Deck 5: Systems Analysis

Question 1

Systems analysis is a problem-solving technique that decomposes a system into its component pieces for the purpose of studying how well those component parts work and interact to accomplish their purpose.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Systems design is a complementary problem solving technique to systems analysis that reassembles a system's component pieces into a (hopefully improved) complete system.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Information systems analysis is defined as those development phases in a project that primarily focus on the business problem, independent of any technology that can or will be used to implement a solution to that problem.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

A repository is a location (or set of locations) where systems analysts, systems designers and system builders keep the documentation associated with one or more systems or projects.

Question 5

Model driven analysis emphasizes the drawing of pictorial system models to document and validate both existing and/or proposed systems. Ultimately the system model becomes the blueprint for designing and constructing an improved system.

Question 6

Model driven analysis emphasizes the development of application prototypes to quickly implement a new system without the need for requirements analysis.

Question 7

Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) can only be used to depict proposed new processes in a system, along with their inputs, outputs and files.

Question 8

CASE tools offer the advantage of consistency and completeness analysis as well as rule-based error checking.

Question 9

Structured analysis is a traditional approach to system analysis and design.

Question 10

Information engineering (IE) is a data-driven, process-centered, but model-sensitive technique to plan, analyze and design information systems.

Question 11

Objected oriented analysis (OOA) is model-driven technique that integrates Data and Process concerns into constructs called Objects. OOA models are pictures that illustrate the system's objects from various perspectives such as structure and behavior.

Question 12

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is used in information engineering.

Question 13

Accelerated analysis approaches emphasize the construction of prototypes to more rapidly identify business and user requirements for a new system.

Question 14

A prototype is a small-scale, incomplete, but working sample of a desired system.

Question 15

Discovery prototyping is used to identify the user's business requirements by having them react to a quick and dirty implementation of those requirements.

Question 16

Many analysts use parts of structured analysis and information engineering in a complementary way to model an information system.

Question 17

Rapid architecture analysis attempts to derive system models from existing systems or discovery prototypes.

Question 18

Reverse engineering technology reads the program code for an existing database, application program, and/or user interface and automatically generates the equivalent system model.

Question 19

Requirements discovery is the process of identifying system problems and solution requirements from the user community.

Question 20

Analytical discovery includes those techniques to be used by a systems analyst to identify or extract system problems and solution requirements from the user community.

Question 21

Examples of fact-finding techniques include: sampling of existing documentation; research of relevant literature; observation of the current system; questionnaires and surveys of the management and user community; and interviews of appropriate managers, users, and technical staff.

Question 22

Joint requirements planning (JRP) techniques use facilitated workshops to bring together all the system owners, system users, systems analysts and some systems designers and builders to jointly perform systems analysis.

Question 23

Joint application development (JAD) is considered a part of Joint Requirements Planning (JRP), which is a more comprehensive application of the techniques to the entire system development process.

Question 24

Business process redesign is the application of systems analysis methods to the goal of dramatically changing and improving the fundamental business processes of an organization, independent of information technology.

Question 25

An agile method integrates various approaches of systems analysis and design..

Question 26

BPR is often triggerd by total quality management and continuous process improvement.

Question 27

Business process redesign is often applied within the context of information systems development when the projects include a study of existing business processes to identify problems, bureaucracy and inefficiencies that need to be addressed in requirements for new and improved information systems.

Question 28

The purpose of a context diagram is to analyze how the system interacts with the world around it.

Question 29

The scope definition phase is the first phase of the classic systems development process. It is also known as initial study phase, survey phase, or planning phase.

Question 30

The scope definition phase looks at the question "Is this project worth looking at?"

Question 31

The scope definition phase looks at the economic and operational feasibility of the project under consideration.

Question 32

The final deliverable for the scope definition phases is the project charter..

Question 33

A problem statements matrix lists each problem, opportunity, or directive related to the project.

Question 34

Scope defies the boundary of the project.

Question 35

The final deliverable of the scope definition phase is a working prototype to demonstrate system requirements.

Question 36

The scope definition phase typically includes the following tasks: (1) identify baseline problems and opportunities; (2) negotiate baseline scope; (3) assess baseline worthiness; (4) develop baseline schedule
& budget; (5) communicate the project plan.

Question 37

The first FAST phase is the problem analysis phase.

Question 38

The PIECES framework can be used to categorize problems, opportunities, directives, and constraints.

Question 39

During the scope definition phase, each problem, opportunity and directive is assessed with respect to urgency, visibility, tangible benefits and priority.

Question 40

In the scope definition phase, urgency is used to represent what time frame the problem needs to be solved or the opportunity or directive to be realized.

Question 41

In the scope definition phase, urgency is used to represent the prioritization and documentation requirements for the problem that needs to be solved, or the opportunity or directive to be realized.

Question 42

In the scope definition phase, visibility is used to assess the degree to which a project solution is made visual through the use of modeling tools such as data flow diagrams or entity relationship diagrams.

Question 43

In the scope definition phase, benefits are measured in terms of how a new system could increase annual revenues, or reduce annual costs.

Question 44

In the scope definition phase, benefits need to be measured optimistically if the project is to be a success.

Question 45

In the scope definition phase, a consensus of priorities is arrived at to help adjust the project scope.

Question 46

In the scope definition phase, possible solutions are expressed in simple terms to facilitate high level-discussion of options such as (a) leave well enough alone; (b) a quick fix; (c) a simple to moderate enhancement of the system; (d) redesign the existing system, or (e) design a new system.

Question 47

In the scope definition phase, possible solutions need to be expressed in as much detail as possible so that an accurate picture of the feasibility of the project can be determined.

Question 48

Developing the baseline schedule and budget is the responsibility of the system owner.

Question 49

Scope can change during the life cycle of a project, however, the initial project plan needs to establish the preliminary scope to provide a context for the budget and schedule.

Question 50

The preliminary master plan is also known as the baseline plan.

Question 51

A steering body is a committee of executive business and system managers that studies and prioritizes competing project proposals to determine which projects will return the most value to the organization and thus should be approved for continued system development.

Question 52

The facilitator for the joint requirements planning process determines which projects will return the most value to the organization and thus should be approved for continued system development.

Question 53

The problem analysis phase is best described by the statement, "Don't try to fix it unless you understand it."

Question 54

The goal of the problem analysis phase is to study and understand the problem domain well enough to thoroughly analyze its problems, opportunities and constraints.

Question 55

The problem analysis phase typically includes the following tasks: (1) understand the problem domain;
(2) analyze problems and opportunities; (3) analyze business processes; (4) establish system improvement objectives; (5) update or refine the project plan; (6) communicate findings and recommendations.

Question 56

The scope definition phase typically included the following tasks: (1) study the problem domain; (2) analyzed problems and opportunities; (3) analyze business processes; (4) establish system improvement objectives; (5) update the project plan; (6) present findings and recommendations.

Question 57

The deliverables of the problem analysis phase include an understanding of the problem domain and business vocabulary.

Question 58

Cause-and-effect analysis leads to true understanding of problems and can lead to not-so-obvious, but more creative and valuable solutions.

Question 59

Cause-and-effect analysis is an out-of-date technique that is unnecessary today given the complete nature of the scope definition phase that makes such problems and their solutions obvious.

Question 60

An objective is a measure of success. It is something that you expect to achieve, if given sufficient resources.

Question 61

An objective is something that will limit your flexibility in defining a solution to your constraints. Essentially, objectives cannot be changed.

Question 62

Objectives fall into four categories: schedule, cost, technology and policy.

Question 63

The final deliverable for the problem analysis phase is the completion of an updated project plan, including problem analyses, any system models, the system improvement objectives, and any other documentation that was produced during this phase.

Question 64

Interpersonal and communication skills are critical to the problem analysis phase.

Question 65

Interpersonal and communication skills are not essential to the problem analysis phase.

Question 66

One of three possible decisions are made at the end of the problem analysis phase: (1) authorize the project to continue to the next phase (requirements analysis); (2) adjust the scope, cost and/or schedule for the project, and then continue with the next phase (requirements analysis); OR (3) cancel the project due to either the lack of resources or the realization that the problems and opportunities are not simply as important as anticipated.

Question 67

The requirements analysis phase comes after the problem analysis phase and defines the business requirements for a new system.

Question 68

The requirements analysis phase comes directly after the scope definition phase and is used to specify the model for the existing system, as well as the business requirements for the new system.

Question 69

The requirements analysis phase answers the question, "What do the users need and want from a new system?"

Question 70

The requirements analysis phase answers the question, "Is this system worth looking at?"

Question 71

The final deliverable and milestone of the requirements analysis phase is the production of a business requirements statement that will fulfill the system improvement objectives identified in the prior phase.

Question 72

The requirements phase typically includes a task to update or refine the project plan.

Question 73

Security is an example of a functional requirement.

Question 74

A nonfunctional requirement is a description of other features, characteristics and constraints that define a satisfactory system.

Question 75

A nonfunctional requirement is a description of other features, characteristics and constraints that will make the system unsatisfactory.

Question 76

The deliverables of the requirements analysis phase are the draft functional and non-functional requirements.

Question 77

Use cases evolved out of object-oriented analysis but have become common in many other methodologies.

Question 78

Requirements are often documented with use cases.

Question 79

All desirable requirements should be included in version 1.0.

Question 80

Requirements analysis never really ends.