4GT Approach

The Fourth Generation Technique (4GT) is based on NPL that is the Non-Procedural Language techniques. Depending upon the specifications made, the 4GT approaches uses various tools for the automatic generation of source codes. It is the vital tool which uses the non-procedural language for Report generation, Database query, Manipulation of data, Interaction of screen, Definition, Generation of code, Spread Sheet capabilities, High level graphical capacity etc.

Like any other models used, the 4GT approach requires the requirement analysis step. Once the requirement analysis is done upto the expectations, its translation into the operational prototype begins. The most important phase in the 4GT approach is the customer developer approach, all the major decisions regarding the implementations, costs and functioning of the system is taken in this phase.

The Fourth Generation Technique (4GT) is usually successful in implementing smaller applications as we can easily switch from the requirement analysis phase to the implementation phase. Prototypes of any applications can be easily developed with the help of the 4GT approach. This prototype helps the clients to give a rough idea of how the system will look when it is done. The 4GT model is very useful approach in small projects but it is not a dominant approach for large software development.

Feasibility study

It is the measure and the study of how beneficial the development of the system would be to the organization. This is known as feasibility study. The measurement of feasibility is known as feasibility study. There are number of aspects which are taken into consideration while the feasibility studies. Firstly the project team is formed then with the help of flowcharts and other forms of documentations the characteristics of the system are identified. The system is evaluated and measured against the expected performance. A suitable candidate is selected for the job and a final report is made and presented to the management for further evaluations.

There are number of steps in the feasibility study, some of them are

1) Forming a team for the specific project and appointing a suitable leader.

2) Preparing layouts and flowcharts of the system.

3) Enumerate the candidate systems.

4) Identify and describe the characters of the candidate systems.

5) Determining the performance of each candidate system with the standards set.

6) Reviewing the performance of the system and performing the cost analysis.

7) Selecting the best candidate for the system and preparing the final report for the management.

As noted earlier number of factors determines the feasibility of the system but the 3 prime factors for the feasibility study are technical, economical and behavioral factors. Feasibility study is important in all the organizations before setting up any system.

prototyping

Information system applications can be best achieved with the help of the Prototyping which helps the developer to create a working model. Prototyping helps to give an idea about the system but it doesn’t contain all the features or it doesn’t perform the necessary functions which are needed for the final system. Stages in the prototyping like the customer evaluations suggest the necessary additions and modifications which are to be made in the system to make it more useful for the users. Prototyping process is said to be an iterative process as it helps to fulfill the needs of the users and customers. As compared with the other models or process Prototyping process can be implemented with less amount of capital. It can be made up using actual paper works or some computer software’s which generate the necessary reports. Following are the steps in Prototyping

Requirement gathering and refinement

The objective and the plans are laid by the customer and the analyst/ developer. They identify the requirements for making the system more feasible.

Develop working model

The user and the developer identify the data which will be needed for the system. They also predict the output that the system will yield. This helps the management to estimate the overall costs for the productions and how profitable the system will be to the organization. In this phase a rough idea of the cost is given by the developer and the tools that will be required for the development of system.

Customer Evaluation

The user actually works on the prototypes in order to evaluate its operations and features. According to the working of the system the user gives positive or negative feedback to the developer.

Review prototype

In this phase a feedback from the user’s side is obtained from users and the required suggestions if any are made by the users. The developer must understand the needs of the uses properly and likewise the necessary modifications.

The prototyping approach is best suited for the smaller organizations where capital is an issue.

Role and Tasks of System Analyst

The primary objective of any system analyst is to identify the need of the organization by acquiring information by various means and methods. Information acquired by the analyst can be either computer based or manual. Collection of information is the vital step as indirectly all the major decisions taken in the organizations are influenced. The system analyst has to coordinate with the system users, computer programmers, manager and number of people who are related with the use of system. Following are the tasks performed by the system analyst:

Defining Requirement: The basic step for any system analyst is to understand the requirements of the users. This is achieved by various fact finding techniques like interviewing, observation, questionnaire etc. The information should be collected in such a way that it will be useful to develop such a system which can provide additional features to the users apart from the desired.

Prioritizing Requirements: Number of users use the system in the organization. Each one has a different requirement and retrieves different information. Due to certain limitations in computing capacity it may not be possible to satisfy the needs of all the users. Even if the computer capacity is good enough is it necessary to take some tasks and update the tasks as per the changing requirements. Hence it is important to create list of priorities according to users requirements. The best way to overcome the above limitations is to have a common formal or informal discussion with the users of the system. This helps the system analyst to arrive at a better conclusion.

Gathering Facts, data and opinions of Users: After determining the necessary needs and collecting useful information the analyst starts the development of the system with active cooperation from the users of the system. Time to time, the users update the analyst with the necessary information for developing the system. The analyst while developing the system continuously consults the users and acquires their views and opinions.

Evaluation and Analysis: As the analyst maintains continuous he constantly changes and modifies the system to make it better and more user friendly for the users.

Solving Problems: The analyst must provide alternate solutions to the management and should a in dept study of the system to avoid future problems. The analyst should provide with some flexible alternatives to the management which will help the manager to pick the system which provides the best solution.

Drawing Specifications: The analyst must draw certain specifications which will be useful for the manager. The analyst should lay the specification which can be easily understood by the manager and they should be purely non-technical. The specifications must be in detailed and in well presented form.