Deck 13: Developing Information Systems

Question 1

The direct cutover strategy replaces the old system entirely with the new system on an appointed day.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

TQM consists of setting strict standards for products,services,and other activities and then measuring performance against those standards.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The information requirements of a new system involve identifying who needs what information,where,when,and how.Requirements analysis carefully defines the objectives of the new or modified system and develops a detailed description of the functions that the new system must perform.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

System testing tests the functioning of the information system as a whole.

Question 5

Systems design is the analysis of the problem that the organization will try to solve with an information system.

Question 6

The pilot study strategy introduces the new system to only a limited area of the organization,such as a single department or operating unit.

Question 7

Acceptance testing provides the final certification that the system is ready to be used in a production setting.

Question 8

Many companies today are focusing on developing new information systems that will improve their business processes.

Question 9

The activities that go into producing an information system solution to an organizational problem or opportunity are called systems analysis.

Question 10

The most common form of IT-enabled organizational change is automation.

Question 11

Work flow management is the process of streamlining business procedures so that documents can be moved easily and efficiently.

Question 12

Conversion is the process of changing from the old system to the new system.

Question 13

Calculating paycheques and payroll registers,giving bank tellers instant access to customer deposit records are both examples of early automation.

Question 14

The systems design would include a feasibility study to determine whether that solution was feasible or achievable from a financial,technical,and organizational standpoint.

Question 15

One of the most important strategic decisions that a firm can make is not deciding how to use information systems to improve business processes but rather understanding what business processes need improvement.

Question 16

In a parallel strategy,both the old system and its potential replacement are run together for a time until everyone is assured that the new one functions correctly.

Question 17

Seven sigma is a specific measure of quality,representing 3.4 defects per million opportunities.

Question 18

Work flow management (WFM)enables organizations to manage incremental process changes that are required simultaneously in many areas of the business.

Question 19

A paradigm shift involves rethinking the nature of the business and the nature of the organization.

Question 20

Unit testing,or program testing,consists of testing each program separately in the system.

Question 21

Request for Proposal (RFP)is a detailed list of questions submitted to packaged-software vendors.

Question 22

Thorough testing is not required if,during the programming stage,the design documents are sufficiently detailed.

Question 23

A problem with prototyping is that the systems constructed using this method may not be able to handle large quantities of data in a production environment.

Question 24

The system is not in production until conversion is complete.

Question 25

Objects are grouped into hierarchies,and hierarchies into classes.

Question 26

A structure chart is a bottom-up chart,showing each level of design,its relationship to other levels,and its place in the overall design structure.

Question 27

A data flow diagram offers a logical and graphical model of information flow,partitioning a system into modules that show manageable levels of detail.

Question 28

The phased approach strategy introduces the new system in stages,either by functions or by organizational units.

Question 29

CASE tools facilitate the creation of clear documentation and the coordination of team development efforts.

Question 30

Prototyping is more iterative than the conventional lifecycle.

Question 31

Object-oriented development is more incremental than traditional structured development.

Question 32

Failure to address properly the organizational changes surrounding the introduction of a new system can cause the demise of an otherwise good system.

Question 33

Rationalization of procedures describes a radical rethinking of the business models.

Question 34

Rationalization allows a software package to be modified to meet an organization's unique requirements without destroying the integrity of the package software.

Question 35

Documentation reveals how well the system has met its original objectives.

Question 36

The systems life cycle consists of developing an experimental system rapidly and inexpensively for end users to evaluate.

Question 37

TQM describes the measurement of quality as 3.4 defects per million.

Question 38

The oldest method for building information systems is prototyping.

Question 39

End-user languages are software tools that provide immediate online answers to requests for information that are not predefined.

Question 40

Object-oriented development uses the kernel as the basic unit of systems analysis and design.

Question 41

To be used effectively,CASE tools require organizational discipline.

Question 42

Systems development activities always take place in sequential order.

Question 43

New information systems are an outgrowth of a process of organizational problem solving.

Question 44

Hidden costs typically increase the total cost of an offshore outsourcing project by an extra 50 to 75 percent.

Question 45

The local bank has taken their loan application screening process and input the loan application into a computer database.This makes it possible for those who process the loan to do it faster and more efficiently.This is an example of ________.

A)a paradigm shift
B)re-engineering
C)rationalization
D)automation

Question 46

Approximately 20 percent of the time devoted to maintenance is used for debugging or correcting emergency production problems.

Question 47

The four kinds of structural organizational change enabled by IT,in order from least to most risky,are

A)rationalization,automation,reengineering,and redesigning.
B)rationalization,automation,reengineering,and paradigm shift.
C)automation,rationalization,reengineering,and paradigm shift.
D)automation,redesigning,restructuring,and paradigm shift.

Question 48

Paradigm shifts and prototyping often fail because extensive organizational change is so difficult to orchestrate.

Question 49

Once the existing process is mapped and measured in terms of time and cost,the process design team is finished.

Question 50

Systems development can be broken down into six core activities.

Question 51

Once a process has been implemented and optimized,it needs to be measured twice.

Question 52

One advantage of fourth-generation tools is that they can easily handle processing large numbers of transactions or applications with extensive procedural logic and updating requirements.

Question 53

There are alternative methodologies for modelling and designing systems,the most prominent are structured methodologies and object-oriented development.

Question 54

Developing a new information system is one kind of unplanned organizational change.

Question 55

Information technology can promote various degrees of organizational change,ranging from large to far-reaching.

Question 56

The Canadian trucking and transportation firm Trans-X used new information systems to change its business model.Trans-X created a new business managing the logistics for other companies.This more radical form of business change is called ________.

A)a paradigm shift
B)re-engineering
C)rationalization
D)automation

Question 57

________ is a specific measure of quality,representing 3.4 defects per million opportunities.

A)Six sigma
B)TQM
C)BPM
D)BPR

Question 58

End-user-developed systems can be completed more rapidly than those developed through the conventional systems lifecycle.

Question 59

Ford Motor Company's invoiceless processing,which reduced headcount in Ford's North American accounts payable organization of 500 people by 75 percent.Ford changed its accounts payable process so that the purchasing department enters a purchase order into an online database that can be checked by the receiving department when the ordered items arrive.If the received goods match the purchase order,the system automatically generates a cheque for accounts payable to send to the vendor.There is no need for vendors to send invoices.This is an example of ________.

A)a paradigm shift
B)re-engineering
C)rationalization
D)automation

Question 60

In some forms of outsourcing,a company hires an external vendor to create the software for its system,but operates the software on its own computers.

Question 61

Business processes are analyzed,simplified,and redesigned in

A)BPR.
B)rationalization of procedures.
C)automation.
D)a paradigm shift.

Question 62

The process of streamlining business procedures so that documents can be moved easily and efficiently is called

A)business process reengineering
B)automation
C)work flow management
D)rationalization

Question 63

Which of the following statements about business process reengineering is NOT true?

A)It is primarily an ongoing effort by a firm that continually readjusts and measures the effectiveness of new procedures.
B)It typically focuses on one or two strategic business processes that need radical change.
C)BPR projects tend to be expensive and organizationally disruptive.
D)To judge effectiveness,the performance of a business process should be measured both before and after re-engineering.

Question 64

John is in the process describing what the new system should do to meet information requirements,and John will show how the system will fulfill this objective.Like the blueprint of a building or house,John will give all the specifications that give the system its form and structure.John details the system specifications that will deliver the functions identified during systems analysis.John is in which stage of system development?

A)system design
B)system analysis
C)programming
D)testing

Question 65

Bobby has decided on a conversion strategy to the new system.In this strategy,he will introduce the new system in stages,either by functions or by organizational units.If,for example,the system is introduced by functions,a new payroll system might begin with hourly workers who are paid weekly,followed six months later by adding salaried employees (who are paid monthly)to the system.If the system is introduced by organizational units,corporate headquarters might be converted first,followed by outlying operating units four months later.Which conversion strategy are they employing?

A)phased approach strategy
B)pilot study strategy
C)direct cutover strategy
D)parallel strategy

Question 66

In the case of ________,the decision tends to be much more cost-driven.A skilled programmer in India or Russia earns about $11 000 per year,compared to $65 000 per year for a comparable programmer in Canada.

A)offshore outsourcing
B)outsourcing
C)end users
D)off the shelf

Question 67

John is in the process of developing a new system.John is defining the problem,identifying its causes,specifying the solution,and identifying the information requirements that must be met by a system solution.John creates a road map of the existing organization and systems,identifying the primary owners and users of data along with existing hardware and software.John will then detail the problems of existing systems.By examining documents,work papers,and procedures;observing system operations;and interviewing key users of the systems,John can identify the problem areas and objectives a solution would achieve.John is in which stage of system development?

A)system design
B)system analysis
C)programming
D)testing

Question 68

The idea that the achievement of quality control is an end in itself describes a main concept of

A)BPM.
B)BPR.
C)six sigma.
D)TQM.

Question 69

________ provide(s)a methodology and tools for dealing with the organization's ongoing need to revise-and ideally optimize-its numerous internal business processes and processes shared with other organizations.

A)BPR
B)BPM
C)CASE tools
D)TQM

Question 70

Which process develops a detailed description of the functions that a new information system must perform?

A)feasibility study
B)requirements analysis
C)systems design
D)test plan development

Question 71

Eddy has decided on a conversion strategy to the new system.In this strategy,it replaces the old system entirely with the new system on an appointed day.It is a very risky approach that can potentially be more costly than running two systems in parallel if serious problems with the new system are found.There is no other system to fall back on.Dislocations,disruptions,and the cost of corrections may be enormous.Which conversion strategy are they employing?

A)phased approach strategy
B)pilot study strategy
C)direct cutover strategy
D)parallel strategy

Question 72

Based on your reading of the chapter,the redesign of mortgage application process by major mortgage banks was an example of which type of organizational change?

A)automation
B)paradigm shift
C)business process reengineering
D)restructuring

Question 73

In automation

A)business processes are simplified.
B)business processes are reorganized to cut waste and eliminate repetitive,paper-intensive tasks.
C)standard operating procedures are streamlined to remove bottlenecks.
D)employees are enabled to perform their tasks more efficiently.

Question 74

Enabling organizations to make continual improvements to many business processes and to use processes as the fundamental building blocks of corporate information systems is the goal of

A)BPM.
B)BPR.
C)reengineering.
D)work flow management.

Question 75

John is in the process of developing a new system.This current stage is exhaustive and thorough and must be conducted to ascertain whether the system produces the right results.John must answer the question,"Will the system produce the desired results under known conditions?" The amount of time needed to answer this question has been traditionally underrated in systems project planning.This stage is time consuming: data must be carefully prepared,results reviewed,and corrections made in the system.In some instances,parts of the system may have to be redesigned.The risks resulting from glossing over this step are enormous.John is in which stage of system development?

A)system design
B)system analysis
C)programming
D)testing

Question 76

Susan has decided on a conversion strategy to the new system.In this strategy,both the old system and its potential replacement are run together for a time until everyone is assured that the new one functions correctly.This is the safest conversion approach because,in the event of errors or processing disruptions,the old system can still be used as a backup.However,this approach is very expensive,and additional staff or resources may be required to run the extra system.Which conversion strategy are they employing?

A)phased approach strategy
B)pilot study strategy
C)direct cutover strategy
D)parallel strategy

Question 77

John is in the process of developing a new system.During the current stage,system specifications that were prepared during the design stage are translated into software program code.John is in which stage of system development?

A)system design
B)system analysis
C)programming
D)testing

Question 78

The entire system-building effort is driven by

A)organizational change.
B)feasibility studies.
C)the information value chain.
D)user information requirements.

Question 79

Eddy has decided on a conversion strategy to the new system.In this strategy,it introduces the new system to only a limited area of the organization,such as a single department or operating unit.When this limited area is complete and working smoothly,it is installed throughout the rest of the organization,either simultaneously or in stages.Which conversion strategy are they employing?

A)phased approach strategy
B)pilot study strategy
C)direct cutover strategy
D)parallel strategy

Question 80

________ focuses on rapid delivery of working software by breaking a large project into a series of small sub-projects that are completed in short periods of time using iteration and continuous feedback.

A)JAD
B)RAD
C)Prototyping
D)Agile development