MIS Policies Manual
Chapter 3: Systems Analysis and Design
Section 6: Systems Maintenance
Before a request for systems maintenance is approved, the system should be examined to determined if it should be modified or redesigned by examining the following factors:
- The cost of the maintenance is high compared to cost for new development.
- The existing system has been extensively modified or patched.
- The existing system lacks proper documentation which would make system maintenance risky.
- Types of Maintenance Projects
Maintenance projects originate from one or more of the following sources:
- Change in policy.
- Change in procedure.
- Change in system flow.
- Change of program instructions.
- Change of operational requirements.
- Requirements and Responsibility
The manager or project leader defines the responsibility for coordinating requirements for system maintenance and establishes the tasks to be performed.
- Review and Estimate Work Required
The standard task list is reviewed to determine which tasks are necessary to satisfy the maintenance request.
- Identify the problem to be solved by the project.
- Define the scope of the effort.
- Rewrite operational procedures as required.
- Redesign input/output documents, files or database requirements and screens and reports as required.
- Designate programs and procedures which require modification.
- Make program changes.
- Test revised programs.
- Document the revisions.
- Perform system tests.
- Management and/or User Approval
Management and users are responsible for the following tasks:
- Approving the intent and objectives of the system modification.
- Assisting to develop test data.
- Reviewing and approving the test results.
- Assisting with the re-training of functional staff.
- Control
Control check-points are established for each maintenance project. The control is designed to ensure the quality and completeness of the project and to ensure that changes to the system to not alter policy or degrade its present performance. minimally, controls should be established at the following points:
- Completion of program testing.
- Completion of system testing.
- Completion of changed documentation.
- Confirmation that policies have not changed.
- Conventions
Any necessary revisions to manual documentation should be made and distributed. On-line documentation should be completed prior to implementation.
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Last Updated: 17 June 1997 [Comments]