systems planning phase In the model of the SDLC shown in the

accompanying figure, the ____ usually begins

with a formal request to the IT department,

called a systems request, which describes

problems or desired changes in an information

system or a business process.

business model A ____, or requirements model, describes the

information that a system must provide.

enterprise applications Examples of company-wide applications, called

____, include order processing systems, payroll

systems, and company communications

networks.

Modeling ____ is a systems development technique that

produces a graphical representation of a

concept or process that systems developers can

analyze, test, and modify.

O-O Whereas structured analysis treats processes

and data as separate components, ____

combines data and the processes that act on

the data into things called objects.

process-centered Because it focuses on processes that transform

data into useful information, structured analysis

is called a(n) ____ technique.

waterfall model Traditionally, the SDLC is pictured as a(n) ____,

like that shown in the accompanying figure,

where the result of each phase, which is called

a deliverable or end product, flows sequentially

into the next phase.

object-oriented analysis The ____ method of developing systems

produces code that is modular and reusable.

SDLC Structured analysis is a traditional systems

development technique that uses a series of

phases, called the ____, to plan, analyze,

design, implement, and support an information

system.

Order by Default

Systems Analysis and Design Midterm

About this set

Created by:

Created by:

Created by:

sapman1208 on March 4, 2013

239 terms

Terms Definitions

provide direction, necessary

resources, and performance

feedback to supervisors and

team leaders

In a typical company organizational model,

middle managers ____.

adaptive The ____ method of developing systems

stresses team interaction and reflects a set of

community-based values.

tries to decide how the system

will be implemented before

determining what the system is

supposed to do

In launching a new information system, the

greatest risk occurs when a company ____.

systems support and security In the model of the SDLC shown in the

accompanying figure, during ____, the IT staff

maintains, enhances, and protects the system.

methods In object-oriented design, built-in processes

called ____ can change an object's properties.

business process reengineering

(BPR)

When companies attempt to simplify operations

or reduce costs, a popular strategy is to have

managers and systems analysts perform ____.

business process modeling Systems analysts use a process called ____ to

represent a company's operations and

information needs.

Legacy systems When planning an information system, a

company must consider how a new system will

interface with older systems, which are called

____.

24 months Over 40 years ago, a concept called Moore's

Law accurately predicted that computer

processing power would double about every

____.

include e-mail, voice mail, fax,

video conferencing, word

processing, automated

calendars, database

management, spreadsheets,

and high-seed Internet access

User productivity systems ____.

False In a knowledge management system, a

knowledge base consists of logical rules that

identify data patterns and relationships.

False Because they focus on a longer time frame,

middle managers need less detailed

information than top managers, but somewhat

more than supervisors who oversee day-to-day

operations.

True A corporate culture is the set of beliefs, rules,

traditions, values, and attitudes that define a

company and influence its way of doing

business.

True In the systems analysis phase, the first step is

requirements modeling, where business

processes are investigated and what the new

system must do is documented.

structured analysis Roark has just joined the company and in his

role as lead analyst, he will be responsible for

determining which systems development

method the team uses to create the new

application for a major medical supplier.

It is a new day at the firm. Roark has been in

place for a few weeks, strengthening the

communications skills of his employees, getting

them to work much better together. Now, the

challenge that he faces is not an internal one; it

lies with the client, which is increasingly

showing itself to be incapable of sticking with

decisions. Roark, based on his past experience

with other clients like this, is afraid that the

client will throw them a curveball and want to

make changes late in the game — but that they

also will be unwilling to absorb the costs of

those changes. For this reason, Roark

eliminates which of the following methods of

development?

agile/adaptive methods Roark has just joined the company and in his

role as lead analyst, he will be responsible for

determining which systems development

method the team uses to create the new

application for a major medical supplier.

After Roark has spent a week getting to know

the members of the team, including their

strengths and weaknesses, and what has

worked well (and not so well) for this particular

team in the past, one theme keeps recurring:

the team has particularly weak communications

skills. Which of the following methods, then, is

he least likely to use, given what he knows

about the disadvantages of each method?

economic A feasibility study includes tests for ____

feasibility, which means that the projected

benefits of the proposed system outweigh the

estimated costs.

have complex instructions A systems request form should not ____.

introduction In a preliminary investigation report, the ____

contain(s) a brief description of the system, the

name of the person or group performing the

investigation, and the name of the person or

group who initiated the investigation.

user-friendly system that

improves employee job

satisfaction

Examples of tangible benefits include all of the

following except a(n) ____.

Customer relationship

management (CRM)

____ components can provide automated

response to sales inquiries, Web-based order

processing, and online inventory tracking.

fishbone A popular technique for investigating causes

and effects is called a(n) ____ diagram, which is

an analysis tool that represents the possible

causes of a problem as a graphical outline.

Strategic ____ planning is the process of identifying

long-term organizational goals, strategies, and

resources.

determine the people to

interview, establish objectives

for the interview, develop

interview questions, prepare

for the interview

In sequence, the interviewing process involves a

series of steps: ____, conduct the interview,

document the interview, and evaluate the

interview.

SWOT During strategic planning, top managers ask a

series of questions that is called a(n) ____

analysis because it examines a company's

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and

threats.

conduct interviews The primary method of obtaining information

during the preliminary investigation is to ____.

Will the proposed system

decrease revenue for the

company?

When assessing priorities for systems requests,

a systems analyst should look for high scores in

all of the following except ____.

one person's bias is more likely

to affect the decisions

When evaluating systems requests, all of the

following are disadvantages of a systems review

committee except ____.

define project scope as clearly

as possible

To avoid the problem of project creep, ____.

fishbone When using a ____ diagram to investigate

causes of a problem, an analyst first states the

problem and then draws a main bone with sub-

bones that represent possible causes of the

problem.

discretionary Projects where management has a choice in

implementing them are called ____ projects.

True Competition drives many information systems

decisions.

False Even if users have difficulty with a new system,

it still will produce the expected benefits.

False When interacting with users, a systems analyst

should focus on difficulties instead of

questioning users about additional capability

they would like to have.

True Whenever possible, a systems analyst should

evaluate a proposed project based on tangible

costs and benefits that represent actual (or

approximate) dollar values.

Sales reps requested a more

powerful sales analysis report.

As part of the annual report for the fiscal year

just ended, Lara is working on a grid that

summarizes the major decisions that the small

business for which she works made during the

year. As part of her review, she is identifying

whether a decision was impacted by factors

internal to the company, or external.

Which of the following does not appear on

Lara's list of external factors?

The new system is more user-

friendly, thus increasing

employee job satisfaction.

Sam is the analyst with the responsibility for

assessing the economic feasibility of the new

system that his team has been hired to develop

for Widgets, Inc.

Sam's boss has asked for a quick list of the

tangible benefits of the new system, because

the client has expressed some concerns about

the project and she wants to reassure him.

Which of the following would NOT be on such a

list as developed by Sam?

TCO The estimated costs of a proposed system

usually are considered the ____, which includes

ongoing support and maintenance costs, as

well as acquisition costs.

operational feasibility Of the measures of feasibility in the

accompanying figure, ____ considers questions

such as "Does management support the

project?" and "Will the new system require

training for users?"

Creating a new report for a

user

____ is an example of a discretionary project.

preliminary A systems analyst conducts a(n) ____

investigation to study the systems request and

recommend specific action.

economic feasibility Of the measures of feasibility in the

accompanying figure, ____ assesses tangible

and intangible benefits to the company in

addition to costs.

greatest benefit, at the lowest

cost, in the shortest period of

time

When setting priorities for systems requests,

the highest priority goes to projects that

provide the ____.

technical A feasibility study includes tests for ____

feasibility, which refers to the practical

resources needed to develop, purchase, install,

or operate the system.

findings In the preliminary investigation report, the ____

section contains the results of the preliminary

investigation, including a description of the

project's scope, constraints, and feasibility.

Performance ____ limitations result when a system that was

designed for a specific hardware configuration

becomes obsolete when new hardware is

introduced.

scope Determining the project ____ means to define

the boundaries, or extent, of a project — being

as specific as possible.

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.

False Data entry controls should be excessive without

being effective.

True If only one person has the necessary IT skills

and experience to evaluate systems requests,

that person should consult closely with users

and managers throughout the company to

ensure that business and operational needs are

considered carefully.

The new system is more user-

friendly, thus increasing

employee job satisfaction.

Sam is the analyst with the responsibility for

assessing the economic feasibility of the new

system that his team has been hired to develop

for Widgets, Inc.

Sam's boss has asked for a quick list of the

tangible benefits of the new system, because

the client has expressed some concerns about

the project and she wants to reassure him.

Which of the following would NOT be on such a

list as developed by Sam?

identify all tasks The first step in creating a WBS is to ____.

risk A ____ is an event that could affect a project

negatively.

milestones When maintaining schedules, if enough ____

and frequent checkpoints exist, problems will

be detected rapidly.

successor When two or more concurrent tasks depend on

a single prior task, the concurrent tasks are

called ____ tasks.

identify all the project tasks The first step in the creation of a PERT/CPM

chart is to ____.

critical A ____ path includes all tasks that are vital to

the project schedule.

completion with the same

personnel as were on the team

at the outset

All of the following are metrics of a successful

project EXCEPT ____.

critical Project managers always must be aware of the

____ path, so they can monitor the vital tasks

and keep the project on track.

milestones In addition to tasks, every project has ____,

which are reference points used to monitor

progress and manage the project.

all of the above

task time estimates,

sequences, personnel

assignments

A project manager must balance ____ to achieve

a workable schedule; graphical planning aids

like the one in the accompanying figure can

help in the process.

includes identifying project

tasks and estimating

completion times and costs

A project manager's planning _____.

includes monitoring the For a project manager, monitoring and

progress of the project,

evaluating results, and taking

corrective action when

necessary to stay on target

controlling _____.

the team member most

vulnerable to a given risk

Most risk identifications include a brief

description of all of the following EXCEPT ____.

all of the above

project size and scope, prior

experience with similar

projects or systems, IT

resources

In developing time and cost estimates, project

managers must consider _____.

any of the above

personality conflicts among

team members, turnover of

project personnel, poor control

methods

Problems with timetables and project

milestones can indicate ____.

groups The accompanying figure shows task ____,

which each might represent several activities

that can be shown in a more detailed chart.

inaccurate TCO forecast All of the following are possible causes of cost

overruns related to human resource factors

EXCEPT ____.

PERT/CPM Many project managers find ____ charts more

helpful for scheduling, monitoring, and

controlling projects.

defining project constraints Project scheduling involves all of the following

EXCEPT ____.

True Most managers recognize that problems do

occur on most projects; it is better to alert

management sooner rather than later.

True System developers can initiate a formal project

as early as the preliminary investigation stage,

or later on, as analysis, design, and

implementation activities occur.

True Project planning is a dynamic task and involves

constant change.

False When tasks must be completed one after

another, they are called concurrent tasks.

They are predecessor tasks of

each other.

In discussing PERT/CPM charts, you discuss the

types of task patterns that can occur in a

project schedule. You give an example of two

tasks, A and B, that can both begin as soon as

task C is finished. Which of the following is NOT

a true statement about tasks A and B?

predecessor Two or more concurrent tasks often depend on

a single prior task, which is called a(n) ____

task.

dependent task A _____ cannot be started until one or more

other tasks are completed.

bottom-up PERT/CPM is called a(n) ____ technique, because

it analyzes a large, complex project as a series

of individual tasks.

concurrent When several tasks can start at the same time,

each is called a ____ task.

involves staffing, which

includes selecting the project

team and assigning specific

tasks to team members

A project manager's scheduling function _____.

reference to successor tasks In a PERT/CPM chart, each task has all of the

following EXCEPT a(n) ____.

response A risk ____ plan is a proactive effort to

anticipate a risk and describe an action plan to

deal with it.

False Using prior experience to make time and cost

estimates works best for large projects.

False When two or more concurrent tasks depend on

a single prior task, each of the concurrent tasks

is called a predecessor task.

True Although a Gantt chart provides more detailed

information about a project, a PERT/CPM chart

offers a rapid overview that graphically displays

the timing, duration, and progress of each task.

histogram A common tool for showing the distribution of a

questionnaire or sampling results is a vertical

bar chart called a(n) ____.

use case diagram A(n) ____ is a UML technique that visually

represents the interaction between users and an

information system.

more satisfied users Greater user involvement in the system

development process usually results in ____.

range-of-response questions In an interview, ____ are questions that ask a

person to evaluate something by providing

limited answers to specific responses or on a

numeric scale.

actor In a use case diagram, the user becomes a(n)

____, with a specific role that describes how he

or she interacts with a system.

Student grades must be

entered on machine-scannable

forms prepared by the

instructor

____ is a typical example of a system

requirement for the input category.

systematic sample When preparing a representative sample from a

list of 200 customers who complained about

errors in their statements, a ____ might select

every tenth customer for review.

informal In a(n) ____ structure, which usually is based on

interpersonal relationships, some people have

more influence or knowledge than appears on

an organization chart.

stratified sample When preparing a representative sample from a

list of 200 customers who complained about

errors in their statements, a ____ could ensure

the sample is balanced geographically by

selecting five customers from each of four zip

codes.

random sample When preparing a representative sample from a

list of 200 customers who complained about

errors in their statements, a ____ might select

any 20 customers.

The contact management

system must generate a daily

reminder list for all sales reps

____ is a typical example of a system

requirement for the output category.

FDD Using a(n) ____, an analyst can show business

functions and break them down into lower-level

functions and processes.

Analytical skills ____ enable a systems analyst to identify a

problem, evaluate the key elements, and

develop a useful solution.

FDD A(n) ____ is a top-down representation of a

function or a process.

give the interviewee easy

access to supporting material

that might be needed

If an interviewee gives only short or incomplete

responses to open-ended questions, a systems

analyst should do all of the following EXCEPT

____.

scrum In a(n) ____, team members prepare to lunge at

each other to achieve their objectives.

systems analysis The ____ phase of the SDLC includes four main

activities: requirements modeling, data and

process modeling, object modeling, and

consideration of development strategies.

both a and b

prototyping, user involvement

RAD relies heavily on ____.

open-ended questions In an interview, ____ encourage spontaneous

and unstructured responses.

True The ability to manage information is the mark

of a successful systems analyst and an

important skill for all IT professionals.

False When fact-finding, asking what is being done is

the same as asking what could or should be

done.

False In the early stages of systems analysis,

interviews usually focus on specific topics, but

as the fact-finding process continues, the

interviews are more general.

True IT professionals recognize that successful

systems must be user-oriented, and users need

to be involved, formally or informally, at every

stage of systems development.

control Perry has inherited an Excel sheet that lists all

of the system requirements for his team's new

project, but unfortunately, his predecessor did

not label the requirements with categories—or

in some cases failed to categorize them

correctly—so he needs to take care of this so

the requirements can be sorted correctly.

Perry has found one system requirement that he

thinks could fit into a couple of different

categories. What is the best categorization of

this requirement: An employee record must be

added, changed, or deleted only by a member

of the human resources department?

questionnaire In projects where it is desirable to obtain input

from a large number of people, a(n) ____, such

as that shown in the accompanying figure, can

be a valuable tool.

The student records system

must produce class lists within

five hours after the end of

registration

____ is a typical example of a system

requirement for the performance category.

random sample When preparing a representative sample from a

list of 200 customers who complained about

errors in their statements, a ____ might select

any 20 customers.

UML The ____ is a widely used method of visualizing

and documenting software systems design.

The system must maintain

separate levels of security for

users and the system

administrator

____ is a typical example of a system

requirement for the control category.

closed-ended questions In an interview, ____ limit or restrict the

response.

informal In a(n) ____ structure, which usually is based on

interpersonal relationships, some people have

more influence or knowledge than appears on

an organization chart.

TCO In addition to direct costs, systems developers

must identify and document indirect expenses

that contribute to the ____.

stratified sample When preparing a representative sample from a

list of 200 customers who complained about

errors in their statements, a ____ could ensure

the sample is balanced geographically by

selecting five customers from each of four zip

codes.

False When designing a questionnaire, arrange

questions in a random order, intermixing

simple and more complex topics.

True The main objective of a sample is to ensure that

it represents the overall population accurately.

True A list of topics should be sent to an interviewee

several days before the meeting, especially

when detailed information is needed, so the

person can prepare for the interview and

minimize the need for a follow-up meeting.

his own Kieran has finished compiling the list of the

various members of the JAD group: He is the

JAD project leader, Malia is the representative

from top management, Simon is a manager,

Alisa and Ian are users, Shakira and Max are

systems analysts, and Devon is the recorder.

As Kieran develops the agenda he wants to put

the name of the appropriate person next to the

agenda item. Whose name would he put next to

the final task on the agenda, the task of

preparing the report that will be sent to JAD

team members?

validity In a data dictionary, some data elements have

____ rules, such as an employee's salary must

be within the range defined for the employee's

job classification.

logical In data and process modeling, a(n) ____ model

shows what the system must do, regardless of

how it will be implemented physically.

no output A black hole process is a process that has ____.

a process step that is repeated

until a specific condition

changes

A black hole process is a process that has ____.

tree A decision ____ is a graphical representation of

the conditions, actions, and rules found in a

decision table.

Leveling ____ is the process of drawing a series of

increasingly detailed DFDs, until all functional

primitives are identified.

All of the above

Spontaneous generation, Gray

holes, Black holes

____ is/are logically impossible in a DFD

because a process must act on input, shown by

an incoming data flow, and produce output,

represented by an outgoing data flow.

horizontal form that resembles

a tree with the roots at the left

and the branches to the right

Decision trees show the logic structure in a

____.

capital DFD symbols are referenced by using all ____

letters for the symbol name.

value for the data element if a

value otherwise is not entered

for it

The data dictionary usually records and

describes a default value, which is the ____.

records In a data dictionary, data elements are

combined into ____, which are meaningful

combinations of data elements that are

included in data flows or retained in data

stores.

domain A data dictionary specifies a data element's

____, which is the set of values permitted for

the data element.

field In a data dictionary, a(n) ____ is the smallest

piece of data that has meaning within an

information system.

rectangle with rounded corners In a DFD, the Gane and Sarson symbol for a

process is a ____.

exploded view Because diagram 0 is a more detailed or

expanded version of process 0 on a context

diagram, diagram 0 is called a(n) ____.

alias In a data dictionary, any name other than the

standard data element name is called a(n) ____.

ensures that the input and

output data flows of the parent

DFD are maintained on the

child DFD

Balancing ____.

line with a single or double

arrowhead

In a DFD, the Gane and Sarson symbol for a data

flow is a ____.

False In most data dictionaries, records are defined

together with the data flows and data stores.

False Two data stores can be connected by a data

flow without an intervening process.

True In addition to describing each data element,

data flow, data store, record, entity, and

process, the data dictionary documents the

relationships among these components.

False In modular design, a rectangle represents a

condition or decision, a diamond shape

represents a step or a process, and the logic

follows the lines in the direction indicated by

the arrows.

Costs may be high. The analysts at Novel Systems Worldwide are

considering the four-model approach to system

development for a new client.

If they pursue the four-model approach, which

of the following is a likely outcome?

A teleological model of the The analysts at Novel Systems Worldwide are

current system considering the four-model approach to system

development for a new client.

Which of the following will NOT be developed if

they decide to use the four-model approach?

repository A data ____ is a central storehouse of

information about a system's data.

line with a single or double

arrowhead

In a DFD, the Gane and Sarson symbol for a data

flow is a ____.

one or more process steps

based on the results of a test

or condition

The selection structure is the completion of

____

process descriptions If processes must be performed in a specific

sequence, you document the information in the

____.

Balancing ____ maintains consistency among DFDs by

ensuring that input and output data flows align

properly.

context diagrams Typical process description tools include all of

the following EXCEPT ____.

pseudocode Structured English might look familiar to

programming students because it resembles

____, which is used in program design.

decision A(n) ____ table shows a logical structure, with

all possible combinations of conditions and

resulting actions.

rectangle, which may be

shaded to make it look three-

dimensional

In a DFD, the Gane and Sarson symbol for an

entity is a ____.

type In a data dictionary, ____ refers to whether the

data element contains numeric, alphabetic, or

character values.

True What makes one system more complex than

another is the number of components, the

number of levels, and the degree of interaction

among its processes, entities, data stores, and

data flows.

True In a DFD, a data flow must have a process

symbol on at least one end.

iteration Evan is an expert on all of the different kinds of

process description tools, so when his

colleagues have questions, they know where to

turn.

One of the firm's beginner analysts is working

on a financial process that will continue to print

vendor payments until it reaches the end of the

file. Which of the following processes will Evan

suggest that the analyst use?

association The line from the actor to a use case is called

a(n) ____.

oval The UML symbol for a use case is a(n) ____ with

a label that describes the action or event.

message A ____ is a command that tells an object to

perform a certain method.

diagram A use case ____ is a visual summary of several

related use cases within a system or subsystem.

attributes An object has certain ____, which are

characteristics that describe the object.

0..* The UML notation ____ identifies a zero or many

relation.

object A(n) ____ represents a real person, place, event,

or transaction.

Relationships ____ describe what objects need to know about

each other, how objects respond to changes in

other objects, and the effects of membership in

classes, superclasses, and subclasses.

instance Your red Mustang is a(n) ____ of the CAR class.

child Inheritance enables an object, called a ____, to

derive one or more of its attributes from

another object.

inherit In an object-oriented system, objects can ____

certain attributes from other objects.

class All objects within a(n) ____ share common

attributes and methods.

Encapsulation ____ allows objects to be used as modular

components anywhere in the system.

class An object belongs to a group or category called

a(n) ____.

Relationships ____ enable objects to communicate and

interact as they perform business functions and

transactions required by the system.

methods An object's ____ are the tasks or functions the

object performs.

actor In a use case, an external entity is called a(n)

____.

state The ____ of an object is an adjective that

describes the object's current status.

True A major advantage of O-O designs is that

systems analysts can save time and avoid errors

by using modular objects.

False An object treats data and processes separately.

False Use cases cannot interact with other use cases.

False Just as objects are similar to adjectives,

attributes resemble verbs that describe what

and how an object does something.

True Class diagrams evolve into code modules, data

objects, and other system components.

microwave oven Alex is getting a little confused by the

terminology in the object-oriented world, so he

consults his roommate, who has been doing a

lot of work in object modeling in previous

coursework.

Which of the following does Alex's roommate

use as an example of an instance of the

APPLIANCE class?

methods Alex is getting a little confused by the

terminology in the object-oriented world, so he

consults his roommate, who has been doing a

lot of work in object modeling in previous

coursework.

The following examples—bake cakes, self-

clean, and reheat pasta—are all what with

regard to the oven object, according to Alex's

roommate?

Methods ____ resemble verbs that describe what and how

an object does something.

method Your car performs a(n) ____ called OPERATE

WIPERS when you send a message by moving

the proper control.

UML ____ is a widely used method of visualizing and

documenting an information system.

actor In a use case, an external entity is called a(n)

____.

True By limiting access to internal processes, an

object prevents its internal code from being

altered by another object or process.

False The same message to two different objects

produces the same results.

False An object treats data and processes separately.

True A gas pump is an example of a black box.

0..* Jaime, the newest analyst at Novel Systems

Worldwide, is responsible for assigning the

appropriate UML notations to a given class

diagram.

In a given diagram, Jaime is marking up a

relationship in which a given employee can

have no payroll deductions or she can have

many deductions. Which of the following

notations will Jaime write to mark this

relationship?

ASP A(n) ____ is a firm that delivers a software

application, or access to an application, by

charging a usage or subscription fee.

fixed fee model When determining outsourcing fees, a ____ uses

a set fee based on a specified level of service

and user support.

vendors Companies that develop software for sale are

called software ____.

request for proposal (RFP) A ____ is a document that describes a company,

lists the IT services or products needed, and

specifies the features required.

service A firm that offers outsourcing solutions is

called a ____ provider.

transaction A(n) ____ model is an outsourcing fee model

that charges a variable fee based on the volume

of transactions or operations performed by the

application.

data duplication should be

encouraged

Guidelines to follow when determining data

entry and storage considerations include all of

the following except ____.

build or buy The choice between developing versus

purchasing software often is called a ____

decision.

systems design The physical design is developed during the

____ phase of the SDLC.

4GL In a ____, the commands tend to resemble

natural statements that people use.

middleware Web-based software usually requires additional

layers, called ____, to communicate with

existing software and legacy systems.

obtain input from other

companies who already have

implemented the software

Typically, companies choose in-house software

development for all of the following reasons

except to ____.

parameter A ____ is a value that the user enters whenever

a query is run, which provides flexibility,

enables users to access information easily, and

costs less.

default A ____ is a value that a system displays

automatically.

satisfaction of unique business

requirements

Advantages of purchasing a software package

over developing software in-house include all

of the following except ____.

package A software ____ is software that is obtained

from a vendor or application service provider.

cloud Some industry leaders predict that ____

computing will offer an overall online software

and data environment supported by

supercomputer technology.

all of the above

negotiating directly with the

software vendor to make

enhancements to meet the

buyer's needs by paying for the

changes, purchasing a basic

package that vendors will

customize to suit the buyer's

needs, purchasing the software

and making their own

Buyers can customize a software package by

____.

modifications, if this is

permissible under the terms of

the software license

False The decision to develop software in-house will

require less participation from the systems

analyst than outsourcing or choosing a

commercial package.

False A subscription model charges a variable fee

based on the volume of transactions or

operations performed by the application.

True Many firms feel that in-house IT resources and

capabilities provide a competitive advantage

because an in-house team can respond quickly

when business problems or opportunities arise.

True Mission-critical IT systems should be

outsourced only if the result is a cost-attractive,

reliable, business solution that fits the

company's long-term business strategy.

True Software vendors regularly upgrade software

packages by adding improvements and

enhancements to create a new version or

release.

design In an approach called ____ prototyping, systems

analysts use prototyping to verify user

requirements, after which the prototype is

discarded and implementation continues.

benchmark A ____ measures the time a package takes to

process a certain number of transactions.

interface In addition to configuring software, an IT staff

can create a user ____, which includes screens,

commands, controls, and features that enable

users to interact more effectively with the

application.

Web-based Building an application in a ____ environment

can offer greater benefits, and sometimes

greater risks, compared to a traditional

environment.

Prototyping ____, like that illustrated in the accompanying

figure, produces an early, rapidly constructed

working version of a proposed system.

Outsourcing ____ is the transfer of information systems

development, operation, or maintenance to an

outside firm that provides these services, for a

fee, on a temporary or long-term basis.

read-only properties Some data files should be totally hidden from

view, while others should have ____ so users

can view, but not change, the data.

.NET Microsoft's ____ is one of the major Web-based

development environments.

True Building an application in a Web-based

environment might involve different risks and

benefits, compared to a traditional

environment.

False A request for quotation (RFQ) is less specific

than an RFP (request for proposal).

True By designing a system in-house, companies can

develop and train an IT staff that understands

the organization's business functions and

information support needs.

True The primary objective of an evaluation and

selection team is to eliminate system

alternatives that will not work, rank the system

alternatives that will work, and present the

viable alternatives to management for a final

decision.

Data duplication should be

encouraged.

Now that they have joined the firm, Priscilla is

providing the junior analysts on the team with

some real-world illustrations to explain some

of the system design concepts that they have

studied in their coursework, to solidify their

understanding.

Which of the following is NOT a guideline

Priscilla will impart to the new class of analysts?

When Marny is tasked with the

job, her output can involve

outright purchase or a variety

of leasing options.

You have started the process of selecting a new

system for the firm and you are weighing all of

the various issues that need to be considered

and the resources you have at your disposal as

you make this important decision.

As you prepare to winnow the field in your

selection of a new system, you want a quick

refresher on the difference between RFPs and

RFQs. If you need an RFP, Simone will write it,

and if you need an RFQ, Marny is responsible

for writing that. Which of the following is true?