Principles of System Design Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4
Which of the following methods of system development stresses intense team-based effort and reflects a set of community-based values? Agile method Structured analysis Rapid application development Object-oriented analysis
Agile method
Since middle managers focus on a longer time frame, they need less detailed information than top managers, but somewhat more than supervisors who oversee day-to-day operations. True False
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. True False
False
Systems requests seldom are aimed at improving service to users within a company. True False
False
When using fact-finding techniques, asking what is being done is the same as asking what could or should be done. True False
False
Feasibility analysis is an ongoing task that must be performed throughout the systems development process. True False
True
Most large companies require systems that combine transaction processing, business support, knowledge management, and user productivity features. True False
True
An agile approach emphasizes continuous feedback, and each incremental step is affected by what was learned in the prior steps. True False
True
System requirements fall into five general categories: outputs, inputs, processes, performance, and controls. True False
True
In object-oriented analysis, an object is a member of a(n) _____, which is a collection of similar objects. property class instance message
class
A _____ cannot be started until a previous task is completed. dependent task precursor task concurrent task predecessor task
concurrent task
A(n) _____ uses various symbols and shapes to represent data flow, processing, and storage. process flow diagram object model data flow diagram network model
data flow diagram
Which of the following is an example of a tangible benefit? A new website that enhances a company's image A user-friendly system that improves employee job satisfaction An online package tracking system that improves service and decreases the need for clerical staff A sales tracking system that supplies better information for marketing decisions
An online package tracking system that improves service and decreases the need for clerical staff
Adding more people to a project actually might increase the time necessary to complete the project because of a principle called _____. Moody's Law Brooks' Law Bernoulli's Law Hooke's Law
Brooks' Law
_____ are important to a systems analyst who must work with people at all organizational levels, balance conflicting needs of users, and communicate effectively. Interpersonal skills Confrontational skills Artistic skills Problem solving skills
Interpersonal skills
Using a(n) _____, a project manager can convert task start and finish times to actual dates by laying out the entire project on a calendar. Scatter chart XY chart Pedigree chart Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) chart
Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) chart
_____ give the project managers an opportunity to seek input and conduct brainstorming sessions. Status reports Project status meetings Board meetings Project review reports
Project status meetings
Identify a method of developing systems that is well-suited to traditional project management tools and techniques. Rapid application development Structured analysis Object-oriented analysis Adaptive method
Structured analysis
Critical Thinking Questions Case 1-2 Maddy has been performing at a very high level at a firm, and so when two of her colleagues who are currently leading other development efforts get sick or leave the company, she is asked to step in and help manage these two other efforts. When Maddy sits down at the first meeting at which the first group is gathering, she hears them discussing the feasibility study in which they are currently engaged. She knows, then, in which phase of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) this team currently is. Which phase is it? Systems design Systems implementation Systems analysis Systems planning
Systems planning
_____ provides vital protection and maintenance services for system hardware and software, including enterprise computing systems, networks, transaction processing systems, and corporate IT infrastructure. Systems support and security Network administration User support Database administration
Systems support and security
_____ refers to the practical resources needed to develop, purchase, install, or operate a system. Schedule feasibility Operational feasibility Market feasibility Technical feasibility
Technical feasibility
The term _____ refers to the reasons, or justifications, for a proposal. work statement problem charter use case business case
business case
A _____ is a summary of a project request and a specific recommendation. routine report case for action breakdown report case for approval
case for action
A _____ is a series of events and activities with no slack time. baseline path critical path foundation path risk path
critical path
A _____ must be achieved to fulfill a company's mission. critical success factor key performance factor core competency vision competency
critical success factor
In a typical organizational model, top managers _____. include users who rely on transaction processing (TP) systems to enter and receive the data they need to perform their jobs oversee operation employees and carry out day-to-day functions, coordinating operational tasks and people develop long-range plans, called strategic plans, which define a company's overall mission and goals provide direction, necessary resources, and performance feedback to supervisors and team leaders
develop long-range plans, called strategic plans, which define a company's overall mission and goals
Using _____, an analyst can show business functions and break them down into lower-level functions and processes. functional decomposition diagrams (FDD) total cost of ownership (TCO) Rapid Economic Justification (REJ) Unified Modeling Language (UML)
functional decomposition diagrams (FDD)
In a(n) _____ structure, which usually is based on interpersonal relationships, some people have more influence or knowledge than appears on an organization chart. unstructured open-ended informal spontaneous
informal
Project scheduling, an activity of a project manager, _____. involves staffing, which includes selecting the project team and assigning specific tasks to team members requires guiding, supervising, and coordinating a project team's workload includes monitoring the progress of a project, evaluating results, and taking corrective action when necessary to stay on target includes budgeting a project based on the number of modules and their complexity in a project
involves staffing, which includes selecting the project team and assigning specific tasks to team members
Compared with traditional methods, when properly used, joint application development (JAD) can result in many benefits, however not _____. a more accurate statement of system requirements a better understanding of common goals a stronger commitment to the success of the new system less expense and greater manageability if the group is too large
less expense and greater manageability if the group is too large
When maintaining schedules, if enough _____ and frequent checkpoints exist, problems will be detected rapidly. data flow diagrams activity diagrams milestones viewports
milestones
A _____ displays the same information as the Gantt chart, including task dependencies, but uses task boxes to include much more detail. semantic wireframe ring topology mesh topology network diagram
network diagram
Of the measures of feasibility, questions such as "Does management support the project?" and "Will the new system require training for users?" would help predict a system's _____. operational feasibility technical feasibility schedule feasibility economic feasibility
operational feasibility
To avoid the problem of _____, a project's scope should be defined as clearly as possible. project expansion project creep project dilation project drift
project creep
One of the main activities in the systems analysis phase is _____, which involves fact-finding to describe the current system and identification of the specifications for the new system. goal-based modeling requirements modeling user-based modeling objective modeling
requirements modeling
A _____ is a proactive effort to anticipate a risk and describe an action plan to deal with it. risk management plan risk identification plan risk response plan risk balance plan
risk response plan
To evaluate _____, a systems analyst needs information about projected future volume for all outputs, inputs, and processes. scalability compatibility reliability applicability
scalability
The primary advantage of rapid application development (RAD) is that _____. a company's strategic business needs are emphasized and the mechanics of the system are not stressed systems can be developed more quickly with significant cost savings systems are developed more slowly with fewer bugs the decelerated time cycle allows more time to develop quality, consistency, and design standards
systems can be developed more quickly with significant cost savings
The systems implementation phase of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) includes an assessment, called a _____, to determine whether the system operates properly and if costs and benefits are within expectation. systems validation systems estimation systems verification systems evaluation
systems evaluation
A _____ involves breaking a project down into a series of smaller tasks. risk breakdown structure (RBS) work breakdown structure (WBS) value breakdown structure (VBS) concept breakdown structure (CBS)
work breakdown structure (WBS)
