Planning

The planning phase begins with a request from a business unit for help in building a new IT system. The request could come from a variety of different people-the business unit manager, an executive in the corporation, some sort of planning committee, or even a consultant who has been working on a feasibility study. (Note that feasibility studies are actually a part of the SDLC planning phase. In some cases the business unit might've undertaken the study prior to coming to you with the work request. So even though they're unwitting participants , they're helping you fulfill a component of SDLC-the feasibility study.

The planning phase also includes the preparation of a formal business unit request. This work request sums up what it is that the business unit is after. Many different types of work might be requested . A business unit might want a completely new system to take the place of time- intensive manual processes. Or they might want a system that replaces an old antiquated system with one that uses current technology. Alternatively, the business unit might be looking for ways to augment its current operations and have ideas in which technology can assist. A request can be phrased in a variety of different ways. It is the system analyst's (SA) job to analyze the request and formalize it in such a way that the business unit and the IT group understand what is being requested.

In order to accomplish this work request, it will probably be required that you undertake a preliminary investigation in order to understand the type of work that is currently being done and how the business unit envisions technology enhancing that work. In the preliminary investigation, you delve into the nature of the problem or the opportunity before you. By coming to a 5,000- foot view of what's being asked, often you can determine that a new system or an upgrade to a previous system isn't in order, a simple business refinement may be the ticket.

In some cases, the project might be so large in scope that you have to perform a feasibility study. Generally you'll use outside sources in the form of consultants who are able to objectively look at what the problem is versus the proposed solution so that you can identify the proposed solution's viability and/or recommended alternatives. In some cases in government work, a feasibility study is required before a project can be undertaken. Executives with a fiduciary duty simply don't want to make a mistake undertaking a multimillion-dollar project before they understand the ramifications of what is being asked for. A feasibility study fleshes out the project's costs and associated outcomes , and recommends a path based on the various factors involved (such as political, financial, and technical capability among others).

The SDLC planning phase somewhat maps to the Guide to the PMBOK 's Initiation process group.