IT academy

Delegates will learn
  • How to understand the IT environment
  • How to understand the way that business systems operate and interact
  • How to use a systems development life cycle
  • How to communicate effectively in an IT environment
  • How to gather information through effective interviewing
  • How to use problem solving techniques to assist users
  • How to use structured techniques for analysis & design
  • How to plan and control their workload
  • How to design a solution to fulfill business requirements
  • How to produce and validate programme specifications
  • How to test IT systems effectively
  • How to implement IT systems
Style

This is a highly intensive 10-day residential course that places importance on the practical application of IT related skills.

Delegates are required to participate in a combination of exercises, role-play scenarios and detailed case study tasks so that the theoretical learning is consolidated with real life experience.  The objective of the course is to create confident and capable individuals who are ready to take up a role as an IT professional.

Work goes on into the evening each night and over the two weeks of the course, there are 94 attendance hours and 79 training hours.

Target Audience

This course is for those who are new to the world of IT and who need to acquire and practice the essential skills required to be a successful IT professional.

Topics
    Week 1

THE ROLE OF THE IT PROFESSIONAL

  • Knowledge, Skills And Experience Required
  • Defining IT Systems Success
  • Self-Assessment

UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS SYSTEMS

  • The Role of Systems In Business
  • Types of Business System
  • Business System Simulation

THE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE

  • Definition of a Systems Development Lifecycle
  • Rational For Using Systems Development Lifecycles
  • Traditional Systems Development Lifecycle
  • Alternative Systems Development Lifecycles
  • Tuning Systems Development Lifecycles

VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

  • Planning For Presentations
  • Developing Presentation Materials
  • Structuring Business Presentations

PROJECT PLANNING AND CONTROL

  • Terms of Reference
  • Steps of planning
  • Estimating Methods
  • Planning for Control

FEASIBILITY STUDIES

  • Nature of Feasibility Studies
  • Tasks and Activities Involved
  • Useful Feasibility Study Techniques

PROCESS MODELING TECHNIQUES

  • Dataflow Diagrams
  • Use Case

INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES

  • Types of Interview in the IT World
  • Planning Interviews
  • Questioning Techniques
  • Documenting Interview Results

DATA MODELING

  • Rationale
  • Defining Entities
  • Defining Relationships
  • Defining Attributes
  • Creating the Entity Relationship Diagram

PROBLEM ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

  • Analysing the DFD’s
  • Analysing the ERD
  • Using Fishbone Analysis

TEAM COMMUNICATIONS

Topics
    Week 2

PROCESS DESIGN

  • DFD processes Design
  • Use Case Design

DATA DESIGN

  • Adding Data Requirements to the ERD
  • Using a CRUD Matrix
  • Access Path Analysis

CONTROL DESIGN

  • Rationale for Controls
  • Types of Control
  • Prevention versus Detection
  • System Recovery

USER INTERFACE DESIGN

  • Types of User Interface
  • Design Guidelines
  • Prototyping

DESIGN VALIDATION

  • Structured Walkthrough’s

MEETING WITH USERS

  • Chairing Meetings
  • Making Meetings Productive

DESIGN SPECIFICATION

  • Design Language
  • Structured English
  • Decision Tables
  • Pseudo-code

SYSTEM TESTING

  • Structured Walkthroughs
  • Test Planning
  • Black and White Box Testing

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS

  • Cutover Methods
  • Training
  • Documentation
  • Change Control

IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING

  • Implementation Tasks
  • Dependency Networks
  • Critical Path Analysis

COURSE REVIEW

  • Summary of Learning Points
  • Personal Action Plans