Chap 001

Chapter 1 The Context of Systems Analysis and Design Methods

True/False Questions

1. An information system is an arrangement of people, data, processes, and information technology that interact to collect, process, store, and provide as output the information needed to support the organization.

Answer: True Page: 6 LOD: Easy

2. An information system must have computer hardware and software to be valid.

Answer: False Page: 6 LOD: Medium Rationale: An information system is an arrangement of people, data, processes, and information technology that interact to collect, process, store, and provide as output the information needed to support the organization

3. A management information system can use data provided by a transaction processing system.


4. Decision support systems are tailored to the unique information needs of executives.

Answer: False Page: 7 LOD: Easy

5. Communication and collaboration systems enhance communication between people both inside and outside of the organization.


6. Upper management people typically are the direct users of transaction processing systems.

Answer: False Page: 6-7 LOD: Medium Rationale: Upper management people generally use only DSS and EIS.

7. A stakeholder for an information system is a technical employee working on the systems analysis and design.

Answer: False Page: 7 LOD: Easy Rationale: A stakeholder can be anyone who has an interest in the information system.

Whitten/Bentley, Systems Analysis & Design Methods, Seventh Edition 1


8. The stakeholders for information systems can be broadly classified into five groups: system owners, system users, system designers, system builders, and system analysts/project managers.

Answer: True Page: 7-11 LOD: Easy

9. An information worker is a person whose jobs include the creation, collection, processing, distribution and use of information.


10. System owners are the information system's sponsors and chief advocates, usually responsible for funding the project to develop, operate and maintain the information system.


11. System users are concerned with the functionality the system provides to their jobs and the system's ease of learning and ease of use.


12. Internal system users are employees of the businesses for which most information systems are built.


13. External system users can include employees of the organization.


14. System designers are technology specialists for information systems.


15. A system builder is a technical specialist who constructs information systems and components based on the design specifications generated by the system designers.


16. An applications programmer is an example of a system designer.

Answer: False Page: 10 LOD: Easy

2 Whitten/Bentley, Systems Analysis & Design Methods, Seventh Edition


17. A system analyst is a specialist who studies problems and needs of an organization to determine how people, data, processes, and information technology can best accomplish improvements for their business.


18. System owners are more concerned with the costs and benefits of an information system, while system users are more concerned with the functionality of the system.

Answer: True Page: 7 LOD: Medium

19. Clerical and service workers perform most of the day-to-day transaction processing in the average business.


20. Clerical and service workers consist largely of business and industrial specialists who perform highly skilled and specialized work.

Answer: False Page: 9 LOD: Easy Rationale: Technical and professional staff consists largely of business and industrial specialists who perform highly skilled and specialized work. Clerical and service workers perform most of the day-to-day transaction processing in the average business.

21. Supervisors are decision makers who tend to focus on day-to-day management issues.


22. Executive managers are decision makers who tend to focus on overall business performance and strategic or long-term planning and problem solving.


23. Middle managers are concerned with the day-to-day management issues.

Answer: False Page: 9 LOD: Medium Rationale: Supervisors are concerned with the day-to-day management issues, while Middle Managers are concerned with the short-term, tactical management plans and problem solving.



24. Executive managers are concerned with the short-term and tactical management issues.

Answer: False Page: 9 LOD: Medium Rationale: Executive managers are concerned with the long-term and strategic management issues, Middle Managers are concerned with the short-term and tactical management issues.

25. The internet has extended the traditional information boundaries to encompass other businesses or direct consumers as system users.


26. An example of a mobile user would be a student signing on to a distance education course website from home.

Answer: False Page: 10 LOD: Medium Rationale: That would be an example of a remote user. Mobile users have a constantly changing location.

27. System analysts initiate change within the organization.


28. Some systems analysts also have programming duties.


29. Systems designers translate system users' business requirements and constraints into technical solutions.


30. System designers design the computer files, databases, inputs, outputs, screens, networks and programs that will meet the system users' requirements.




31. System builders construct the information systems components based on the design specifications from the system owner.

Answer: False Page: 16 LOD: Medium Rationale: System builders construct the information systems components based on the design specifications from the system designers

32. Systems analyst bridges the gap between those who need computer-based business solution and those who understand information technology.


33. Systems analyst is basically a problem solver.


34. System designers are located in the functional units and subunits of the business, as well as the executive management.

Answer: False Page: 12 LOD: Medium Rationale: Systems owners and system users are located in the functional units and subunits of the business, as well as the executive management.

35. System analysts may be permanently assigned to a team that supports a specific business function.


36. System analysts may be temporarily pooled and assigned to specific projects for any business function as needed.


37. Demand for systems analysts will grow over the next several years.


38. Systems analysts basically work by themselves, analyzing a system through computerized tools.

Answer: False Page: 14-15 LOD: Medium



39. Contract programmers are one example of an external service provider.


40. A project manager is responsible for planning, monitoring and controlling projects with respect to schedule, budget and system quality.


41. E-Commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services by using the Internet.


42. E-business is the use of the Internet to conduct and support day to day business activities.


43. Business to consumer (B2C) electronic commerce attempts to offer new web based channels of distribution for traditional products and services.


44. Business to Business (B2B) is the most complex form of electronic commerce.


45. B2B could ultimately evolve into electronic business. Electronic business is the complete, paperless and digital processing of virtually all business transactions that occur within and between businesses.


46. Network architects are system builders who specialize in networking and telecommunications technologies and design, install, configure, optimize and support local and wide area networks.

Answer: False Page: 10 LOD: Medium Rationale: Network architects are system designers.



47. Due to the trend towards e-business and e-commerce applications most new information system applications are being designed for an Internet architecture.


48. Security and privacy issues have become increasingly important in the digital economy.


49. Today the trend is increasingly towards collaboration. Collaboration extends beyond the organization to include other organizations – even direct competitors.


50. Knowledge is processed data.

Answer: False Page: 21 LOD: Easy Rationale: Information is processed data. Knowledge is data and information that is further refined based on the facts, truths, beliefs, judgments, experiences and expertise of the recipient.

51. Business processes are the work, procedure and rules required to complete the business tasks, independent of any information technology used to automated or support them.


52. Continuous process improvement examines a business process to implement a series of small changes for improvement.


53. Total quality management (TQM) is a comprehensive approach to facilitating quality improvements and management within a business and its products and services




54. Total quality management (TQM) is a narrow approach to facilitate quality improvements and management within a specific product line.

Answer: False Page: 21-22 LOD: Medium Rationale: Total quality management (TQM) is a comprehensive approach to facilitating quality improvements and management within a business and its products and services.

55. Business process redesign (BPR) is the study, analysis and redesign of fundamental business processes to reduce costs and/or improve value-added to the business.


56. In a BPR business processes are carefully documented and analyzed for timeliness, bottlenecks, costs and whether or not each step truly adds value to the organization.


57. Internet technologies are changing the fundamental technical architecture on which many organizations are building their internal information systems.


58. An intranet is a private, internal network built by a company to support business functions.


59. An extranet is a secure, business-to-business network to facilitate data sharing and communication between companies.


60. xHtml and XML are the fundamental languages of web page authoring and Internet application development.


61. Scripting languages are simple programming languages designed specifically for Internet applications.




62. Portals are home pages that can be customized .to the specific needs of different individuals who can use them.


63. Web services are reusable, web based programs that can be called from any other Internet program.


64. Web services are an example of B2B.


65. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software product is specifically designed to help a business achieve strategic, cross-functional and inter-continental objectives.

Answer: False Page: 26 LOD: Medium Rationale: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software product is a fully integrated information system that spans most basic business functions required by a major corporation.

66. The growth of mobile and wireless technologies simplifies systems analysis and design.

Answer: False Page: 24-25 LOD: Medium Rationale: Mobile and wireless technologies complicate screen sizes and connectivity issues.

67. Object Technology is a software technology that defines a system in terms of objects that consolidate data and behavior.


68. Object-oriented analysis and design is a collection of tools and techniques for system development that will utilize object technologies to construct a system and its software.




69. Agile Development is a development strategy wherein the system developers are given the flexibility to select from a variety of appropriate tools and techniques to best accomplish the tasks at hand.


70. Collaborative technologies are those that enhance interpersonal communications and team work.


71. To use the Internet for improving the marketing of corporate image, product and services is the most complex task for electronic commerce applications.

Answer: False Page: 18 LOD: Medium Rationale: Business to business electronic commerce is the most complex..

72. Business-to-Business (B2B) is the most complex electronic commerce application to facilitate the paperless and digital processing of virtually all business transactions that occur within and between businesses.


73. Marketing of corporate image, products and services is the simplest form of electronic commerce application.


74. One example of Business-to-Business electronic commerce is the marketing of a corporate image on the Internet.

Answer: False Page: 18 LOD: Medium Rationale: The marketing of a corporate image on the Internet is just internal to a business and is among the simplest electronic commerce applications. It does not require business-to-business communications or interactive data transactions.

75. Most organizations must supplement the ERP solution with custom software applications to fulfill business requirements that are unique to the industry and business.




76. A systems analyst must be able to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.


77. Almost without exception, your communication skills, not your technical skills, will be the single biggest factor in your career success or failure as a systems analyst.


78. Your technical skills, not your communication skills, will be the single biggest factor in your career success or failure as a systems analyst.

Answer: False Page: 15 LOD: Medium Rationale: Almost without exception, your communication skills, not your technical skills, will be the single biggest factor in your career success or failure as a systems analyst.

79. Most systems analysts need to be proficient in one or more high-level programming languages.


80. Ethics is a personal character trait in which an individual understands the difference between "right" and "wrong" and acts accordingly.


81. Ergonomics is a personal character trait in which an individual understands the difference between "right" and "wrong" and acts accordingly.

Answer: False Page: 15 LOD: Medium Rationale: Ethics is a personal character trait in which an individual understands the difference between "right" and "wrong" and acts accordingly.

82. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a software application that optimizes business processes for raw material procurement through finished product distribution by integrating the logistical information systems of organizations with those of their supplier and distributors.




83. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a software application that provides customers with access to a business's processes from initial inquiry through post sale service and support.


84. Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) is the process and technologies used to link applications to support the flow of data and information between those applications.


85. Middleware is software that is used to translate and route data between different applications.


86. Project Management is the activity of defining, monitoring and controlling a project to develop an acceptable system within the allotted time and budget.


87. Process Management is the ongoing activity that defines, improves and coordinates the use of an organization's chosen methodology and standards for all system development projects.


88. A system development process can include both automated and manual tools to develop and maintain systems.


89. System Initiation is the initial planning for a project to define initial business scope, goals, schedule and budget.


90. System Analysis is the study of a business problem domain to recommend improvements and priorities for the solution.




91. System design is the specification or construction of a technical, computer based solution for the business requirements identified in a system analysis.


92. If software programs need to be written for an information system, they are written during system design.

Answer: False Page: 33 LOD: Medium Rationale: software is written during the system implementation phase.

Multiple Choice Questions

93. An arrangement of people, data, processes, and information technology that interact to support and improve day-to-day operations in a business as well as support the problem-solving and decision making needs of management and users is A) an information system B) information technology C) expert system D) the Internet E) none of these

Answer: A Page: 6 LOD: Easy

94. A contemporary term that describes the combination of hardware, software and data communications is A) an information system B) information technology C) expert system D) artificial intelligence E) none of these

Answer: B Page: 6 LOD: Easy

95. An information system that processes payroll checks would be an example of a/an A) TPS B) DSS C) MIS D) EIS E) expert system

Answer: A Page: 6 LOD: Medium



96. An information system that helped doctors make diagnoses would be an example of a/an A) TPS B) DSS C) MIS D) EIS E) expert system

Answer: E Page: 7 LOD: Medium

97. Any person who has an interest in existing or new information systems is known as A) A stockholder B) an end-user C) a stakeholder D) a network manager E) none of thee

Answer: C Page: 7 LOD: Easy

98. The term used to describe those people whose jobs involve the creation, collection, processing, distribution and use of information is A) a network manager B) an information worker C) a systems owner D) a systems designer E) none of these


99. An information system's sponsor and chief advocate is the A) system user B) system builder C) system owner D) system analyst E) none of these

Answer: C Page: 8 LOD: Easy



100. The people who use or are affected by the information system on a regular basis, capturing, validating, entering, responding to, storing and exchanging data and information are A) system owners B) system analysts C) system builders D) system users E) none of these

Answer: D Page: 9 LOD: Easy

101. . The decision makers who focus on the day-to-day management issues are A) supervisors B) middle managers C) executive managers D) mobile managers E) none of these


102. Decision makers who are concerned with the overall business performance, any strategic or long-term planning, and problem solving are A) supervisors B) middle Managers C) executive Managers D) mobile Managers E) none of these

Answer: C Page: 9 LOD: Medium

103. The person who translates system users' business requirements and constraints into technical solutions is a A) systems designer B) systems builder C) systems user D) network manager E) none of these




104. The person who constructs the information system components based on the design specifications is a A) systems designer B) systems builder C) systems user D) network manager E) none of these


105. Which of the following is NOT a skilled needed by a systems analyst? A) computer programming expertise B) problem-solving skillsC) flexibility D) communication skills E) all of these are needed by a systems analyst

Answer: E Page: 14-15 LOD: Easy

106. A systems analyst who sells his or her expertise to other businesses is known as a/an: A) ERP B) ESP C) EIS D) B2C E) scab

Answer: B Page: 16 LOD: Medium

107. How does globalization affect systems analysis? A) information systems must support multiple languages B) information systems must support currency exchange C) information systems become more complex D) increased demand for multi-lingual analysts E) all of these

Answer: E Page: 18 LOD: Medium



108. TQM stands for which of the following: A) total quantity management B) total quality measurement C) total quality measure D) total quality management E) none of these


109. CPI stands for which of the following A) central processing input B) continuous process improvement C) continuous performance improvement D) control performance improvement E) none of these


110. A comprehensive approach to facilitate quality improvements and management within a business and its products and services is known as: A) capability maturity model B) continuous process improvement C) business process redesign D) total quality management E) none of these


111. The study, analysis and redesign of fundamental business processes to reduce costs and/or improve value added to the business is known as: A) capability maturity model B) continuous process improvement C) business process redesign D) total quality management E) none of these




112. Which of the following is a basic type of electronic-commerce-enabled application?: A) marketing of corporate image, products and services B) business-to-consumer commerce offering new channels of distribution C) business-to-business to allow the paperless and digital processing of business

transactions between businesses D) all of the above E) none of these


113. If a fast food organization set up a web-based information system that employees, suppliers, and franchisees could all access for coordination of deliveries, that would be an example of a/an A) B2C B) intranet C) extranet D) ERP E) none of these


Fill in the Blank Questions

114. An __________________________ is an arrangement of people, data, processes, and information technology that interact to support and improve day-to-day operations in a business as well as support the problem-solving and decision making needs of management and users.

Answer: information system Page: 6 LOD: Easy

115. __________________________ is a contemporary term that describes a combination of hardware, software, and telecommunications technology.

Answer: information technology Page: 6 LOD: Medium

116. A ________________________ is any person who has an interest in an existing or new information system. They can be technical or non-technical workers.

Answer: stakeholder Page: 7 LOD: Easy



117. _______________________ actually use the system to perform or support the work to be completed. They define the business requirements and performance expectations for the system to be built.

Answer: system users Page: 9 LOD: Easy

118. ________________________ design the system to meet the users' requirements.

Answer: System designers Page: 10 LOD: Easy

119. ______________________ construct, test and deliver an information system into operation.

Answer: system builders Page: 10 LOD: Easy

120. The term ______________________________ was coined to describe those people whose jobs involve the creation, collection, processing, distribution and use of information.

Answer: information worker Page: 7 LOD: Medium

121. ____________________________ are the information system's sponsors and chief advocates. They are usually responsible for funding the project to develop, operate and maintain the information system.

Answer: system owners Page: 7 LOD: Easy

122. _____________________________ are the people who use or are affected by the information system on a regular basis, capturing, validating, entering, responding to, storing, and exchanging data and information.

Answer: system users Page: 7-9 LOD: Easy

123. ______________________________ is the study of a business problem domain to recommend improvements and specify the business requirements for the solution.

Answer: Systems analysis Page: 32 LOD: Medium

124. _____________________________ is the specification or construction of a technical, computer-based solution for the business requirements identified in a systems analysis.

Answer: Systems Design Page: 33 LOD: Medium



125. A ______________________________ studies the problems and needs of an organization to determine how people, data, processes, communications, and information technology can best accomplish improvements for the business.

Answer: systems analyst Page: 11 LOD: Medium

126. _________________________________________________ is a comprehensive approach to facilitating quality improvements and management within a business and its products and services.

Answer: Total Quality Management (TQM) Page: 21 LOD: Easy

127. ____________________________________________ is the study, analysis and redesign of fundamental business processes to reduce costs and/or improve value added to the business.

Answer: business process redesign (BPR) Page: 22 LOD: Medium

128. ________________________________________ is the continuous monitoring of business processes to effect small but measurable improves in cost reduction and value added.

Answer: Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) Page: 21 LOD: Medium

129. An _____________________________________ software product is a fully-integrated information system that spans most basic business functions required by a major corporation.

Answer: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Page: 26 LOD: Medium

130. ___________________________________ involves conducting both internal and external business over the Internet, intranets, and extranets. It includes the buying and selling of goods and services, the transfer of funds, and the simplification of day-to-day business processes through the use of digital communications.

Answer: Electronic Commerce or E-commerce Page: 28 LOD: Medium

131. ____________________________ is a personal character trait in which an individual understands the difference between "right" and "wrong" and acts accordingly.

Answer: Ethics Page: 15 LOD: Medium


Chap 001

Documents

capability

single biggest

personal character

facilitating

total quality

enterprise

perform highly

service workers