Introduction to Systems Analysis and Design Ch.1 Exam Prep

Chapter 1 Introduction to Systems Analysis and Design
Testbank

Multiple Choices

1. The process of understanding how an information system can support business needs, design the system, build it, and deliver it to users is the _____.

a. analysis phase of the SDLC

b. object oriented approach

c. rule for creating a CASE tool

d. systems development life cycle

e. waterfall development methodology

1. The person that identifies opportunities for improvements and designs an information system to implement them is called a(n) _____.

a. computer programmer

b. end-user

c. systems analyst

d. systems specialist

e. technical writer

1. The primary goal of the systems analyst is to _____.

a. acquire a working tool

b. create a wonderful system

c. create value for the organization

d. establish the phases of the SDLC

e. identify opportunities for improvement

1. Developing an information system is similar to building a house because you have to

a. start with a basic idea of what is needed

b. create simple drawings of what is needed and allow the customer to provide feedback

c. develop a detailed set of blueprints

d. actually build the project, often with some changes directed by the customer

e. all of the above

1. The four phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle are _____.

a. analysis, gathering, modeling, and diagramming

b. construction, installation, testing, and converting

c. initiating, planning, controlling, and implementing

d. planning, analysis, design, and implementation

e. system request, feasibility, staffing, and construction

1. Understanding why an information system should be built and determining how the project team will build it is part of the _____ phase of the SDLC.

a. analysis

b. system request

c. gathering

d. initiating

e. planning

1. The _____ is generated by the department or person that has an idea for a new information system.

a. economic feasibility analysis

b. requirements document

c. project charter

d. system request

e. project plan

1. The project sponsor is the _____.

a. lead systems analyst on the project team

b. person or department that requested the system

c. lead computer programmer charged with writing the code for the system

d. project team leader in charge of developing the system

e. any of these choices may fill the role of the project sponsor

1. Feasibility analysis examines several questions, including “_____?”

a. Can it be built (technical feasibility)

b. Do we have the right people to build it (organizational feasibility)

c. If we build it, can our computers handle the load (operational feasibility)

d. Can we get afford it (economic feasibility)

e. all of these

1. The project plan is the document that is used to _____.

a. describe how the project team will go about developing the proposed system

b. outline the tasks to be addressed in developing the proposed system and develop a time estimate for each task.

c. outline the technical, economic, and organizational feasibility of the proposed system

d. summarize the business need and explain how the proposed system supports that need and creates value

e. all of these

1. In which phase of the SDLC is the project plan developed?

a. analysis

b. design

c. implementation

d. planning

e. reconstruction

1. In which phase of the SDLC is the system proposal developed?

a. analysis

b. design

c. implementation

d. planning

e. system delivery

1. The analysis phase of the SDLC answers which questions?

a. Who will create the system and when will it be used?

b. Who will the system be for, what the system will do, when will it be used, and where will it be used?

c. Why build the system, what the system will be, and how the system will work?

d. Why build the system, who will the system be for, when will it be used, and how the system will work?

e. Why build the system, who will the system be for, when will it be used, and where will it be used?

1. Deciding how the hardware, software, and network infrastructure will operate occurs during the _____ phase of the SDLC.

a. analysis

b. design

c. implementation

d. planning

e. strategy

1. In which phase of the SDLC is the system specification developed?

a. analysis

b. design

c. implementation

d. planning

e. system delivery

1. Interfaces (e.g., menus, reports, forms) are specified during the _____ phase of the SDLC.

a. analysis

b. design

c. implementation

d. planning

e. system delivery

1. The phase of the SDLC when the system is actually built or purchased is the _____.

a. analysis

b. construction

c. design

d. implementation

e. planning

1. A development methodology that focuses on the processes as the core of the system is said to be _____.

a. vacation-oriented

b. structure-oriented

c. process-centered

d. object-oriented

e. data-centered

1. The principal disadvantages(s) with the waterfall development methodology is (are) _____.

a. a long time elapses between completion of the system proposal and the delivery of the system

b. if the team misses important requirements, expensive post-implementation programming may be needed

c. the design must be completely specified on paper before programming begins

d. all of these

e. none of these

1. _____ development is a structured design methodology that proceeds in a sequence from one phase to the next.

a. Parallel

b. Phased

c. Agile

d. Rapid Application

e. Waterfall

1. Any modern object-oriented approach to software development must be use case driven, ____________, and iterative and incremental.

a. user-centric

b. architecture-centric

c. requirements-driven

d. model-driven

e. object-centric

1. Iterative and incremental development means that

a. the team is using a prototyping methodology

b. the system will be developed through versions

c. the system will be developed in phases

d. the system will undergo continuous testing and refinement

e. the team is using an agile methodology

1. In the Enhanced Unified Process, the inception phase involves several workflows including _________.

a. analysis

b. design

c. implementation

d. all of these

e. none of these

1. In the Enhanced Unified Process, the production phase involves several workflows including __________.

a. analysis

b. design

c. implementation

d. all of these

e. none of these

1. Overall, the consistent notation, integration among the diagramming techniques, and application of the diagrams across the entire development process makes ________ a powerful and flexible tool set for analysts and developers.

a. CASE

b. UML

c. DFDs

d. EPCs

e. Flow Charts

1. In SCRUM, teams organize themselves in a symbiotic manner and set their own goals for each ______________.

a. phase

b. module

c. week

d. function

e. sprint

1. SCRUM belongs to the category of system development methodologies:

a. agile development

b. rapid application development

c. structured design

d. waterfall development

e. rapid prototyping

True/False

1. The primary objective of the systems analyst is to create a wonderful system.
2. The planning phase is the fundamental process of understanding how an information system should be built and determining who on the project team will build it.
3. During the analysis phase of the SDLC the systems analyst will decide how the hardware, software and network infrastructure, user interface, forms and reports will be used.
4. The new information system is purchased or built during the implementation phase of the SDLC.
5. The waterfall development methodology derives its name from the salmon that swim up the waterfall against the current.
6. The infrastructure analyst is responsible for the design of the new business policies and processes.
7. The role of the project manager includes managing the team members, developing the project plan, assigning resources and serving as the primary point of contact for people outside the project team.
8. The role of the change management analyst includes ensuring that adequate documentation and support are available to the users.
9. The business analyst is responsible for ensuring that the project is completed on time and within budget and that the system delivers all benefits that were intended by the project sponsor.
10. The project manager develops ideas and suggestions for how to improve business processes, designs new business processes, and identifies the business value the new system will create.
11. Determining who will use the system, what the system will do, and where and when it will be used is performed during the analysis phase of the SDLC.
12. RAD (Rapid Application Development) adjusts the SDLC phases to get some of the system developed and into the hands of the users quickly.
13. Agile development is considered a special case of RAD approach to developing systems.
14. Phased development is considered a special case of RAD approach to developing systems.
15. Kim repeatedly performs the analysis, design, and implementation phases concurrently in a cycle until the system is completed. She then goes back and from scratch does a thorough design and implementation to complete the project. She is following a throwaway prototype methodology.
16. Throwaway prototyping balances the benefits of well-thought-out analysis and design phases with the advantages of using prototypes to refine key issues before the system is built.
17. The creation of a design prototype that is not a working information system, but represents a part of the system that needs additional refinement happens with the prototyping methodology.
18. Parallel development relies on only one iteration of the analysis phase.
19. A local retailer has hired Geneva and Sydney to develop his new information system. He is not sure what type of system he wants, but it must be completed in four months and he needs to know regularly that the project is on schedule. Geneva and Sydney should use the Waterfall Development methodology for constructing the system.
20. The primary advantage of the Waterfall Development methodology is requirements are completely specified and held relatively constant prior to programming.
21. Extreme programming is ideal for developing large mission-critical applications.
22. An analyst with business skills that understands the business issues surrounding a system is commonly called a project manager.
23. An analyst that focuses on the IS issues in a system, and who represents the interests of the IS department is called a systems analyst.
24. The analyst that develops ideas and suggestions to improve the application of information technology is commonly called a systems analyst.
25. An analyst that focuses on the technical issues of the organization (hardware, software, databases and networks) is commonly called a change management analyst.
26. Scott has been assigned to focus on the users during the upcoming information systems installation. Scott will provide user training and documentation. His role is to serve as a change management analyst.
27. Michelle has been assigned the task of completing the project in a timely manner and within budget. Her project team role is infrastructure analyst.
28. Systems analysts Lori and Mark are employed by the local hospital. They have been assigned to develop a very complex patient monitoring system for the cardio-care unit using a new display technology. Throwaway prototyping is a very suitable methodology for this project.
29. Agile development methodology aims at eliminating the modeling and documentation overhead in IS projects, while emphasizing simple, iterative application development.
30. Extreme programming is founded on core principles such as communication, simplicity, feedback, and courage
31. In extreme programming programmers pair up to write the code.
32. Jim Smith is a project manager in the IS department of an insurance company and he just hired a group of four contractors to work on a project together with an in-house team of four full-time employees. He should use extreme programming as a methodology for the project.
33. You are carrying out a project that involves information systems for the operation of controls in a passenger jet craft. This is an ideal project for you to follow a throwaway prototyping methodology.
34. For complex systems, throwaway prototyping is not a suitable methodology, since it will lead to problems with maintaining the system.
35. For complex systems, prototyping is not a suitable methodology, since it will lead to problems with maintaining the system.
36. For urgent projects, it is a good idea to use a prototyping methodology.
37. A project manager most likely would not have worked as a systems analyst in the past, since project management career track is independent of the system analyst’s career track.
38. Project team members focus on getting the project done, leaving change management to the business managers.
39. The business analyst serves as the primary contact point with the project.
40. The Unified Process is not use-case driven.
41. Implementation is a phase in the Unified Process.
42. Project management is a supporting workflow within the Unified Process.
43. The Enhanced Unified Process goes beyond building the system and includes maintaining the system.
44. The environment workflow in the Unified Process is designed to deal with the organizational and policy issues the project faces within the organizational environment.
45. One of the criticisms of the Unified Process is that if fails to deal with the system after it has been delivered.
46. Under the Unified Process, the Configuration and Change Management workflow includes risk management and scope management, among several other activities.
47. Under the Unified Process, the Project Management workflow includes risk management and scope management, among several other activities.
48. The business modeling workflow uncovers problems and identifies potential projects.
49. In the Unified Process, the analysis phase follows requirements.
50. In the Unifies Process, analysis is a workflow, not a phase.
51. In the Enhanced Unified Process, the design and implementation workflows are the primary focus of the production phase.
52. In the Enhanced Unified Process, the production phase focuses exclusively on supporting workflows.
53. In the Unified Process, the implementation phase focuses on the deployment workflow.
54. The vision document is a deliverable in the inception phase.
55. The Unified Modeling Language is a collection of terms and diagrams designed to be used in data-oriented software projects.
56. The Unified Modeling Language is a collection of terms and diagrams designed to be used in object-oriented software projects
57. The Unified Modeling Language is a collection of terms and diagrams designed to be used in process-oriented software projects
58. In the UML, the Deployment Diagram is a behavioral diagram that illustrates the dynamic interaction of the system with its environment.
59. In the UML, the Activity Diagram illustrates all the interactions between the system and its environment.
60. In the UML, the Use Case Diagram illustrates all the interactions between the system and its environment
61. In the UML, the Class Diagram is an example of a structure diagram.
62. In the UML, the Use Case Diagram is an example of structure diagram.
63. Architecture Centric development requires functional (also known as external) diagrams in addition to structure and behavioral diagrams; however, the UML only has structure and behavioral diagrams.
64. SCRUM is a type of agile development methodology.
65. SCRUM has a designated team leader to lead the system development.
66. It is questionable whether Scrum can scale up to develop very large, mission-critical systems.

Short Answer

1. Indicate the four phases of the waterfall approach and mention its advantages and disadvantages.
2. Briefly discuss the RAD methodology and mention its advantages and disadvantages.
3. Explain the idea of prototyping and indicate when prototyping is appropriate.
4. Explain the idea behind throw-away prototyping? When is it appropriate?
5. Describes the roles of and activities performed by the business analyst and system analyst.

A SYSTEMS ANALYST develops ideas and suggests technology innovation to business processes, designs new business process and information systems, and ensures that IS standards are maintained. Work experience of a systems analyst is probably in analysis and design, programming, or some business area.

1. Describes the roles of and activities performed by the infrastructure and change management analysts.

A CHANGE MANAGEMENT ANALYST ensures that there is adequate documentation, user support, training, and change management strategies. Work experience of the change management analyst is probably in organizational behavior (any business field).

1. Explain the role of a project manager in an IS project.
2. Briefly summarize the purpose of the planning phase in SDLC. Explain why it exists and what it contributes to the completion of the system.
3. Briefly summarize the purpose of the analysis phase in SDLC. Explain why it exists and what it contributes to the completion of the system.
4. Briefly summarize the purpose of the design phase in SDLC. Explain why it exists and what it contributes to the completion of the system.
5. Briefly summarize the purpose of the implementation phase in SDLC. Explain why it exists and what it contributes to the completion of the system.
6. Briefly describe the idea behind structured design approach to systems development.
7. Briefly describe the idea behind the RAD approach to systems development.
8. Briefly summarize the role and contribution of the Business Analyst, Systems Analyst, Infrastructure Analyst, Change Management Analyst, and Project Manager on a systems development project team.
9. Briefly explain the idea behind extreme programming (XP).
10. Briefly compare and contrasts the roles and responsibilities of the project manager and the business analyst.
11. Briefly explain what the creators of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) mean by use-case driven, architecture centric, and iterative and incremental.

ARCHITECTURE CENTRIC means that the development of the system is based on an initial understanding of the overall software architecture of the system from three perspectives or views.

• The functional view is a description of the system from the perspective of the user and focuses on what the system will do.
• The static view shows the classes of objects that make up the system, what they hold (attributes and methods), and their relationships.
• The behavioral view shows the messages sent between the objects and tracks their state changes.

ITERATIVE AND INCREMENTAL means that the development of the system undergoes continuous testing and refinement throughout the life of the project. It means you make some progress and before going forward, you go over everything you’ve done to make sure everything fits well and nothing is missing. The three architectural perspectives help. The analyst begins by working with the user to develop the functional view. He /she then uses this view to draft the static and behavioral views. In so doing he/she may discover discrepancies and missing requirements. He/she revisits the functional view. This continues until the three views are in sync.

1. Briefly describe the Unified Process (UP).
2. Briefly describe the phases of the Unified Process.

In the INCEPTION PHASE the team sets out to build the business case for the system. It includes carrying out technical, economic, and organizational feasibility studies. In order to build the business case it may be necessary to deploy a tentative solution. The primary deliverables for the inception phase are the vision document and the decision of what environment to use to develop the system.

In the ELABORATION PHASE enough details are added to the vision document to finalize the business case, revise the risk assessment, and complete the project plan. The primary focus for this phase is on the analysis and design workflows.

In the CONSTRUCTION PHASE the system is built to the point where it is ready for beta and acceptance testing. In this phase the focus is primarily on programming. It is during this phase that missing requirements are uncovered, so the requirements workflow is still active. In addition, the configuration and change management workflow becomes increasingly important during this phase.

In the TRANSITION PHASE the goal is delivery of the actual executable information system including user manuals, maintenance plan, and upgrade plan. The focus in this phase is on the testing and deployment workflows.

1. Briefly explain why the Unified Process (UP) was modified.
2. Briefly describe the Unified Modeling Language (UML).
3. Briefly describe the SCRUM agile development methodology.