The UK system belongs to Staffordshire which provides a variety of clients in E-commerce system. The main location is in UK but has two other branches in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. Duration of UK system projects is around one month to twenty four months.
The company has problems on system application because they couldn't manage problems or developing them on time. The company should choose new methodology and tools to reducing the costs and increase customer satisfaction.
The current methodology in this case is waterfall model that don't have user involvement and has heavy documentation therefore the whole process takes too long. Developing department included requirement, coding, testing, design and maintenance that some of them are in process in other branch that it cause to lower reflection and revision and cause to more cost and spend time on it. For example when the product process is in testing section it is too difficult and costly to going back to previous section and change some concepts that is not well-thought. The company because of all these problems couldn't able to determine the cost and duration of project exactly.
In waterfall methodology as mentioned just in requirement and developer section discusses with customer and after that till finishing maintenance section the customer is not involved in project.
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Figure
System Development Life Cycle
SDLC is framework that describes the activities performed at each stage of a software development project. The system Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process applies to information system development projects ensuring that all following requirements are met;
All functional
User Requirements
Agency Strategic goals
Objectives
SDLC has different methodologies which have been built to direct process involved; waterfall model was the creative SDLC method (R. Kumar, 2007).
SDLC cycle is shown in figure 2:
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Figure : SDLC Life Cycle (C3ns, 2013)
The advantages of this system are (Taya & Gupta, 2011):
Easy control
Defined phase deliverable well
Clear checkpoints makes review easy
Creates detailed documentation that is valuable for maintenance
The disadvantages are (Taya & Gupta, 2011):
Estimating time and cost is difficult
Process could be too slow
User can't be involved until the end
The programmers couldn't start until the life cycle steps finish
Going back to phase is very costly and difficult
Starting phase before finishing the other is too risky
Changing requirement by received feedback from customers is very difficult
With this disadvantages that mentioned the UK system should change the method to DSDM method.
Dynamic System Development Method
DSDM was created in 1994; it is framework for agile project management and delivery which helping to deliver results faster and more effective. It focuses on the strategic objectives and the provision of additional commercial value, with the control of time, cost, risk and quality management (Craddock, et al., 2012).
This methodology enables developers to have feedback with customers and also it's based on business. This feature assures the project team that they are in right way and they follow and implement a product that it meets the requirement of customers exactly. Also DSDM can be considered as a prototype methodology that concentrated on value and time. Obviously for each company satisfaction of customer is a vital issue that involvement of them in this methodology the company will achieve it (Stapleton, 2009)
DSDM in Agile System
DSDM methodology has five stages (Benjamin & Voigt, 2004)
Feasibility phase
Business phase
Functional model iteration phase
Design and build iteration phase
Implementation phase
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Figure
The Feasibility Phase
In this phase all problems and requirement indicated and by technical team the feasibility of project will be considered and it helps the customers to removing their business problems with creating a system (Coffin, 2006).
The business phase
According to the project find some information about business impact on scope of the project and using that information to guide us in the best way (Coffin, 2006)
Functional model iteration phase
This phase is important phase in DSDM methodology because in this phase the project's prototype will be made. In this phase after making ready the prototype send it to the customers for checking that do this product satisfy all the customers aspect or not and with feedback that they take from customer they improved the product (Coffin, 2006)
Design and build iteration phase
Principles are (Benjamin & Voigt, 2004):
Active user involvement
Empowered to make decision
Focus on frequent delivery of product
Fitness for business purpose is the essential criterion for acceptance of deliverable
Iterative and incremental development is necessary to converge on an accurate business solution
During development all change are reversible
Requirements are base lined at a high level
Testing is integrated throughout the life cycle
A collaborative and co-operative approach between all stake holders is essential
