Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC) is used to manage risk within the development of new computer systems.

When planning the new system, a clear business case must be approved specifying functionality, data transformation, expected costs and benefits.

When designing the new system, controls must be put in place to ensure that all the functionalities of the old system are replicated.

When developing the new system, the developers must follow defined programming standards and carry out component test to specified test harness outputs.

When doing the analysis for the new system particular care should be taken over the data specification, transformation and manipulation, ensuring that expected outputs are defined and that such output meets the needs and expectations of the business users.

When the implementation of the new system is taking place, parallel running must be undertaken to ensure the output for the new system exactly matches that from the old system.

The Post Completion Review should take place immediately after the implementation while all the facts are still fresh in everyone's minds.