An application of prototyping to management information systems development : a palliative care case study
Date
1993
Authors
Comfort, Julie
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Abstract
Building a management information system that actually satisfies the needs of the users remains a great challenge. This thesis focuses on one of the most difficult tasks in developing such a system, that of accurately determining users' information requirements. Two approaches to requirements determination are reviewed and compared: the traditional system life cycle and the prototyping alternative. As an aid to the prototyping approach, the advantages of using a survey to enhance the process are discussed. An application of the prototyping approach to the Saanich Peninsula Palliative Care Program, with the aid of a survey, is presented.
Prototyping helps to address the two major problems associated with using the traditional approach to requirements determination: 1) The process takes too long, and 2) Complete and accurate system specifications, as defined by the users, are rarely developed the first time. This thesis concludes that prototyping, with the aid of a survey, is an effective and efficient approach to requirements determination when used in situations with high uncertainty of need. By promoting user participation and unambiguous communication, needs are refined through iteration using an active system model. As a result, the prototyping approach can reduce the time required to delineate requirements, and improve the likelihood that the final system will meet the users' needs. The end result is a more useful and successful system.