (Dorsey & Koletzke, 2000). T= he documentation automatically created using Designer/2000 is a large help to = the system developer, allowing for the creation of user manuals and code documentation.
In this paper, I have examined the Build and Implementation = Phases of the SDLC by way of Oracle’s Designer/2000. A variance of the SDLC known as CADM, works well with Designer/2000 as it takes advantage of Designer/2000’s features. There are minor differences between the two methods in the Build and Implementation Phases, however CADM fits better wi= th application described.
References
Dorsey, P., & Koletz= ke, P. (2000). CASE Application Development Method (CADM) Using Designer/2000. Retrieved July 8, 2005, from http://ourworld.compuserve.com/home= pages/Peter_Koletzke/white_papers/imeth132.pdf
Government of
Implementation Phase 1