Chapter One

1. An overview of System

The word System is derived from Greek word Systema, which means an organized relationship
between any set of components to achieve some common cause or objective.

A system is “an orderly grouping of interdependent components linked together according to a

plan to achieve a specific goal.”

A system must have three basic constraints:

 A system must have some structure and behavior which is designed to achieve a
predefined objective.
 Interconnectivity and interdependence must exist among the system components.
 The objectives of the organization have a higher priority than the objectives of its
subsystems.
For example, traffic management system, payroll system, automatic library system, human
resources information system.

2. Properties of a System
A system has the following properties:

Organization: Organization implies structure and order. It is the arrangement of components that
helps to achieve predetermined objectives.

Interaction: It is defined by the manner in which the components operate with each other.

For example, in an organization, purchasing department must interact with production

department and payroll with personnel department.

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Interdependence: Interdependence means how the components of a system depend on one
another. For proper functioning, the components are coordinated and linked together according
to a specified plan. The output of one subsystem is the required by other subsystem as input.
Integration: Integration is concerned with how system components are connected together. It
means that the parts of the system work together within the system even if each part performs a
unique function.
3. Components of a System

Outputs and Inputs:

 The main aim of a system is to produce an output which is useful for its user.
 Inputs are the information that enters into the system for processing.
 Output is the outcome of processing.
Processor
 The processor is the element of a system that involves the actual transformation of input
into output.
 It is the operational component of a system. Processors may modify the input either
totally or partially, depending on the output specification.
 As the output specifications change, so does the processing. In some cases, input is also
modified to enable the processor for handling the transformation.

Control
 The control element guides the system.
 It is the decision–making subsystem that controls the pattern of activities governing input,
processing, and output.
 The behavior of a computer System is controlled by the Operating System and software.
In order to keep system in balance, what and how much input is needed is determined by
Output Specifications.
Feedback
 Feedback provides the control in a dynamic system.
 Positive feedback is routine in nature that encourages the performance of the system.

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  Negative feedback is informational in nature that provides the controller with information
for action.
Environment
 The environment is the “super-system” within which an organization operates.
 It is the source of external elements that strike on the system.
 It determines how a system must function. For example, vendors and competitors of
organization’s environment may provide constraints that affect the actual performance of
the business.
Boundaries and Interface
 A system should be defined by its boundaries. Boundaries are the limits that identify its
components, processes, and interrelationship when it interfaces with another system.
 Each system has boundaries that determine its sphere of influence and control.
 The knowledge of the boundaries of a given system is crucial in determining the nature of
its interface with other systems for successful design.
4. System Concepts
To develop good quality of system software, it is necessary to develop a good design. Therefore,
the main focus on while developing the design of the system is the quality of the software design.
A good quality software design is the one, which minimizes the complexity and cost expenditure
in software development.
The two important concepts related to the system development that help in determining the
complexity of a system are coupling and cohesion.
[Link]

Coupling is the measure of the independence of components. It defines the degree of dependency
of each module of system development on the other. In practice, this means the stronger the
coupling between the modules in a system, the more difficult it is to implement and maintain the
system.

Each module should have simple, clean interface with other modules, and that the minimum
number of data elements should be shared between modules.

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High Coupling

These type of systems have interconnections with program units dependent on each other.
Changes to one subsystem leads to high impact on the other subsystem.

Low Coupling

These type of systems are made up of components which are independent or almost independent.
A change in one subsystem does not affect any other subsystem.

[Link]

Cohesion is the measure of closeness of the relationship between its components. It defines the
amount of dependency of the components of a module on one another. In practice, this means the
systems designer must ensure that –

 They do not split essential processes into fragmented modules.

 They do not gather together unrelated processes represented as processes on the DFD into
meaningless modules.
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The best modules are those that are functionally cohesive. The worst modules are those that are
coincidentally cohesive.

Systems development is systematic process which includes phases such as planning, analysis,
design, deployment, and maintenance. Here, in this tutorial, we will primarily focus on:

 System analysis and

 System design

5. System Analysis

 It is a process of collecting and interpreting facts, identifying the problems, and

decomposition of a system into its components.

 System analysis is conducted for the purpose of studying a system or its parts in order to
identify its objectives.

 It is a problem solving technique that improves the system and ensures that all the
components of the system work efficiently to accomplish their purpose.

 Analysis specifies what the system should do.

6. System Design

 It is a process of planning a new business system or replacing an existing system by

defining its components or modules to satisfy the specific requirements.

 Before planning, you need to understand the old system thoroughly and determine how
computers can best be used in order to operate efficiently.

 System Design focuses on how to accomplish the objective of the system.

System Analysis and Design (SAD) mainly focuses on:

 Systems
 Processes
 Technology