My Systems Analysis Ch. 2

True

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

False

It is easier to assign dollar values to intangible benefits

False

Regardless of the type, all constraints should be identified as late as possible.

False

A Gantt chart is drawn as a vertical bar graph; arranged in descending order, so the team can focus on the most important causes, the bars represent various causes of a problem.

technical human financial

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

False

A clear definition of project scope and constraints promotes misunderstandings that arise where managers assume that the system will have a certain feature or support for a project, but later find that the feature is not included.

False

Information systems that interact with customers usually receive low priority.

Mission Statement

Strategic planning starts with a ____ that reflects the firm's vision, purpose, and values..

False

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

Performance

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

Strategic

____ planning is the process of identifying long-term organizational goals, strategies, and resources.

fishbone

When using a ____ diagram to investigate causes of a problem, an analyst first states the problem and then draws a main bone with sub-bones that represent possible causes of the problem

Technology Competitors Suppliers

___ is/are an external factor(s) that affect(s) IT systems projects.

User requests Strategic plans Existing systems and data

___ is/are an internal factor(s) that affect(s) IT systems projects.

Customer relationship management (CRM)

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

Creating a new report for a user

____ is an example of a discretionary project.

Technology Competitors Suppliers

____ is/are an external factor(s) that affect(s) IT systems projects.

False

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

not as flexible as a series of interviews, but it is less expensive

A survey is ____, generally takes less time, and can involve a broad cross-section of people.

preliminary

A systems analyst conducts a(n) ____ investigation to study the systems request and recommend specific action.

have clear instructions

A systems request form should ____.

constraint

A(n) ____ is a requirement or condition that a system must satisfy or an outcome that a system must achieve

XY chart, scatter diagram

A(n) _____, sometimes called a(n) _____, is another problem-solving tool often used by an analyst to look for a correlation between two variables..

False

As a project progresses, conditions never change.

True

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

gets a better understanding of operations highlights ways to improve the user's job builds better, more positive relationships with users

By questioning users about additional capabilities they would like to have, instead of focusing on difficulties, a systems analyst ____.

improved services better performance reduced cost

Common reasons for systems requests are ____.

True

Competition drives many information systems decisions.

False

Data entry controls should be excessive without being effective.

SWOT

During strategic planning, top managers ask a series of questions that is called a ____ analysis because it examines a company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

JIT

Electronic data interchange (EDI) enables ____ inventory systems, which rely on computer-to-computer data exchange to minimize unnecessary inventory.

False

Even if users have difficulty with a new system, it still will produce the expected benefits.

True

Feasibility analysis is an ongoing task that must be performed throughout the systems development process.

False

Few nondiscretionary projects are predictable.

discretionary

Projects where management has a choice in implementing them are called ____ projects.

nondiscretionary

Projects where management has no choice in implementing them are called ____ projects.

creep

Projects with very general scope definitions are at risk of expanding gradually, without specific authorization, in a process called project ____.

False

The first step in evaluating feasibility is to accept and include all systems requests, even those that are not feasible.

False

The format of a preliminary investigation report is the same from one company to another.

conduct interviews

The primary method of obtaining information during the preliminary investigation is to ____.

False

The purpose of an interview, and of the preliminary investigation itself, is to convince others that a project is justified, not to uncover facts.

define project scope as clearly as possible

To avoid the problem of project creep, ____.

operational

A feasibility study includes tests for ____ feasibility, which means that a proposed system will be used effectively after it has been developed.

economic

A feasibility study includes tests for ____ feasibility, which means that the projected benefits of the proposed system outweigh the estimated costs.

technical

A feasibility study includes tests for ____ feasibility, which refers to the practical resources needed to develop, purchase, install, or operate the system.

fishbone

A popular technique for investigating causes and effects is called a ____ diagram, which is an analysis tool that represents the possible causes of a problem as a graphical outline.

online package tracking system that decreases the need for clerical staff

An example of a tangible benefit includes a(n) ____.

none of the above

Hardware-based security controls include ____.

are more team-oriented

IT Departments today ____ .

True

If only one person has the necessary IT skills and experience to evaluate systems requests, that person should consult closely with users and managers throughout the company to ensure that business and operational needs are considered carefully.

introduction

In a preliminary investigation report, the ____ contain(s) a brief description of the system, the name of the person or group performing the investigation, and the name of the person or group who initiated the investigation.

True

In a preliminary investigation report, the case for action section includes a summary of the project request and a specific recommendation.

determine the people to interview, establish objectives for the interview, develop interview questions, prepare for the interview

In sequence, the interviewing process involves a series of steps: ____, conduct the interview, document the interview, and evaluate the interview.

findings

In the preliminary investigation report, the ____ section contains the results of the preliminary investigation, including a description of the project's scope, constraints, and feasibility.

False

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

economic feasibility

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

technical feasibility

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

operational feasibility

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

schedule feasibility

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

TCO

The estimated costs of a proposed system usually are considered the ____, which includes ongoing support and maintenance costs, as well as acquisition costs.

Will the proposed system increase revenue for the company?

When assessing priorities for systems requests, a systems analyst should look for a high score in which of the following ____.

True

When assessing schedule feasibility, a systems analyst must consider the interaction between time and costs.

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

When evaluating systems requests, which of the following is an advantage of a systems review committee ____.

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

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