Systems development includes every resource and every step that goes into producing an information system that solves a problem or helps the organisation take advantage of new opportunities. The systems development process is also called a Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) because the activities associated with it are ongoing. Several common systems development life cycles exist: traditional, prototyping, rapid application development (RAD), end-user development and others. In addition, companies can outsource the systems development process. Systems development is a problem-solving process of investigating a situation; designing a system solution to improve the situation; acquiring the human, financial, and technological resources to implement the solution; and finally evaluating the success of the solution. After a steering committee determines that a proposed project is desirable, a project team of end users and systems analysts is formed to develop the system. An end user is a person who will use the information system or the information it provides. A systems analyst is the IT professional who develops the system. Usually the systems analyst is part of the organisation. However, the organisation sometimes may choose to contract, or outsource, the systems analyst from an outside consulting firm. Adapted from: Laudon K.C and Laudon J.P. (2015) Essentials of MIS. 11th Edition. United States of America: Pearson Education

QUESTION 1 (30 Marks) An information system has a systems development life cycle (SDLC). This is a sequence of steps or phases it passes through between the time the system is conceived and the time the it is phased out. With the aid of a diagram, discuss the various phases of the SDLC.