Abstract :
A method for specification of management information systems and a computer-aided tool for its implementation are presented. The method combines two dominant approaches, representing two different points of view of the specification process: data modeling, as reflected in the entity-relationship approach, and structured analysis. The method is implemented with a computer-aided tool, the Combined Specification System (CSS). CSS has the following goals: (1) supporting and guiding the system analyst in the steps of the specification process, while managing a user (system analyst)-system dialog; (2) organizing the accumulated information systematically, while cross checking for preciseness, completeness, consistency, and nonredundancy of the data; and (3) producing documentation that is simple and understandable by the end-user of the information system, yet comprehensive and concise for the system implementation. The method has been tested in the framework of an academic course on developing management information systems
Keywords :
management information systems; software engineering; software tools; structured programming; CSS; Combined Specification System; academic course; completeness; computer-aided tool; consistency; cross checking; data modeling; documentation; end-user; entity-relationship; management information systems; nonredundancy; preciseness; specification; structured analysis; user-system dialog; Cascading style sheets; Computer science; Costs; Data engineering; Data models; Documentation; Information analysis; Management information systems; Organizing; Software systems;
