Using MIS Chapter 10

Question 1

Agile Development

Answer 1

An adaptive project management process based on the principles listed in Figure 10-23. Can be used for the management of many types of projects; in this text it applies to the development of information systems.

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Question 2

Application

Answer 2

a combination of hardware, software, and data components that accomplishes a set of requirements.

-Synonym for application software.

Question 3

As-is Model

Answer 3

a model of the existing business process

-A model that represents the current situation and processes.

Question 4

Baseline WBS

Answer 4

the final WBS plan is denoted as the baseline WBS.
This baseline shows the planned tasks, dependencies, durations, and resource assignments.

-The final work-breakdown structure that shows the planned tasks, dependencies, durations, and resource assignments.

Question 5

Brooks’ Law

Answer 5

states that adding more people to a late project makes it later.

-The famous adage that states: Adding more people to a late project makes the project later. Brooks’ Law is true not only because a larger staff requires increased coordination, but also because new people need to be trained. The only people who can train the new employees are the existing team members, who are thus taken off productive tasks. The costs of training new people can overwhelm the benefit of their contributions.

Question 6

Business Analyst

Answer 6

is someone who is well versed in Porter’s models and in the organization’s strategies and who focuses, primarily, on ensuring that business processes and information systems meet the organization’s competitive strategies.
The primary focus of a business analyst is business processes.

-(1) A person who understands business strategies, goals, and objectives and who helps businesses develop and manage business processes and information systems. (2) Someone who is well versed in Porter’s models, organizational strategy, and systems alignment theory, like COBIT, and who also understands the proper role for technology.

Question 7

Business Process

Answer 7

a network of activities, repositories, roles, resources, and flows that interact to accomplish a business function.

-A network of activities that generate value by transforming inputs into outputs.

Question 8

Business Process Management (BPM)

Answer 8

a cyclical process for systematically creating, assessing, and altering business processes.

Question 9

Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN)

Answer 9

Standard set of terms and graphical notations for documenting business processes.

Question 10

COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technology)

Answer 10

A set of standard practices, created by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, that are used in the assessment stage of the BPM cycle to determine how well an information system complies with an organization’s strategy.

Question 11

Configuration Control

Answer 11

refers to a set of management policies, practices, and tools that developers use to maintain control over the project’s resources.

-A set of management policies, practices, and tools that developers use to maintain control over the project’s resources.

Question 12

Cost Feasibility

Answer 12

involves an assessment of the cost of the project.

-An assessment of the cost of an information system development project that compares estimated costs to the available budget. Can also refer to development plus operational costs vs. value delivered.

Question 13

Control Flow

Answer 13

directs the order of activities.

-A BPMN symbol that documents the flow of activity in a business process.

Question 14

Critical Path

Answer 14

is the sequence of activities that determine the earliest date by which the project can be completed.

Question 15

Critical Path Analysis

Answer 15

is the process by which project managers compress the schedule by moving resources, typically people, from noncritical paths onto critical path tasks.

-The process by which project managers compress a schedule by moving resources, typically people, from noncritical path tasks to critical path tasks.

Question 16

Data Flow

Answer 16

shows the movement of data among activities and repositories.

-A BPMN symbol that documents the movement of data among activities and repositories in a business process.

Question 17

Deliverables

Answer 17

every task should culminate in one or more results called deliverables.
-examples of deliverables are called documents, designs, prototypes, data models, database designs, working data entry screens, and the like.
Without a defined deliverable, it is impossible to know if a task was accomplished.

-Tasks that are measurable or observable steps in a development project.

Question 18

Diseconomies of Scale

Answer 18

the situation that occurs when adding more resources creates inefficiencies.

-A principle that states as development teams become larger, the average contribution per worker decreases.

Question 19

Gantt Chart

Answer 19

shows tasks, dates, and dependencies.

-A chart that shows tasks, dates, dependencies, and possibly resources.

Question 20

Implementation

Answer 20

has two meanings for us. it could mean to implement the information systems components only, or it could mean to implement the information system and the business processes that use the system.

-In the context of the systems development life cycle, the phase following the design phase consisting of tasks to build, test, and convert users to the new system.

Question 21

Just-in-Time Design

Answer 21

Rather than design the complete, overall system at the beginning, only those portions of the design that are neede to complete the current work are done. Common for agile development techniques such as scrum.

Question 22

Maintenance

Answer 22

with regard to information systems, maintenance is a misnomer; the work done during this phase is either to fix the system so that it works correctly or to adapt it to changes in requirements.

-In the context of information systems, (1) to fix the system to do what it was supposed to do in the first place or (2) to adapt the system to a change in requirements.

Question 23

Object Management Group (OMG)

Answer 23

a software-industry standards organization

Question 24

Organizational Feasibility

Answer 24

concerns whether the new system fits within the organization’s customs, culture, charter, or legal requirements.

-Whether an information system fits within an organization’s customer, culture, and legal requirements.

Question 25

Paired Programming

Answer 25

in some cases, team members work in pairs; in paired programming, for example, two team members share the same computer and write a computer program together. -The situation in which two computer programmers share the same computer and develop a computer program together.

Question 26

Parallel Installation

Answer 26

the new system/business processes run parallel with the old one until the new system is tested and fully operational. -parallel installation is expensive because the organization incurs the costs of running both the existing and the new system/business processes. -A type of system conversion in which the new system runs in parallel with the old one and the results of the two are reconciled for consistency. Parallel installation is expensive because the organization incurs the costs of running both systems, but it is the safest form of installation.

Question 27

Phased Installation

Answer 27

the new system/business processes are installed in phases across the organization(s). -A type of system conversion in which the new system is installed in pieces across the organization(s). Once a given piece works, then the organization installs and tests another piece of the system, until the entire system has been installed.

Question 28

Pilot Installation

Answer 28

the organization implements the entire system/business processes on a limited portion of the business. -A type of system conversion in which the organization implements the entire system on a limited portion of the business. The advantage of pilot implementation is that if the system fails, the failure is contained within a limited boundary. This reduces exposure of the business and also protects the new system from developing a negative reputation throughout the organization(s).

Question 29

Plunge Installation

Answer 29

the organization shuts off the old system/business processes and starts the new one. -A type of system conversion in which the organization shuts off the old system and starts the new system. If the new system fails, the organization is in trouble: Nothing can be done until either the new system is fixed or the old system is reinstalled. Because of the risk, organizations should avoid this conversion style if possible. Sometimes called direct installation.

Question 30

Requirements Analysis

Answer 30

The second phase in the SDLC, in which developers conduct user interviews; evaluate existing systems; determine new forms/reports/queries; identify new features and functions, including security; and create the data model.

Question 31

Resources

Answer 31

People or information system applications that are assigned to roles in business processes.

Question 32

Roles

Answer 32

In a business process, collections of activities.

Question 33

Schedule Feasibility

Answer 33

Whether an information system will be able to be developed on the timetable needed.

Question 34

Stand-up

Answer 34

In scrum, a 15-minute meeting in which each team member states what he/she has done in the past day, what he/she will do in the coming day, and any factors that are blocking his/her progress.

Question 35

Swim-lane Layout

Answer 35

A process diagram layout similar to swim lanes in a swimming pool; each role in the process is shown in its own horizontal rectangle, or lane.

Question 36

System Conversion

Answer 36

The process of converting business activity from the old system to the new.

Question 37

Systems Analyst

Answer 37

IS professionals who understand both business and technology. They are active throughout the systems development process and play a key role in moving the project from conception to conversion and, ultimately, maintenance. Systems analysts integrate the work of the programmers, testers, and users.

Question 38

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Answer 38

The classical process used to develop information systems. The basic tasks of systems development are combined into the following phases: system definition, requirements analysis, component design, implementation, and system maintenance (fix or enhance).

Question 39

Technical Feasibility

Answer 39

Whether existing information technology will be able to meet the needs of a new information system.

Question 40

Test Plan

Answer 40

Groups of action and usage sequences for validating the capability of new using software.

Question 41

Trade-off

Answer 41

In project management, a balancing of three critical factors: requirements, cost, and time.

Question 42

Velocity

Answer 42

In scrum, the total number of points of work that a team can accomplish in each scrum period.

Question 43

Waterfall Method

Answer 43

The assumption that one phase of the SDLC can be completed in its entirety and the project can progress, without any backtracking, to the next phase of the SDLC. Projects seldom are that simple; backtracking is normally required.

Question 44

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Answer 44

A hierarchy of the tasks required to complete a project; for a large project, it might involve hundreds or thousands of tasks.

Question 45

Information systems and business processes are synonymous terms. True or False

Answer 45

False

Question 46

``` Project teams create a ________, which is a hierarchy of the tasks required to complete a project. A) work breakdown structure B) control chart C) critical path D) scatter plot ```

Answer 46

A) work breakdown structure

Question 47

``` The term ________ refers to a set of management policies, practices, and tools that developers use to maintain control over the SDLC project's resources. A) swim-lane layout B) trade-off C) configuration control D) transmission control protocol ```

Answer 47

C) configuration control

Question 48

``` According to the scrum process, once the tasks are known for a given set of requirements, the next step is to assign each task a difficulty score, called ________. A) tallies B) scrums C) points D) grades ```

Answer 48

C) points

Question 49

Agile development methodologies welcome changes in requirements. True or False

Answer 49

True

Question 50

``` Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) is often used in the ________ stage of the business process management (BPM) cycle. A) component creation B) process modeling C) implementation D) assessment ```

Answer 50

D) assessment

Question 51

``` Once the project's goals and scope have been defined, the next immediate step in the system definition phase of the SDLC is to ________. A) plan the project B) determine system requirements C) form a project team D) assess feasibility ```

Answer 51

D) assess feasibility

Question 52

``` During the system implementation phase of the SDLC, once a system has passed testing, the organization installs the new system. Which of the following terms is used to refer to this activity? A) system control B) system conversion C) agile development D) beta testing ```

Answer 52

B) system conversion

Question 53

Which of the following statements is true of the swim-lane layout used for modeling the business processes? A) It complicates the process diagrams. B) It draws attention to the interactions among components of the diagram. C) Each role in the business process has to share the swim lane with other roles. D) All activities for a given role are repeated in all the swim lanes.

Answer 53

B) It draws attention to the interactions among components of the diagram.

Question 54

Which of the following are the four dimensions of feasibility? A) planning, process, technical, and schedule feasibility B) operational, strategic, technical, and tactical feasibility C) schedule, process, technical, and competitive feasibility D) cost, schedule, technical, and organizational feasibility

Answer 54

D) cost, schedule, technical, and organizational feasibility

Question 55

Developers in the system definition phase of the SDLC use management's statement of the system needs in order to begin to define the new system. True or False

Answer 55

True

Question 56

``` According to Brooks' Law, adding more people to a late project will ________. A) speed up the project B) guarantee efficiencies C) create diseconomies of scale D) reduce the need for coordination ```

Answer 56

C) create diseconomies of scale

Question 57

Which of the following statements is true of information systems? A) Every business process should include at least one information system. B) Every information system has at least one application. C) Information systems include all business process activities. D) Information systems should be bought entirely off-the-shelf.

Answer 57

B) Every information system has at least one application.

Question 58

In a business process, only a single resource is assigned to a role. True or False

Answer 58

False

Question 59

``` A ________ shows the tasks, dates, and dependencies for the tasks of a project. A) scatter plot B) Gantt chart C) Pareto chart D) control chart ```

Answer 59

B) Gantt chart

Question 60

``` A(n) ________ is a formal description of a system's response to use and misuse scenarios. A) system conversion B) test plan C) work-breakdown structure D) activity log ```

Answer 60

B) test plan

Question 61

``` ________ is a standard set of terms and graphical notations for documenting business processes. A) Component Object Model B) Business Process Modeling Notation C) Business Process Execution Language D) ISO 9000 ```

Answer 61

B) Business Process Modeling Notation

Question 62

``` In a business process, an inventory or a database is an example of a ________. A) repository B) decision tree C) cookie D) botnet ```

Answer 62

A) repository

Question 63

``` Fixing a system so that it works correctly, or adapting it to changes in requirements, occurs during the ________ phase of the SDLC. A) component design B) implementation C) maintenance D) requirements analysis ```

Answer 63

C) maintenance

Question 64

``` In a Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) diagram, a ________ symbol represents an activity. A) rectangle B) dotted arrow C) solid arrow D) diamond ```

Answer 64

A) rectangle

Question 65

A project team that opts for off-the-shelf software during the component design phase of the SDLC will need to produce design documentation for writing program code. True or False

Answer 65

False

Question 66

``` In a business process, ________ are defined as collections of related tasks that receive inputs and produce outputs. A) activities B) resources C) presentations D) databases ```

Answer 66

A) activities

Question 67

User involvement is critical throughout the system development process. True or False

Answer 67

True

Question 68

In Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), diamonds represent decisions and usually contain a question that is answered with yes or no. True or False

Answer 68

True

Question 69

``` Rapid application development, the unified process, extreme programming, and scrum have led to ________. A) the swim-lane method B) agile development C) SDLC D) the waterfall method ```

Answer 69

B) agile development

Question 70

``` Tasks in the ________ phase of the SDLC include building and testing system components and converting users to the new system. A) system implementation B) component design C) system definition D) system maintenance ```

Answer 70

A) system implementation

Question 71

The actors or participants in a business process are the users of information systems. True or False

Answer 71

True

Question 72

In the system definition phase of the SDLC, technical feasibility refers to whether existing information technology is likely to be able to meet the needs of a new system. True or False

Answer 72

True

Question 73

In business processes, resources are collections of procedures. True or False

Answer 73

False

Question 74

``` In a Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) diagram, ________ represent decisions and usually contain a question that is answered with yes or no. A) rectangles B) diamonds C) circles D) squares ```

Answer 74

B) diamonds