Students will be able to manage the six key phases of the system life cycle – analysis, design, development, testing, implementation and maintenance. They will understand the activities, artefacts and tools associated with each phase, how the phases are linked through traceability, and the project‑management, ethical, legal and societal considerations required by the Cambridge International AS & A Level IT (9626) syllabus.
Overview of the system life cycle
The SLC provides a structured, repeatable approach to creating and sustaining information systems. In the A‑Level syllabus the most common representation is the water‑fall model, which proceeds sequentially through the six phases, with formal review and sign‑off points that allow limited iteration.
Suggested diagram: Water‑fall model – Analysis → Design → Development → Testing → Implementation → Maintenance.
Phase 1 – System Analysis
Goal: Understand the problem domain and define what the new system must achieve.
Key activities
Identify and engage stakeholders (interviews, questionnaires, observation).
Gather functional and non‑functional requirements.
Review and update the SLA and maintenance budget annually.
Log any new maintenance‑related risks (e.g., vendor end‑of‑life) in the risk register.
Traceability across the whole life cycle
Traceability ensures that every requirement can be followed through design, code, test and deployment. The matrix below is a simple example of how a requirement is linked to later artefacts.
Requirement ID
Design Element(s)
Code Module(s)
Test Case ID(s)
Implementation Artefact
R‑01: User login must be authenticated
Login screen UI, Authentication service
LoginController.java, AuthService.py
TC‑01, TC‑02
Deployment script includes AuthService configuration
R‑05: System shall generate monthly sales report
Report module design, DB schema (Sales table)
ReportGenerator.cs
TC‑15, TC‑16
Release notes – feature “Monthly Sales Report”
Project‑management activities embedded in the SLC
Develop a project plan (Gantt chart) that maps each SLC phase, milestones and critical dates.
Maintain a risk register – identify, assess and mitigate risks (e.g., resource shortage, scope creep) and update it at the end of every phase.
Prepare a budget and cost‑control sheet for hardware, software licences, staff time and maintenance.
Create a stakeholder register and schedule regular communication (status reports, reviews, sign‑offs).
Use configuration management to control versions of artefacts (documents, code, deployment scripts).
Apply quality‑assurance processes (peer reviews, walkthroughs) at the end of each phase.
Ethical, legal and societal considerations
Data protection & privacy – ensure personal data collected during analysis and used in testing complies with GDPR or local data‑protection legislation; anonymise production data in test environments.
Security testing – include penetration testing and vulnerability scanning before deployment.
Intellectual‑property – respect software licences; use open‑source components in accordance with their terms.
Accessibility – design interfaces that meet WCAG standards to avoid digital exclusion.
Sustainability – consider energy consumption of servers during implementation, plan for responsible e‑waste disposal in maintenance, and evaluate the environmental impact of hardware upgrades.
Ethical testing – obtain informed consent from users participating in UAT; do not use production data without proper anonymisation.
Maintain **clear, version‑controlled documentation** at each stage to support traceability.
Schedule **formal review and sign‑off points** (after analysis, design, testing, etc.) with relevant stakeholders.
Continuously **assess and update the risk register** as new issues emerge.
Allow **controlled iteration** – if a defect or new requirement is discovered, feed it back to the appropriate earlier phase with a documented change request.
Use the **concise matrix** above as a quick reference for exam revision and for checking that all required artefacts are produced.
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