General
Computer Question 27: What is the system development cycle?
Answer: Today, the development of a computer system is
generally based on a systems development cycle model. In
such a model, the systems development process is broken down into a number of
manageable phases. By breaking the task down into smaller units, the systems
analyst can receive feedback at each stage of development and can thus assure
the effectiveness and success of the system. This systems development cycle
approach also reduces the cost of systems development because the greatest
expenditures are made during the later phases of the cycle (the earlier stages
mostly involve planning). Although individual organizations may break the
systems development process down differently, the best approach is to break the
task down into small, manageable units. For example, we could break the systems
development task down into the following five phases:
