sarettah
03-25-2005, 12:20 PM
(Note, most methodologies would include this in phase 1. I break it out because if my original phase 1 was done properly then phase 2 flies along kind of self propelled)
Ok, you have been through a bunch of meetings. The designer(s) have milked you and your user group dry. They have done the Vulcan mind meld thing and now every little detail that is in your mind is down on paper. The entire group has agreed on what is being built and what this little gizmo is going to produce.
At this point, the designer(s) get working on the various output definitions. They examine each output that the system will produce and break it down into the atomic particles that make it up. (Basically they know what 'Z' is and now they are figuring out the 'A' through 'Y' part of the whole thing).
They take each atomic particle of the output and figure out where it comes from. Is it a constant ? Is it a computed variable ? Is it an inputted variable ? This is determined by use of some kind of output definition form that lists each and every part of the output. In this phase they determine where atomic particles are used more than once and how to get at that atomic particle to place it on the output.
Utilizing any of various methodologies the designer(s) work from the output and determine what inputs are necessary and what processes have to be applied to an input to arrive at the output.
From this phase emerges:
Workflow diagrams
Database Structure Diagrams
Entity Relationship diagrams
A Data Dictionary
and various other documents describing the system.
Now it is time to go back to the user group and present them with the information they have produced.
It is also at this point that enough information has been gathered to put a fairly accurate time estimate on to the project. Any time estimate received prior to this was at best a SWAG ballpark figure based on previous development efforts, not this development effort. This is the first actual time estimate delivered that is totally based on what is foreseen in this project.
Based on the information presented at this point, You (the visionary) will determine whether to proceed with the project or not (it is also at this point, if I am the designer, that you need to come up with the bucks to pay me for the design phase)
Ok, you have been through a bunch of meetings. The designer(s) have milked you and your user group dry. They have done the Vulcan mind meld thing and now every little detail that is in your mind is down on paper. The entire group has agreed on what is being built and what this little gizmo is going to produce.
At this point, the designer(s) get working on the various output definitions. They examine each output that the system will produce and break it down into the atomic particles that make it up. (Basically they know what 'Z' is and now they are figuring out the 'A' through 'Y' part of the whole thing).
They take each atomic particle of the output and figure out where it comes from. Is it a constant ? Is it a computed variable ? Is it an inputted variable ? This is determined by use of some kind of output definition form that lists each and every part of the output. In this phase they determine where atomic particles are used more than once and how to get at that atomic particle to place it on the output.
Utilizing any of various methodologies the designer(s) work from the output and determine what inputs are necessary and what processes have to be applied to an input to arrive at the output.
From this phase emerges:
Workflow diagrams
Database Structure Diagrams
Entity Relationship diagrams
A Data Dictionary
and various other documents describing the system.
Now it is time to go back to the user group and present them with the information they have produced.
It is also at this point that enough information has been gathered to put a fairly accurate time estimate on to the project. Any time estimate received prior to this was at best a SWAG ballpark figure based on previous development efforts, not this development effort. This is the first actual time estimate delivered that is totally based on what is foreseen in this project.
Based on the information presented at this point, You (the visionary) will determine whether to proceed with the project or not (it is also at this point, if I am the designer, that you need to come up with the bucks to pay me for the design phase)