Get Ready for the Postgraduate Entrance English Exam. Working with Texts. Часть 1. Учебное пособие

•Technical support personnel often give replies to callers that are inappropriate for the caller's corporate structure.

•ERPs are often seen as too rigid, and difficult to adapt to the specific workflow and business process of some companies – this is cited as one of the main causes of their failure.

•Systems can be difficult to use.

•The system can suffer from the "weakest link" problem – an inefficiency in one department or at one of the partners may affect other participants.

•Many of the integrated links need high accuracy in other applications to work effectively. A company can achieve minimum standards, then over time "dirty data" will reduce the reliability of some applications.

The system may be over-engineered relative to the actual needs of the customer.

II. Vocabulary Items

accounting n – бухгалтерское, счетное дело application n – приложение

approach n – подход (к рассмотрению, изучению чего-л.) automate v – автоматизировать

back office – операционные отделы bill v – выписывать счет, накладную configure v – формировать

current a – текущий, современный

customer n – покупатель, заказчик, клиент, потребитель database n – база данных

distribution n – распределение

engineering n – разработка, проектирование enterprise n – предприятие, компания

front office – правление (фирмы), администрация (корпора-

ции), руководство (организации) hospital n – ремонтная мастерская

human resources management – управление людскими ресурсами implementation n – осуществление, выполнение, обеспечение Information Technology – информационные технологии install v – устанавливать

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integrate v – объединять

inventory management – управление запасами invoice v – выписывать счет-фактуру logistics n – логистика

maintain v – поддерживать, обслуживать manufacturing n – производство marketing n – торговля

package n – пакет программ pilot-testing n – пилот-испытание

quality management – управление качеством shipping n – отгрузка

software n – программное обеспечение

strategic management – стратегическое управление supplier n – поставщик

update v – обновлять warehousing v – складское дело

web browser – программа, применяемая при навигации в WEB

III. Exercises

1.Read the text.

2.Learn the vocabulary items by heart.

3.Translate the text in written form.

4.Retell the text using the following expressions and terms: management information systems, manufacturing resource planning, material requirements planning, quality management, human resources management, customer relationship management, supplier relationship management, back office systems, front office systems, Information Technology, reusable software, cost-effective alternatives, supply chain management, logistics automation systems, third party reporting packages, computer security, industrial espionage, customer relationship management, Back end, quality control, supply chain, limitations and pitfalls to ERP, technical support personnel.

IV. Test VI (3)

1. Read the text again and decide which statements are true.

1.Enterprise resource planning systems are often called back office systems.

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2.Some ERP software caters to a wide range of industries from service sectors like software vendors and hospitals to manufacturing industries and even to government departments.

3.Companies would use web-based ERP because it requires no client side installation, and is cross-platform and maintained centrally.

4.ERPs are seen as too easy to adapt to the specific workflow and business process of some companies – this is cited as one of the main reasons of their popularity.

2. Match the words given in the left column with the words in the right column.

Unit 4

I. Information for study

Structured Systems Analysis

and Design Methodology

Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology

(SSADM) is a systems approach to the analysis and design of information systems. SSADM was produced for the CCTA, a UK government office concerned with the use of technology in government, from 1980 onwards.

Introduction

System design methods are a discipline within the software development industry which seek to provide a framework for activity and the capture, storage, transformation and dissemination of information so as to

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enable the economic development of computer systems that are fit for purpose.

History

The design of SSADM has changed a number of times since its first release, informed by user experience and by other and newer methodologies. In particular SSADM has developed to apprehend a greater need for iteration. Despite the changes, SSADM is criticized for adding to the time and cost of software projects without improving the outcome or output of the projects.

SSADM was for a number of years a recommended practice in the development of UK government information systems, along with the PRINCE2 project management method.

Stages

The SSADM method involves the application of a sequence of analysis, documentation and design tasks concerned with:

Analysis of the current system. In this stage the current situation at a high level is analyzed. A DFD (Data Flow Diagram) is used to describe how the current system works and to visualize known problems.

The following steps are part of this stage:

•Develop a Business Activity Model. A model of the business activity is built. Business events and business rules would also be investigated as an input to the specification of the new automated system.

•Investigate and define requirements. The objective of this step is to identify the problems associated with the current environment that are to be resolved by the new system. It also aims to identify the additional services to be provided by the new system and users of the new system.

•Investigate current processing. It investigates the information flow associated with the services currently provided, and describes them in the form of Data Flow Model. At this point, the Data Flow Model represents the current services with all their deficiencies. No attempt is made to incorporate required improvement, or new facilities.

•Investigate current data. This step is to identify and describe the structure of the system data, independently of the way the data are currently held and organized. It produces a model of data that supports the current services.

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•Derive logical view of current services. The objective of this step is to develop a logical view of the current system that can be used to understand problems with the current system.

Outline business specification. This stage consists of 2 parts. The first part is researching the existing environment. In this part, system requirements are identified and the current business environment is modelled. Modelling conists of creating a DFD and LDS (Logical Data Structure) for processes and data structures. In the second part, BSO (Business Systems Options), 6 business options are presented. One of the options is selected and built.

The following steps are part of this stage:

•Define BSOs. This step is concerned with identifying a number of possible system solutions that meet the defined requirements from which the users can select.

•Select BSO. This step is concerned with the presentation of the BSOs to users and the selection of the preferred option. The selected option defines the boundary of the system to be developed in the subsequent stages.

Detailed business specification. To assist the management to make a sound choice, a number of business system options, each describing the scope and functionalities provided by a particular development/implementation approach, are prepared and presented to them. These options may be supported by technical documentation such as Work Practice Model, LDM (Logical Data Model) and DFD. They also require financial and risk assessments to be prepared, and need to be supported by outline implementation descriptions.

The following steps are part of this stage:

•Define required system processing. This step is to amend the requirements to reflect the selected Business System Option, to describe the required system in terms of system data flows and to define the user roles within the new system.

•Develop required data model. This step is undertaken in parallel with the above step. The LDM of the current environment is extended to support all the processing in the selected business system option.

•Derive system functions. During the parallel definition of data and processing, additional events are identified, which cause existing

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functions to be updated and new functions to be defined. Service level requirements for each function are also identified in this step.

•Develop user job specifications. A Work Practice Model is developed to document the understanding of the user jobs in concern.

•Enhance required data model. Its objective is to improve the quality of the required system LDM by the application of relational data analysis (also known as normalization).

•Develop specification prototypes. It is used to describe selected parts of the required system in an animated form, for demonstration to the users. The purpose is to demonstrate that the requirements have been properly understood and to establish additional requirements concerning the style of the user interface.

•Develop processing specification. This step is principally concerned with defining the detailed update and enquiry processing for the required system.

•Confirm system objectives. During stage 1 and 3, the requirements will have been recorded, as they are identified, in the user requirements. This step represents the final review of the requirements before the completion of the Definition of Requirements Stage.

Logical data design. In this stage, technically feasible options are chosen. The development/implementation environments are specified based on this choice.

The following steps are part of this stage:

•Define TSOs. Its purpose is to identify and define the possible approaches to the physical implementation to meet the function definitions. It also validates the service level requirements for the proposed system in the light of the technical environment.

•Select TSO. This step is concerned with the presentation of the TSOs to users and the selection of the preferred option.

Logical process design. In this stage, logical designs and processes are updated. Additionally, the dialogs are specified as well.

The following steps are part of this stage:

•Define user dialogue. This step defines the structure of each dialogue required to support the on-line functions and identifies the navigation requirements, both within the dialogue and between dialogues.

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•Define update processes. This is to complete the specification of the database updating required for each event and to define the error handling for each event.

•Define enquiry processes. This is to complete the specification of the database enquiry processing and to define the error handling for each enquiry.

Physical design. The objective of this stage is to specify the physical data and process design, using the language and features of the chosen physical environment and incorporating installation standards.

The following activities are part of this stage:

•Prepare for physical design:

•earn the rules of the implementation environment;

•review the precise requirements for logical to physical mapping; and

•plan the approach.

•Complete the specification of functions.

•Incrementally and repeatedly develop the data and process

designs.

Techniques

The 3 most important techniques that are used in SSADM are:

•Logical Data Modeling. This is the process of identifying, modeling and documenting the data requirements of the system being designed. The data are separated into entities (things about which a business needs to record information) and relationships (the associations between the entities).

•Data Flow Modeling. This is the process of identifying, modeling and documenting how data moves around an information system. Data Flow Modeling examines processes (activities that transform data from one form to another), data stores (the holding areas for data), external entities (what sends data into a system or receives data from a system, and data flows (routes by which data can flow).

•Entity Behavior Modeling. This is the process of identifying, modeling and documenting the events that affect each entity and the sequence in which these events occur.

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II. Vocabulary Items

activity n – деятельность assessment n – оценка automate v – автоматизировать behavior n – поведение

capture n – сбор данных или информации current a – текущий, нынешний, современный data n – данные, факты, информация description n – описание

design n – дизайн, конструкция, проект dissemination n – распространение entity n – субъект

facilities n – средства обслуживания flow n – поток (информации) implementation n – реализация, разработка input n – вложение, ввод, загрузка installation n – установка

interface n – связующее звено, интерфейс investigate v – исследовать, изучать iteration n – повторение, повтор

logical a – логический mode n – метод, способ modeling n – моделирование model v – моделировать navigation n – навигация option n – выбор

output n – результат

processing n – обработка (данных, документации) project n – проект, план, программа

prototype n – образец, модель provide v – снабжать, обеспечивать software n – программное обеспечение solution n – решение

specification n – спецификация storage n – хранение

structured a – структурированный support v – поддерживать

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transformation n – преобразование update v – обновлять

II. Exercises

1.Read the text.

2.Learn the vocabulary items by heart.

3.Translate the text in written form.

4.Retell the text using the following expressions and terms: System design methods, software development industry, Data Flow Diagram, Business Activity Model, Logical Data Structure, Business Systems Options, Work Practice Model, Logical Data Mode, Work Practice Model, Logical Data Modeling, Data Flow Modeling, Entity Behavior Modeling.

IV. Test VI (4)

1. Read the text again and decide which statements are true.

1.System design methods seek to provide a framework for activity and the capture, storage, transformation and dissemination of information so as to enable the economic development of computer systems that are fit for purpose.

2.To assist the management to make a sound choice, a number of business system options, each describing the scope and functionalities provided by a particular development/implementation approach, are prepared and presented to them.

3.Develop processing specification is used to describe selected parts of the required system in an animated form, for demonstration to the users. The purpose is to demonstrate that the requirements have been properly understood and to establish additional requirements concerning the style of the user interface.

4.Logical Data Modeling is the process of identifying, modeling and documenting how data moves around an information system. It examines processes (activities that transform data from one form to another), data stores (the holding areas for data), external entities (what sends data into a system or receives data from a system, and data flows (routes by which data can flow).

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2. Match the words given in the left column with the words in the right column.

Final test VI

1. Match the Russian terms on the left with the English ones on the right.

2. Match the English terms on the left with the Russian ones on the right.