Business Analysts, project managers, solution and systems developers and anyone who requires a practical understanding of systems development lifecycles and approaches. Foundation in Systems Development is also a Knowledge-based specialist module on the BCS (ISEB) International Diploma in Solution Development.
Are you involved in systems development? Do you need to get a better understanding of approaches as well as the tools and techniques that will help you in the development of software solutions? If the answer to both those questions is ‘yes’, then this course is for you.
We’ll look at systems development lifecycles and approaches, systems modelling and specification techniques as well as quality assurance and testing tools, and much, much more. In fact, our course covers all of the topics within the BCS syllabus and that means you’ll develop a strong understanding of Systems Development which will enable you to aim for higher level Solution Development qualifications.
Presented to you by one of the expert training consultants pictured below, each member of our Foundation in Systems Development training team bring their substantial practical knowledge of systems development lifecycles, frameworks and approaches to this programme.
To give you more of an idea of what you’ll learn and how the course will help you, here’s a quick guide to the three days.
- System development disciplines and roles
- Systems development lifecycles
- Business analysis
- Requirements engineering
- Making a business case
- Systems development approaches and methodologies
- Systems modelling and specification techniques
- Systems design
- Systems architecture
- Quality and testing
- Implementation and changeover
- System evaluation and maintenance
- CASE and CAST tools
Yes. During this three day course you’ll receive all the training you need to prepare for the BCS Foundation in Systems Development certificate multiple choice examination, which is held on the final afternoon of the course. A pass in this exam means you’ve not only earned your Foundation qualification, but you’ve achieved a certificate that contributes to the BCS International Diploma in Solution Development.
At present, due to the Covid-19 crisis, the exam is not available in a classroom environment. However, for delegates attending a virtual or online course, the exam may be taken using the BCS online proctoring service. This exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions with a pass mark of 26/40.
You’ll also be given a comprehensive Foundation in Systems Development course manual, containing additional information and guidance on further reading.
Foundation in Systems Development (a three-day course)
Course Content
Introduction to systems development
- The scope of systems development
- Systems development and other disciplines
- Offshoring and outsourcing of systems development work
Lifecycle types and their rationales
- Lifecycles – waterfall, ‘V’ model, incremental, evolutionary
- The Unified Process
- Adaptation and customisation of the lifecycles
- Roles and responsibilities in systems development
- Project lifecycles
Business analysis
- Definition of business analysis
- Business analysis in the systems development lifecycle
- Outcomes from business analysis
Requirements engineering
- Introduction to requirements engineering
- Requirements elicitation techniques
- Types of requirements
- Documenting requirements
- Prioritising requirements
- Managing requirements
- Analysing and validating requirements
Making a business case
- Assessing feasibility
- Elements of a business case
- Identifying, evaluating and selecting options
- Cost/benefit analysis
- Impact and risk analysis
Programming and development approaches
- Drivers affecting the choice of approach
- Approaches described: agile software development; object-oriented development; service-oriented development; open source development; Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solutions
Systems modelling and specification techniques
- Reasons for modelling
- Modelling from different perspectives – process, data and business rules
- Modelling dynamic behaviour
- Modelling the user interface
- Cross-referencing different modelling techniques
- Documentation and specification
Systems design
- Systems design in context
- Objectives and constraints of design
- Input design, data verification and data validation
- Input and output technologies
- Process and data design
- Code and security design
Systems architecture
- Types of architecture
- Stakeholders and roles in architecture
- Management of the architecture
- The tiered approach to IT systems development
- Service-oriented architecture and service-oriented development applications
Quality and Testing
- The definition of software quality
- Objectives, limitations and principles of testing
- Static and dynamic testing
- Confirmation and regression testing
Implementation and changeover
- File and data creation
- Data mapping and conversion
- Supporting documentation
- Training
- System implementation
Evaluation and maintenance
- Maintenance in the systems development lifecycle
- Metrics for evaluating a software project
- Post-implementation and post-project reviews
- Testing in the maintenance stage
Software support tools
- Configuration management tools
- Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools
- Computer aided software testing (CAST) tools
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