ANALYSIS

This section has a total of 12 marks allocated to it, which are spread out amongst its different aspects. The vast majority of the work in this section is based upon discovering how the present (old) system provides a solution to the problem. However, there will inevitably be some extra comments made about the added requirements or wishes of potential users for the new system.

ANALYSIS - Identify a Problem

This sub-section has a total of 4 marks. The marking points are hierarchical but this time instead of adding statements every mark, words like ‘list’ are replaced by words like ‘describe’.

1 mark

• Identify a problem.
  • The candidate must provide evidence that they have identified a problem. If they are not attempting to solve a problem that they have decided upon, they have to include in their work a list of problems and on it they will indicate their choice.
• Outline the nature of the problem.
  • Candidates will make a list of the problems, which are being faced by the user of the current system. Throughout, the “user” of a system should be thought of as the person who operates the system e.g. a salesperson using a system to assist a customer and not the customers themselves. One such problem could be the user has difficulty in knowing whether she has cars of a certain colour in stock.

2 marks

• Outline the user’s requirements.
  • The candidate makes a list of features of a system which the user requires. The candidate might list features which the user needs to be able to find out easily e.g. if there are any arctic blue cars in stock. Another feature is the ability to find the phone numbers of customers who want a particular car when it comes into stock. Several of these points would need to be made by the candidate.

3 marks

• Describe the nature of the existing problem.
  • More detail has to be given to each item on the list of problems being faced by the user of the current system. One example, although there would have to be several, could be a description of how each part of the current system operates such as how the user currently looks for all the red cars.
• Describe the user’s requirements.
  • Some detail has to be given to the list of the owner’s requirements. This will go further than just saying that the user needs to be able to find all the red cars. It means that in addition the candidate has to say what information about the red cars the user will have to give out once she finds them.

4 marks

• Identify a complex problem.
  • The type of problem identified must require:
    • at least two different types of software to produce the solution
    • the transfer of data, NOT by “cut and paste” between the two or more packages.
  • It is clear that the definition of the problem above requires, as an absolute minimum, a database and a word processor. Also, this requirement must be part of the problem and not commented on as one of the parts to be developed within the solution. (i.e. the problem is complex, not the solution)
• Describe the nature of the existing problems.
  • This is much the same as for 3 marks but all aspects of the problem must be considered.
• Describe the user’s requirements.
  • Again this is much the same as for 3 marks but for all aspects of the problem.

ANALYSIS - Use Methods of Collecting Information

This sub-section has a total of 4 marks. The marking points are hierarchical but this time instead of adding statements every mark, words like ‘list’ are replaced by words like ‘describe’.

1 mark

• Collect information from potential users.
  • Candidates have to provide evidence that they have used at least one method of collecting information from potential users of a system. This could take the form of interviews with owners of car showrooms or letters sent to them. They must include the information they have collected such as replies to letters, completed questionnaires and transcripts of interviews and documents they have gathered which are currently used by the showroom.

2 marks

• Collect information from potential users and describe the method used.
  • Candidates now need to describe how they obtained their information. They will describe the interview, letter or questionnaire and how it was used to obtain information as well as describing what information they were seeking.

3 marks

• Collect information from potential users, describe the method used and suggest alternatives.
  • Candidates must describe alternative methods of collecting information. This will include the methods which they did not use.

4 marks

• Collect information from potential users, and justify the method used, compared with alternatives.
  • Candidates must explain the disadvantages and advantages of their own and alternative methods. This will give them the basis for explaining why their choice was the most suitable.

ANALYSIS - Identify the Inputs, Outputs and Processing Required

This sub-section also has a total of 4 marks. This time each marking point is an extension of the one above, but again it is essential for candidates to get each marking point before they move onto the next one. Within the Analysis section, the candidate should document a number of specific tasks their system will be expected to perform.

1 mark

• List the inputs, outputs and processing required.
  • The inputs will be the type of queries that customers might make to the salesman in the car showroom. For example, one might be ‘Have you any red Fords?’
  • A list of the outputs will then need to be made. These will be the details the salesman needs to retrieve from the system in order to answer the queries listed above.
  • A list of the processing requirements of the current system will need to be made. This will be a list of the methods used by the salesman to find the information from the current system in response to the customer query.

2 marks

• Describe the inputs, outputs and processing required.
  • This is an extension of the 1-mark requirements in as much as some detail is required. Candidates need to do this for all the possible situations they can think of. Not just customer queries but the other aspects to the problem as outlined in the introduction above.

3 marks

• Suggest a system specification for the solution.
  • This will be a list of the hardware and software which the candidate intends to use in order to solve the problem, accompanied by a commentary indicating why certain items are suitable for the system being developed. At this stage brand names do not need to be mentioned, just the types of software they intend using for the different aspects of the solution.

4 marks

• Justify a system specification for the solution compared with alternatives.
  • Candidates must compare their proposed system with possible alternatives, i.e. different hardware specifications and a possible choice of integrated software or different named packages for each part of the solution.