INFO 361 Quiz 1
Major Roles on a Project Team
-Business Analyst -Systems Analyst -Infrastructure Analyst -Requirements Analyst -Change Management Analyst -Project Manager
Compare and Contrast Role of System Analyst, Business Analyst, and Infrastructure Analyst
-Business Analyst represents the sponsor/user's interests -System Analyst knows how to apply IS to support business needs -Systems Analyst and Business Analyst can design a system that conforms to the IS standards while adding value to the business -Infrastructure analyst has more technical knowledge and provides the team with technical constraints, or identifies infrastructure changes that the new system will require
Analysis Phase
-Focused on understanding the existing situation and determining the needs and requirements expected from the new system. -Collect and analyze requirements -Go/ No Go decision made by sponsor and steering committee
Planning Phase
-Focuses on determining if there is justification to build an information system and developing a plan to accomplish the development project -Perform preliminary feasibility analysis
What does gradual refinement mean in the context of SDLC
-Generally, the clarity of understanding and the depth of detail of the new system are gradually refined during the phases of the SDLC. Initially, the requirements are only vaguely understood. Understanding is improved during the Analysis phase and further detail in developed during Design, and then fully expressed during Implementation
Implementation Phase
-Involves constructing (or installing) the new system, testing, converting, training, and providing support for the new system -Programming and testing -Training -Conversion to new system
Three examples of business needs for a system
-Maintain or improve the competitive position -Perform a business function more efficiently -Take advantage of a new business opportunity
What factors are used to determine project size?
-Number of people on the project team -Expected time to complete the project -Breadth/scope of the project -Number of distinct features to be included in the system -Degree of integration required between the system and existing systems.
Design Phase
-Refines the system requirements (from analysis) and develops specifications for how the new system will fulfill those requirements -Build /Buy / Outsource -Design system components
Compare and Contrast Role of Requirements Analyst, Change Management Analyst, and Project Manager
-Requirements analyst focuses on eliciting the requirements from the system stakeholders -Change management analyst focuses on people and managing issues surrounding the installation of the system -Project manager ensures that the project is completed on time and within budget an that the system delivers the expected value to the organization
Steps in the Analysis Phase and Major Deliverables
1) Analysis Strategy: Project team will formulate the approach that will be used to develop the requirements for the new system 2) Analyze the current system: Gather information from the project sponsor and users of the current system regarding its strengths and weaknesses. Use the problems identified to formulate objectives for the new system 3) Create new system concept: Based on gathered information, develop a general concept of the new system, including functions and capabilities it will have 4) Modeling activities: Express ideas for the new system's processing and data requirements with process models and data models 5) Prepare and present system proposal: Assemble the analysis results, system concept, process model, and data model into a proposal for the new system. Project sponsor and/or approval committee will determine if system has enough merit to continue development Deliverables: System proposal, initial conceptual design
Steps in the Implementation Phase and Major Deliverables
1) Build the system: Programs are written, tested, and various infrastructure components are installed. testing is conducted to verify system performance 2) Train the user: Develop and conduct training programs so that end users are thoroughly familiar with the new system's functions and work procedures 3) Convert to the new system: Transition from the old system and procedures to the new system and procedures 4) Support the new system: Evaluate the development process for lessons learned from this project, and establish methods for identifying and implementing change to the new system as needed Deliverables: Completed and documented programs, user manuals and procedures manual, training materials, and plans for system support
Steps in the Design Phase and Major Deliverables
1) Design Strategy: Project team will determine the appropriate means of developing the system (in-house custom development, purchase of pre-written software, or outsourcing development to a 3rd party). 2) Design the system architecture: Describe the basic hardware, software, and networking that will be used in the new system 3) Design the user interface: Overall structure of the system, the user's navigation through the system the inputs and outputs of the system, and the appearance of the screens are designed 4) Design the database and/or files: Develop specifications for the data storage structures that will be implemented for the new system. 5) Design the programs: Develop plans and outlines for each program that will be written to implement the functions and capabilities of the new system Deliverables: System specification
Steps for assessing economic feasibility
1) Identify costs and benefits of the proposed system. List tangible costs and benefits, including one-time and recurring costs 2) Assign values to the costs and benefits. Work with business users and IT professionals to quantify each of the costs and benefits. Try to estimate intangible costs and benefits as well 3) Determine the cash flow of the project over the analysis period. Project the costs and benefit annually over the analysis period, usually 3-5 years 4) Determine project's net present value. Calculate present value of each year's costs and benefits 5) Determine the project's return on investment. Use ROI formula to calculate the return the organization will get on its investment in the project. ROI = (Total benefits - total costs) / total costs 6) Calculate break-even point. Determine the point in time when the project has generated enough cash flow to recapture its cost 7) Graph break-even point. Plot the yearly costs and benefits on a line graph. Point of intersection is the break-even point
Major Phases in the SDLC
1) Planning Phase 2) Analysis Phase 3) Design Phase 4) Implementation Phase
Steps in the Planning Phase and Major Deliverables
1) Project Initiation: The project sponsor works with the IS department to develop a preliminary assessment of the project's feasibility. Important to made an initial evaluation of the project's value. System request and the results of the feasibility analysis are usually presented to management for approval 2) Project Management: Project work plan is created, project staffing is determined, and project management controls and procedures are established. Deliverables: Feasibility analysis and the project plan
Six General Skills all Project Team Members Should Have
1) Technical Skills 2) Business Skills 3) Analytical Skills 4) Interpersonal Skills 5) Management Skills 6) Ethical Skills
TJ has prepared a spreadsheet where the total benefits are $182,000; the total cumulative costs are $120,000. The ROI would be:
51.7% (182,000 - 120,000) / 120,000
An example of a functional requirement is
Access to the customer order system
One of the major differences between a JAD session and an interview is
All JAD sessions are structured and must be carefully planned
Which would normally NOT be a reason for a project
An open source platform has just come on the market
Michaela is a systems analyst who is determining business requirements. What would most likely be the SDLC phase for her
Analysis
Jack is going over financial numbers for a proposed project. Which of the following system analyst skills is he exhibiting currently?
Analytical
Describe two special issues that may be important to list on a system request.
Any special circumstances that could affect the outcome of the project must be clearly identified. ex) Environmental factors that should be considered (new governmental reporting requirements; competitive factors; externally imposed deadlines that cannot be altered; mandated technologies
What is the purpose of an approval committee? Who is usually on this committee?
Approval committee generally serves as the decision making body regarding investments in information systems project. Generally consists of high-level managers from throughout the organization. Often chaired by the CIO.
4 Steps of Business Process Management (BPM)
BPM is a methodology used by organizations to continuously improve end-to-end business processes. Follows a cycle of systematically creating, assessing, and altering said processes 1) Defining and mapping the steps in a business process 2) Creating ways to improve on steps in the process that adds value 3) Finding ways to eliminate or consolidate steps in the process that don't add value 4) Creating or adjusting electronic workflows to match the improved process maps
Robert is preparing an economic feasibility study. He is calculating the payback period. He is calculating:
Break-even point
Which is an activity that the users probably will NOT do on a project
Budget funds for the project
The type of skill that is common to system analysts to understand how IT can be applied to business situations and to ensure that the IT delivers real business value is
Business
Which of the following project roles would probably make a presentation about the objectives of a proposal project and its benefits to executives who will benefit directly from the project?
Champion
When eliciting requirements from processing clerks and lower level managers about "how" a system works, the best approach might be
Close-ended interview questions
When an analyst is looking for one specific question the system analyst would ask
Close-ended question
Which of the following will probably NOT be at a system walk through?
Computer Center director
Paul is interviewing Ming. He first explains why he is there and what he wants to accomplish in the interview. This would be done in which step of the interview process?
Conducting the interview
Which is NOT a purpose of the requirements definiton
Create cost/benefit analysis
Chang is working on "How will this system work." What SDLC phase is he in
Design
Kallie is creating use cases, data flow diagrams, and entity relationship diagrams. In what phase of the SDLC would she do this?
Design
Systems Analyst
Emphasis on IS issues of the system: how IT can be used to support business processes; design of new business process and IS; and enforcement of IS standards.
Change Management Analyst
Emphasis on facilitating organizational adaption to new system. Helping to identify and overcome resistance to change and assuring adequate training and documentation of new system.
Business Analyst
Emphasis on the business issues and addressed by the system: value of new system; identification of problems and opportunities; revision of business processes and policies.
Project Manager
Ensuring that progress is made on the project; time schedules and budgets are met; supervision of project team; and manage relations with project sponsor and users.
The type of skill that is common to system analysts to deal fairly and honestly with other project team member is
Ethical
Which phase is generally the longest and most expensive part of the development process
Implementation
Myles is studying a system to lessen the number of complaints about the Help Desk. He has formally studied the service counter at Wal-Mart, Target and Kohl's department stores; as well as listened in to complaint phone calls to a hotel booking site. He is trying to see how other organizations work at lessening complaints and also how they handle complaints. This would be what type of analysis?
Informal Benchmarking
Rocky is dealing one-on-one with users and business managers (including some that have little experience with technology). He is demonstrating what system analyst skill?
Interpersonal
Amy is planning on talking with a clerk and a manager in the accounts payable area, a manager in the procurement department, and two vendors. She is probably doing
Interviews
When eliciting requirements, the most commonly used technique is
Interviews
Ramona is doing an economic analysis using today's dollar value. He is doing:
Net present value analysis
When an analyst is seeking a more wide-ranging response to questions they would probably use
Open-ended questions
Alice is calculating whether a system will lower costs or increase revenues. What SDLC phase is she in
Planning
What phase in the SDLC is most important?
Planning and analysis phase -Planning is intended to determine the feasibility of a project and to create a project plan. If feasibility is done poorly then the chances of success for the system is very low -Analysis phase is important because the requirements of the system must be fully defined
An interview report is prepared in which step of the interview
Post interview
Rafael, Fraud Unit Manager, has just received an interview report from Stefano, a systems analyst. Rafael was interviewed by Stefano, and was asked to make corrections and clarifications to the interview report. In what interview would this occur?
Post-interview follow up
Danielle has asked some close-ended questions to start an interview, then some open-ended questions. Now she wants to really get more information what should she do?
Probing questions
Another outcome of the planning phase is
Project plan
Which of the following project roles would serve as a primary point of contact for a project
Project sponsor
Describe the roles of the project sponsor and the approval committee
Project sponsor is the individual or department responsible for initiating a systems request. During planning phase the project sponsor works with the IT department to conduct a feasibility analysis. Approval committee (or steering committee) then evaluates the systems request along with the results of the feasibility study to determine whether or not to approve the request.
What are the purposes of the system request and the feasibility analysis? How are they used in the project selection process?
Purpose of the system request is to initiate a systems project. System request pulls together preliminary ideas on the reason for the system and its expected value to the organization. Feasibility analysis represents a more detailed investigation into the proposed system outlined in the system request. System request and the feasibility analysis are key inputs used by the approval committee in determining if the proposed system has enough merit to move into the analysis phase.
A technique where a set of written questions are distributed to people is
Questionnaire
Ramya is preparing an economic feasibility study. She has a calculation where she takes total benefits minus total costs and divides that answer by the total costs. She is calculating:
Return on investment
Describe a "risky" project in terms of technical feasibility. Describe a project that would NOT be considered "risky"
Risky -Large in scale -Utilizes technology that we have little or no experience with -For a business area that is new and unfamiliar to the organization Safe - Small in scale -Uses technology that is well-understood -For a business area that is very familiar to the users and developers
Which is NOT an attribute of a systems analyst
Selecting which projects to approve
According to the authors, in moving "from here to there", an analyst needs:
Strong critical thinking skills
Which of the following project roles would insure that the system conforms to information system standards
System analyst
An example of a nonfunctional requirement is
System can be used in any of 100 offices worldwide
The outcome of the analysis phase is the
System proposal document
The outcome of the planning phase is the
System request document
The outcome of the design phase is
System specification document
Which of the following project roles would identify how technology can improve business
Systems analyst
Which is generally NOT true of non-functional requirements
Systems may need to have actual expenses from global operations
What is the difference between intangible value and tangible value?
Tangible value represents the system benefits that are quantifiable and measurable. ex) Increased sales, reduced operating costs, and reduced interest costs. Intangible value represents benefits that are real, but are difficult to quantify and measure ex) Increased customer satisfaction, improved decision making, improved problem recognition
Becky is a system analyst for Laswell Consulting. She is attending a three-day intensive workshop on developing applications in php. What system analyst skill is she working on
Technical
Describe the three dimensions of feasibility analysis
Technical Feasibility: Capability of the organization to successfully develop the proposed system. Includes: project size, types of technologies used in the project, amount of prior experience with that technology, and the business application. Economic Feasibility: Addresses the economic justification of the project. Attempt to determine if the value of the project's benefits justifies investing in the project's estimated costs. Organizational Feasibility: Evaluates whether the system is likely to be accepted and used by the organization. Strength of the sponsor's and management's support for the project and the enthusiasm or resistance of the users for the project.
Infrastructure Analyst
Technical issues associated with integrating new system components to existing technical infrastructures.
Because the cost can be immense, __________ is one of the most critical steps in implementation
Testing
In the interview report, what will probably NOT be included
The actual questions that were asked as a permanent record
The line between analysis and design is sometimes very blurry. One reason is that:
The deliverables are really the first step in the design of the new system
One difference between the reports from interviews and from a JAD session is that
The interview report is generally written within 48 hours of the interview, while the JAD session report may take a week or two after the JAD session
Which is NOT true for system analysts
They are the project sponsors for the system proposal
Which of the following is true about a JAD facilitator
They set the meeting agenda
Which is NOT a requirement analysis strategy
Understanding of screen design, layout, and navigation
Why should the system request be created by a business person as opposed to an IS professional
Usually, the system request originates with a business person because the need for the system improvement is recognized int he business unit. It's unlikely that the IS professionals will recognize all of the business needs.
