Modern Systems Analysis and Design: Fourth Edition

Complex, challenging, and stimulating, this book addresses information system analysis and design;; it is full of information that shows the organizational process that a team of business and systems professionals use to develop and maintain computer-based information systems. It stresses the importance of responding to and anticipating problems through innovative uses of information technology. The book provides an excellent foundation for systems development, then goes on to making the business case, analysis, design, implementation and maintenance. For future systems analysts, or for those information technology that need a great resource for implementing new ideas and strategies for success.

NEW OR EXPANDED CONTENT COVERAGE TO KEEP YOU ON THE LEADING EDGE...

• Increased focus on "make versus buy" and systems integration. More and more systems development involves the use of packages in combination with legacy applications and new modules. Chapter 11 shows how companies deal with these issues.
• Coverage of Internet-based systems. The authors have redesigned the distributed systems design chapter (now Chapter 16) to also address Internet-based application design topics not covered in the other chapters: They cover Internet application design standards, how to maintain site consistency, security issues, and data warehousing, among other topics.
• Expanded coverage of process modeling techniques. Chapter 8 now includes an introduction to business process modeling and functional hierarchy modeling as alternatives to data flow diagramming. These three process-modeling techniques are compared so you know when to use each in practice.
• Unlike other SAD texts, Modern Systems Analysis and Design has continually offered strong coverage of RAD — an important element in systems design.

Expanded and updated coverage of systems analysis as a profession
Updated coverage of codes of conduct and new material on how systems professionals approach business problems with ethical considerations. Updated information on career paths with the latest information gathered from professional societies.

Net Search Exercises
New margin icons for Net Search exercises on the Web site can be found in every chapter. The icon signals when a topic in the text has a corresponding Net Search exercise on the Web site. You can access the exercise from http://www.prenhall.com/hoffer and e-mail your findings to your instructor

Integration of Electronic commerce into the running cases
One of three fictional running cases in the text, Pine Valley Furniture, is a furniture company founded in 1980, that now, in the Third Edition, has decided to explore electronic commerce as an avenue to increase its market share. Broadway Entertainment Company, Inc., BEC, a fictional video and record retailer, is a project case that allows you to study and develop a Web-based customer relationship management system.