Systems Analysis Exam 2 (Chap. 4-6. Osborne, ORU)

A black hole is a process that:

has only inputs

A miracle process is one that:

has only outputs

Research has found that projects identified by individual departments or business units most often:

have a narrow, tactical focus

Research has found that projects identified by top management more often:

have a strategic, organizational focus

Forms are important for understanding a business because they:

indicate what data flow in or out of a system and which are necessary for the system to function

The way a system actually works is referred to as a(n):

informal system

The reduction of waste creation is an example of a(n):

intangible benefit

Data-flow diagrams allow you to:

model how data flow through an information system

The analysis technique that uses a discount rate determined from the company's cost of capital to establish the present value of a project is commonly called:

net present value (NPV)

A cost associated with project start-up refers to a(n):

one-time cost

Questions in interviews and on questionnaires that have no pre-specified answers are:

open-ended questions

The current value of a future cash flow is referred to as:

present value

The lowest level of decomposition for a data-flow diagram is called the:

primitive diagram

Recording a customer's payment would be represented on a data-flow diagram as a(n):

process

The ratio of the net cash receipts of the project divided by the cash outlays of the project, enabling trade-off analysis to be made between competing projects, is often referred to as:

return on investment (ROI)

Good interview guidelines consist of:

seeking a variety of perspectives from the interviews

A square on a data-flow diagram represents a sink or a:

source

A supplier of auto parts to your company would be represented on a data-flow diagram as a:

source

The extent to which the project is viewed as helping the organization achieve its strategic objectives and long-term goals describes:

strategic alignment

The first phase of the systems development life cycle is:

systems planning and selection

An assessment of the development group's understanding of the possible target hardware, software, and operating environments, system size, complexity, and the group's experience with similar systems should be included as part of:

technical feasibility

The concept of comparing present cash outlays to future expected returns best defines:

time value of money

Which of the following can be considered an advantage of closed-ended questions?

Closed-ended questions work well when the major answers to the questions are well known

Which of the following would be classified as a tangible cost?

Cost of hardware

The extent to which all necessary components of a data-flow diagram have been included and fully described defines:

DFD completeness

Which of the following would be classified as an intangible cost?

Employee morale

A JAD is an inexpensive, popular requirements determination technique.

False

A data flow can go directly back to the same process it leaves.

False

If the net present value (NPV) of all costs is $100,000 and the NPV of all benefits is $170,000, then the ROI would be 35 percent.

False

Increased flexibility is an example of an intangible benefit.

False

One of the primary purposes of a DFD is to represent time, giving a good indication of whether data flows occur constantly in real time, once a day, or once a year.

False

Sources and sinks are internal to the system.

False

The decomposition of Process 1.1 would be shown on a level-1 diagram.

False

The lowest-level data-flow diagrams are called level-0 diagrams.

False

The most useful forms do not contain data.

False

The prototyping process usually includes formal documentation of system requirements.

False

The two parts to systems analysis are determining requirements and structuring requirements.

False

You should use the interview process to set expectations about the new or replacement system.

False

Which of the following is a reason for directly observing end users?

People often do not have a completely accurate appreciation of what they do or how they do it

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?

Potential benefits

One advantage of open-ended questions in an interview is:

Previously unknown information can result

A document prepared for the customer during project initiation and planning that describes what the project will deliver and outlines generally at a high level all work required to complete the project is the:

Project Scope Statement

Which of the following is a true statement regarding sources/sinks?

Sources/sinks are always outside the information system

A composite data flow on one level can be split into component data flows at the next level, but no new data can be added and all data in the composite must be accounted for in one or more subflows.

True

A data-flow diagram (DFD) is a graphical tool that allows analysts to illustrate the flow of data in an information system.

True

A gross violation of DFD consistency would be a level-1 diagram with no level-0 diagram.

True

A walkthrough is a peer group review of any product created during the systems development process.

True

Closed-ended questions work well when the major answers to the questions are known.

True

Collection of information is at the core of systems analysis.

True

Data cannot move directly from a source to a sink.

True

Economic feasibility is a process of identifying the financial benefits and costs associated with a development project.

True

Functional decomposition is a repetitive process of breaking the description or perspective of a system down into finer and finer detail.

True

In terms of BPR, activities deemed important, changeable, and dysfunctional are primary candidates for alteration.

True

Neutrality is a guideline for effective interviewing

True

Site preparation is an example of a one-time cost.

True

The construction of an information system can have political ramifications.

True

The criteria used to evaluate projects will vary by organization.

True

The time value of money (TVM) compares present cash outlays to future expected returns.

True

While being observed, employees may follow exact procedures more carefully than they typically do.

True

The objective of the project planning process is the development of:

a Baseline Project Plan and Project Scope Statement

The typical participants in a JAD include:

a systems analyst

The term that refers to systems development projects bogged down in an abundance of analysis work is:

analysis paralysis

The conservation of inputs and outputs is called:

balancing

The analysis technique that finds the amount of time required for the cumulative cash flow from a project to equal its initial and ongoing investment is referred to as:

break-even analysis (BEA)

If your analysis of several written procedures reveals a duplication of effort in two jobs, you should:

call the duplication to the attention of management as an issue to be resolved before system design can proceed

Drawbacks to prototyping include:

checks in the SDLC are bypassed so that some more subtle, but still important, system requirements might be forgotten

Questions in interviews and on questionnaires asking those responding to choose from a set of specified responses are:

closed-ended questions

Prototyping is most useful for requirements determination when:

communication problems have existed in the past between users and analysts

An arrow on a data-flow diagram represents a(n):

data flow

Data contained on a customer order form would be represented on a data-flow diagram as a:

data flow

Data in motion, moving from one place in a system to another, best describes a:

data flow

Data at rest, which may take the form of many different physical representations, best describes a:

data store

On a data-flow diagram, a rectangle with the right vertical line missing represents a:

data store

The interest rate used to compute the present value of future cash flows refers to:

discount rate

Technologies that enable the breaking of long-held business rules that inhibit organizations from making radical business changes best defines:

disruptive technologies

The purpose of requirements structuring is to:

enable the large amount of information gathered during requirements determination to be organized

The official way a system works as described in organizational documentation is referred to as a(n):

formal system