Many professionals who are working in the field of information system
have different point of views regarding in creating and developing a software
project in any companies and organizations in the world. Because different
professionals in information system have different experiences in developing a
projects, each of them have different strategies or techniques they want to
implement in finishing the given project. Kayak nga kahit na ipagsasama pa ang
iba't-ibang klaseng propesyunal sa isang malaking proyekto ng system development,
hindi talaga maiiwasan na mayroong taliwas na pinaniniwalaan kung anong sistema
o istratehiya ang ipapatupad o gagawin para maging matagumpay sa ginagawang
proyekto ng grupo. Software engineering must not always deal with software
development, but also developing good software by using such available
knowledge with the help of different and various methods and effective use of
tools. There are so many various existing software development approaches, that
are defined and designed that are employed during the development process of
software. There is particular life cycle in each process models that they are
following in order to ensure success in the process of software development.
It is very obvious that the two professionals in information system,
Juan and Pedro, have different point of view regarding their projects on what
they must do to create a new system or only modify the existing system they are
using. It is very difficult to give the two different professionals a project
that they must work on, who have different principles in creating a system
development, because they may always argue in what method they must use to
finish the creation and development of the project. In my own understanding,
these differences of the two professionals can result to argument that can lead
to misconception or missing the objectives of the project. It is very important
that there will be teamwork to be able to work in harmonious way every
individual in the team for the project to have a clear objective of the
project. Between the two professionals
who have different point of view on what methods they must prefer to use to
come up a new and more effective system they must use, I most see the
effectiveness of the method that Juan want to implement in the project because,
as what process of the method he want to implement, I saw the resemblance of
the Waterfall Model method process he was talking about in the conversation
because he wants to review the existing documents of the old system to see any
defects or any improvements and modifications he want to apply in the old
system. In that way, the old system can improve itself to the fullest because
these modifications can enhance more the capabilities of the system that is why
the Waterfall Model method of the system development life cycle is the most
common method, and the first method that a man had created and the predecessor
of the later software development method. Most of the existing system
development models that had created were all derived from the Waterfall Model
method because it has an all well planned process and methods to improve more
the system. That is why the Waterfall Model is very common in all of the
professionals in the information system industry because of its linear method.
Maybe that is the reason that Juan prefer to use the method of Waterfall Model
because it is all well planned process and it can detect the mistakes and any
flaws in the program because of the complexity of the working program, and it
is not in any circumstances that there is always a chance that the program
cannot be effective anymore because of the always changing times and the fast
pace technology in our age. So I discuss everything about the Waterfall Model
to validate the proof that Juan really uses the Waterfall Model to have some
improvements and modifications in the system they are using in the present. The
Waterfall Model is using the development in a sequential software development
model, and seen as flowing steadily downwards through several phases. These are
the following phases in the Waterfall Model that followed perfectly in
sequential order: Requirements specification, System Design, Implementation,
Integration, Testing, Installation, and Maintenance. In Juan's approach in
their conversation with Pedro, he is always specifying in the project that in
the analysis is to first examine the old system and to have a review in the
documents of the existing system. It has some common factors or definitions of
the first phase of the Waterfall Model, the Requirements specification or
System Analysis, from the statement of Juan during the conversation. The
Requirements specification or System Analysis is the gathering of all the
possible requirements of the system to be developed. The requirements also gathered
from the end users because they are the one who is active in the usage of the
system and the finished product of the software development. All of the
requirements gathered are analyzed for their validity and the possibility of
studying the requirements in the system to be developed. In these phase only,
there are so many modifications that can be point out in the problems
specifications. Just like the examination of the old system by Juan, he is
reviewing the documents of the existing system sa kadahilanang kailangan makita
muna ang lahat ng mga problema kailangan resolbahin sa old system para
makapagbigay solusyon and modification of the existing system for it to
properly function in the objectives of the modified system and to catch up the
fast pace technology. Mas gusto ko ang proseso gagawin ni Juan kasi mas
mapadaling baguhin at ayusin kung anong problema ang makikita sa old system
kasi mas mapabuti pa ang modified system sa kadahilanang mas madali itong gawin
dahil mayroon ng foundation kung anong gagawin para mapa-improve ang lahat ng
kailangan baguhin at iimprove sa isang software system kaya mas napabilib ako
sa istratehiya giganawa ni Juan. Pwede rin ginagamit ni Juan ang Reuse model of
the system development model method kasi kagayang kagaya ang sinasabi ni Juan
sa mga salita niya sa proseso ginagamit sa Reuse Model. Because the basic
foundation of the Reuse Model is that the system should be built using the
existing components, as opposed to custom-building new components. The Reuse
Model is obviously suitable to Object-Oriented computing environments, which
have become one of the premieres technologies in the present system development
industry. The use of Reuse Model is that the libraries of software modules are
maintained that can be reuse for the future modification of the system. These
components of the Reuse Model are of two types: the Procedural Modules and the
Database Modules. Every time they are building a new system, the developer or
the creator will borrow a duplicate of a module from the system library and
then plug it into a function or procedure. If the needed module is not
accessible, the developer will build it a new one, and store a duplicate in the
system library for the future use of it. If the modules are well constructed, the
developer with minimum changes can implement them. These are the following
steps that the Spiral Model can verify that Juan really uses this kind of
method in his modification of their existing system. The first is the
Definition of Requirements, then the Definition of Objects, Collection of
Objects, Creation of Customized Objects, Prototype Assembly, Prototype
Evaluation, Requirements Refinements, and the Object Refinement. The Definition
of the Requirements is the initial step in system requirements that are
collected. These requirements are usually a subset of the complete system
requirements. This first process of the Spiral Model is very similar to the
first process of the Waterfall Model, the Requirements specifications and
gathering. This process may have resemblance of the two methods, the Waterfall
Model and the Prototype Model; because it is very important to the development
or modification of the existing system to really discuss and identify the
potential upgrades or development of the old system, or maybe some problems
exist in the usage of that system software. The next process is the Definition
of Objects, this process is using the objects which can support the necessary
system components, and it can be identified. Next is the Collection of Objects,
this process allows the scanning of the system libraries so that it can
determine whether or not the required objects are obtainable. The duplicate of
the needed objects are downloaded from the system. Then the Creation of
Customized Objects is the identification of the objects which of them are
needed, and if the needed function or procedure in the existing library is not
available, then the needed library is created. Then the Prototype Assembly is
the creation of the prototype version of the system or the modification of that
system using the important objects that can be used in the system. Next is the
Prototype Evaluation, the prototype is evaluated to determine if it
sufficiently deal with the customer’s needs and requirements. Then the next process
is the Requirements Refinement, the requirements are additionally refined as a
more detailed version of the prototype is created. Then the last is the Objects
Refinement, the objects are refined to reflect the changes made in the
requirements.
While Pedro is
using the Prototype Model of the system development model method, based on my
understanding about their conversation with Juan because he wants to develop
and implement a new system in their departments. And because some of the
detailed facts he discussed about the creation of the new system is that he
wants to create and develop a new system in the short span of time. That is why
I thought that Pedro wants to use the Prototype Model in the development of a
new software system in his department. The Prototype Model is the development of the
program that is not based on strict planning, but instead it is based on the
response of the end users. Because most of the traditional system development
life cycle are those type of development who have all focused on the developers
and not in the end users. The concept of prototyping has its bases on the
development by creating prototypes after prototypes until the software created
has been perfected. The Prototype Model is building slowly from a simple concept
of what is a program, and the software is updated and tested little by little
in a real time environment. The users have its participation and able to test
and improve the software as what they are created. There are different types of
the Prototype Model of system development life cycle. Each of the different
types has their own advantages and disadvantages but the prototype model has
its purpose in constantly changing until it reaches their intended end users
and functions. There are mainly four types of Prototype Models that is based on
their development planning: The Patch Up Prototype, Non-Operational Prototype,
First of a Series Prototype, and Selected Features Prototype. The first type of
the Prototype Model is the Patch Up Prototype, it is the of Prototype Model
that encourages cooperation in different developers. Every developer will only
work on a specific part of a program, and after each of the developers has done
their part, the integration of the program will takes place and each of the programs
will combine resulting in a whole new program. Patch Up Prototype is a fast
development model because everyone is working on a different field, and if
every developer is highly skilled, there is no need in overlapping in a
specific function of work. The Patch Up Prototype as the type of software
development model that only need a strong and experienced project manager who
can monitor the development of the program. The project manager only controls
the work flow of the developers and ensures there is no overlapping of
functions happened among different developers. The second type of Prototype
Model is the Non-Operational Prototype. The Non-Operational Prototype Model is
only used on a certain part of the program that should be updated. The specific
part of the program will work it could be tested as planned, even though it is
not a fully operational program. The prototype or the main software is not
affected by updates and modifications as the dummy program is applied in the
application. This non-operational prototype is only implemented when certain
problems in a specific part of the program arises, and because the software
could be in a prototype mode for a very long time, updating and maintenance of
specific parts is very important. Then the third type is the First of a Series
Prototype, this is also known as beta version and could be very efficient if it
is properly launched. But even though it is fully functional software, the only
aim of it being in a beta version is to gather feedbacks, and suggestions. This
kind of prototype model could be very successful if it is properly done. And
the last and fourth type of prototype model is the Selected Features Prototype.
It is also a beta version of releasing software but in another form. This
selected features prototype is only introduced in the public the only selected
features or limited access to some important tools in the program. These are
the steps a Prototype Model is using in the process of system development: the
Requirements Definition or Collection, the System Design, Prototype Creation or
Modification, the Assessment, Prototype Refinement, and the System
Implementation. The Requirements Definition or Collection is similar to the
System Conceptualization phase of the Waterfall Model but not as complete as
that process. The data or information collected is typically limited to a
subset of the complete system requirements. In the System Design, once the
preliminary layer of requirements data or information is collected, or new data
or information gathered, it is quickly integrated into a new or existing design
so that it may be doubled into the prototype. The Prototype Creation or
Modification is that the data or information from the system design is quickly
turned over in to a prototype. This may indicate that the creation or
modifications of documents information, new coding process, or modifications to
existing coding. Then the Assessment is that the prototype is presented to the
end user or customers for the review. Comments and suggestions are collected
from the end users or customers. This Assessment is very important in the
creation of new system software because the developer must know the important
details they can get from the reviews of the end users or customers in the
software system they are using in order to relate those suggestions in the
modifications of the working software system. Next is the Prototype Refinement,
the data or information collected from the end users or customers is absorb and
the prototype is improve. The developer must modify the prototype to make it
more effective and efficient. Then the last phase is the System Implementation.
In most cases, the software system is revising once requirements are
understand. Sometimes, the iterative process eventually creates a working system
that can be the foundation for the fully functional system. Each of those
processes is very important to develop a new system in a shirt span time
because it can easily develop a new system using those processes in this
method.
So I conclude that despite of their differences in what method they must
in the software project they working with, I preferably suggest that they might
use the Spiral Model of system development method because the Spiral Model
method was designed to include the best features from the Waterfall Model and
the Prototyping Model, and they also introduce a new process in this latest
method, the risk assessment. This risk assessment is new to this Spiral Model
because it assesses the potential risk of the process they are taking in the
development of the project. The term spiral is describing the process that is
followed as the development of the system take place. This Spiral Model is very
similar to the Prototyping Model because the initial version of the system is
developed, and then repetitively modified the based input of the receiving part
from the customer evaluation. But the Spiral Model is not that similar in all
aspects of the Prototyping Model because the development of each version of the
system is with awareness of the designed using the steps involved in the
Waterfall Model. With each repetitive step around the spiral is more complete
versions of the system are built. I can also suggest that they can also use the
new software development method of Creating and Combining Model because this
type of system development model has all the foundation of the previous model
that had been created in the previous times and it can also be useful if the
some individuals or teammates who are arguing of some aspects regarding the methods
they must use in the development of the system software. In many cases, some
parts and processes from various system development models are integrated to
support systems development. This happens for the reason that most models were
designed to provide a framework for achieving success only under a certain set
of conditions. When the conditions change away from the limits of the certain
model on what is using, the outcome from using it are no longer predictable.
When this circumstance occurs, it is sometimes important to change the existing
model to contain the change in conditions, or implement or combine the
different system development models to accommodate the new conditions. The
choice of a suitable system development model’s turning point mainly on two
factors, the organizational environment and the nature of the application.
Frank land, from the London School of Economics, recommends that the suitable
approach to system design, system analysis, system development, and system
implementation could be based on the connection between the information systems
and its organizational environment. That is why some of the arguments on the
conversation between Juan and Pedro can be pointed out in the combining of
their ideas on what system development method they must use to have some
peaceful and workable team they can work on. The later development of some
software development model method can be very useful in some point on a certain
project because in the industry of information system, the technologies are in
fast pace changing in organizational environment and the needs of the customers
of a faster finished product of new system software that the developers are
creating or developing in their industry.
References:
http://it.toolbox.com/wiki/index.php/Prototyping_Model
http://www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/reports/survey_of_sysdev/survey_of_sysdev.pdf
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