The systems development life cycle: from abstract ideas to concrete reality

¶ … Systems Development Life-Cycle is a framework for an evolution from abstract ideas to a concrete reality

Systems development life-cycle (SDLC) is a structured process of systems development is an evolutionary process that proceeds from a broad concept of information requirements and finally ends into the manufacturing of a product -- development of a new system. From this conception it can be seen that the ideas of SDLC begin to narrow down from an abstract concept to the concrete reality.

In a broad sense, SDLC starts with the following five steps-- investigation, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance. While all of the activities in different steps are interrelated and interdependent, therefore in reality many of these steps run concurrently. However, the critical point cannot be denied that SDLC is an evolution from abstract ideas to the reality.

The first two steps -- systems investigation and systems analysis -- are abstract concepts that deal with finding business problems and opportunities, conducting feasibility studies of the new abstract concept, developing a project management plan, analyzing the information needs, and developing the functional requirements of the systems. All of the above concepts at best can be construed as abstract. However, the systems developers have agreed on the big picture, it is often easier to come to the concrete reality of coming to the development of specifications for hardware, software, network, and data resources, and the information systems of the proposed systems.

For example, in the design process we begin with the prototypes of new applications, that is an iterative process of application development. Development of a prototype is a concrete reality that moves beyond the process of the abstract conception of the SDLC.

As we begin to move even further, the systems development steps begin to be more concrete. For example, in the systems development implementation process, the main tasks become to acquire or develop hardware and software, test the system and train the people so that they can use it, and in the maintenance, the main process becomes to review the process to monitor, evaluate, and modify the systems to fit the tasks of the organization (Blanchard and Fabrycky, 1998).

In the implementation stage, for example, the tasks become to physically acquire, develop, test, document, install, and produce conversion processes for the new systems. This also involves training the end-users in the use of the operations and use of the new systems. It is important that a system be implemented correctly, since even a well-designed system if not implemented correctly will fail, because people will not use it.

In the maintenance stage, the monitoring, evaluating, and modification of information systems is considered important. All of these steps are concrete, since these activities evolve through the evaluation of the a physical system. In using a new system, people need to be trained because all new systems require learning for the people. This is again is a concrete activity.

Besides, maintenance is also necessary because many problems can occur because of the operations of a new system. It becomes essential that when new system is put into the use, its performance should be thoroughly checked and evaluated against the standard. Only when new system's performance is at least as good as the old system's or better than the new system, the new system should be adopted in the organization.