ABSTRACT
System Types Computer systems come in all shapes and sizes. There are systems that process e-mail and those that process payroll. There are also systems that monitor space missions and systems that monitor student grades. No matter how diverse the functionality of these systems, they have several features in common:
1. All systems have end users: It is for these end users that the system has been created. These end users have a vested interest in seeing that this system does what it is supposed to do, correctly and efficiently. You might say that these end users have a “stake” in ensuring that the system is successful. Sometimes, these end users are referred to as stakeholders. There are different types of stakeholders. A good systems analyst is careful to make sure that he or she doesn’t leave out any stakeholders. This is indeed what happened when the post office started developing the automated system that you now see in use at all post offices. This system was developed “in a vacuum.” What this means is that only higher-level employees were involved in system development. The clerks who actually man the windows were left out of the process. When the time came for this system to be deployed, the lack of involvement of this critical set of stakeholders almost led to an employee mutiny.
