Chapter 12: Systems Planning and Development

TRUE/FALSE

	1.	When planning, it is important to align IS strategies with the overall strategies of the organization.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	411

	2.	The IS mission includes the ideal combination of hardware, software, and networking to support the overarching vision.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	412-413

	3.	SDLC stands for systems development life cycle.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	415

	4.	The systems analysis phase is a three-step process.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	416

	5.	Usually, members of the original ad hoc team are included in an augmented analysis team to conduct feasibility studies.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	417

	6.	If the ROI is negative, the system is economically feasible, or cost justified.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	418

	7.	Organizational culture includes issues such as tendency to share or not to share information among units and people, willingness to team-play, and the proclivity of employees to experiment with new ideas and technologies.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	419

	8.	A data store is any event or sequence of events in which data are either changed or acted on, such as the processing of data into information or the application of data to decision making.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	421

	9.	While DFDs are easy to learn and use, they have shortcomings—like any diagramming method—and cannot describe a system completely.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	421

	10.	Physical diagrams represent highly active states that are triggered by completion of the actions of other states; therefore, they focus on internal processing.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	422

	11.	Cut-over conversion reduces risks because it confines any problems to fewer units.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	425

	12.	Agile methods treat software development as a series of contacts with users.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	426

	13.	XP is by far the most documented and best known of agile methods.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	426

	14.	Excellent Programming (EXP) includes the following principle: produce the initial software within weeks (rather than months) to receive rapid feedback from users.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	427

	15.	The systematic approach of the SDLC is recommended if the system is complex and consists of many modules.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	428

	16.	Systems modeling looks at the information needs of an entire organization, or at least of a major division of it.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	431

	17.	Legal systems are older systems that organizations decide to continue to use because the investment in a new system would not justify the improved features or because the old systems have some advantage that cannot be obtained from newer systems.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	431

	18.	By some estimates more than ninety percent of all BI projects are never completed or fail to deliver all the expected features and benefits.

ANS:	F	PTS:	1	REF:	432

	19.	It is difficult, if not impossible, to devise a way to measure software development competence.

ANS:	T	PTS:	1	REF:	433

MULTIPLE CHOICE

	1.	In recent years, a growing number of corporations have implemented enterprise ISs such as ERP systems, ____ and CRM systems, or other systems that serve the entire organization or many of its units.
a.	SCM	c.	CAM	
b.	CAD	d.	CMS	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	411

	2.	A(n) ____ is a paragraph that communicates the most important overarching goal of the organization for the next few years.
a.	short-term objective	c.	mission statement	
b.	objective	d.	mid-term objective	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	412

	3.	An important part of an organization’s overall mission statement is a(n) ____ that is compatible with the larger mission.
a.	IS statement	c.	partial mission statement	
b.	collateral mission statement	d.	IT mission statement	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	412

	4.	Systems development generally is conducted in two approaches: the ____ and nontraditional methods.
a.	systems full cycle (SFC)	c.	systems circuit (SC)	
b.	IT development cycle (ITDC)	d.	systems development life cycle (SDLC)	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	415

	5.	Large ISs that address structured problems are usually conceived, planned, developed, and maintained within a framework called the ____.
a.	systems framework life cycle (SFLC)	c.	systems development life cycle (SDLC)	
b.	systems cycle (SC)	d.	systems full cycle (SFC)	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	415

	6.	After the planning phase, the SDLC includes four major phases: analysis, design, implementation, and ____.
a.	production	c.	execution	
b.	support	d.	documentation	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	416

	7.	The first step in systems analysis is ____, which determines whether there is a real need for a system and whether the system as conceived is feasible.
a.	investigation	c.	search	
b.	research	d.	quest	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	417

	8.	The objective of a larger ____ is to determine whether the proposed system is feasible technically, economically, and operationally.
a.	investigation team	c.	search team	
b.	research team	d.	quest team	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	417

	9.	To find the ____, the net present value of the system is calculated by combining the net present value of the costs of the system with the net present value of the benefits of the system.
a.	CROI	c.	CF	
b.	ROI	d.	BI	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	418

	10.	Software vendors often promote fast ____ as a selling point, and express it in terms of the short period of time over which the adopting organization can recoup the investment.
a.	ROIC	c.	ROI	
b.	CF	d.	BI	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	419

	11.	____ are the functions that the system is expected to fulfill and the features through which it will perform its tasks.
a.	IT requirements	c.	Job functions	
b.	System functions	d.	System requirements	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	420

	12.	A carefully drawn ____ can provide a useful representation of a system, whether existing or planned.
a.	FD	c.	DD	
b.	IFD	d.	DFD	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	421

	13.	Several diagramming sets were developed by the 1970s, but in the late-1990s, a de facto standard emerged: ____.
a.	URL	c.	UML	
b.	AML	d.	DFD	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	421-422

	14.	____ is independent of particular programming languages, but it does provide standard visual symbols and notations for specifying object-oriented elements, such as classes and procedures.
a.	URL	c.	AML	
b.	UML	d.	DFD	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	422

	15.	A(n) ____ is an activity that the system executes in response to a user.
a.	use case	c.	interaction	
b.	class	d.	state	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	422

	16.	State charts communicate the states through which objects pass, as well as the objects’ responses to signals (called ____) they receive.
a.	stimuli	c.	abstractions	
b.	reflections	d.	projections	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	422

	17.	The implementation of a new IS, also called ____, consists of two steps: conversion and training.
a.	COD	c.	turn-in	
b.	delivery	d.	migration	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	423

	18.	In ____, the old system is used along with the new system for a predetermined period of time.
a.	phased conversion	c.	parallel conversion	
b.	cut-over conversion	d.	flash cut conversion	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	424

	19.	ISs, especially large ones, can often be broken into functional modules and phased into operation one at a time, a process called ____.
a.	flash cut conversion	c.	parallel conversion	
b.	cut-over conversion	d.	phased conversion	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	424

	20.	When a system is developed by a software vendor for a wide market rather than for a specific client, conversion often takes place at ____.
a.	alpha sites	c.	review sites	
b.	friendly sites	d.	beta sites	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	425

	21.	Although ____ is viewed by IS professionals as lacking in glamour, it should not be taken lightly or left to less-experienced professionals.
a.	systems analysis	c.	maintenance	
b.	database design	d.	executive training	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	425

	22.	____ make extensive use of iterative programming, involving users often, and keeping programmers open to modifications while the development is still under way.
a.	Open methods	c.	Agile routines	
b.	Agile methods	d.	Open routines	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	426

	23.	While the SDLC or any other waterfall approach requires users to sign off on their requirements and then wait for the system to be completed, ____ encourage users’ involvement throughout the process.
a.	agile methods	c.	agile routines	
b.	extreme methods	d.	object-oriented methods	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	427

	24.	Agile methods are an efficient approach to development when a system is ____, when it deals with unstructured problems, and when the users cannot specify all the requirements at the start of the project.
a.	small	c.	innovative	
b.	large	d.	object-oriented	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	428

	25.	If a small-system development takes longer than planned, the overall cost is still likely to be smaller than if a full ____ were performed.
a.	SLC	c.	SGML	
b.	SDLC	d.	SGL	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	428

	26.	Much of what IT professionals do is ____, rather than analysis and development of a stand-alone IS.
a.	systems compilation	c.	systems integration	
b.	languages integration	d.	program compilation	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	431

	27.	The concept of extracting business intelligence from large data warehouses often involves ____ of several ISs.
a.	compilation	c.	autocategorization	
b.	codification	d.	integration	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	432

	28.	____ has become increasingly complex because it now involves the ISs not only of a single organization but of several organizations.
a.	Systems compilation	c.	Functions codification	
b.	Routines integration	d.	Systems integration	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	432

	29.	____ is meant to guarantee that the experts have passed tests that ensure their skills.
a.	Registration	c.	Certification	
b.	Matriculation	d.	Authorization	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	433

COMPLETION

	1.	Although the ultimate mission of any organization is to survive and—if it is a for-profit organization—to produce profit for its owners, ____________________ are rarely limited to these points.

ANS:	mission statements

PTS:	1	REF:	412

	2.	Agile methods developed out of ____________________, an application development approach that emerged in the 1980s aimed at cutting costs and time.

ANS:	prototyping

PTS:	1	REF:	415

	3.	____________________ involves fast development of an application based on initial user requirements and several cycles of user input and developer improvements.

ANS:	Prototyping

PTS:	1	REF:	415

	4.	SDLC is also called “____________________” development, because it consists of several distinct phases that are followed methodically,and the developers complete the phases sequentially.

ANS:	waterfall

PTS:	1	REF:	415

	5.	While the ____________________ is a powerful methodology for systems development, organizations are sometimes forced to take shortcuts, skipping a step here or there.

ANS:	
SDLC
systems development life cycle
systems development life cycle (SDLC)

PTS:	1	REF:	415

	6.	If a preliminary report concludes that the business situation warrants investment in a new IS, a more comprehensive ____________________ might be authorized.

ANS:	investigation

PTS:	1	REF:	417

	7.	A(n) ____________________ can be a spreadsheet showing all the costs incurred by the system and all the benefits that are expected from its operation.

ANS:	cost/benefit analysis

PTS:	1	REF:	418

	8.	The most accurate method of economic analysis is the fully quantitative ____________________.

ANS:	
ROI
return on investment
return on investment (ROI)

PTS:	1	REF:	418

	9.	____________________ is a calculation of the difference between the stream of benefits and the stream of costs over the life of the system, discounted by the applicable interest rate.

ANS:	
ROI
Return on investment
Return on investment (ROI)

PTS:	1	REF:	418

	10.	____________________ is an umbrella term referring to the general tone of the corporate environment.

ANS:	Organizational culture

PTS:	1	REF:	419

	11.	____________________ comprises three steps: a description of the components and how they will work, construction, and testing.

ANS:	Systems design

PTS:	1	REF:	420

	12.	A(n) ____________________ is used to describe the flow of data in a business operation.

ANS:	
DFD
data flow diagram
data flow diagram (DFD)

PTS:	1	REF:	420

	13.	A(n) ____________________ uses only four symbols: external entities, processes, data stores, and the direction in which data flows.

ANS:	
DFD
data flow diagram
data flow diagram (DFD)

PTS:	1	REF:	420

	14.	____________________ is a graphical standard for visualizing, specifying, and documenting software.

ANS:	
UML
Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language (UML)

PTS:	1	REF:	422

	15.	____________________ consists of diagrams that describe the following types of software: use case, class, interaction, state, activity, and physical components.

ANS:	
UML
Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language (UML)

PTS:	1	REF:	422

	16.	____________________ takes place when an operation switches from using an old system to using a new system.

ANS:	Conversion

PTS:	1	REF:	423

	17.	In a(n) ____________________, the old system is discarded and the new one takes over the entire business operation for which it was developed.

ANS:	cut-over conversion

PTS:	1	REF:	424

	18.	A cut-over conversion is also called ____________________ conversion.

ANS:	flash cut

PTS:	1	REF:	424

	19.	A(n) ____________________ is an organization whose management agrees to test the new system for several months and provide feedback.

ANS:	beta site

PTS:	1	REF:	425

	20.	____________________ includes two main responsibilities: maintenance and user help.

ANS:	Support

PTS:	1	REF:	425

ESSAY

	1.	List the steps included in IT planning.

ANS:	
IT planning includes a few key steps that are a part of any successful planning process:
Creating a corporate and IS mission statement.
Articulating the vision for IS within the organization.
Creating IS strategic and tactical plans.
Creating a plan for operations to achieve the mission and vision.
Creating a budget to ensure that resources are available to achieve the mission and vision.

PTS:	1	REF:	412

	2.	What are the benefits of standardization in planning?

ANS:	
One major goal—and advantage—of planning is standardization. When management decides to adopt a certain IT resource for all its units, regardless of function or location, it standardizes its IT. Standardization results in several benefits:
Cost savings. When the organization decides to purchase the same hardware or software for all its units, it has better bargaining power and therefore can obtain lower prices from
vendors.
Efficient training. It is easier to train employees how to use a small variety of software than to train them how to use a large variety. Less trainer time is required, and—more importantly— employees spend less time on training and more time on their regular assignments.
Efficient support. Standardizing on a small number of computer models and software applications enables the IT staff to specialize in the hardware and software they have to support.

PTS:	1	REF:	414

	3.	List the five-steps that the systems analysis phase comprises, and the questions the process is designed to answer.

ANS:	
The systems analysis phase is a five-step process that is designed to answer these questions:
Investigation
What is the business process that the system is to support?
What business opportunity do you want the system to seize, what problems do you want it to solve, or what directive must you fulfill?
Technical Feasibility Study
Is there technology to create the system you want?
Which of the available technologies should we use?
Economic Feasibility Study
What resources do you need to implement the system?
Will the system’s benefits outweigh its costs?
Operational Feasibility Study
Will the system be used appropriately by its intended users (employees, customers, suppliers)?
Will the system be used to its full capacity?
Requirements Definition
What features do you want the system to have?
What interfaces will the system have with other systems, and how should the systems
interface?

PTS:	1	REF:	417

	4.	What does a technical feasibility study entail?

ANS:	
A new IS is technically feasible if its components exist or can be developed with available tools. The team must also consider the organization’s existing commitments to hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment. For example, if the company recently purchased hundreds of units of a certain computer, it is unlikely that management will approve the purchase of computers of another model for a single new application. Thus, the investigators must find out whether the proposed system can run properly on existing hardware.

PTS:	1	REF:	417

	5.	How is parallel conversion implemented?

ANS:	
In parallel conversion, the old system is used along with the new system for a predetermined period of time. This duplication minimizes risk because if the new system fails, operations are not stopped and no damage is caused to the organization. However, parallel conversion is costly because of the expenses, especially labor costs, associated with running two systems.

PTS:	1	REF:	424