The Systems Development Life Cycle: Overview

The system development life cycle:

1. Conduct a feasibility study of a new system
2. Identify the requirements for the information system
3. Design each portion of the information system
4. Create and test the components of the system
5. Maintain the system until it is no longer in use

The process of creating an information system is referred to as the systems development life cycle (SDLC). The first step in the SDLC, is the planning or investigation phase. During this phase, a feasibility study is conducted to determine whether the new system is feasible. The next phase is the analysis phase. During this phase, the requirements of the information system are clearly defined. Once the analysis phase has determined what the system will do, the design phase determines how the system will work. The implementation phase consists of creating all the components of the system, and testing the system to ensure each component works as it should. When the system is finished and is in place, the final step is to maintain the system until it is no longer in use.