CTS Final Study Guide

____ is an example of a discretionary project.

Creating a new report for a user

____ components can provide automated response to sales inquiries, Web-based order processing, and online inventory tracking.

Customer relationship management (CRM

Using a(n) ____, an analyst can show business functions and break them down into lower-level functions and processes.

FDD

A company's mission statement is unrelated to its major goals, shorter-term objectives, and day-to-day business operations.

False

A horizontal system is designed to meet the unique requirements of a specific business or industry, such as a Web-based retailer, a medical practice, or a video chain

False

A mission-critical system is one that is unimportant to a company's operations.

False

A strategic plan that stresses technology tends to create an unfavorable climate for IT projects that extends throughout an organization.

False

A vertical system is a system, such as an inventory or payroll application, that can be adapted for use in many different companies.

False

Although the business-to-business (B2B) sector is more familiar to retail customers, the volume of business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions is many times greater

False

Application software manages hardware components, which can include a single workstation or a global network with many thousands of clients.

False

Because it is linked to a specific development methodology, systems developers use JAD whenever group input and interaction is not desired.

False

Because of the limited range of input and interaction among participants, few companies believe that a JAD group produces the best definition of a new system.

False

Compared with traditional methods, the entire RAD process is expanded and, as a result, the new system is built, delivered, and placed in operation much later.

False

Creating an FDD is different from drawing an organization chart; systems analysts start at the bottom and work their way up.

False

Greater user involvement in the system development process usually results in poorer communication, slower development times, and less satisfied users.

False

Hardware-based security controls include passwords, various levels of user access, and coding data.

False

In a sequence diagram, the interaction proceeds from left to right along horizontal arrows, while a vertical timeline represents messages from one object to another.

False

In an information system, data is information that has been transformed into output that is valuable to users.

False

In an information system, information consists of basic facts that are the system's raw material

False

Management leadership and information technology are unconnected, and no significant changes have occurred in either area.

False

Product-oriented companies primarily offer information or services or sell goods produced by others

False

Service-oriented companies manufacture and sell products such as computers, routers, or microchips.

False

System software consists of programs that support day-to-day business functions and provide users with the information they require.

False

Systems requests seldom are aimed at improving service to customers or users within a company

False

TP systems are inefficient because they process a set of transaction-related commands individually rather than as a group.

False

The main objective of all RAD approaches is to extend development time and expense by excluding users from every phase of systems development.

False

The success or failure of an information system usually is unrelated to whether users are satisfied with the system's output and operations.

False

While RAD typically focuses only on fact-finding and requirements determination, JAD provides a fast-track approach to a full spectrum of system development tasks, including planning, design, construction, and implementation.

False

____ are especially important to a systems analyst who must work with people at all organizational levels, balance conflicting needs of users, and communicate effectively.

Interpersonal skills

____ is a traditional, time-tested, easy to understand systems development technique that uses a set of process models to describe a system graphically.

Structured analysis

____ is a typical example of a system requirement for the input category.

Student grades must be entered on machine-scannable forms prepared by the instructor

____ software controls the flow of data, provides data security, and manages network operations.

System

____ is a typical example of a system requirement for the output category.

The contact management system must generate a daily reminder list for all sales reps

____ is a typical example of a system requirement for the performance category.

The student records system must produce class lists within five hours after the end of registration

____ is a typical example of a system requirement for the control category

The system must maintain separate levels of security for users and the system administrator

____ is a typical example of a system requirement for the process category.

The video rental system must not execute new rental transactions for customers who have overdue tapes

A business process describes a specific set of transactions, events, tasks, and results

True

A risk of RAD is that a system might work well in the short term, but the corporate and long-term objectives for the system might not be met.

True

A system must have effective controls to ensure that data is secure and accurate.

True

A systems request might propose enhancements for an existing system, the correction of problems, or the development of an entirely new information system.

True

As users rely more heavily on information systems to perform their jobs, they are likely to request even more IT services and support.

True

Because use cases depict a system through the eyes of a user, common business language can be used to describe the transactions.

True

Each activity within the systems analysis phase has an end product and one or more milestones.

True

IBM claims that its WebSphere strategy is best for Web-based application development, while Microsoft counters with a broad vision called .NET that redefines that company's approach to Web-based application development.

True

IT professionals recognize that successful systems must be user-oriented, and users need to be involved, formally or informally, at every stage of systems development.

True

In many large companies, applications called enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems provide cost-effective support for users and managers throughout the company.

True

Internal and external factors affect every business decision that a company makes, and IT systems are no exception.

True

New business support systems that produced valuable information, in addition to performing manual tasks, were called management information systems (MIS) because managers were the primary users.

True

Performance limitations result when a system that was designed for a specific hardware configuration becomes obsolete when new hardware is introduced.

True

Some industry experts predict that bar code technology will be overshadowed in the future by electronic product code (EPC) technology that uses RFID tags to identify and monitor the movement of each individual product.

True

Strategic planning looks beyond day-to-day activities and focuses on a horizon that is 3, 5, or even 10 years in the future.

True

System analysts use modeling and fact-finding interactively; first they build fact-finding results into models, then they study the models to determine whether additional fact-finding is needed.

True

System requirements fall into five general categories: outputs, inputs, processes, performance, and controls.

True

System requirements serve as benchmarks to measure the overall acceptability of a finished system.

True

The purpose of a JIT (just-in-time) system is to provide the right product at the right place at the right time.

True

Today, systems development is much more team-oriented than in the past.

True

Traditionally, a company either developed its own information systems, called in-house applications, or purchased systems called software packages from outside vendors.

True

UML provides various graphical tools, such as use case diagrams and sequence diagrams.

True

When assessing priorities for systems requests, a systems analyst should look for high scores in all of the following except ____.

Will the proposed system decrease revenue for the company?

A SWOT analysis contributes to the strategic planning process by identifying ____ resources.

all of the above

When preparing a checklist of specific tasks to observe and questions to ask, a systems analyst should consider ____.

all of the above

A ____, or requirements model, describes the information that a system must provide

business model

When companies attempt to simplify operations or reduce costs, a popular strategy is to have managers and systems analysts perform ____.

business process reengineering (BPR)

In object-oriented programming, an object is a member of a(n) ____, which is a collection of similar objects.

class

In an interview, ____ limit or restrict the response.

closed-ended questions

In a typical company organizational model, top managers ____.

develop long-range plans, called strategic plans, that define the company's overall mission and goals

Of the measures of feasibility in the accompanying figure, ____ assesses tangible and intangible benefits to the company in addition to costs

economic feasibility

Examples of company-wide applications, called ____, include order processing systems, payroll systems, and company communications networks.

enterprise applications

When setting priorities for systems requests, the highest priority goes to projects that provide the ____.

greatest benefit, at the lowest cost, in the shortest period of time

A systems request form should not ____.

have complex instructions

User productivity systems ____.

include e-mail, voice mail, fax, video conferencing, word processing, automated calendars, database management, spreadsheets, and high-speed Internet access

Supporters of neutral locations for interviews believe that it ____.

keeps interruptions to a minimum so people can concentrate fully

When planning an information system, a company must consider how a new system will interface with older systems, which are called ____.

legacy systems

Compared with traditional methods, when properly used, JAD can result in all of the following except ____.

less expense and greater manageability if the group is too large

External factors that affect IT systems projects include all of the following except ____.

managers

When evaluating systems requests, all of the following are disadvantages of a systems review committee except ____.

one person's bias is more likely to affect the decisions

Examples of intangible benefits include all of the following except a(n) ____.

online package tracking system that decreases the need for clerical staff

In an interview, ____ encourage spontaneous and unstructured responses.

open-ended questions

Of the measures of feasibility in the accompanying figure, ____ considers questions such as "Does management support the project?"; and "Will the new system require training for users?"

operational feasibility

Transaction processing (TP) systems ____.

process data generated by day-to-day business operations

A(n) ____ describes the logic that programmers use to write code modules.

process model

In a typical company organizational model, middle managers ____.

provide direction, necessary resources, and performance feedback to supervisors and team leaders

Business support systems ____.

provide job-related information support to users at all levels of a company

In an interview, ____ are questions that ask a person to evaluate something by providing limited answers to specific responses or on a numeric scale.

range-of-response questions

To evaluate ____, a systems analyst needs information about projected future volume for all outputs, inputs, and processes

scalabiity

Of the measures of feasibility in the accompanying figure, issues that relate to ____ include "Has management established a firm timetable for the project?" and "Will a project manager be appointed?"

schedule feasibility

Knowledge management systems are called expert systems because they ____.

simulate human reasoning by combining a knowledge base and inference rules that determine how the knowledge is applied

The ____ phase of the SDLC includes four main activities: requirements modeling, data and process modeling, object modeling, and consideration of development strategies.

systems analysis

The primary advantage of RAD is that ____.

systems can be developed more quickly with significant cost savings

Systems development typically starts with a ____.

systems request, followed by a preliminary investigation, which includes a feasibility study

Of the measures of feasibility in the accompanying figure, ____ considers points such as "Does the proposed platform have sufficient capacity for future needs?" and "Will the hardware and software environment be reliable"

technical feasibility

Internal factors that affect IT systems projects include all of the following except ____.

the economy

In launching a new information system, the greatest risk occurs when a company ____.

tries to decide how the system will be implemented before determining what the system is supposed to do

Examples of tangible benefits include all of the following except a(n) ____.

user-friendly system that improves employee job satisfaction

Traditionally, the SDLC is pictured as a(n) ____, like that shown in the accompanying figure, where the result of each phase, which is called a deliverable or end product, flows sequentially into the next phase.

waterfall model

All of the following are common reasons for systems requests except ____.

weaker controls