Midterm

Syntax Error

"Syntax," refers to the structure of the DFDs and whether the DFDs follow the rules of the DFD language. Syntax errors can be thought of as grammatical errors made by the analyst when he or she creates the DFD.

Name and briefly describe the 3 parts of a Feasibility Analysis covered in the textbook.

1) Technical Feasibility: This part determines if the organization can build the proposes system and has the required team, knowledge, and equipment to create it. Also checks that the system can be properly integrated to existing systems as well.2) Economic Feasibility: This second part determines if there is economic value to build the system. There is a cost and benefit analysis to make sure that the system will eventually create a positive financial gain for the organization. Makes sure that the system should be built.3) Organizational Feasibility: The final part sees if the system will work within the organization and that the users and other stakeholders will utilize the new system.

Implementation phase steps

1. System construction 2. installation 3. support plan

Analysis phase steps

1. analysis strategy 2. requirements gathering 3. system proposal

Design phase steps

1. design strategy 2. architecture design and interface design 3. Database and file specifications 4. program design

A 'temporal' trigger might be which of the following: A. a library book is due. B. a customer places an order. C. a customer makes a payment. D. customer calls to make an appointment for 10am tomorrow.

A

Doing an economic analysis using today's dollar values is called: A. Net present value analysis B. Break-even point analysis C. Cash flow analysis D. Return on investment analysis

A

During which SDLC phase would you study the current (as-is) system and its problems, and design a new (to-be) system to address those problems? A. Analysis phase B. Planning phase C. Implementation phase D. Design phase E. Maintenance phase

A

If you show a process number 2 on your level 0 diagram, how would you label processes on the level 1 diagram for process number 2? A. 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 B. 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 C. 2A, 2B, 2C D. 2-A, 2-B, 2-C

A

In which part(s) of the use case would you indicate the inputs and outputs? Select all that apply. A. Information for steps B. Postconditions C. Preconditions D. Description

A

Janet is studying a system to speed up the checkout process. She has formally studied the checkout process at Marshalls, TJMaxx and Kohl's department stores. She is trying to see how other organizations work at moving customers through the checkout process. What type of analysis is Janet doing? A. Informal benchmarking B. Problem analysis C. Design analysis D. Activity-based costing

A

Role playing the use case with actual users is a good way to: A. Confirm the use case B. Identify the primary actor C. Identify the elements within steps D. Identify the use case

A

What are the two fundamental types of problems that can occur in DFDs? A. Syntax errors and semantics errors B. logical errors and physical errors C. Visualization errors and data type errors D. User errors and analyst errors

A

What is the correct way to label a process on a DFD? A. use a verb-noun phrase like "create work shop order" B. use a noun and assign an identification number and description C. use a noun description phrase like "shop order" D. use a name and a description

A

What part of a DFD has no data stores? A. Context diagram B. A decision table C. An external entity D. A decomposition

A

When writing a use case, which project role would likely be the most important to provide information about building the use case? A. Users B. Project Sponsor C. Business Analysts D. Programmers E. Software vendor

A

Which of the following information can be obtained by asking users to picture themselves performing their job processes and writing down those processes sequentially? A. The major steps for each use case B. The temporal triggers C. The use case D. The external actors E. The elements within steps

A

Which of the following reasons contribute to the blurring of the line between analysis and design? A. Many of the major design decisions for the new system are found in the analysis deliverables. B. The project champion was unable to obtain sufficient funding to do a complete analysis. C. Scope creep has occured. D. Requirements analysts rushed through their requirements-gathering steps.

A

Which of the following statements is true regarding Context Diagrams? A. The context diagram shows the overall business process as a single process, and shows the data flows to and from external entities. B. The context diagram shows all the decision trees and decision logic as notes and branches. C. The context diagram shows all the major high-level processes of the system and how they relate to each other and to stored data. D. The context diagram depicts the physical process model.

A

What are some of the additional sections you might include on a use case document? (Check all that apply). A. Frequency of use B. Assumptions C. Notes and issues D. Triggers E. Special Requirements F. All of these

A, C, E

Which of the following is/are true of use cases? Select all that apply. A. Use cases should be confirmed by users. B. Use cases normally contain ten to twelve steps. C. Use cases explain what the users want the new system to do. D. Use cases can be identified by reviewing the functional requirements. E. They contain all the information you need to build one part of a process model.

A, D, E

Calculating total benefits minus total costs and dividing that answer by the total costs will give you : A. Cash flow B. Return on investment C. Break-even point D. Net present value

B

Dealing one-on-one with users and business managers (including some that have little experience with technology) requires which systems analyst skill? A. Ethical B. Interpersonal C. Analytical D. Business E. Technical

B

Once you've asked some closed-ended and open-ended questions to start your interview, what kind of questions should you use to get a greater depth of information? A. Structure questions B. Probing questions C. More open-ended questions D. More closed-ended questions

B

Which document is produced from the Analysis phase? A. System request document B. System Proposal document C. System specification document D. Business process document

B

Which of the following is NOT an example of a functional requirement? (check all that apply). A. System must retain customer order history for 3 years. B. Technicians can see only their own work assignments. C. The system must check incoming customer orders for inventory availability. D. System must run on Android mobile devices. E. System should be available in English and Spanish.

B, D, E

During which SDLC phase would a systems analyst calculate whether a system will lower costs or increase revenues? A. Analysis phase B. Implementation phase C. Planning phase D. Evaluation phase E. Design phase

C

How are data flow diagrams and use cases related? A. Use cases are developed by users and data flow diagrams are developed by systems analysts. B. First you develop data flow diagrams and then you can write up the use cases. C. First you develop the use cases, and then you can create the data flow diagrams. D. Data flow diagrams show the physical processes while use cases show the logical processes.

C

The most commonly used technique to elicit requirements is: A. Joint-Application Development (JAD) sessions B. Observation C. Interviews D. Document Analysis E. Questionnaires / surveys

C

What is a process model? A. Output from the interviewing process B. Another name for the project plan. C. A graphical way of representing how a business system should operate. D. An expanded use case for a system.

C

Which of the following is true if you have a process with one input and two outputs? A. This is fine because all processes have one input and more than one output. B. Something is wrong because processes do not have inputs or outputs. C. This is fine because all processes need to have at least one input and at least one output. D. Something is wrong because the number of outputs has to equal the number of inputs.

C

Which of these are NOT a phase of the Systems Development Life Cycle? A. Design Phase B. Analysis Phase C. Specification Phase D. Implementation Phase E. Planning Phase

C

Which of the following is/are NOT a requirements analysis strategy? (check all that apply) A. Identifying improvements. B. Understanding of the as-is system. C. Understanding of the screen design, layout and navigation. D. Developing requirements for the to-be system. E. Root-cause analysis

C, E

Technical Feasibility:

Can We Build It? Familiarity with application: Less familiarity generates more risk. Familiarity with technology: Less familiarity generates more risk. Project size: Large projects have more risk. Compatibility: The harder it is to integrate the system with the company's existing technology, the higher the risk will be. the extent to which the system can be successfully designed, developed, and installed by the IT group.

A key attribute of logical process models is: A. models are created during a JAD. B. models are created by the infrastructure analyst. C. models are based on implementing the if-then-else programming structure D. models describe processes without suggesting how they are conducted.

D

An example of a nonfunctional requirement is A. The system must include real-time inventory levels in the warehouse. B. SQL queries from customer table and order table are available. C. The system will create a final approved sales order. D. The system downloads new status parameters within 5 minutes of a change.

D

During which SDLC phase would a systems analyst work on determining business requirements? A. Implementation B. Systems analysts do not develop business requirements. C. Planning D. Analysis E. Design

D

During which step of the interview process would you explain why you are there and what you hope to accomplish during the interview? A. Selecting interviewees B. Post-interview follow-up C. Designing interview questions D. Conducting the interview E. Preparing for the interview

D

What is the best way to confirm the use case? A. Approval by the project manager B. Use case document reviews by the project sponsor C. Review and approval from programming team D. Role playing the use case with the user(s)

D

When changing your Use Case into a Data Flow Diagram, what does a use case step correlate to on the Level 1 DFD? A. A data store B. A data flow C. An external entity D. A process

D

Which of the following situations might cause you to go back and update the steps in one of your use cases? A. The importance level is 'high' B. The use case trigger is external C. There are more than three major inputs to a step D. The steps vary in size E. The primary actor is an external software system.

D

A project to "take a straight-forward manual process and make it an electronic process for better efficiency" would be classified as which type? A. Business process reengineering B. Business process renovation C. Business process improvement D. Business process internalization E. Business process automation

E

After creating the interview report, you should: A. Distribute the interview report to all others that are on the interview schedule so they will not have to go over the same materials B. Edit the report into a bulleted format for easier analysis C. Change the document into a unchangeable format (like a pdf file) so that it cannot be changed or edited D. Distribute the interview report to the interviewee's manager E. Send a copy to the interviewee with a request to read it and correct or clarify manager.

E

Which of the following items would NOT be included in a use case? A. Importance level B. Short description C. Information for steps D. Trigger E. All of these would be included

E

Which of the following project roles would focus on stakeholder requirements? A. Business Analyst B. Change Management Analyst C. Systems Analyst D. Infrastructure Analyst E. Requirements Analyst

E

Which requirements elicitation technique uses a set of written questions administered to a large number of people? A. Joint Application Development (JAD) sessions B. Interviews C. Observation D. Document analysis E. Questionnaires/ Surveys

E

A system request will generally have these items: project sponsor, feasibility study, maintenance plan, business requirements, user training plan.

False

An external trigger is based on output from the previous use case.

False

One person dominating the group discussion of a JAD session will normally lead to a positive outcome.

False

The actor in a use case must be the person who directly interacts with the system.

False

To get to more depth in understanding the as-is system, document analysis and observation generally are more beneficial as compared to interviews and JAD sessions

False

Use cases help the systems analyst understand what the users want the new system to do.

False

in requirements elicitation, interviews are considered better than questionnaires in terms of reaching the most number of people.

False

Organizational Feasibility:

If We Build It, Will They Come? Is the project strategically aligned with the business? Project champion(s) Senior management Users Other stakeholders how well the system ultimately will be accepted by its users and incorporated into the ongoing operations of the organization.

What should you do if you identify 15 major steps in a use case?

If there are 15 major steps in a use case, either you need to go back and adjust the size of the steps to be more broad, you may be listing 4 specific things as their own steps when they can be encompassed as one complete step or you might consider breaking this use case into 2 separate use cases. Usually if there are over 10 major steps, it is possible to split up some of the steps into two cases instead of one. Deciding step size is an important part of identifying the normal course of a use case; you need to make sure each important step is being acknowledged, but you do not have to list every single menial detail related to this step.

Explain the concepts of iteration and decomposition as they apply to creating DFDs.

Iteration: This is the practice of redrawing DFDs multiple times to make sure the processes are as clearly laid out as possible. First you sketch out a rough DFD, and then you create multiple iterations of the DFD, hopefully with it improving each time you create it, until you end up with the final iteration, the easiest to visually comprehend.Decomposition: This is the concept of starting with the highest level conceptual diagram of the system, and then this "decomposes" to level 0, then level 1, etc... With each level of decomposition the diagrams get more specific and more detailed.

Discuss the different types of questions that can be used in an interview. Include definitions and correct usage of the various question types.

Open-ended: These questions are free form and requires the interviewee to answer broadly and explain fully and without restrictions.Close-ended: Looking for a specific yes, no, or quantifiable answer. Gets clear and precise information.Probing: These are follow-up questions to discuss something deeper. Usually the interviewee is asked "why" something is the way it is or they are asked to elaborate on something or clarify and confusing point.

What are the four symbols used in data flow diagrams and what do they represent? Use the Gane and Sarsons symbols.

Rounded Rectangle: represents every process. Displays the name of the process as a verb phrase and the process number on the top half.Arrow: Represents every data flow with a noun name.2-part Rectangle: Represents every data store with a noun name and a data store number on the left.Rectangle: represents every external entity with a noun name.

Economic Feasibility:

Should We Build It? Development costs Annual operating costs Annual benefits (cost savings and/or increased revenues) Intangible benefits and costs cost-benefit analysis) Economic feasibility is determined by identifying costs and benefits associated with the system, assigning values to them, calculating future cash flows, and measuring the financial worthiness of the project.

Design Phase Deliverables

System Specification

Activity elimination

The analysts and managers work together to identify how the organization could eliminate each and every activity in the business process, how the function could operate without it, and what effects are likely to occur.

Explain some strategies for identifying the steps in a use case.

The best way to identify steps is to interview the users or host JAD-style sessions. Ask the users clarifying questions and to map out exactly how they wish the process went for a task to get complete. You can also ask them the exact steps that they take for the as-is system, and have them describe what steps they wish were not there and how exactly it could be improved. You can also observe the user using the as-is system, and see for yourself where it goes wrong or how it could achieve the task more effectively.

systems analyst

The organizational role most responsible for the analysis and design of information systems.

Non-functional requirements

The quality attributes, design and implementation constraints, and external interfaces that the product must have. characteristics the system should have

feasibility analysis (3 parts)

The technical feasibility (Can we build it?) The economic feasibility (Will it provide business value?) The organizational feasibility (If we build it, will it be used?)

Name and describe one type of Organizational Feasibility assessment discussed in the textbook.

There are a few different ways to assess how a system will work in the given organization. One way is to do a stakeholder analysis to see how the user's of the system will react to the new design. Anyone who is affected by the new system is apart of the stakeholders group and it is important to see how they respond to the change and if it works for everyone involved.

business analyst

This person helps to identify the business value that the system will create, develops ideas for improving the business processes, and helps design new business processes and policies

A data flow should be named with a noun.

True

Data cannot go to or come from a data store or an external entity without having a process to push it or pull it.

True

Identifying problems with the as-is system and describing how to solve them in the to-be system is part of the Analysis phase of SDLC.

True

In preparing for an interview, the interviewer should do some research as to what areas the interviewee has knowledge of, to avoid asking questions that an interviewee cannot answer.

True

The SDLC is generally broken into four phases: planning, analysis, design, and implementation. Some also add a fifth phase for maintenance.

True

The change management analyst ensures that adequate documentation and support are available to users, and provides user training on the new system.

True

The interview is the most commonly used requirements elicitation technique.

True

The primary goal of a system is to create value for the organization.

True

Use cases can also be referred to as 'business scenarios'.

True

Use cases illustrate the activities that are performed by the users of the system.

True

Explain what a JAD session is, and discuss the benefits/drawbacks of using this method in requirements definition.

a JAD session is a multi-day brainstorming type meeting with a wide range of key stakeholders and one trained moderator to guide the discussion. It is helpful because it gets the whole process finished within a short amount of time, by the end of the session the requirements definition list is completed. It is more expensive though and requires a lot of important people to be away from their jobs for a period of time, and it is difficult to get all the people together at once. It is also helpful, because a good variety of opinions can be presented at once.

system request

a document that describes the business reasons for building a system and the value that the system is expected to provide

External Entity

a person, organization, organization unit, or system that is external to the system, but interacts with it (e.g., customer, clearinghouse, government organization, accounting system)

requirements definition

a straightforward text report that simply lists the functional and nonfunctional requirements in an outline format.

analysis phase

answers the questions of who will use the system, what the system will do, and where and when it will be used

problem analysis

asking the users and managers to identify problems with the as‐is system and to describe how to solve them in the to‐be system.

process integration

changing the fundamental process so that fewer people work on the input

business process reengineering (BPR)

changing the fundamental way in which the organization operates—"obliterating" the current way of doing business and making major changes to take advantage of new ideas and new technology.

parallelization

changing the process so that all the individual steps are performed at the same time.

Design phase

decides how the system will operate in terms of the hardware, software, and network infrastructure that will be in place; the user interface, forms, and reports that will be used; and the specific programs, databases, and files that will be needed.

feasibility study

deliverable that is submitted to the approval committee. technical feasibility, economic feasibility, and organizational feasibility (Figure 1-7). The results of evaluating these three feasibility factors are combined

Duration analysis

detailed examination of the amount of time it takes to perform each process in the current as‐is system.

Activity‐based costing

examines the cost of each major process or step in a business process rather than the time taken identify the most costly processes, and focus their improvement efforts on them.

A "black hole" error on a DFD is when a process creates output without an input.

false

Root cause analysis

focuses on problems first rather than solutions. investigation process reveals the true root cause or causes of the problem, enabling the team to design the system to correct the problem with the right solution.

Outcome analysis

focuses on understanding the fundamental outcomes that provide value to customers.

Feasibility analysis

guides the organization in determining whether to proceed with the project. Feasibility analysis also identifies the important risks associated with the project that must be managed if the project is approved.

Systems Development Life Cycle Phases

planning, analysis, design, and implementation (and maintenance)

A system request

presents a brief summary of a business need and explains how a system that addresses the need will create business value.

Project Management deliverable

project plan that describes how the project team will go about developing the system.

Semantics Error

refers to the meaning of the DFDs and whether they accurately describe the business process being modeled. Semantics errors can be thought of as misunderstandings by the analyst in collecting, analyzing, and reporting information about the system.

business process improvement (BPI)

results from studying the business processes, creating new, redesigned processes to improve the process workflows, and/or utilizing new technologies enabling new process structures

Benchmarking

studying how other organizations perform a business process in order to learn how your organization can do something better.

analysis phase deliverable

system proposal the analyses, system concept, requirements, and models are combined into a document

business process automation (BPA)

technology components are used to complement or substitute for manual information management processes with the intent of gaining cost efficiencies.

Functional Requirements

the activities that the system must perform

The system proposal

the initial deliverable describing the requirements the new system should satisfy

top‐down interview

the interviewer starts with broad, general issues and gradually works towards more specific ones.

bottom‐up interview

the interviewer starts with very specific questions and moves to broad questions.

Informal benchmarking

the managers and analysts think about other organizations, or visit them as customers to watch how the business process is performed

systems development life cycle (SDLC)

the process of determining how an information system (IS) can support business needs, designing the system, building it, and delivering it to users.

project management

the project manager creates a workplan, staffs the project, and puts techniques in place to help control and direct the project through the entire SDLC.

document analysis

the project team can start by reviewing the documentation and examining the system itself. But these documents (forms, reports, policy manuals, organization charts) only tell part of the story. They represent the formal system that the organization uses.

Implementation phase

the system is actually built (or purchased and installed if the design calls for a prewritten software package). This is the phase that usually gets the most attention, because for most systems it is the longest and most expensive single part of the development process.

A process model can be used to document the current system or the new system being developed.

true

A well-constructed use case makes developing a data flow diagram fairly straightforward.

true