expert systems
Prototyping in expert systems development
There are a lot of different methods for information systems development. The System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is one traditional information systems development method. It is sometimes referred to as a waterfall development method because the whole process is planned out from the beginning, and the project is then developed one stage at a time going down the steps of the plan. Common main steps of the SDLC method are concepting the system, requirements analysis, system design, programming, testing, implementation, and maintenance. In the SDLC method, the process almost never goes backwards to a previous stage though the results of previous stages may be modified. This inability to go backwards is why SDLC is often also called a waterfall development method because much like it is impossible to go up a waterfall there is no going back to the previous steps in SDLC. The prototyping development method offers many advantages for information sytems while also having some weaknesses (Alavi 1984). Decision support system (DSS) development usually has the greatest opportunity to utilize prototyping's advantages while minimizing its disadvantages.
