How this is Achieved
Electronic replacement of a manual system requires examination of business practices to identify bottlenecks and streamline processes. As does revision of existing systems, as new technology offers gains in throughput, ease of use, security, communications or reliability.
Every project must begin with a business proposal outlining the need for change. From there a series of briefs will be drawn up which examine the business impact to determine whether a resolution to proceed is taken. Then the process of development begins with the creation of business purpose, functional specification, functional implementation, and delivery schedule documentation.
A hierarchy of disciplines, ownership and responsibilities is built. The process is repeated until the primary requirements, nice-to-haves and bonus features are ranked, the required skillsets identified and sourced, and the project timelines agreed and mapped.
Be warned:
One of the greatest stumbling block to systems development is an inadequate understanding of a business' current processes. There are dependencies that will prove difficult to ferret out. The more time spent early in analysis, the less time spent later rewriting.