eoc_questions.doc

8/18/2019 eoc_questions.doc

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Systems Analysis and Design by Donald Yeates and Tony Wakefield

Questions and Answers

Systems Analysis and Design

second edition

Donald Yeates and Tony Wakefield

End of Chapter Questions for Students

These questions appear at the end of chapters and are organised in chapters belo! The

authors recommend that you ork your ay through them in order to ensure that you

ha"e understood the main issues and topics that you are studying!

The ansers are a"ailable to lecturers through this ebsite# but are passord protected

in case they ant to use them for testing! $f this isn%t the case and you ould like the

ansers for re"ision or self&test purposes# please ask your lecturer to donload them for

you!

We hope that you find them a useful learning tool!

Systems Analysis and Design 1


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Chapter '! The conte(t for analysis and design

Q' What are the dimensions of good quality information?

Q) What are the components of these dimensions?

Q* Apart from the rialry between competing organisations in the marketplace! what are the

other forces " or threats " to an organisation in the marketplace?

Q+ #ow can $S be used to help organisations gain competitie adantage?

Q, Systems are often describes as strategic! tactical or operational systems% What are someof the characteristics of each of these groups?

Q- What is a system?

Q. What is the difference between data and information?

Q/ When a user says to an analyst & well done you'e done a good (ob) what are the four or

fie things that will most likely hae influenced the user to say this?

Q0 Why does the *ritish +omputer Society hae a code of conduct?

Q'1 What is the difference between ethics and morality?



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Chapter )! Approaches to Analysis and Design!

Q' What are the similarities between Structured Systems Analysis methods and ,, Analysis

and Design methods and do these similarities be applied to other approaches to analysis anddesign?

Q) #ow hae the methods used to analyse and design data structures eoled in the last -.

years?

Q* #ow is change modelled in systems analysis?

Q+ Timescale! /esources and /equirements are three factors that impact on systems

deelopment% Which of these factors are considered to be fi0ed in the DSD1 approach%

Q, What type of application is a workflow system suited to?

%



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Chapter *! Communicating ith people

Q' What is the purpose of communication between people?

Q) #ow do you decide on the most appropriate form of communication?

Q* What are the three stages in producing a written communication?

Q+ $n preparing for a presentation! what are the four areas to concentrate on?

Q, What are the three Ts and the four 2s?



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Chapter +! 2uilding better systems

Q' 30plain what 4quality' means as far as $S is concerned%

Q) Serice quality is sometimes described as haing two kinds of component% What are

they?

Q* What is the cost of poor quality?

Q+ What's the difference between quality assurance and quality control?

Q, #ow can quality be built into the deelopment process?



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Chapter ,! 3ro4ect 5anagement

Q' What are the characteristics of a good pro(ect manager? +oncentrate on the managerial

rather than the technical aspects%

Q) What is a work breakdown structure

Q* What is the difference between a 4management reiew' and a 4peer reiew' in a quality

control process?

Q+ $n monitoring and controlling work! there is a useful fie5stage model% $t begins with

measuring the progress that has been made% #ow does it continue?

Q, 46ailing to plan is like planning to fail' " what do you think?



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Chapter -! Systems analysis concepts

Q' What is systems analysis?

Q) There are different iews of the systems deelopment process% ,ne of these is the

waterfall iew% What is the ob(ectie of this iew or model?

Q* Why was the spiral deelopment method deeloped?

Q+ What happens during pro(ect initiation?

Q, What is the difference between 2A/$S and 7,8D,8? 9This might be a trick question:%



8/30



Chapter .! 3lanning the approach

Q' What are terms of reference?

Q) S+,23 in a mnemonic that has been used in this chapter% What does it mean and how is

it used%

Q* What are typical constraints on a system deelopment pro(ect?

Q+ What is a feasibility study?

Q, What is the difference between a tangible and an intangible benefit?



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Chapter /! Asking questions and collecting data

Q' What is a useful definition of an interiew irrespectie of its content?

Q) What are the si0 questions that you ask yourself when planning a fact5finding interiew?

Q* What are the fie parts of a typical fact5finding interiew?

Q+ ;ie some e0amples of open questions%

Q, What erbal signals can you gie to show that you are listening actiely?



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Chapter 0! Systems Analysis6 7ecording the information

Q' What is a data dictionary?

Q) What are the components of a dataflow diagram?

Q* What is an entity model?

Q+ #ow are relationships shown between entities on an entity relationship diagram?

Q, What is the difference between a functional and a non5functional requirement in a

requirements catalogue?

Q- #ospital Appointments System

A hospital runs a number of ,utpatient +linics% 2atients who are referred to the hospital are

gien an appointment to see a particular consultant in a particular clinic% A patient might hae

appointments with more than one doctor in different types of clinic% The hospital has a

number of ,perating Theatres and each theatre is equipped to perform a number of different

types of operation%

+onsultants perform specific types of operation based on their area e0pertise% 3ach operation

is the responsibility of one consultant% The appointments system is used for bookingoperations as well as outpatients appointments%

$dentify the entities you would require to construct a database for the appointments system

and show how these entities relate to each other in an entity relationship diagram%



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Chapter '1! 8b4ect 8riented 5ethods

Q' Why does the principle of 4polymorphism' as applied in ob(ect5oriented methodology

improe the usability of systems?

Q) Why does the principle of inheritance reduce deelopment costs in an ,, enironment?

Q* Which of the ,, techniques are seen as analysis techniques and which are seen as design

techniques?

Q+ Does an eent that modifies a data attribute of an ob(ect always cause the ob(ect to change

its state? ;ie an e0ample to illustrate your answer%

Q, An A++3SS database! an 3


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Chapter ''! 5odelling Systems 2eha"iour

Q' >sing the entity description for 4*ill'! which is shown below! the case study scenario! and

the leel D6D! identify the eents that will affect the 4*ill' entity during the lifetime of an

entity occurrence%

3ntity description@

Subscriber no

/ental 2eriod no

*ill date

*ill amount

*ill type

2ayment type

*ill status

/eminder date

Disconnection date

*ill type has the alues@

*ill due

/equest

*ill status has the alues@

. " *ill issued

" 2ayment made following bill

" 6ollowing reminder

- " 2ayment made following disconnection notice%

Q) Draw a partial entity5eent matri0 showing the effect of those eents on this entity%

Q* Draw the entire life history 937#: for 4*ill'%



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Q+ +onstruct a limited entry decision table from the following description of a loan

company's actiities%

A loan company will offer loans to applicants based upon their age and their employment

history% Applicants who are below the age of B are required to supply details of a suitable

guarantor who can proide security for the loan% An interest rate of C per annum is

charged! and the loan is offered for a ma0imum of B years% $f the applicant is B years of age

or older then they do not need to proide a guarantor! proided they can supply an employer's

reference and a reference from their bank% These applicants are charged a rate of ! and the

loan can be e0tended to . years% $f they are unable to supply a bank reference but can

proide a guarantor then they will still be allowed to obtain a loan at interest rate but the

loan must be repaid in B years% Applicants who are aged under B and who supply a bank

reference and employer's reference and a guarantor will be allowed a loan at per annum

for up to . years% All other applicants will be refused%

Q, 3ngineering recruitment%

+andidates for employment in an engineering company are recruited on the following basis%

+andidates for employment are accepted if they hae e0perience in engineering! proided

they manage to pass an interiew% +andidates without engineering e0perience must pass an

interiew and an aptitude test to be accepted% A satisfactory interiew but a failure in the

aptitude test will mean re(ection e0cept where the candidate has e0perience of similar work

outside engineering! in which case a probationary appointment is made% +andidates who hae

engineering e0perience! but hae failed to pass an interiew! are offered a temporary (ob only%

+andidates who do not meet any of the aboe criteria are re(ected%

+onstruct a limited entry decision table of this process%

Q- >se the details below with any other information you hae about the 7oEco system to

create an entity life history diagram of the 7oEco machine maintenance record

When a new machine is deliered 7oEco create a machine maintenance record showing the

date of deliery! the machine's unique identifier and the machine type% This record is used to

hold a running total of the product produced by the machine%

The total quantity produced per week is accumulated in the maintenance record and this

figure is incremented each week%

When the machine is installed! it is passed for serice by a quality inspector who checks that

the commissioning and installation hae been done correctly% These inspectors are employed

by the equipment manufacturer and the date of this inspection is recorded on the maintenance

record% $f a machine fails this quality check then the check is repeated later until the standard

has been reached%

/outine maintenance is conducted twice a year at roughly si05month interals% The

maintenance is undertaken by the equipment manufacturer's staff and the date of the most

recent maintenance are held on the record%



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When a machine is remoed from serice at the company it is either scrapped or sold second5

hand and its date of remoal from serice and any costs or income deried from its disposal

are required by the accounts department at the end of the year%

Q. What type of changes are made to a physical dataflow diagram when it is logicalised?

Q/ #ow can you identify an initial set of system eents when performing structured systems

analysis?

Q0 Write a narratie account of the entity life history shown on fig %C on page C without

using the words sequence! selection or iteration%

Q'1 The following procedure is used for a stock recording system%Depict the logic of it as a limited entry decision table%

When picking goods from the warehouse any item that is out of stock with a purchase order

outstanding from the supplier results in a telephone call to the supplier to request an urgent

deliery% $f no purchase order has been placed and the item is out of stock then a back order

is created and a purchase order is issued%

$f the ordered quantity is equal to the quantity in stock then the ordered quantity is issued and

the stock leel is updated%

$f the stock quantity goes below the re5order leel a purchase order is raised%

$f the amount ordered by the customer takes the stock leel below the re5order leel then a

purchase order is raised and the quantity ordered by the customer is subtracted from the stock

quantity to show the new stock balance and the stock is issued%

$f the order quantity is greater than the stock quantity then a back order is created and no

stock is issued%

Any other conditions are treated as errors%



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Chapter ')! Systems Analysis6 5eeting 2usiness 7equirements

Q' Why is prototyping sometimes called 4eolutionary' prototyping and what other type of

prototyping can an analyst use%

Q) What costs can be encountered in a new system deelopment in addition to the cost of

purchasing and installing hardware and obtaining the necessary software%

Q* What Characteristics define the quality of a good functional specification?

Q+ Differentiate between the role of a Systems Analysts and a *usiness Analyst%



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Chapter '* 9rom Analysis to Design

Q' /ead the following scenario and document the system in a single leel physical dataflow

diagram showing all the processes the company uses at present%

Q) +onert this D6D into a single leel logical dataflow diagram%

South West Stationery 2roducts 7td 9SWS2 7td: is a supplier of stationery and office

products% Although inoled in the design and production of some specialised lines the

companyFs main business actiity is in the bulk buying of finished products from arious

sources and distributing these from a central warehouse to customers%

The company produces a full catalogue eery si0 months although in e0ceptional

circumstances 9introduction of new lines! special offers! sales offers: promotion information

will be sent to customers%

The present system for processing orders is partly manual and partly automated% ,n receipt!

an order is allocated an SWS2 serial number! which is obtained from a listing of aailable

numbers held in the sales office% 3ach number used is marked with the customer name on the

listing and the order number is written on the order document% The order is then gien to a

credit controller who authorises the order%

,rders are distributed either to the *usiness Stationery=,ffice 2roducts group or to the

2ersonal=+ards and ;ifts=+omputer consumables% The order is checked for correctnessG the

customer name and address is obtained from the customer details file held on an A++3SS

database and if the customer has any items outstanding from preious orders these are

included% The orders are then photocopied and the photocopies are sent in bundles to thestores for despatch% When the order has been picked then it is held in the despatch section

until an inoice has been produced% The inoice is produced in the accounts department as a

three part document printed on a dot matri0 printer% A copy is sent with the goods and a copy

goes to accounts% The third copy goes to the purchasing section who use it to update a stock

moement card%

Staffing


M a n a g i n gD i r e c t o r

S a l e s

D i r e c t o r

O f f i c e M a n a g e r

P e r s o n a l

S t a t i o n e r y

O f f i c e M a n a g e r

B u s i n e s s

S t a t i o n e r y

P u r c h a s i n g a n d

O p e r a t i o n s

D i r e c t o r

C h i e f

B u y e r

W a r e h o u s e / D e s p a t -

c h M a n a g e r

A c c o u n t a n t

S a l e s L e d g e r

S e c t i o n

L e a d e r

C r e d i t

C o n t r o l l e r

I n o i c i n g

A s s i s t a n t

P u r c h a s e s a n d

! i n a n c i a l A c c o u n -

t s S e c t i o n L e a d e r


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Chapter '+! $nformation Security

Q' What is a firewall?

Q) Why must there be control in information systems?

Q* 7ist fie threats to corporate information systems%

Q+ What are biometric controls?

Q, Who is responsible for specifying the information security arrangements for a system?



18/30



Chapter ', Systems Design6 :uman&computer $nteraction

Q' The Denton 1otor +ompany is designing screens for their order processing and stock

control requirements% They require a suitable screen layout and dialogue design for the

following members of staff@ 5

% The clerical staff in the order office

% /obert Somers the 2urchasing 1anager

%- #enry Hohnson the Warehouse 1anager

$dentify the key differences that you would e0pect to find between the designs of the screens

for these three users%



19/30



Chapter '-! System Design6 System $nterfaces

Q' What is an interface?

Q) #ow can the position of! and the need for! interfaces be identified?

Q* What diagramming methods can be used to describe interfaces?



20/30



Chapter '. System Design6 ;ogical Data Design

Q' 8ormalise the System Telecom data in question I% on p-B.

Q) name the resultant relations and draw a partial data model% 9p-B.:

Q* $dentify the types of key found during this e0ercise% 9p-B.:

Q+ Showtime +inemas own a number of cinemas that show different films% The data shown

on page -B is a report of the takings from different cinemas% /earrange this data in -86

tables



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Chapter '/ Systems Design6 9iles

Q' What are the main issues to be considered when choosing a file organisation? What

circumstances would make an inde0ed sequential organisation appropriate for a master file?$s there such a file in the System Telecom applications described in the case study?

Q) The blank matri0 shown below coers the most common combinations of access and

organisation that can be used when data is stored on magnetic disk% Some of these

combinations are impossible and some hae a significant impact on the way the system

performs% 6or each square on the matri0 @5

State if it is possible to use the access method with the organisation type

30plain briefly how it is done

Add any other comments that are releant to the combination

A 9ile 8rganisation and Access summary sheet

SE7$A;

Access

SEQ


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Chapter '06 System Design6 Databases

Q' S3D: all of the parts

that are required to make item ++/1!

3=8 DESC QTY$=STC? ST .. . .. B.

- */A+J3T .. . .

C 67A8;3 . K

L ;ASJ3T .. . B. .

K D/$M3 .

. SA+J C . .

;3A/ K

C ;3A/ K

CCC. S2/,+J3T .

CCC +#A$8;3A/ .

CCC- D/$M36/A1 .

CCCC /A+J=2$8$,

.

CCCL CT5 .

CCB. *,DYS#377 C

CCL. 7$;#TSYS C .

CCK. T .

CCN. T. .

3A7T


23/30



Q) >sing the tables below write the SQ7 code for the following queries@5

a: >sing the tables below find the names of all the students who are doing marketing%

b: >sing the tables below find the names of anyone on module . who is older than

Wakefield%

c: Translate the following SQ7 query into plain 3nglish%

S373+T student%studentname

6/,1 student! studentmoduleW#3/3 student%studregnum O studentmodule%studregnum

and studentmodule%modulenum in

9S373+T studentmodule%modulenum

6/,1 student! studentmodule

W#3/3 student%studregnum O studentmodule%studregnum

A8D studentname O FHonesF:G

d: >sing the tables below show what the output from this query will actually be%

e: Translate the following SQ7 query into plain 3nglish%

S373+T student%studentname

6/,1 student! studentmodule

W#3/3 student%studregnum Ostudentmodule%studregnum

and studentmodule%e0ammark O

9S373+T 1a09e0ammark:

6/,1 studentmodule! module

W#3/3 studentmodule%modulenum O module%modulenum

A8D module%modulename O F1arketingF:G

f: >sing the tables below show who this will actually be

ST


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ST


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Chapter )1 Systems Design6 3hysical Data Design

Q' +onert the System Telecom 7DS shown below into an initial physical data design%

Q) +onsider which primary and secondary key accesses may be required


Subscriber

Call

Bill

Service Customer Time Period

Subscriber Charge Period

Subscriber PlanPeriod

SubscriptionCharge

Tariff Plan

Time PeriodCharge

Number RentalPeriod

Telephone No

a payment requestfor

Chargedwithin

Chargedby

Chargedfor

Chargedby

Chargingfor

Chargedfor

Chargedto

billedto

the accountholder for

Chargedby

Chargingfor a part

of

Composedof

Allocated

or

Chargedfor

Rentedby

a payment requestfor

Chargedon

or

Rentedfor

Allocatedto

or

Calledusing

The number for


26/30



Q* Data Access Diagrams

>sing the diagram below! create data access diagrams to show how the database will be

accessed to perform the following transactions@5

Q *!' 6ind all the serices that +ustomer


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Chapter )'! Data Communications

Q' What is the purpose of multiple0ing?

Q) Why do organisations use networks?

Q* The acronyms 7A8 and WA8 are used in a network conte0t% What do they stand for and

what are they?

Q, What is client=serer computing?

Q- What is the $nternet?

Q. Distinguish between the $nternet! an $ntranet and an 30tranet%

Q/ What are firewalls and where are they used?

Q0 What is ,S$ and what is the purpose behind it?

Q'1 What is a domain name?



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Chapter ))6 Systems $mplementation

Q' When a system is being tested! prior to going lie! the deelopment team will be engaged

in unit testing! integration testing and user acceptance testing%

6or each of these types of testG state what specific aspect of the system is being tested and

identify one specific aspect of the system that is not tested by the particular test%

Q) The Denton 1otor +o% are on the point of implementing their new system which has been

tested using a small amount of data on a temporary stock file% They now need to create a new

stock file% What are the stages that they might go through to conert their data into this new

formatG what problems might occurG how can they minimise these problems?

Q* /ecommend a suitable method of system changeoer for each of the followingapplicationsG briefly gie your reasons for suggesting the chosen method and identify any

problems or specific considerations the method you hae chosen might gie rise to%

An air traffic control system

An inoicing and stock control system

A payroll system

A supermarket chain's point of sale system



29/30



Chapter )*! Change 5anagement

Q' 7ist fie things that concern an analyst when considering how a new system will impact

its users%

Q) 2eople welcome or resist change or respond to new systems in a mi0ed way% What are

some of the things that could cause people to be resistant to new $S systems?

Q* What can be done to inole people during the deelopment of a new system?



30/30



Chapter )+! What ne(tB

Three discussion topics are suggested to encourage you to deelop your thinking about

possible futures for the deelopment of $S systems%

Q' #ow might the $T function be different in fie years' time?

Q) #ow could $T impact our lies as employees and indiiduals " and as systems analysts?

Q* There's been some discussion of professionalism in this book% Where is it going?

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