Information Engineering - Overview

INFORMATION ENGINEERING: A methodology based on the premise that data, rather than procedures should be the starting point for systems development. Data is regarded as being more stable than procedures.

Planning

Analysis

• Requirements analysis

  • Attempts to define corporate objectives and the information needed to achieve them.

• Information analysis

  • A top-down analysis of the types of data that must be kept and how they relate.
  • This may be done for the whole organisation, or part of it.

• Data modelling

  • Takes Information analysis further and creates a detailed logical database design (data model), and attempts to stabilise this before implementation.

• Procedure formation

  • Identifies actions that use or change data, how actions are related, and the conditions that cause them.
  • This is basis for system/program design.

• Data use analysis

  • Analyses the way data is used, and forms the basis for physical database design.

Design

• Design databases (Identify unique identifiers, Normalise)
• Design processes (Action diagrams, User interfaces,: Menus, screens and reports)

Implementation

• Build database definitions
• Generate applications

[Rev 18/10/98] 8/6/97 © 1997-98 V/2-Com (Verhaart), P O Box 8415, Havelock North, New Zealand.