Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM) Timeline

The Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM) is a highly structured, “waterfall” methodology developed in the 1980s for the UK government to standardise IT project management. Its timeline can be viewed through two lenses: its historical evolution as a standard and its internal execution phases. 

Historical Evolution Timeline

SSADM evolved through several versions to become an “open” standard used widely in public and private sectors. 

  • 1980: The Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) evaluates various analysis and design methods.
  • 1981: Consultants from Learmonth & Burchett Management Systems (LBMS) are selected to develop SSADM v1.
  • 1983: SSADM is made mandatory for all new information system developments within the UK government.
  • 1984–1986: Version 2 (1984) and Version 3 (1986) are released, with the latter being adopted by the National Computing Centre (NCC).
  • 1990: Version 4 is launched, introducing more refined modules and stages.
  • 1995: SSADM V4+ is announced, followed by the release of V4.2.
  • 2000: The CCTA rebrands SSADM as “Business System Development,” repackaging it into 15 core modules with additional specialized modules. 

Methodological Execution Timeline (Stages 0–6)

SSADM follows a strict linear sequence where each stage must be completed and “signed off” before the next begins. 

  1. Stage 0: Feasibility Study – Analyzes technical, financial, and organizational feasibility to determine if the project is cost-effective.
  2. Stage 1: Investigation of Current Environment – Models the existing system using Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) to understand current data and processes.
  3. Stage 2: Business System Options – Presents up to six different ways to build the new system, allowing users to choose the best strategic direction.
  4. Stage 3: Requirements Specification – A complex stage that builds a full logical specification of what the system must do, including Entity Life Histories (ELHs).
  5. Stage 4: Technical System Options – Evaluates hardware and software architectures to determine the best technical implementation.
  6. Stage 5: Logical Design – Defines user dialogues, update processes, and enquiry processes in an implementation-independent manner.
  7. Stage 6: Physical Design – The final stage where logical specifications are converted into real hardware and software database structures and program specifications.
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Author: Mark Whitfield

Welcome to my site! After graduating in Computing in 1990, I accepted a position as a programmer at a Runcorn based software house specialising in electronic banking software, namely sp/ARCHITECT-BANK on Tandem Computers (now HPE NonStop). This was before the internet became more prevalent and so the notion of enabling desktop access to company accounts for inter-account transfers and book keeping was still quite a cutting edge idea (and smartphones only ever hinted at in Space 1999). The company was called The Software Partnership (which was taken over by Deluxe Data in 1994). I spent 5 years in Runcorn developing code for SP/ARCHITECT for various banks like TSB, Bank of Scotland, Rabobank and Girofon (Denmark) to name but a few. I then moved onto a software house in Salford Quays for further bank facing projects. After a further 23 years in the IT industry and now a Senior IT Project Manager (both Agile and Waterfall delivery), I thought I would echo out my Career Profile in this corner of the internet for quick and easy access.

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