System Analysis and Design

Test 1 (Chapters 1 - 5)

What does a system analyst do?

• Studies problems/needs of an organization.

• Determines how people, methods, and IT can improve the organization.

• Responsible for analysis and design.

What are the phases of the systems development lifecycle (in order)

·       Planning

·       Analysis

·       Design

·       Implementation

·       Maintenance

What are the characteristics of the SDLC?

• Traditional methodology used to develop, maintain, and replace information systems

• Flexible:

  • Phases can be revisited, repeated, or run in parallel.

What are criticisms of the SDLC?

• Waterfall Limitation: Not designed to backtrack; Hard to go backward once a phase is complete. Locks a user into a requirement previously determined, even if it has changed. 

  • There is constant revisiting that must be done. Not doing so could lead to poor design that does not meet user needs.

• Limited User Role: Users mainly involved early, limiting feedback later.

  • Reinforces waterfall limitation to lock in requirements to early, even after requirements have changed

• Rigid Timelines: Over-focus on meeting deadlines over quality analysis/design.

  • Lead to development of programs that would not match user needs, extensive maintenance, and increases development costs 

What is the difference between Scrum, eXtreme Programming, and Object-Oriented

• Scrum: Project management framework (agile).

• XP (eXtreme Programming): Agile coding method for high-quality code.

• OOAD (Object-Oriented Analysis & Design): agile; Uses real-world objects for reusable, modular code

Analysis and Design and how are they related?

• Both define requirements.

• Act like a blueprint:

  • Analysis = logical requirements

  • Design = physical implementation

What types of projects are well-suited for agile methodologies?

• Unpredictable or changing requirements.

• Motivated developers.

  • few deadlines, uncertainty, trial and error

• Involved customers.

What is the most popular agile methodology?

SCRUM

What are the benefits of outsourcing?

·       Cost effective

·       Freeing up internal resources

·       Increasing the revenue potential of the organization

·       Reducing the time to market

·       Increasing process efficiencies

·       Outsourcing noncore activities

· More time and cost effective and allows companies to leverage another firm’s expertise

 

What is a turnkey system?

• Off-the-shelf software that cannot be modified.

• "Ready to use"

What are the benefits of enterprise systems?

• Consistent, accurate data.

• Less maintenance.

What are the primary concern(s) with cloud computing?

• Security (data breaches)

• Reliability (complex systems = vulnerable to unexpected risks)

When it comes to programming, what is Reuse?

Using existing components/objects in new programs.

What is open-source software?

• Free to use + modify final product and source code itself (code is public).

• Developed by community, not a company

What are the most important considerations when choosing off-the-shelf software?

• Vendor support (assistance available)

• Vendor viability (will they be around long-term?)

What do IT Services do?

• Develop customer information systems for internal use 

• Develop/Host/Run applications

• Provide IT solutions

What is the first thing a review board will evaluate when looking at a system service request?

• Whether the proposed project aligns with organizational objectives.

What types of assumptions are made when project planning?

• Resource availability: Hardware, software, and personnel.

• Time planning:

  • Easier to plan short-term (more detailed).

  • Long-term plans are more general.

What is considered the most important and expensive part of project resource planning?

People are the most important and expensive resource in project planning.

• They influence time estimates and project completion.

What is PERT and how does it work?

PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique)

• Uses three estimates:

  • Optimistic (O)

  • Realistic (R)

  • Pessimistic (P)

• Formula:

  Expected Time= ( O + 4R ) / P6

What are the four phases of the project management process?

1. Initiating the Project

• assess the size, scope, and complexity of the project and to establish procedures to support later activities

2. Planning the Project

• define activities and the work needed to complete each activity

3.Executing the Project

• plans created in prior phases are put into action

4. Closing Down the Project

• bring project to an end, requirements met

What events can trigger the project closedown phase?

• Successful completion (all requirements met)

• Unnatural termination (project stopped early due to):

  • Time or budget issues

  • False planning assumptions

  • Inadequate performance

• Irrelevant or outdated requirements

How do companies approach the task of identifying and selecting projects?

• Who identifies projects?

  • Senior managers

  • Business units

  • IS managers

• Projects with the highest value and resource alignment are selected.

What is value chain analysis?

Analyzes how value is added and costs incurred across operations:

• Inbound Logistics (supplies purchased)

• Operations (production)

• Outbound Logistics (product delivery)

• Marketing and Sales

• Service

What is the internet-of-things?     

Physical objects with internet connectivity that communicate with other devices.

• Examples: Tesla, Fitness trackers, Amazon Echo

What are characteristics of projects selected by top management?

• Identified by top management or steering committees

• Reflect broad organizational needs and strategic goals

What are common evaluation criteria when selecting projects (see table 4-2)

• Value Chain Analysis 

  • extent to which activities add value and costs

• Strategic Alignment

  • extent to which project viewed is seen as strategic and helping with long term goals 

• Potential Benefits

  • project viewed as improving profits, customer service

• Resource Availability: 

  • amount and type of resources project required and their availability 

• Project Size and Duration

• Technical Difficulty

  • level of difficulty to complete within given time and constraints

How much time should you spend on the project initiation and planning study?

Spend 10–20% of total project effort on Project Initiation & Planning (PIP).

What type of information is contained in the baseline project plan?

Contains estimates of:

• Project scope

• Benefits

• Costs

• Risks

• Resource requirements

Major outcome and deliverable from the project initiation and planning phase 

What is the purpose of assessing economic feasibility?

Identify financial benefits and costs (cost-benefit analysis)

What is the purpose of assessing the technical feasibility?

Assess if the technology can be built with available resources

What is the purpose of assessing the operational feasibility?

Determine if the system solves business problems

What is the purpose of assessing the schedule feasibility?

Check if the project can be completed on time

What are tangible benefits?

Can be measured in dollars with certainty
(e.g., increased sales, reduced labor costs)

What does total cost of ownership mean?

Includes acquisition + ongoing use and maintenance costs.

 What does the time value of money mean?

Money today is worth more than the same amount in the future