IST 352 test #2

The product focus or niche competitive strategy is similar to both the low-cost and differentiation strategies, but with a much narrower market focus.

TRUE

Mission statements are often referred to as critical success factors.

FALSE

The Baseline Project Plan is the primary deliverable from the project identification and selection phase.

FALSE

________ refers to the number of individuals and the length of time needed to complete the project.

project/size duration

________ is the amount and type of resources the project requires and their availability.

resource availability

________ is the extent to which the project is viewed as helping the organization achieve its strategic objectives and long-term goals.

strategic alignment

What would be the estimated time for completion if time estimates for programming are as follows: optimistic = 4 weeks; pessimistic = 6 weeks; realistic = 5 weeks? A) 5 weeks B) 6 weeks C) 15 weeks D) 3 weeks

A) 5 weeks

The extent to which the project is viewed as improving profits, customer service, etc., and the duration of these benefits best defines which of the following evaluation criteria? A) potential benefits B) resource availability C) technical difficulty or risks D) strategic alignment

A) potential benefits

The phase of the project management process in which activities are performed to assess the size, scope, and complexity of the project and to establish procedures to support later project activities best defines: A) project initiation B) scope development C) project planning D) project assessment

A) project initiation

Slack time is equal to: A) the difference between an activity's latest and earliest expected completion time B) the latest expected completion time C) the difference between the start time and realistic time for each activity D) the sum of an activity's latest and earliest expected completion time

A) the difference between an activity's latest and earliest expected completion time

The matrix that identifies the relationships between organizational entities and each business function is: A) unit-to-function B) location-to-unit C) function-to-process D) entity-to-process

A) unit-to-function

In OOSAD, one outcome of defining the overall system as a collection of components is: A) a good system B) the likelihood that components constructed earlier in the project will require greater rework C) the likelihood that components constructed later in the project will require greater rework D) the critical path will fail.

B) the likelihood that components constructed earlier in the project will require greater rework

Optimistic time is: A) the maximum period of time for an activity to be completed B) the minimum period of time for an activity to be completed C) the planner's "best guess" of the amount of time the activity actually will require for completion D) the maximum period of time for an entire project to be completed

B) the minimum period of time for an activity to be completed

A Project Scope Statement is developed during the project execution phase.

FALSE

A location-to-function matrix identifies which organizational units are located in or interact with a specific business function.

FALSE

A logic model is a graphical representation of a project that shows each task as a horizontal bar whose length is proportional to its time for completion.

FALSE

A major disadvantage of the network diagram is its inability to represent completion times and show interrelationships between activities.

FALSE

A work method is any person, group of people, piece of equipment, or material used in accomplishing an activity

FALSE

An Intranet refers to the use of the Internet between firms.

FALSE

An activity on the critical path will have a slack time of 1.

FALSE

Due to the principle of incremental commitment, a selected project will result in a working system.

FALSE

Gantt charts typically show how tasks must be ordered and when an activity should begin and end.

FALSE

Project initiation is the second phase of the project management process, which focuses on defining clear, discrete activities and the work needed to complete each activity within a single project.

FALSE

Projects identified by top management have a cross-functional focus.

FALSE

Requirements determination and requirements structuring are two processes that can significantly improve the quality of project identification and selection decisions.

FALSE

Systems analysis is the first phase of the systems development life cycle.

FALSE

Task identification structure refers to the process of dividing a project into manageable tasks and logically ordering them to ensure a smooth evolution between tasks.

FALSE

The South Korean-produced Hyundai uses a product focus competitive strategy.

FALSE

The meeting minutes project team communication method has a low formality rating.

FALSE

The most instrumental person to the successful completion of a project is the database analyst.

FALSE

When a project manager is getting projects completed through the effective utilization of resources, he/she is performing a risk and change management activity.

FALSE

When comparing alternative methods for making information systems identification and selection decisions, top management has the smallest project size and a cross-functional focus.

FALSE

When using OOASD, iterations are generally meant to be a variable length of time.

FALSE

Within the context of the SDLC, project closedown occurs when the design phase is completed.

FALSE

"We are in the business of selling high-quality men's shoes" is an example of a mission statement.

TRUE

"What information requirements will satisfy our business's decision-making needs today and well into the future?" is a question that might be asked by a planning-based approach to project identification and selection.

TRUE

A competitive strategy is the method by which an organization attempts to achieve its mission and objectives.

TRUE

A deliverable is an end product in a phase of the SDLC.

TRUE

A systems development project may be undertaken to take advantage of business opportunities or to solve business problems.

TRUE

An IS manager, a formal planning group, a user department, and a development group are possible sources for information systems development projects.

TRUE

Bottom-up planning is an ISP methodology that identifies and defines IS development projects based upon solving operational business problems.

TRUE

Creating a work breakdown structure requires that you decompose phases into activities and activities into specific tasks.

TRUE

Data redundancy and users having little confidence in the quality of data are reasons why improved information systems project identification and selection is needed.

TRUE

During ISP, the current and future organizational needs are modeled, and strategies and project plans to migrate the current information systems and technologies to their desired future state are developed.

TRUE

During corporate strategic planning, executives typically develop a mission statement, statements of future corporate objectives, and strategies designed to help the organization reach its objectives.

TRUE

During project execution, plans created in prior phases are put into action.

TRUE

Establishing a relationship with the customer is a project initiation activity.

TRUE

Experienced OOSAD project managers typically use from six to nine iterations when designing and constructing a system.

TRUE

Gantt charts typically do not show how tasks must be ordered.

TRUE

Gantt charts visually show the time overlap of tasks whereas a network diagram does not show time overlap but does show which tasks could be done in parallel.

TRUE

If an activity's optimistic time is 3 months, its realistic time is 5 months, and its pessimistic time is 10 months, then its estimated time would be 5.5 months.

TRUE

In order to manage the project as a series of iterations, the project manager must subdivide the project into a set of components.

TRUE

Nonintegrated systems used in the past are being replaced with cooperative, integrated enterprise systems that can easily support information sharing.

TRUE

Objective statements are a series of statements that express an organization's qualitative and quantitative goals for reaching a desired future position.

TRUE

One characteristic of the OOAD approach is that it tackles hard problems first.

TRUE

One outcome of defining the overall system as a collection of components is the likelihood that the components constructed earlier in the project will require greater rework than those developed later in the project.

TRUE

Organizations that have Intranets dictate what applications will run over the Intranet and the speed and quality of the hardware connected to the Intranet.

TRUE

Project time estimates for task completion and overall system quality are significantly influenced by the assignment of people to tasks.

TRUE

The criteria used to evaluate projects will vary by organization.

TRUE

The focus of closing the customer contract activity is to ensure that all contractual terms of the project have been met.

TRUE

The project manager is responsible for initiating, planning, executing, and closing down the project.

TRUE

The project workbook serves as a repository for all project correspondence, inputs, outputs, deliverables, procedures, and standards established by the project team.

TRUE

The status report project team communication method is used to inform project team members.

TRUE

The systems identification and selection process for an Internet-based electronic commerce application is no different than the process followed for other applications.

TRUE

To benefit from a planning-based approach for identifying and selecting projects, an organization must analyze its information needs and plan its projects carefully.

TRUE

To build the most effective information systems, an organization must clearly understand its mission, objectives, and strategy.

TRUE

When classifying and ranking projects, resource availability, potential benefits, and project size/duration are possible evaluation criteria.

TRUE

When developing an Internet EC application, developers must deal with several unknown factors, including the user, connection speed, and access method.

TRUE

When executing the Baseline Project Plan, the project manager will initiate the execution of project activities, acquire and assign resources, orient and train new team members, keep the project on schedule, and assure the quality of project deliverables.

TRUE

Which of the following is one of the three primary activities associated with identifying and selecting IS development projects? A) preliminary investigation of the system problem or opportunity B) identification of potential development projects C) requirements determination D) generating alternative initial designs

TRUE

With OOAD project management, during each iteration all systems development lifecycle activities are performed.

TRUE

Working closely with customers to assure project deliverables meet expectations describes the ________ project manager activity.

customer relations

A ________ is an end product in a phase of the SDLC.

deliverable

A ________ determines if the proposed information system makes sense for the organization from an economic and operational standpoint.

feasibility study

________ is a strategy in systems analysis and design in which the project is reviewed after each phase and continuation of the project is rejustified.

incremental commitment

Influencing the activities of others toward the attainment of a common goal through the use of intelligence, personality, and abilities describes the ________ project manager activity.

leadership

Getting projects completed through the effective utilization of resources describes the ________ project manager activity.

management

A ________ is a statement that makes it clear what business a company is in.

mission statement

________ are a series of statements that express an organization's qualitative and quantitative goals for reaching a desired future position.

objective statements

________ are the extent to which the project is viewed as improving profits, customer service, and so forth and the duration of these benefits.

potential benefits

A ________ is a planned undertaking of related activities to reach an objective that has a beginning and an end.

project

________ is the first phase of the project management process in which activities are performed to assess the size, scope, and complexity of the project and to establish procedures to support later project activities.

project initiation

________, ________, ________, and ________ are the four phases of project management.

project initiation, project planning, project execution, project closedown

A ________ is a systems analyst with a diverse set of skills-management, leadership, technical, conflict management, and customer relationship-who is responsible for initiating, planning, executing, and closing down a project.

project manager

________ refers to the level of technical difficulty to successfully complete the project within given time and resource constraints.

technical difficulties/ risks

________ refers to analyzing an organization's activities to determine where value is added to products and/or services and the costs incurred for doing so; usually also includes a comparison with the activities, added value, and costs of other organizations for the purpose of making improvements in the organization's operations and performance.

value chain analysis

Any person, group of people, piece of equipment, or material used in accomplishing an activity is referred to as a(n): A) entity B) resource C) identifier D) agent

B) resource

Which of the following best describes the top-down planning approach advantage, improved integration? A) If not viewed from the top, totally new management information systems may be implemented rather than planning how to evolve existing systems. B) If not viewed from the top, planners may lack sufficient management acceptance of the role of information systems in helping them achieve business objectives. C) If not viewed from the top, planners may lack the understanding necessary to implement information systems across the entire business rather than simply to individual operating units. D) If not viewed from the top, information systems may be implemented without first understanding the business from general management's viewpoint.

A) If not viewed from the top, totally new management information systems may be implemented rather than planning how to evolve existing systems.

Which of the following is a true statement regarding project time estimates? A) Project time estimates for task completion and overall system quality are significantly influenced by the assignment of people to tasks. B) Resource estimates should not be revised based upon the skills of the actual person assigned to a particular activity. C) Staff learning can be enhanced by assigning individuals to tasks that are "over their heads." D) Project time estimates are always on target.

A) Project time estimates for task completion and overall system quality are significantly influenced by the assignment of people to tasks.

Which of the following is true regarding Gantt chart construction? A) To construct the Gantt chart, a horizontal bar is drawn for each activity that reflects its sequence and duration. B) To show precedence relationships, arrows are used to connect actions. C) Arrows are used to reflect the sequence of activities. D) Squares are used to represent activities.

A) To construct the Gantt chart, a horizontal bar is drawn for each activity that reflects its sequence and duration.

An on-line or hard copy repository for all project correspondence, inputs, outputs, deliverables, procedures, and standards that is used for performing project audits, orientation of new team members, communication with management and customers, identifying future projects, and performing postproject reviews is called: A) a project workbook B) a schedule book C) a project planner D) project management software

A) a project workbook

If the project team and organizational officials reassess the project after each subsequent SDLC phase to determine if the business conditions have changed or if a more detailed understanding of a system's costs, benefits, and risks suggest that the project is not as worthy as previously thought, they are: A) adhering to the incremental commitment principle B) overly cautious C) using a CASE methodology D) adhering to a bottom-up commitment principle

A) adhering to the incremental commitment principle

Determining the strengths and weaknesses of project deliverables, the processes used to create them, and the project management process is done during: A) conducting postproject reviews B) closing the customer contract C) closing down the project D) communicating the project status

A) conducting postproject reviews

Managing conflict within a project team to assure that conflict is not too high or too low best defines which of the following project manager activities: A) conflict management B) leadership C) team management D) problem solving

A) conflict management

An ongoing process that defines the mission, objectives, and strategies of an organization refers to: A) corporate strategic planning B) analysis C) goal setting D) information systems planning

A) corporate strategic planning

Which of the following is not a component on the typical information systems plan? A) corporation history B) constraints on IS development C) informational inventory D) the short-term plan

A) corporation history

Skills that include interpreting system requests and specifications, site preparation and user training, and contact point for customers best represent: A) customer relations B) conflict management C) leadership D) team management

A) customer relations

The second activity in the ISP process is: A) describe the target situation, trends, and constraints B) describe the current situation C) develop a transition strategy and plans D) develop the logical design

A) describe the target situation, trends, and constraints

Developing an understanding of the content and complexity of the project is the purpose of: A) describing the project scope, alternatives, and feasibility B) determining project standards and procedures C) developing a Statement Of Work D) setting a Baseline Project Plan

A) describing the project scope, alternatives, and feasibility

Which of the following project management activities is associated with project initiation? A) establishing a relationship with the customer B) describing project scope, alternatives, and feasibility C) estimating resources and creating a detailed resource plan D) identifying and assessing risks

A) establishing a relationship with the customer

An advantage of the bottom-up planning approach is: A) identifying pressing organizational problems B) broader perspective C) improved integration D) better understanding

A) identifying pressing organizational problems

An orderly means of assessing the information needs of an organization and defining the systems, databases, and technologies that will best satisfy those needs best defines: A) information systems planning B) mission statement C) objective statement D) competitive strategy

A) information systems planning

Which of the following occurs during project execution? A) monitoring project progress against the baseline plan B) conducting post-project reviews C) establishing the project initiation plan D) establishing the project workbook

A) monitoring project progress against the baseline plan

A diagram that depicts project activities and their interrelationships is called a: A) network diagram B) data diagram C) data flow diagram D) Gantt chart

A) network diagram

Matrices of the target or "future" situation are sometimes called: A) forward-looking matrices B) "to be" matrices C) candidate matrices D) proposed matrices

B) "to be" matrices

Which of the following is the first ISP step? A) Develop target blueprints B) Assess current IS-related assets C) Define a series of scheduled projects D) Assign resources

B) Assess current IS-related assets

A critical path is: A) a sequence of activities whose order and durations indirectly affect the completion date of a project B) a sequence of activities whose order and durations directly affect the completion date of a project C) a sequence of activities whose order must be performed in parallel D) a sequence of activities whose duration cannot last more than 40 percent of the time allotted to the project

B) a sequence of activities whose order and durations directly affect the completion date of a project

A generic information systems planning methodology that identifies and defines IS development projects based on solving operational business problems or taking advantage of some business opportunities defines: A) democratic planning B) bottom-up planning C) top-down planning D) foundation planning

B) bottom-up planning

The responsibility for keeping all team members informed of the project status best describes the: A) monitoring project progress against the Baseline Project Plan activity B) communicating the project status activity C) executing the baseline project plan activity D) project update activity

B) communicating the project status activity

Which of the following characteristics is associated with the steering committee selection method? A) greater strategic focus B) greater organizational change C) fewer users, management layers, and business functions D) less concern on cost-benefit analysis

B) greater organizational change

"We are in the business of designing, fabricating, and selling to retail stores high-quality wood furniture" is what kind of statement? A) business statement B) mission statement C) goal statement D) corporate policy

B) mission statement

The final phase of the project management process that focuses on bringing a project to an end is called: A) project evaluation B) project closedown C) project initiation and planning D) project review

B) project closedown

Which of the following is a need for improved information systems project identification and selection? A) The costs of information systems are steadily decreasing. B) Many systems can handle applications that cross organization boundaries. C) Data redundancy is often out of control, and users may have little confidence in the quality of the data. D) Systems maintenance costs are well under control.

C) Data redundancy is often out of control, and users may have little confidence in the quality of the data

Which of the following states correctly the formality and use of hallway discussions? A) In terms of formality, hallway discussions would be rated medium. In terms of use, hallway discussions would be used to inform. B) In terms of formality, hallway discussions would be rated high. In terms of use, hallway discussions would be used to inform. C) In terms of formality, hallway discussions would be rated low. In terms of use, hallway discussions would be used to inform and resolve issues. D) In terms of formality, hallway discussions would be rated high. In terms of use, hallway discussions would serve as a permanent record.

C) In terms of formality, hallway discussions would be rated low. In terms of use, hallway discussions would be used to inform and resolve issues.

Which of the following states correctly the formality and use of a project workbook? A) In terms of formality, the project workbook would be rated low to medium. In terms of use, the project workbook would be used to inform and serve as a permanent record. B) In terms of formality, the project workbook would be rated high. In terms of use, the project workbook would be used to resolve issues. C) In terms of formality, the project workbook would be rated high. In terms of use, the project workbook would be used to inform and serve as a permanent record. D) In terms of formality, the project workbook would be rated low. In terms of use, the project workbook would be used to resolve issues.

C) In terms of formality, the project workbook would be rated high. In terms of use, the project workbook would be used to inform and serve as a permanent record.

Which of the following is a strategy for a low-cost producer? A) competing in an industry on the basis of product quality B) capitalizing on a key product criteria requested by the market C) competing in an industry on the basis of product or service cost to the consumer D) competing in an industry on the basis of product quantity

C) competing in an industry on the basis of product or service cost to the consumer

The third activity in the ISP process is: A) describe the target situation, trends, and constraints B) describe the current situation C) developing a transition strategy and plans D) develop the logical design

C) developing a transition strategy and plans

Research has found that projects identified by top management more often: A) have a narrow, tactical focus B) reflect diversity and have a cross-functional focus C) have a strategic, organizational focus D) will integrate easily with existing hardware and systems

C) have a strategic, organizational focus

The second planning process that can play a significant role in the quality of project identification and selection decisions is called: A) strategic alignment B) cost/benefit analysis C) information systems planning D) incremental commitment

C) information systems planning

Realistic time is: A) the maximum period of time for an activity to be completed B) the minimum period of time for an activity to be completed C) the planner's "best guess" of the amount of time the activity actually will require for completion D) the maximum period of time for an entire project to be completed

C) the planner's "best guess" of the amount of time the activity actually will require for completion

This approach begins by conducting an extensive analysis of the organization's mission, objectives, and strategy and determining the information requirements needed to meet each objective: A) foundation planning B) democratic planning C) top-down planning D) bottom-up planning

C) top-down planning

When a project manager divides a system into components in OOSAD, each component is called a(n): A) piece of the pie B) horizontal slice C) vertical slice D) node

C) vertical slice

________ is an ongoing process that defines the mission, objectives, and strategies of an organization.

Corporate strategic planning

Which of the following is not a guideline for defining a task? A) A task should have well accepted predecessor and successor steps. B) A task should have a single and identifiable deliverable. C) A task should have a known method or technique. D) A task should always be completed by one person.

D) A task should always be completed by one person.

Which of the following is a true statement regarding network diagrams? A) The critical path of a network diagram is represented by the sequence of connected activities that produce the longest overall time period. B) All activities with a slack time equal to zero are on the critical path. C) Nodes not on the critical path can be delayed (for some amount of time) without delaying the final completion of the project. D) All of the above.

D) All of the above.

An Internet-based communication that supports business-to-business activities best describes: A) Internet B) electronic commerce C) electronic data interchange D) B2B

D) B2B

Once a company has defined its mission and objectives: A) goals can be established B) an information architecture can be developed C) project analysis can begin D) a competitive strategy can be formulated

D) a competitive strategy can be formulated

Potential development projects can be identified by: A) a steering committee B) top management C) a senior IS manager D) all of the above

D) all of the above

Risks can arise from: A) the use of new technology B) resistance to change C) availability of critical resources D) all of the above

D) all of the above

Which of the following are project management phases? A) closing down the project B) planning the project C) executing the project D) all of the above

D) all of the above

Which of the following is a competitive strategy? A) low-cost producer B) product differentiation C) product focus D) all of the above

D) all of the above

Which of the following are primary reasons for undertaking systems development projects? A) to take advantage of business opportunities B) to solve business problems C) to use state-of-the-art technology D) both A and B

D) both A and B

An individual with a diverse set of skills - management, leadership, technical, conflict management, and customer relationship - who is responsible for initiating, planning, executing, and closing down a project best defines: A) systems analyst B) consultant C) project scheduler D) project manager

D) project manager

The extent to which the project is viewed as helping the organization achieve its strategic objectives and long-term goals describes: A) potential benefits B) resource availability C) technical difficulty or risks D) strategic alignment

D) strategic alignment

Briefly describe three of the ten types of matrices that are beneficial during information systems planning.

Location-to-function, location-to-unit, and unit-to-function are three of the ten types of matrices. The location-to-function matrix identifies which business functions are being performed at various organizational locations. The location-to-unit matrix identifies which organizational units are located in or interact with a specific function. The unit-to-function matrix identifies the relationships between organizational entities and each business function. Additional matrices are mentioned in the textbook.

Describe Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design

Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design defines the system as a set of components. The project manager creates vertical slices of the system. One approach used by OOSAD is to complete hard problems first. Iterations are used to manage the project. Within each iteration, each phase of the SDLC is completed. Iterations generally last two to eight weeks.

________ is a controlled process of initiating, planning, executing, and closing down a project.

Project management