Systems Analysis and Design - Chapter 4: Requirements Engineering

A complete set of practice flashcards covering Chapter 4: Requirements Engineering from Systems Analysis and Design (13th Edition) by Scott Tilley.

What is a system requirement?

A characteristic or feature that must be included in an information system to satisfy business requirements and be acceptable to users.

What three core activities compose requirements engineering?

Gathering requirements (understanding the problem), representing requirements (describing the problem), and validating and verifying requirements (agreeing on the problem).

What is a functional requirement, and what is an example of one provided in the text?

A statement of the services a system provides. An example is "a website shall report online volume statistics every four hours and hourly during peak periods".

What is a non-functional requirement, and what is an example of one provided in the text?

A statement of operational system constraints. An example is "the system must support 25 users online simultaneously".

What three main challenges face systems analysts regarding requirements?

Imprecision (requirements are usually represented in natural language), Agreement (getting everyone to agree on the exact meaning), and Creep (business changes leading to feature creep).

How is scalability defined in requirements engineering?

Scalability refers to a system's ability to handle increased business volume and transactions in the future.

How has the classification of security evolved in requirements engineering?

Security has changed from a non-functional requirement to a functional requirement.

What is Joint Application Development (JAD)?

A user-oriented technique for fact-finding and requirements engineering led by a trained moderator or facilitator.

What are the roles of the JAD project leader and the Recorder in a JAD session?

The JAD project leader develops an agenda, acts as a facilitator, and leads the JAD session. The Recorder documents results of JAD sessions and works with systems analysts to build system models and develop CASE tool documentation.

What roles do top management, managers, and operational users play in a JAD session?

Top management provides enterprise-level authorization and support; managers provide department-level support and understanding of business functions; users provide operational-level input on day-to-day tasks and requirements.

What are the primary benefits of Joint Application Development (JAD)?

Stakeholder involvement, improved communication, time and cost efficiency, accelerated decision making, and reduced rework.

What is Rapid Application Development (RAD)?

An iterative and incremental team-based approach to systems analysis and design that focuses on quickly developing high-quality software applications.

What process model with four phases is shown in this diagram?

The Rapid Application Development (RAD) model, consisting of requirements planning, user design, construction, and cutover.

What is the primary objective of Rapid Application Development (RAD)?

To cut development time and expense by involving users in every phase of systems development.

How do agile methods build systems and collect user requirements?

Agile methods develop a system incrementally by building prototypes and constantly adjusting them based on continuous user feedback.

What five fact-finding techniques are used during requirements elicitation?

Interviews, document review, observation, surveys and questionnaires, and sampling and research.

Is the requirement "The system shall respond within 2 seconds" a functional or non-functional requirement?

It is a non-functional requirement because it is a statement of operational system constraints.

What are the six steps in conducting an interview for requirements gathering?

1. Determine the people to interview, 2. Establish objectives for the interview, 3. Develop interview questions, 4. Prepare for the interview, 5. Conduct the interview, and 6. Document and evaluate the interview.

What are the key advantages of questionnaires over interviews?

Questionnaires allow many people to provide input on their own time without scheduling, are less costly and time-consuming, and may elicit more candid responses.

What is the difference between structured and unstructured brainstorming?

In structured brainstorming, each participant speaks when it is their turn or passes. In unstructured brainstorming, anyone can speak at any time.

What are the differences between systematic sampling, stratified sampling, and random sampling?

Systematic sampling selects every Nth item (e.g., every tenth customer); stratified sampling selects a set number from each category (e.g., five from each of four postal codes); random sampling selects any arbitrary set (e.g., any 20 customers).

What is the goal of conducting a site visit during research?

To observe a system in use at another location, identify any problems or limitations, and learn about vendor support.

How are requirements structured and broken down in agile projects?

Requirements begin as features, which are split into smaller user stories, and then distilled into scenarios (use cases) using storyboards.

What four documentation principles should a systems analyst follow when representing requirements?

1. Record information as soon as it is obtained; 2. Use the simplest recording method possible; 3. Record findings clearly so others can understand them; 4. Organize documentation so related material is located easily.

What type of system representation diagram is depicted here?

A Functional Decomposition Diagram (FDD), which shows a top-down representation of functions and processes for a Library Management system.

What diagramming technique is shown in this figure, and what interaction does it model?

A Use Case Diagram showing interactions between users (Student, Advisor, Instructor, Registrar) and a Registration System.

What modeling technique is shown in this figure, and what does it illustrate?

A Sequence Diagram showing the timing of interactions between objects during a credit card validation process.

What is the distinction between requirements validation and requirements verification?

Validation asks "Are the correct requirements stated?" to ensure the system meets customer wants. Verification asks "Are the requirements stated correctly?" to check representation accuracy.

What key attributes should be checked during requirements validation and verification (V&V)?

Validity, consistency, completeness, realism, verifiability, comprehensibility, traceability, and adaptability.

What is traceability in tool support for requirements engineering, and why is it essential?

Traceability is the ability to follow a requirement backward to its origins and forward through the SDLC to link design documents, code fragments, and test artifacts. It helps ensure requirements are consistent, complete, and satisfy user needs.