Implementing SSADM into the Organization

Implementing SSADM into the Organization

1.Management Summary

Structured Systems Analysis & Design Method, SSADM, is a widely used computer application development method in the UK, where its use is often specified as a requirement for government computing projects. When launched in 1981, it was commissioned by the Central Computing and Telecommunications Agency, CCTA, in an attempt to standardise the many and varied IT projects being developed across government departments. Since then, SSADM has been even further refined and version 4 was launched in 1990. It is considered to be an open standard methodology that is freely available for use across the industry and one that many companies offer support and training for.

SSADM has a highly structured and even complex approach to the analysis and design phases of IT projects. Having been first adopted by UK government departments in the early 1980s, it soon proved popular within other organisations as its flexible and individually tailored methods came to light.

SSADM is very rich in techniques, providing ways to specify every element of a system from the database right through to business processes and the user interface. It can also be highly complex and therefore perform too slow for use on many projects, particularly where a rapid solution is needed. Having said that, SSADM was always intended to be flexible and tailored to the needs of individual projects.

2.Proposed Development Method

The SSADM methodology follows a standardised Waterfall Model approach to information systems development in the sense that it divides into stages the application development project into modules, steps and tasks and provides a framework for describing projects in a fashion suited to managing the project. This assures that each phase has to be completed and subsequently signed off before each phase begins. Due to its highly structured approach and complexity...