SSP Group Meeting
February 26th, 2-3pm
Department of Artificial Intelligence, 80 South Bridge, Room E13


 

An Introduction to Business System Development Method

Jessica Chen-Burger

IT systems which are built using traditional software development methods do not usually accommodate all aspects of a business in sufficient detail; non-IT aspects of companies are frequently left out during the analysis and design phases of a new system. This lack of a business-oriented view often leads to great difficulties when cross-functional operations within an organisation must be supported, or when frequent changes within an organisation must be dealt with.

Business System Development Method (BSDM) was designed to address this problem by building a {\em business map} before commencing system requirements analysis. This map describes the entities and processes which define the fundamental business environment of a company. In addition to this Map activity, BSDM also recognises and describes Need, Shape, and Run activities.

BSDM is a commercially used method which helps company managers to understand and improve their businesses. A knowledge based support tool, KBST, was built which helps BSDM's Map activities.