Clean Ch 12

100) What unique issues and solutions might be involved in managing global systems projects?

100: The project management challenges for global systems would be similar to those for domestic systems, but they are complicated by the international environment. User information requirements, business processes, and work cultures differ from country to country. It is more likely that systems in different countries will have difficulty communicating with each other, and the expense of implementing a system globally is multiplied when you have to take differing language, cultural, legal, and management requirements into consideration.

17) Documentation reveals how the system works from both a technical and end-user standpoint.

17-T

18) A new information system is not considered in production until implementation is complete.

18-T

19) According to the chapter case, one objective of the new Girl Scouts' information systems was to allow greater centralization and control of profits and delivery.

19-F

20) The first step in the problem solving process is to define the problem that needs to be solved.

20+T

21) A test plan begins by testing how well the entire system works and identifying where it fails.

21-F

22) What is the purpose of systems analysis? Explain in detail what is involved in the process of systems analysis.

22: The purpose of systems analysis is to ensure that the information systems being built have the right goals and requirements, are appropriate to the business in terms of the business goals, capabilities and needs, and to make sure that the implementation process will be successful. Systems analysis consists of three general steps: (1) define and understand the problem, (2) identify alternate solutions, and (3) choose the best solution. In defining the problem, systems analysts typically gather facts about existing systems and problems by examining documents, work papers, procedures, and system operations and by interviewing key users of the system, and identifying system requirements. In developing alternate solutions, systems analysis lays out the most likely paths to follow, given the nature of the problem. Some possible solutions do not require an information system solution, but instead call for an adjustment in management, additional training, or refinement of existing organizational procedures. Some, however, do require modifications to the firm's existing information systems or an entirely new information system. In choosing a solution, systems analysis includes a feasibility study to determine whether each proposed solution is feasible, or achievable, from a financial, technical, and organizational standpoint. The feasibility study establishes whether each alternative solution is a good investment, whether the technology needed for the system is available and can be handled by the firm's information systems staff, and whether the organization is capable of accommodating the changes introduced by the system. A written systems proposal report describes the costs and benefits, and advantages and disadvantages of each alternative solution. The systems analysis will detail the costs and benefits of each alternative and the changes that the organization will have to make to use the solution effectively.

23) You work for the IT department of a startup and it is your job to set up the testing processes for a new enterprise system the company will be hosting. Describe the processes you will recommend. What unique considerations will you have?

23: The first step is to prepare the test plan. Any individual components will need to be tested separately first and then the system as a whole will need to be tested. Because this is a hosted application, the system will need to be tested as accessed from the variety of platforms that are supported by the application. If the hosted application supports both Mac and Windows users, the system and its parts will need to be tested using client computers running these systems.

41) Native apps can function even if the device is not connected to the Internet.

41-T

42) Systems analysts typically gather facts about existing systems by interacting with end users.

42-T

43) One problem with prototyping is that the systems constructed may not be able to handle large quantities of data in a production environment.

43-T

44) End-user developed solutions can be developed much faster than other approaches.

44-T

45) Domestic outsourcing is driven primarily by the fact that outsourcing firms possess skills, resources, and assets that their clients do not have.

45-T

46) In the traditional systems development life cycle, each stage must be completed before the next stage begins.

46-T

47) A prototype is the final working version of an information system.

47-F

48) Identify and describe the main five systems development approaches.

48: Features of the systems development life cycle include: sequential step-by-step formal process, written specification and approvals, and limited role of users. Features of prototyping include: requirements specified dynamically with experimental system; rapid, informal, and iterative process; users continually interact with the prototype. Features of end-user development include: systems created by end users using fourth-generation software tools, rapid and informal, minimal role of information systems specialists. Applications software packages are appropriate for universal functions with standard processes that do not change a great deal over time. However, customization may be needed if the software doesn't match the business processes. If a firm does not want to use its internal resources to build or operate information systems, it can outsource the work to an external organization that specializes in providing these services. The vendor may or may not be responsible for operating the system on its own computers.

49) What are the advantages and disadvantages of prototyping? Describe the steps in prototyping. Give at least two circumstances under which prototyping might be useful.

49: Because prototyping encourages intense end-user involvement throughout the process, it is more likely to produce systems that fulfill user requirements. Working prototype systems can be developed very rapidly and inexpensively. Rapid prototyping can gloss over essential steps in systems development. If the completed prototype works reasonably well, management may not see the need for reprogramming, redesigned, full documentation in testing to build a polished production system. This can backfire later with large quantities of data or large numbers of users in a production environment. The steps in prototyping are: (1) identifying the user's basic requirements, (2) developing an initial prototype, (3) using the prototype, and (4) revising and enhancing the prototype. Prototyping is most useful when there is some uncertainty about requirements or design solutions. It is especially useful in designing the end-user interface.

50) Identify four types of rapid-cycle systems development. Why is rapid-cycle development a trend in current software development?

50: Rapid-cycle development methods include rapid application development (RAD), joint application design (JAD), prototyping, and component-based development. Organizations are interested in rapid-cycle development because it has become important to be flexible and able to react quickly to changes in scale and user needs. It may also reduce time and costs of development.

51) What is the difference between a mobile website and a mobile web app?

51: A mobile website is a version of a regular website that is scaled down in content and navigation for easy access and search on a small mobile screen. A mobile web app is an Internet-enabled application with specific functionality for mobile devices.

52) Why is developing applications for mobile platforms so different from development for PC applications?

52: The reduced size of mobile devices makes using fingers and multitouch gestures much easier than typing and using keyboards. Mobile apps need to be optimized for the specific tasks they are to perform. They should not try to carry out too many tasks, and they should be designed for usability. The user experience for mobile interaction is fundamentally different from using a desktop or laptop PC. Saving resources—bandwidth, screen space, memory, processing, data entry, and user gestures—is a top priority.

67) Objects are grouped into hierarchies, and hierarchies into classes.

67-F

68) Component-based development uses structured methodologies.

68-F

69) CASE tools facilitate the creation of clear documentation and the coordination of team development efforts.

69-F

70) PaaS are online development environments that enable developers to quickly write customer- or employee-facing web applications.

70-t

71) What qualities of object-oriented development make this method especially suitable for Internet applications?

71: Object-oriented development uses the object as the basic unit of systems analysis and design. The system is modeled as a collection of objects and the relationships between them. E-commerce companies need to be able to add, change, and retire their technology capabilities very rapidly. Object-oriented development allows objects to be reused and repackaged with other objects to create new software, saving money and development time.

72) What does the word "structured" mean in the term "structured methodologies"?

72: Structured refers to the fact that the techniques are step-by-step, with each step building on the previous one.

73) Identify and describe a key tool used in structured methodologies.

73: A key tool used in structured methodology is a data flow diagram. A data flow diagram graphically represents a system's component processes and the flow of data between them.

88) Gantt and PERT charts are two common formal planning tools for project management.

88-T

89) Intangible benefits of an information system are those that cannot be easily quantified.

89-T

90) According to the chapter case, a key problem with the existing human resources system in Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) was that managers could not make changes to employee data or obtain information for their employees.

90-T

91) A typical end-user concern about a new system is where the data will be stored.

91-F

92) An information systems plan shows how specific information systems fit into a company's overall business plan and business strategy.

92-T

93) Scope describes the full length of time required to complete a project.

93-F

94) Implementation refers to the steps taken to bring a new information system into production.

94-T

95) A reduced workforce is an example of an intangible benefit of an information system.

95-F

96) Ergonomics refers to the interaction of people and machines in the work environment.

96-T

97) Discuss the importance of the end-user in software development.

97: The end-user is the primary focus of software development. Whether a new information system succeeds or fails largely depends on the roles of users. Building successful information systems requires close cooperation among end users and information systems specialists throughout the systems development process. If users are heavily involved in the development of a system, they have more opportunities to mold the system according to their priorities and business requirements, and more opportunities to control the outcome. They also are more likely to react positively to the completed system because they have been active participants in the change process. Incorporating user knowledge and expertise leads to better solutions.

98) Describe the major factors that project management for information systems must deal with.

98: Project management for information systems must deal with five major variables: scope, time, cost, quality, and risk. Scope defines what work is, or is not, included in a project. For example, the scope of a project for a new order processing system might include new modules for inputting orders and transmitting them to production and accounting, but not any changes to related accounts receivable, manufacturing, distribution, or inventory control systems. Project management defines all the work required to complete a project successfully and should ensure that the scope of a project not expand beyond what was originally intended. Time is the amount of time required to complete the project. Project management typically establishes the amount of time required to complete major components of a project. Each of these components is further broken down into activities and tasks. Project management tries to determine the time required to complete each task and establish a schedule for completing the work. Cost is based on the time to complete a project multiplied by the daily cost of human resources required to complete the project. Information systems project costs also include the cost of hardware, software, and work space. Project management develops a budget for the project and monitors ongoing project expenses. Quality is an indicator of how well the end result of a project satisfies the objectives specified by management. The quality of information systems projects usually boils down to improved organizational performance and decision making. Quality also considers the accuracy and timeliness of information produced by the new system and ease of use.

99) Americlinic, a national chain of budget health-care clinics, is creating an information system that will allow patients and doctors at participating franchises to communicate online. The goal of the system is to allow doctors to respond to minor health questions quickly and more efficiently, saving patients unnecessary visits to the clinic. This will be a major procedural change. What steps would you recommend to this company to ensure the user acceptance of the system?

99: The first step should be to conduct an organizational impact analysis to determine the changes in procedures, job function, organizational structure, power relationships, and behavior that this system requires or will engender. Any organizational changes should occur prior to implementing the system. In order to gain compliance and support of the doctors, I would establish a review committee of influential participating doctors and change agents to discuss the system prior to development and during development in order to meet physician needs and requirements. I would also involve focus groups of intended users to review prototypes of the system to make sure it is easy to use and, hopefully, easier to use in the relevant health situations than going to the doctor. The company will need to make sure that there is also an option for users that do not have Internet access. User training for doctors and nurses will be essential. The company should also consider incentives for doctors and patients that use the system.

2) Which is the first step in developing a new information system?

A) Defining the problem

87) Which of the following is not one of the main variables that project management seeks to control?

A) End-users

78) ________ is an intangible benefit of information systems.

A) Improved decision making

30) Of the following, which is the most important reason for creating a mobile version of a business's website?

A) Mobile devices provide access from anywhere.

84) A(n) ________ shows the ordering of project tasks and the relationship of a task with preceding and succeeding tasks.

A) PERT chart

34) The process of creating workable information systems in a very short period of time is called:

A) RAD.

74) According to the chapter-ending case, which of the following is not one of the problems that the City of Philadelphia's Philly 311 Project was trying to solve?

A) Voter registration errors

83) Users prefer systems that:

A) are oriented to facilitating organizational tasks and solving business problems.

54) In object-oriented development, an object:

A) combines data with processes.

5) A(n) ________ details the costs and benefits of each alternative and the changes that the organization will have to make to use the solution effectively.

A) feasibility study

58) An entire information system is broken down into its main subsystems by using:

A) high-level data flow diagrams.

76) A PERT chart:

A) portrays a project as a network diagram consisting of numbered nodes that represent tasks.

86) A(n) ________ model is a method for deciding among alternative systems based on a system of ratings for selected objectives.

A) scoring

57) To show each level of a system's design, its relationship to other levels, and its place in the overall design structure, structured methodologies use:

A) top-down structure charts.

24) You have been hired as a consultant to make recommendations for Smarty's, a healthy fast-food chain that is undergoing major expansion. Smarty's needs to create an enterprise resource planning system. However, Smarty's needs to have this system up and running as quickly as possible or it is likely they will begin losing business. What do you recommend?

Answer: Creating new, original enterprise software is extremely complex, and has a 50 to 75 percent failure rating. Because any enterprise software is extremely complex, it is likely that they will run into problems if they implement a system too quickly. I would caution them that an entirely new enterprise system is most likely to fail, and their best options may be to examine their existing portfolio to identify which systems can remain without doing too much damage and which must be revamped in order for them to maintain their growth. Regardless, they will still need to go through a rigorous evaluation and planning process in order to determine the most appropriate software. They may be able to implement web services for rapid, component-based development for the portions of the system that need to be overhauled or augmented. Another option is to use hosted applications for some of their systems. Difficulty: 3: Challenging

62) Groups of objects are assembled into software components for common functions, which can be combined into large-scale business applications, in which type of software development?

B) Component-based development

59) In an object-oriented development framework for a university, how would the classes Degree, Mathematics, and Physics be related?

B) Degree is a superclass to Mathematics and Physics.

28) As a technical project manager, you have decided to propose implementing a prototyping methodology for a small web-based design project. What is the first step you will follow in this project?

B) Identify user requirements.

77) ________ is a tangible benefit of information systems.

B) Reduced workforce

37) Which of the following is a technique used to create websites that will conform to the screen resolution of the user?

B) Responsive web design

25) Which of the following is not one of the unique considerations in developing applications for a mobile platform?

B) The telephone service provider

13) In a direct cutover conversion strategy, the new system:

B) replaces the old one at an appointed time.

53) In a data flow diagram, external entities are represented by:

B) square boxes.

10) System testing:

B) tests the functioning of the system as a whole.

8) ________ provides a model for an information system solution and consists of all the specifications that will deliver the functions identified during systems analysis.

C) A systems design

75) ________ refers to the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to achieve specific targets within specified budget and time constraints.

C) Project management

12) In a parallel conversion strategy, the new system:

C) and the old are run together.

60) Object-oriented modeling is based on the concepts of:

C) class and inheritance.

16) A systems analysis includes a ________ that is used to determine whether the solution is achievable from a financial, technical, and organizational standpoint.

C) feasibility study

15) Changes in hardware, software, documentation, or production to a production system to correct errors, meet new requirements, or improve processing efficiencies are termed:

C) maintenance.

61) Object-oriented development could potentially reduce the time and cost of writing software because:

C) objects are reusable.

81) An information systems plan includes all the following except:

C) selection of programming languages

82) The project risk will rise if the project team and the IS staff lack:

C) the required technical expertise.

55) The term structured, when discussing structured methodologies, refers to the fact that:

C) the techniques are step by step, with each step building on the previous one.

9) Each program in a new information system is tested separately in:

C) unit testing.

31) ________ is a stand-alone application designed to run on a specific mobile platform and device.

D) A native app

7) In the opening case, why was the decision made to develop a standard nationwide ordering system that automated cookie ordering?

D) Maintained the role of individual girl scouts

65) ________ platforms automate tasks such as setting up a newly composed application such as a web service or linking to other applications.

D) PaaS

36) You are an IT project manager for an advertising firm. The firm wishes to create an online survey tool that will be used to survey focus group reactions to products in development. The most important consideration for the firm is being able to offer the tool as soon as possible as a new corporate service. However, you know that many of the senior managers that are business owners of this project have difficulty in understanding technical or software development issues, and are likely to change their requirements during the course of development. What development method would be most successful for this project?

D) Prototyping

38) ________ enables websites to change layouts automatically according to the visitor's screen resolution, whether on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

D) Responsive web design

29) Which of the following is the biggest risk in using end-user development to create a new information system?

D) The system may not be able to scale up to handle larger amounts of data.

56) The primary tool for representing a system's component processes and the flow of data between them is the:

D) data flow diagram.

6) The entire system-building effort begins with and is driven by:

D) end-user users

11) Acceptance testing:

D) provides the final certification that the system is ready to be used in a production setting.

26) The oldest method for building information systems is:

D) the systems development life cycle.

63) ________ provides software tools to automate development methodologies and reduce the amount of repetitive work in systems development.

E) CASE

66) Which of the following is not a typical CASE tool?

E) Debugging tools

80) You have been hired by a pharmaceutical company to evaluate its portfolio of systems and IT projects. Which types of projects would be best avoided?

E) High-risk, low-benefit projects

3) Which is the last step in developing a new information system?

E) Implementing the system

85) Which of the following tools would you use to identify how well employees will accept a new information system?

E) Organizational impact analysis

79) Which process is used to develop risk profiles for a firm's information system projects and assets?

E) Portfolio analysis

64) ________ describe the transformation occurring within the lowest level of the data flow diagrams. They express the logic of each process.

E) Process specifications

4) Which process develops a detailed description of the functions that a new information system must perform?

E) Requirements analysis

35) Which of the following types of systems development is not characterized by short development times?

E) SDLC

1) According to the chapter case, what was the primary problem facing the Girl Scouts regarding their supply chain problems?

E) The ordering process was inefficient for a large volume of orders.

39) A detailed list of questions submitted to external vendors to determine how well they meet the organization's specific requirements is called:

E) a request for proposal.

27) In the traditional systems development life cycle, end users:

E) are limited to providing information requirements and reviewing the technical staff's work.

32) If an organization's requirements conflict with the software package chosen, and the package cannot be customized, the organization should:

E) change its procedures.

14) According to the chapter case, the Girl Scouts' conversion strategy of first introducing the modules for ordering cookies and then introducing the modules for transmitting orders and instructions to the cookie factory and shipper is called a(n) ________ strategy.

E) phased approach

40) End-user development is useful primarily for creating:

E) simple programs.

33) "Hidden costs," such as ________ costs, can easily undercut anticipated benefits from outsourcing.

E) vendor selection