Testing, evaluating & maintaining→ fifth stage in system development lifecycle

• After new system is implemented, participants must use/keep system correctly
• Aspects of stage continue until new system is developed
• Tasks:
  • Testing to ensure no errors, bugs, meets requirements
  • Ongoing evaluation and trialling using manuals
  • Modification of system

Testing

• Testing and evaluating system to ensure it meets requirements
  • Test data can be used
    • Volume data → tests technical performance by loading the system with large volumes of data at once to see if the system gets overstressed
      • ensures system operates under heavy loads of data
    • Simulated data → Realistic data simulated by a software program to test the performance of the system under many different expected operational conditions
      • impractical to actually get 100 real people to test the system
      • instead simulates many users, connections or different processes are all occurring in different combinations at the same time
      • ensures the system operates under expected real conditions
    • Live data → data from real customers under real conditions to test the actual functionality, accuracy and reliability of a system
      • ensures the system operates under real conditions
• System signed off when it is determined to have met requirements
  • Tested by external organisations to avoid bias (E.g. Developers might prefer their solution, and not address not met requirements)

Checking if original system requirements have been achieved

Evaluating

• To examine system to see if it meets requirements
• 2 factors to consider when monitoring system performance
  • Technical Performance Monitoring
    • Evaluate if system achieves evolving requirements
    • Verifies that requirements will continue to be met. (If data grows, and more storage is needed for example)
  • Finance Performance Monitoring
    • Evaluates if system is achieving economic goals (if it is making profit) has to meat expectations outlined by feasibility study
    • Might not be met cause there is a new competitor in the market, etc.

Trialling and using the operation manual

• Describes procedures participants must follow while using new system
  • May require modifications if the system is changed
• Describes how processes perform different tasks, instead of definitions of each process separately
• Should be:
  • User friendly (easy to understand)
  • Have purpose of system along with who is responsible for what tasks. When the tasks should be completed
  • How to complete the task
  • Security instructions