ACCT 3300 Ch 16(1)

Cloud computing can best be defined as a model that A. Allows organizations to use the Internet to access and use services and applications that run on remote third-party technology infrastructure. B. Is designed for rapid application deployment by making several virtual servers run on one physical host. C. Allows users to access network resources from remote locations through a virtual private network. D. Streamlines business processes onto a well-secured and highly available in-house e-commerce platform to optimize customers' online experience.

A. Allows organizations to use the Internet to access and use services and applications that run on remote third-party technology infrastructure.

During a post implementation review of an accounting information system (AIS), an accountant learned that an AIS with few customized features had been budgeted and scheduled to be installed over 9 months for $3 million (including hardware, software, and consulting fees). An in-house programmer was assigned as the project manager and had difficulty keeping the project on schedule. The implementation took 18 months, and actual costs were 30% over budget. Many features were added to the system on an ad-hoc basis, with the project manager's authorization. The end-users are very satisfied with the new system. The steering committee, however, is dissatisfied about the scope creep and would like a recommendation to consider before approving initiation of another large project. Based on those findings, the accountant should recommend implementing a A. Change control system. B. Contract management system. C. Project timekeeping system. D. Budgeting system.

A. Change control system.

After using the report writer for several months, the marketing analysts gained confidence in using it, but the marketing department manager became concerned. Whenever analysts revised reports they had written earlier, the coding errors kept reappearing in their command sequences. The manager was sure that all the analysts knew what the errors were and how to avoid them. The most likely cause of the reappearance of the same coding errors is inadequate A. Change control. B. Access control. C. Testing. D. Backups.

A. Change control.

A company has abandoned the large array of dedicated servers it formerly used to store and provide access to its database. The company has entered into a contract with a provider who will guarantee storage of the database at its own location along with access over the Internet. This arrangement is an example of A. Cloud computing. B. Wide area network. C. Ethernet. D. Distributed computing.

A. Cloud computing.

At what phase in the systems development process is a report generated that describes the content, processing flows, resource requirements, and procedures of a preliminary system design? A. Conceptual systems design. B. Procedures design. C. Physical systems design. D. File and database design.

A. Conceptual systems design.

Ordinarily, the analysis tool for the systems analyst and steering committee to use in selecting the best system alternative is A. Cost-benefit analysis. B. Decision tree analysis. C. Pilot testing. D. User selection.

A. Cost-benefit analysis.

Which of the following large-scale conversion approaches to system implementation presents the greatest risk to an organization? A. Direct. B. Pilot. C. Parallel. D. Phase-in.

A. Direct.

An analyst prepared a forecast using newly developed system features. The analyst recently left the company and her replacement was unable to understand how to use these system functionalities. In accordance with systems development life-cycle best practices, which one of the following controls would have prevented this situation from occurring? A. Documentation standards and procedures are developed. B. Changes made to the system are monitored and evaluated. C. Backup activities and requirements are put into place. D. End-user computing efforts are outlined.

A. Documentation standards and procedures are developed.

Which of the following are objectives for performing tests during system development? System responds correctly to all kinds of inputs System achieves the general result its stakeholders desire System meets the requirements that guided its design and development System performs its functions within an acceptable time A. I, II, III, and IV. B. II, III, and IV only. C. I and III only. D. I, II, and IV only.

A. I, II, III, and IV.

In which of the following phases of computer system development would training occur? A. Implementation phase. B. Design phase. C. Analysis phase. D. Planning phase.

A. Implementation phase.

Which of the following should be reviewed before designing any system elements in a top-down approach to new systems development? A. Information needs of managers for planning and control. B. Types of processing systems used by competitors. C. Computer equipment needed by the system. D. Controls in place over the current system.

A. Information needs of managers for planning and control.

A bank was considering its first use of computer-aided software engineering (CASE) to develop an inquiry system for account representatives to access consolidated profiles of customers' accounts. A benefit of using CASE in this situation is that A. Management of the development process would be improved. B. No training of programmers would be required. C. No new software development tools would be needed. D. The need for testing would be reduced.

A. Management of the development process would be improved.

After reviewing the end-user computing (EUC) policy of an organization, an internal auditor audits the actuarial function and notices that some minimum control requirements are missing. Which of the following is a risk of using potentially incorrect end-user developed files? A. Management places the same degree of reliance on the files as they do on files generated from mainframe systems. B. Management is unable to respond to competitive pressures quickly. C. Management receives limited information for decision making due to a lack of flexibility in EUC files. D. Management continues to incur additional cost because it takes more hours to do the tasks using EUC.

A. Management places the same degree of reliance on the files as they do on files generated from mainframe systems.

Which of the following is a correct statement regarding phased conversion? A. One function at a time of the new system is placed in operation. B. One branch, department, or division at a time is fully converted to the new system. C. The old system is shut down, and the new one takes over processing immediately. D. The old and new systems both run at full capacity for a given period.

A. One function at a time of the new system is placed in operation.

The least risky strategy for converting from a manual to a computerized accounts receivable system would be a A. Parallel conversion. B. Database conversion. C. Direct conversion. D. Pilot conversion.

A. Parallel conversion.

The process of learning how the current system functions, determining the needs of users, and developing the logical requirements of a proposed system is referred to as A. Systems analysis. B. Systems feasibility study. C. Systems maintenance. D. Systems design.

A. Systems analysis.

The process of developing specifications for hardware, software, manpower, data resources, and information products required to develop a system is referred to as A. Systems design. B. Systems analysis. C. Systems maintenance. D. Systems feasibility study.

A. Systems design.

The process of developing specifications for hardware, software, manpower, data resources, and information products required to develop a system is referred to as A. Systems design. B. Systems feasibility study. C. Systems analysis. D. Systems maintenance.

A. Systems design.

A major disadvantage of the life cycle approach to system development is that it is not well-suited for projects that are A. Unstructured. B. Structured. C. Complex. D. Large.

A. Unstructured.

Which of the following is the final step before placing the system in live operation? A. User acceptance testing. B. Dynamic testing. C. Static testing. D. Phased conversion.

A. User acceptance testing.

In an effort to recognize improvement opportunities, a company is reviewing its in-house systems. The best reason for the company to consider switching to cloud computing as a solution is that it A. Usually has lower upfront costs for equipment and maintenance. B. Is accessible only from within the company on its intranet. C. Provides better program modification options. D. Is the best way to secure sensitive corporate information.

A. Usually has lower upfront costs for equipment and maintenance.

An information system (IS) project manager is currently in the process of adding a systems analyst to the IS staff. The new systems analyst will be involved with testing the new computerized system. At which stage of the systems development life cycle will the analyst be primarily used? A. Requirements definition. B. Development. C. Cost-benefit analysis. D. Flowcharting.

B. Development.

Which of the following is a correct statement regarding combinatorial test design? A. Tests a completely integrated system to verify that the system meets its requirements. B. Identifies the number of tests needed to get the coverage developers want. C. Determines whether the system meets the organization's needs and is ready for release. D. Seeks to verify the interfaces between components against a software design.

B. Identifies the number of tests needed to get the coverage developers want.

Which of the following should be reviewed before designing any system elements in a top-down approach to new systems development? A. Controls in place over the current system. B. Information needs of managers for planning and control. C. Types of processing systems used by competitors. D. Computer equipment needed by the system.

B. Information needs of managers for planning and control.

Two phases of systems planning are project definition and project initiation. All of the following are steps in the project initiation phase except A. Assembling the project team. B. Preparing the project proposal. C. Training selected personnel. D. Informing managers and employees of the project.

B. Preparing the project proposal.

A systems development approach used to quickly produce a model of user interfaces, user interactions with the system, and process logic is called A. Reengineering. B. Prototyping. C. Application generation. D. Neural networking.

B. Prototyping.

The process of monitoring, evaluating, and modifying a system as needed is referred to as A. Systems implementation. B. Systems maintenance. C. Systems feasibility study. D. Systems analysis.

B. Systems maintenance.

An insurance firm that follows the systems development life cycle concept for all major information system projects is preparing to start a feasibility study for a proposed underwriting system. Some of the primary factors the feasibility study should include are A. Possible vendors for the system and their reputation for quality. B. Technology and related costs. C. Methods of implementation, such as parallel or cutover. D. Exposure to computer viruses and other intrusions.

B. Technology and related costs.

Software-as-a-service can best be defined as a(n) A. Type of database management system serviced by a third party for an annual fee. B. Type of cloud computing in which applications are hosted by a third party for a monthly fee. C. On-premises ERP system installed and serviced locally. D. Infrastructure platform that replaces complex individual computers within a business.

B. Type of cloud computing in which applications are hosted by a third party for a monthly fee.

Management of a company has a lack of segregation of duties within the application environment, with programmers having access to development and production. The programmers have the ability to implement application code changes into production without monitoring or a quality assurance function. This is considered a deficiency in which of the following areas? A. Computer operations. B. Management override. C. Change control. D. Data integrity.

C. Change control.

An electronics company has decided to implement a new system through the use of rapid application development techniques. Which of the following would be included in the development of the new system? A. Using object development techniques to minimize the use of previous code. B. Removing project management responsibilities from the development teams. C. Creating the system module by module until completed. D. Deferring the need for system documentation until the final modules are completed.

C. Creating the system module by module until completed.

What should a company do when seeking competitive advantages in planning for the implementation of a new software system? A. Direct manpower to the nonbottleneck process areas. B. Allow management to dictate processes. C. Design an optimal process and then align the software. D. Design the software to fit the existing processes.

C. Design an optimal process and then align the software.

Which of the following conversion strategies is characterized by a manager removing the old system and installing the new system without the possibility of reverting to the original? A. Parallel conversion. B. Phased implementation. C. Direct changeover. D. Integrated test facility.

C. Direct changeover.

Advantages of life cycle methodologies are A. Lower overall development costs when requirements change frequently. B. Ability to give users a functioning system quickly. C. Enhanced management and control of the development process. D. Reduced application development time to achieve a functioning system.

C. Enhanced management and control of the development process.

The purchasing department buys cleaning compound from four different companies. The computerized purchasing system uses a decision table to select a vendor based on continually changing costs, delivery dates, and past experience. This is an example of a(n) A. Chargeback system. B. Base case system evaluation. C. Expert system. D. Parallel simulation.

C. Expert system.

Gray-box testing involves A. Testing internal structures or workings of a program. B. Executing programmed code with a given set of test cases. C. Having knowledge of internal data structures and algorithms for purposes of designing tests. D. Examining functionality without any knowledge of the source code.

C. Having knowledge of internal data structures and algorithms for purposes of designing tests.

An IT manager has only enough resources to install either a new payroll system or a new data security system, but not both. Which of the following actions is most appropriate? A. Increasing IT staff output in order for both systems to be installed. B. Leaving the decision to the IT manager. C. Having the information systems steering committee set the priority. D. Giving priority to the security system.

C. Having the information systems steering committee set the priority.

Effective internal control for application development should provide for which of the following? A project steering committee to initiate and oversee the system A technical systems programmer to evaluate systems software Feasibility studies to evaluate existing systems The establishment of standards for systems design and programming A. I, II, and IV only. B. I and III only. C. I, III, and IV only. D. II, III, and IV only.

C. I, III, and IV only.

Workwell Company operates in several regions, with each region performing its data processing in a regional data center. The corporate management information systems (MIS) staff has developed a database management system to handle customer service and billing. The director of MIS recommended that the new system be implemented in the Southwestern Region to ascertain if the system operates in a satisfactory manner. This type of conversion is called a A. Parallel conversion. B. Prototype conversion. C. Pilot conversion. D. Direct conversion.

C. Pilot conversion.

Which of the following artificial intelligence information systems cannot learn from experience? A. Case-based reasoning systems. B. Intelligent agents. C. Rule-based expert systems. D. Neural networks.

C. Rule-based expert systems.

All of the following are characteristics associated with direct cutover conversion except A. Risky. B. Time-saving. C. Safe. D. Inexpensive.

C. Safe.

Which of the following testing methods examines the program's code and its associated documentation through reviews, walkthroughs, or inspections but does not require the program be executed? A. Gray-box testing. B. Dynamic testing. C. Static testing. D. Black-box testing.

C. Static testing.

All of the following are strategies for converting to a new system except A. Direct cutover conversion. B. Pilot conversion. C. White-box testing. D. Parallel operation.

C. White-box testing.

ABC, Inc., assessed overall risks of IT systems projects on two standard criteria: technology used and design structure. The following systems projects have been assessed on these risk criteria. Which of the following projects holds the highest risk to ABC? Technology Structure A. Current Well defined B. New Well defined C. Current Sketchy D. New Sketchy

D. New Sketchy

All of the following are correct statements regarding the use of cloud computing for big data projects except A. Businesses only pay for the storage and computing time actually used. B. Businesses are hesitant to invest in an extensive server and storage infrastructure that might only be used occasionally to complete big data tasks. C. An advantage of using cloud computing includes fast access to software. D. Analysts are not required to have a detailed understanding of the available data and possess some sense of what answer(s) they're looking for.

D. Analysts are not required to have a detailed understanding of the available data and possess some sense of what answer(s) they're looking for.

Which of the following features is classified as part of an expert system? A. Issuance of purchase requisition notices as soon as the on-hand balance reaches the reorder point. B. Use of electronic mail to route and approve purchase requisitions. C. Automatic obligation of budget funds as soon as an order is issued. D. Automatic placement of orders with suppliers who currently offer the best combination of price, freight cost, and delivery time.

D. Automatic placement of orders with suppliers who currently offer the best combination of price, freight cost, and delivery time.

Which of the following best describes acceptance testing? A. Seeks to verify the interfaces between components against software design. B. Verifies the functionality of a specific section of code and the handling of data passed between various units. C. Tests a completely integrated system to verify that the system meets its requirements. D. Determines whether the system meets the organization's needs and is ready for release.

D. Determines whether the system meets the organization's needs and is ready for release.

Which one of the following incorporates making the best decisions possible, using a logical approach by asking a series of questions, by using reasoning, and by allowing subjective inputs and outputs? A. Decision support systems. B. Multi-networking. C. Teleprocessing. D. Expert systems.

D. Expert systems.

Which of the following statements is true regarding unit testing? Verifies the functionality of a specific section of code Checks the handling of data passed between various units or subsystem components A. I only. B. Neither. C. II only. D. I and II.

D. I and II.

Errors are most costly to correct during A. Analysis. B. Conceptual design. C. Programming. D. Implementation.

D. Implementation.

A company is considering a move to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering instead of a traditional in-house application. Which of the following concerns is unique to SaaS? A. Allocation of software expenses and overhead charged to departments. B. User credential setup and control over the actions that employees can perform. C. Disaster recovery capabilities and documented recovery procedures. D. Ownership of processed data and costs of data migrations.

D. Ownership of processed data and costs of data migrations.