Development Lifecycle Methodology

The development life cycle evolved from the basic waterfall method--analysis, design, implementation, maintenance--to processes that are iterative and involve overlapping tasks. Some models now involve the user at more than just the requirements definition stage, while other models make use of tools such as prototyping to provide more rapid time-to-market (Kay, 2002).

The development life cycle offers particular benefit to a company such as Acme that is trying both to recover from a period marked by poor customer service and thus customer dissatisfaction as well as implement a computer system that will change many of the internal processes in place at the organization. In order to gain the maximum benefit to the company, the development life cycle should be used to provide a roadmap for the company's change process (O'Connor, 2002).

To some degree, the analysis phase has already been completed, and the design phase can begin with personnel from SmartWin and SAP working together with key Acme participants. The design phase needs to include representatives who understand the business requirements and the flow of data throughout the organization. From these design requirements, the system will begin to take shape.

When determining how to implement the system, it is desirable to run a trial program to ensure that the system--including the hardware and the software--performs as expected prior to "going live" when data can be lost. This means that the company will "run in parallel" for a short period so that key areas do not suffer losses, and this can be difficult for the personnel involved. At the same time, this period is used to identify additional training areas and areas where processes need to be refined.

After the system has been proved, it can "go live" at which time the data is entered in real-time and the company begins to realize the benefits of the system as a whole. During the actual implementation, careful note should be made where modifications might be necessary in processes, in training, or in how information is used in the organization. Companies who fail to properly maintain their system in terms of monitoring and making adjustments per the results are likely to realize few of the benefits that they expected going into the project.

The company should determine which metrics it wants to use to gauge the success of the system and where improvements are needed