390 Review

What does "gradual refinement" mean in the context of SDLC?

- Initially, requirements are only vaguely understood - Understanding is improved during Analysis phase - Further detail is developed during Design - Understanding is fully expressed during Implementation

Compare and contrast the terms 'phases', 'steps', 'techniques', and 'deliverables' as used in systems analysis & design.

- Phases are broad groupings of tasks - Steps are tasks (work to be performed) - Techniques are ways to carry out tasks - Deliverables are the understanding (or materials) produced during task accomplishment - Each phase is itself composed of a series of steps, which rely upon techniques that produce deliverables (specific documents and files that provide understanding about the project).

Some companies hire consulting firms to develop the initial project plans and manage the project, but use their own analysts and programmers to develop the system. Why do you think some companies do this?

-A company may not have skilled project managers available on its in-house staff. Project management requires a unique set of skills, and consulting firms may develop project management capabilities because of the many projects undertaken. It may also be useful to have an 'outsider' serving as project manager, since he or she may be better able to assess the project objectively and resist scope creep more effectively than an in-house employee.

What is the difference between a methodology and a work plan?

-A methodology provides a standard, formalized list of steps and deliverables for the SDLC. Work plans include the specific steps, tasks, and deliverables that will be needed for a specific project.

What belongs in the electronic project binder? How is the electronic project binder organized?

-All project deliverables, all internal communication, and all project documentation should be placed in the project binder. -The sections of the project binder should follow the phases of the life cycle, and each deliverable produced during the project should be placed in its appropriate place.

Describe how projects are selected in organizations.

-An organization must first look at the project portfolio to find projects that should be considered. Then, the approval committee will meet to carefully examine the costs, expected benefits, risks, and strategic alignment of each project. Depending on where the company is financially, they will pick a project that best fits their current situation. The chosen project should aim to maximize value to the organization. It should also have a high potential return-on-investment and a positive feasibility analysis.

What is the meaning of analysis? What is the purpose of the analysis phase of the SDLC?

-Analysis - the breaking of a whole into its parts with the intent of understanding the parts' nature, function and interrelationships. -To work extensively to fully understand what is needed from the new system to be implemented.

What are the best ways to motivate a team? What are worst ways?

-Best ways include recognition, achievement, the work itself, responsibility, advancement, and the chance to learn new skills. -Worst ways include setting unrealistic deadlines, failing to recognize good effort, accepting low quality output, rewarding all team members monetarily regardless of work quality, failing to include team members in important project decisions, and providing poor working conditions.

List three techniques to reduce conflict.

-Clearly define the roles on the project, hold team members accountable for their assigned tasks, develop detailed operating procedures and make sure the team members understand them, have each team member commit to the project charter.

Give an example of a closed-ended question, an open-minded question, and a probing question. When would each type of question be used?

-Closed-Ended questions are ones for concrete facts. (How many telephone calls are received each day?) -Open-Ended questions are ones for opinion-based information. Less concrete, they seek a more wide-ranging response from the interviewee. (What do you think about the way invoices are currently processed?) -Probing questions press for more information. A follow-up question. They ask for expanding upon a previous question. (Why?)

Describe three types of standards, and provide examples of each.

-Coding standards define the content and structures that are to be used in programs. Example: On average, every program should include one line of comments for every five lines of code. -Procedural standards define processes that are to be followed by all team members. Example: Record actual task progress in the work plan every Monday morning by 10 AM. -User Interface Design standards create a common understanding of the appearance and functioning of the screens the end users see. Example: Labels will appear in boldface text, left-justified, and followed by a colon.

Describe three technical skills and three interpersonal skills that would be very important to have on any project.

-Desirable technical skills might include programming experience in the chosen programming language, experience in configuring the hardware and communications technology platform correctly, and experience in utilizing the file/database environment effectively. -Desirable interpersonal skills might include interviewing skills, negotiation skills, and conflict resolution skills.

Describe the major elements and issues with waterfall development?

-Each phase is sequential, no overlap between phases. -After first phase, documentation is forwarded to the next phase -Difficult to move backward Disadvantages: -Poor communication mechanism. Can lead to skipping over the requirement documentation. -Expensive implementation program is required if the requirement is missed by user. -If not carefully designed, deadlines are not met on time.

Compare and contrast extreme programming and throwaway prototyping.

-Extreme Programming (XP) is founded on four core values which provide a foundation on which XP developers use to create any system. The four core values are Communication, Simplicity, Feedback and Courage. -Throwaway prototyping-based methodologies balance the benefits of well thought out analysis and design phases with the advantages of using prototypes to refine key issues before a system is built. Each of these issues is examined by analyzing, designing, and building a design prototype.

What is timeboxing , and why is it used?

-In essence, timeboxing is a constraint used by teams to help focus on value. One important timebox that Agile promotes is the project itself. Contrary to Agile mythology, Agile teams prefer to have a timeboxed project since it offers a fixed schedule and a fixed team size.

Name two ways to identify the tasks that need to be accomplished over the course of a project.

-One way to identify tasks is to follow a top-down approach, defining high level tasks first, and then breaking those tasks down into subtasks. -A second way is to follow a methodology, which will provide a standard list of tasks for the SDLC. This standard task list can be modified as needed for the specific project.

Compare and contrast outcome analysis, technology analysis, and activity elimination. What general contribution do these strategies play in determining requirements?

-Outcome Analysis - focuses on what the organization could allow the customers to do. "How can we make our customer's more happy?" -Technology Analysis- Investigate new technologies to see how their business process could benefit from it. "How can a certain technology benefit us?" -Activity Elimination - Removing certain processses to make the new process more efficient. "What can we cut out to make this process better?" -Each one is inherently different, but depending on the organization's needs, can be incredibly helpful for defining what needs to be done.

Describe the major elements and issues with system prototyping.

-Planning, Analysis, Design is executed concurrently and results are delivered to the user. -Once developed, user feedback is needed. -Based on feedback, phases are reanalyzed, redesigned, and re-implemented with added features for 2nd prototype -This is repeated until it meets the user requirements. Disadvantages: -Does not have a careful, methodical analysis in advanced to make correct design and implementation decisions. -Inadequate understanding of the system requirement because of the limited fundamental design.

Describe how project portfolio management is used by IT departments.

-Portfolio management helps an organization achieve its strategic goals by: -providing needed resources -selecting the right projects -prioritizing work to be done . -Portfolio management balances conflicting demands between programs and projects, allocates resources based on organizational priorities and capacity, and manages so as to achieve the benefits identified.

Describe the major elements and issues with iterative development?

-Project is divided into a number of versions which are then sequentially performed. -Mini Waterfall Development for each Sequence. -The first version is implemented and its results are used as feedback to the next version in the process. Disadvantages: -Repetition of work until the desired versions are completed -User has to work with systems that are incomplete.

What is scope creep, and how can it be managed?

-Refers to the addition of new requirements to the project after the initial project scope was defined and "frozen." -Can be managed by doing the best possible job in determining the project requirements at the outset.

Describe the major elements and issues with throwaway prototyping.

-Requirements of the information are gathered from the user analysis phase. -Technical issues, such as requirements, may not be understood. -Uses design prototype to solve user suggested issues before the application is built. -Design prototype is a model of the system, and its not a working system -Enters into the design and implementation phase after resolving the issues -Design prototype is thrown away after it enters into design and implementation. Disadvantages: -It takes longer time to complete the system -Focuses on development of the alternatives for the design of system so less focus on the development of actual system.

Discuss the appropriate way to set up and conduct interviews to elicit requirements.

-Selecting interviewees - interview key stakeholders -Designing interview questions - closed-ended, open-ended and probing questions are all good ways to get information from interviewees -Preparing for the interview - You want a general plan of how you want it to go down, including what questions to ask certain employees -Conducting the interview - Build rapport with interviewee, ensure you get the most information -Post-Interview Follow-Up- an interview report that describes the information from the interview

Describe the five major steps in conducting JAD sessions.

-Selecting participants - similar to selecting for an interview. You select based on the information they can contribute. You want a good mix of organizational levels. -Designing the JAD session - JAD sessions can run from as little as a half day to several weeks, depening on the project. Other than that, they are set up similarly to interviews. You want to collect the right amount and kinds of information. You want to avoid closed-ended questions, because those are less debatable than other ones -Preparing for the JAD session - More preparation is needed, because JAD's tend to be far more in-depth than interviews. It is important that participants know what is expected of them. -Conducting the JAD session - Formal agenda. Ground rules that define appropriate behavior. JAD facilitator has important role in ensuring everying runs smoothly. -Post-JAD Follow-Up - A post-session report is circulated among the session attendees that goes over what all was discussed at the JAD session. (debriefing)

Describe the primary roles involved in JAD sessions. What is the major contribution made by the person(s) fulfilling each role?

-The biggest role is that of the facilitator. The facilitator is the one who is essentially running the JAD. They are an impartial arbiter that maintains order throughout the session. They must ensure the session sticks to its agenda, they must help the group understand the technical terms and jargon that surround the project (as well as get a basic understanding of the system as a whole), and they record the group's input on a public display area. -The only other role is that of the participants. These are usually stakeholders are various standing around the company, all providing differing amounts of information about the project, both hard data and opinions.

What is stakeholder analysis? Discuss three stakeholders that would be relevant for most projects.

-The champion is a high level executive that is sometimes the project sponsor who created the system request. Supports the project by providing time and resources. Provide day to day support -Organizational management - Their support shows belief that the system will make a valuable contribution and that necessary resources will be made available. -System users - Who will ultimately use the system.

Describe the factors that the project manager must evaluate when a project falls behind schedule.

-The first is having a process to uncover issues, determine their impact on the project, examine alternatives, and bring in people to make the best decision under the circumstances. This is all part of the project management procedures that should be defined and agreed to ahead of time. These procedures ensure that issues are recognized and resolved as quickly as possible. -One important thing that all project managers discover is that having a process to resolve issues doesn't mean you'll successfully resolve every one. Sometimes, there are great alternatives to issues and your job is to help discover the best one. In other instances, there is no good resolution to a major problem. On occasion, your final choice is to pick the solution that causes the least harm or is the best among poor choices. Still, your issues resolution process and your problem-solving techniques will allow you to determine what options are available so that you at least understand the repercussions.

Why do many projects end up having unreasonable deadlines? How should a project manager react to unreasonable demands.

-The project manager may make assumptions that the specific project will be safe from scheduling problems because they have carefully estimated and planned the project up front. However, the most common cause of scheduling issues results from something called "scope creep". This refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's timeline. A deadline that may have seemed reasonable in the planning process may end up being unreasonable because of this factor. -If a client has come to a project manager with an unreasonable deadline, he/she must develop accurate and realistic time estimates for the project, and use these to convince the client that his/her timelines can't be achieved in their requested time deadline.

What are the trade-offs that project managers must manage?

-The project manager must trade off system size, development time, and project cost.

Describe the differences between a technical lead and a functional lead? How are they similar?

-The technical lead is typically a project team member who supervises the programmers and more technically-oriented project staff. The functional lead is a team member who oversees the systems and business analysts on the team. -Both positions report to the project manager, and are responsible for managing, controlling, and coordinating the work of their assigned team members.

Create a list of potential risks that could affect the outcome of a project.

-There are several things that can cause risk including: -weak personnel -scope creep -poor design -overly optimistic estimates

"Interviews should always be conducted as structured interviews." Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

-This is untrue. Structured and unstructured interviews each have an appropriate time to be used. In the initial stage of a project, the as-is process can be unclear so the interviews should be unstructured. Unstructured interviews seek a broad and roughly defined set of information. More open-ended questions and less closed-ended. However it does require the interviewer to come up with newer/probing questions on the fly. -Structured interviews are better later on in the process, when the interviewer knows a bit more about the basic underlying information about a process. At this time, the interviewer can get more specific information from closed-ended questions.

What are the three basic steps of the analysis process? Is each step performed in every project? Why or why not?

-Understand the existing situation (as-is) -Identify improvements -Define requirements for the new system (to-be) Sometimes the first step is skipped or done in a limited manner if no current system exists, if the previous system is irrelevant to the new one, or is the team is using a RAD or agile development methodology in which the as-is system is not emphasized

What is the difference between upper CASE and lower CASE?

-Upper CASE refers to diagramming and other tools that are commonly used during the Analysis phase of the SDLC -Lower CASE refers to diagramming and prototyping tools and code generators that are used primarily to support the Design phase of the SDLC.

Describe the major elements and issues with agile development.

-Used to streamline the software development life cycle -Used for face-to-face communication -Involves the simple and iterative application development in which every iteration includes planning, requirement analysis, testing, coding, design, and documentation Disadvantages: -Complex nature and technologies are not so reliable -Schedule visibility is not up to mark. -It is dependent on the cohesive, stable experience of the team -Works well with small projects but the success gets reduced in large projects.

Describe the major elements and issues with parallel development.

-Variant of waterfall (several waterfalls at once) -Reduces time and effort. -Sub projects are integrated once complete. Disadvantages: -If subprojects are not independent, changes in one may affect another. -Combining a sub-project is challenging.

Describe the major elements and issues with the V-model.

-Variant of waterfall - development after waterfall approach each phase is completed before the next is begun. -Focuses a lot more on testing - as requirements are specified and components are designed, testing for those elements is also defined Disadvantages: -Suffers from the rigidity of the waterfall development process -Not a good choice for a project that is dynamic in nature

What are the steps for accessing economic feasibility? Describe each step.

1. Identifying costs and benefits - List tangible costs and benefits 2. Assessing values to costs and benefits - Assign dollar values to costs and benefits 3. Determining cash flow - Project costs and benefits over a period of time (3-5 years) 4. Determining Net Present Value (NPV) - Calculate future costs, measured in today's standards 5. Determining Return on Investment (ROI) - Calculate how much money the organization will receive 6. Determining the break-even point - Find the first year where benefits outweigh costs 7. Graphing the break-even point - Plot yearly costs/benefits on a line graph

Describe the four steps of business process management (BPM). Why do companies adopt BPM as a management strategy?

1. Defining and mapping the steps in a business process 2. creating ways to improve on steps in the process that add value 3. finding ways to eliminate or consolidate steps in the process that do not add value 4. creating or adjusting electronic workflows to match the improved process maps. Companies use this to adapt more rapidly and effectively to a changing business environment. Improved process alignment with industry "best practices". Increased process efficiencies as costs are identified and eliminated from process workflows.

Give three examples of business needs for a system.

1. Reach a new market segment. 2. improve access to information 3. decrease product defects

What is the value of producing a requirements definition and having the project sponsor and key users review and approve it?

A requirements definition is a list of all the requirements needed for the system. Having it reviewed by the stakeholders will ensure it has as many requirements as possible, without needing to continually change it after development has started. (scope creep)

Which phase in the SDLC is most important and why?

All systems development projects follow essentially the same fundamental process called the system development life cycle (SDLC). The planning phase in SDLC is the most important phase because during this phase the project team identifies the business value of the system, conducts a feasibility analysis, and plans the project. Planning phase is the fundamental process of understanding why an information system should be built and determining how the project team will go about building it.

Compare and contrast BPA, BPI and BPR. Which is the most risky? Which has the greatest potential.

BPA is the automation of business processes. Technology components are used to complement or substitute for manual processes. BPI or business process improvement results from studying the business processes, creating new, redesigned processes to improve workflows. BPR or business process reengineering means changing the fundamental way in which the organization operates in order to take advantage of new ideas and new technology. BPR holds the most risk and the greatest potential due to the significant operational changes that occur.

Describe the principal steps in the Implementation Phase. What are the major deliverables?

Build system - Writing and testing system Train users - Assuring that end users understand new system's functions and work procedures Convert to new system - Managing transition from old to new Support new system - Monitoring performance of system and need for changes Deliverables: Programs, manuals, training materials, and plans for system support

Describe the principal steps in the Design Phase. What are the major deliverables?

Design Strategy - Determining proper approach for acquiring System architecture - Describing basic hardware, software, and networking User interface - Developing system's overall structure, navigation, inputs, outputs, and screens Database and file specifications - Specifying data storage structures Program Design - Plans and outlines for each program to be written Deliverable: System Specification

Compare and contrast duration analysis and activity-based costing. What role do these activities play as analysis strategies?

Duration analysis measures the time it takes to perform a given task, but activity-based costing measures the actual cost of the task. They both serve to increase efficiency with the new project.

Compare and contrast extreme programming and throwaway prototyping.

Extreme Programming XP is founded on four core values which provide a foundation on which XP developers use to create any system. The four core values are Communication, Simplicity, Feedback and Courage. Throwaway prototyping-based methodologies balance the benefits of well thought out analysis and design phases with the advantages of using prototypes to refine key issues before a system is built. Each of these issues is examined by analyzing, designing, and building a design prototype.

Discuss root cause analysis as an analysis strategy. What are the strengths and limitations of this technique.

Finding the cause of the problem the new system is trying to solve, in an attempt to fix that problem. Focuses more on the problem than the solution.

Describe the principle steps in the planning phase, what are the major deliverables?

First step - Project initiation - systems business value to the organization is identified, how it will contribute to the organization's future success. A system request presents a brief summary of a business need and addresses how a system will create business value. The request includes a feasibility analysis. Technical feasibility(Can we build it), economic(Will it provide business value) and organizational (If we build it, will it be used). The system request and feasibility analysis is presented to the approval committee. 2. Once approved it goes to project management, the project manage creates a workplan, staffs the project and creates a project plan to describe how the team will develop the system. The deliverable for project management is a project plan that describes how the project team will go about developing the system.

Explain what is meant by a functional requirement. What are the two types of functional requirements? Give two examples of each.

Functional requirements are the product capabilities, or things a product must do for its users. - Process oriented- process the system must perform - Must allow users to check order history - Should allow students to view a course schedule when registering for classes - Information-oriented-information the system must contain - Must retain order history - Must include real-time inventory levels at all warehouses

What does gradual refinement mean in the context of SDLC?

Gradual refinement means that each step in the system build on the previous. Each phase refines and elaborates on the work previously done. The deliverables produced in the analysis phase provide a general idea of what the system will do. These deliverables are then used as input to the design phase which then refines them to produce a set of deliverables that describe them in more detailed terms exactly how the system should be built.

Explain how an expected value can be calculated for a cost or benefit. When would this be done?

If predicting a specific value proves difficult, you can estimate a range of values for the cost or benefit and then assign a likelihood estimate to each value. this information makes an expected value

List two intangible benefits, describe how these benefits can be quantified.

Improved customer service, record the wait time for phone support. Better supplier relations, lower cost of supplies

Why is document analysis useful? What insights into the organization can it provide?

It is useful for understanding the as-is system. Provided the existing system had documentation, the new team can review that documentation and can examine the system itself from there.

How can informal benchmarking contribute to requirements determination?

It's great for processes that deal directly with customers at face-value. It lets the organization compare themselves to other similar organizations so that they can be on the same level of quality (or higher) as their competition.

Outline suggestions to make observation a useful, reliable requirements elicitation technique.

Keep a low profile, do not interrupt those working, and do not influence those being observed. If you interact, the results would be tainted. Keep in mind that when you are watching people, they will be trying extra hard not to mess up, which might not be what you want when trying to determine a problem.

Which phase is the SDLC is the most important?

Planning

Describe the major elements and issues with phased development.

Phased Development: - RAD methodology - Does not attempt to develop complete system - System is generally specified - Requirements are organized into versions - First version includes essential system components and is delivered to users quickly. - Subsequent versions add features and refinements - Issue: Accurately specifying initial requirements so that first version provided to users is useful, although incomplete.

Describe the major phases in the Systems Development Life Cycle

Planning - Justifying system; setting strategy Analysis - Developing logical specifications Design - Developing physical specifications Implementation - Constructing (or installing), testing, converting, training, and providing support for system

Describe the major phases in the systems development life cycle.

Planning - process of understanding why the information system should be built and how the team will go about building it. Analysis - Answers, who will use the system, what the system will do and where and when it will be used. Design - 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. Implementation - 1. System construction - the system is built and tested to ensure that is performs as designed. 2. The system is installed - the old system is turned off and the new one is turned on. Training is very important for the new system. 3. support is planned for the system.

Compare and contrast process-centered methodologies, data-centered methodologies, and object-oriented methodologies.

Process-centered approaches emphasize transformation of data, which are secondary Data-centered approaches consider data to be primary, stable aspect of system Object-oriented methodologies place a balanced emphasis on processes and data - Architecture centric - Use case driven - Incremental and iterative

Describe the principal steps in the Planning Phase. What are the major deliverables?

Project Initiation - Identification of the system business value Project Management - Work, staffing, controls, and procedures defined Deliverables: - System request - Problem statement - Business case scenario - Feasibility analysis - Project plan

Discuss the reasons that question design for questionnaires is so difficult.

Questions must be extremely clear, as the questions can not be immediately clarified for the respondent. They must be clearly written and leave very little room for misunderstanding. Most questions must be closed-ended. You must know how you will use the questions in analysis before you actually deliver the questions.

Compare and contrast the role of a requirement analyst, change management analyst, and project management.

Requirement Analyst - Focuses on eliciting the requirements from the stakeholders. Change Management Analyst - Focuses on the people and management issues surrounding the system installation. Ensures that support is available to users, adequate training is available. Helps overcome resistance to change. Project Manager - Ensures the project is completed on time and within budget and that the system delivers the expected value.

Compare and contrast Structured Design methodologies in general to RAD methodologies in general.

Structured Design Methodologies: - Fairly formal, step-by-step approaches - Project moves through phases in systematic way - Emphasis on development of paper-based specifications RAD Methodologies: - Quick creation of limited-capability version or model of system - Focus on refining preliminary system or model, not fully describing it on paper

Compare and contrast Structured Design methodologies in general to RAD methodologies in general.

Structured Design Methodologies: - Fairly formal, step-by-step approaches - Project moves through phases in systematic way - Emphasis on development of paper-based specifications RAD Methodologies: - Quick creation of limited-capability version or model of system - Focus on refining preliminary system or model, not fully describing it on paper

Compare and contrast the role of a systems analyst, business analyst, and infrastructure analyst.

Systems Analyst - focuses on the IS issues surrounding the system, Develops ideas and suggestions for ways that IT can support and improve business processes Business Analyst - Focuses on the business issues surrounding the system. Helped identify the business value that the system will create, develops ideas for improving the business process Infrastructure Analyst - Focuses on technical issues surrounding the ways the system will interact with the organization's technical infrastructure

What are the major roles on a project team?

Systems Analyst, Business Analyst, Infrastructure Analyst, Requirement Analyst, Change Management Analyst, and Project Manager

List two tangible benefits and two operational costs for a system. How would you determine the values that should be assigned to each item.

Tangible - Increased sales and reductions in inventory. Operational costs - Software upgrades, cloud storage fees. You want to rely on the people who have the best understanding of the costs to assign value to them. You can consider past projects, industry reports and vendor information.

What is the difference between intangible value and tangible value? Give three examples of each.

Tangible value can be quantified and measured easily. 2% reduction in operating costs, less materials used, higher sales. Intangible value results from an intuitive belief that the system provides important but hard to measure benefits. Improved customer service, a better competitive position, improved employee morale.

List and describe the six general skills all project team members should have

Technical - Must understand the organization's existing technical environment, the new systems technology foundation and the way in which both can be fit into a technical solution. Business - Required to understand how IT can be applied to business situations in order to provide real value Analytical - Continuous problem solvers Interpersonal - Need to be able to communicate effectively, one on one with users, managers and with programmers. Must be able to give presentations and write reports Management - Must be able to manage the people with whom they work with and manage the pressure and risks of unclear situations. Ethics - Must deal fairly, honestly with other team members, often deal with confidential information

Describe the three dimensions of feasibility analysis.

Technical feasibility - "Can we build it?" the extent to which the system can be successfully designed, developed and installed. economic feasibility - "Should we build the system?" identifying costs and benefits associated with the system, assigning values to them, calculating future cash flows and measuring the financial worthiness of the project. organizational feasibility - "If we build it, will they come?" how well the system will be accepted by its users

Explain the net present value and return on investment for a cost-benefit analysis. Why would these calculations be used?

The NPV is the difference between the total present value of the benefits and the total present value of the costs. Shows if the project is economically viable. Return on investment measures the average rate of return earned on the money invested. The project's net benefits (Total benefits - total costs) is divided by total costs. A high ROI suggests that the project's benefits far outweigh the project's costs.

Describe the principal steps in the Analysis Phase. What are the major deliverables?

The analysis phase answers the questions of who will use the system, what the system will do, and where and when it will be used. During this phase, the project team investigates any current system(s), identifies improvement opportunities, and develops a concept for the new system. This phase has three steps: - Analysis Strategy: Developed to guide the project team's efforts. Such a strategy usually includes an analysis of the current system (as-is system) and its problems, and then ways to design a new system (to-be system). - Requirements Gathering: The analysis of this information—in conjunction with input from project sponsor and many other people—leads to the development of a concept for a new system. The system concept is then used as a basis to develop a set of business analysis models that describes how the business will operate if the new system were developed. - System Proposal: The analyses, system concept, and models are combined into a document called the system proposal, which is presented to the project sponsor and other key decision makers.

A system development project may be approached in one of two ways: as a single monolithic project in which all requirements are considered at once or as a series of smaller projects focusing on smaller sets of requirements. Which approach seems to be more successful? Why do you suppose this is true?

The more successful option is smaller projects. Larger projects would take more time to rework if changes were needed to be made, therefore, smaller projects tend to be more effective, as they can be implemented in stages.

Discuss problem analysis as an analysis strategy. What are the strengths and limitations of this technique.

The most straight-forward strategy. Identify problems and describe how to solve them. Often very effective at improving efficiency, but only minor improvements in business value.

What factors are used to determine project size?

The number of people on the team, the length of time it will take to complete the project or the number of distinct features in the system.

What is the break-even point for the project. How is it calculated?

The number of years it takes to recover its original investment. It is calculated by number of years of negative cash flow + (That years net cash flow(benefits - costs) - that years cumulative cash flow divided by that years net cash flow

Describe the major elements and issues with parallel development.

The parallel development methodology attempts to address the problem of long delays between the analysis phase and the delivery of the system. Instead of doing design and implementation in sequence, it performs a general design for the whole system and then divides the project into a series of distinct subprojects that can be designed and implemented in parallel. Once all subprojects are complete, there is a final integration of the separate pieces, and the system is delivered The major issues in this approach are that it still suffers from problems caused by paper documents. It also adds a new problem such as sometimes the subprojects are not completely independent; design decisions made in one subproject may affect another, and the end of the project may require significant integration efforts.

Describe two special issues that may be important to list on a system request?

The project may need to be completed by a certain time. The project must comply to certain regulations

Describe the roles of the project sponsor and the approval committee.

The project sponsor initiates the project and serves as the primary point of contact. The approval committee could be a company steering committee that meets regularly to make information system decisions, a senior executive or any other decision making body. The committee reviews the system request and makes an initial determination on whether to investigate the proposed project. If approved, the next step is a feasibility analysis.

What is the purpose of an approval committee? Who is usually on this committee?

The purpose is to make a determination based on the information provided whether to investigate the project or not. Could be a steering committee, a senior executive or any other decision making body

Explain what is meant by a nonfunctional requirement. What are the primary types of nonfunctional requirements? Give two examples of each. What role do nonfunctional requirements play in the project overall?

The quality attributes, design and implementation constraints, and external interfaces which a product must have Operational-physical and technical environments in which the system will operate the system will run on Android devices compatible with any web browser Performance- the speed, capacity and reliability of the system the system downloads new status parameters within 5 minutes of a change the system should be available for use 24/7 Security-Who has authorized access to the system under what circumstances Only direct managers can see personnel records Technicians can see only their own work assignments Cultural/Political - cultural/political factors and legal req's that affect the system Company policy is to only use Dell computers The system should be able to to distinguish between US currency and foreign currency Nonfunctional requirements describe what the system should be like, without describing how, or the nitty-gritty

What are the purposes of the system request and the feasibility analysis? how are they used in the project selection?

The system request describes the business reasons for building a system and the value that the system is expected to provide. the feasibility analysis guides the organization in determining whether to proceed or not. It identifies important risks.

Why should the system request be created by a business-person as opposed to an IS professional?

The system request normally comes from the project sponsor within the organization. A business person will have a better idea of the business need and the business value that will come to the organization. A IS professional will have a harder time recognizing the business needs because they are generally not directly involved in those areas.

What are the key factors in selecting a methodology?

There are several factors that influence the choice of a methodology: - Clarity of the user requirements - Familiarity with the base technology - System complexity - Need for system reliability - Time pressures & - Need to see progress on the time schedule.

Describe the major elements and issues with prototyping.

Throw-away prototyping merges prototyping and SDLC - Prototypes of various system elements are developed to explore design alternatives and refine system requirements - Prototype helps users clarify requirements, then it is discarded, but its requirements are incorporated into system Useful in situations where users are uncertain about key elements of the system

Describe the major elements and issues with waterfall development.

Waterfall Development follows life cycle Requires that system requirements be precisely specified prior to implementation Effort devoted to specifying requirements is a strength Issue: Specifying requirements on paper is laborious and may lead to errors and omissions Issue: Freezing requirements during development helps assure that system is developed according to specifications, but in a dynamic business environment, system that is ultimately developed may bear little resemblance to what is actually needed

Describe a "risky" project in terms of technical feasibility. Describe a project that would not be considered risky.

When analysts are unfamiliar with the business application area and when the users have themselves have limited knowledge of the application. Larger projects will have more risk When new technology is used in an organization hasn't been used before.

Is the primary purpose of requirements determination to discover facts or to discover opinions? Explain your opinion.

When determining requirements, I would have to say both are necessary. Facts are necessary to determine the real root problem, such as how long it takes to perform a given task. Opinions though are just as important, because opinions can help drive the project towards a specific direction. If people think that a certain aspect of a project is more important than another, or if they have some ideas about important features, that is important information.

Discuss the considerations that should be made when determining who to include in interviews and/or JAD sessions.

You have to consider the information the subject can contribute, you need to provide a broad mix of organizational levels, and build political support for the new system

Describe a strategy for using the various requirements elicitation techniques in a project.

You need to take into consideration the following: the type, the depth (detail of info), the breadth (how much info can be collected by a certain techniqrue), and the integration (putting all theinfo together. Great for JAD sessios) of all your information, as well as the user involvement (how involved the analysis is for the prospective users of the system) and cost (how much it'd cost to use an analysis technique).

Distinguish between business, user, and functional requirements.

business - what the business needs user- what the users need to do functional - what the software should do

What are the key elements of the system proposal?

the requirements definition statement, use cases, process model, and data model, along with a feasibility analysis and work plan