Phases and Scope of Structured Methodologies: 
The modification and development of Information Systems 
in present day organisations is a dynamic and sometime 
controversial activity. The steps recommended by 
Structured Methodologies in building Information Systems 
consists of a set of iterative activities referred to as the 
System or Project Life Cycle. These activities are grouped 
in Phases. 
The Major Phases are: (see also Figure 2) 
[A] - Systems Strategy and Planning 
[B] - Systems Analysis 
[C] - Systems Design 
[D] - Systems Realisation 
  
SYSTEM STRATEGY & PLANNING 
[A] 
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
resource limits : time, costs, personnel, infrastructure 
and facilities. 
It consists mainly of a Definition Study and of a Feasibility 
Study. 
[B] - System Analysis Phase: 
As objective, this phase seeks to make a detailed appraisal 
of the existing System in the organisation, and to develop 
alternative conceptual solutions for the new System. 
[C] - System Design Phase: 
Objectives here include selecting engineering design 
needed to implement the System, specifying changes to 
existing programmes and databases, and specifying 
detailed user procedures that describe how they would use 
the System. The phase consists of Global and Detail 
design. 
(Obsolate) Linear Cycle Phases 
Without Iterations (Waterfalf) 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Figure 2 System Development major Phases and Life Cycle 
[A] - System Strategy and Planning Phase: 
Considered as the most important phase it has as 
objectives to define the problems to be solved using as 
terms of reference: 
project goals : needs and important sub-system(s) 
project bounds : System boundaries and relation 
between the organisational strategy and 
IT, and 
[D] - Realisation Phase: 
This can be seen in two perspectives: Implementation and 
Installation; and Operation/Maintenance. As objectives, it 
aims to turn to fruition, all that had been put down on paper 
in previous phases and to ascertain how worthy the whole 
project was. 
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