Deck 20: Introduction to Systems Development and Systems Analysis

Question 1

Identify the statement below that is not a major reason companies change their information systems.

A) in response to changes in user needs
B) in response to technological changes
C) to gain a competitive advantage
D) to take advantage of tax benefits

Answer 1

D

Question 2

All of the elements of the system come together in which step of the systems development life cycle?

A) conceptual design
B) implementation and conversion
C) physical design
D) systems analysis

Answer 2

B

Question 3

An information system used by an furniture maker took 48 hours to process an order received over the internet.After upgrading the system,processing time was reduced to sixty seconds.This is an example of

A) a competitive advantage.
B) a technological change.
C) an improved business process.
D) growth.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Who prepares a systems analysis report?

A) computer analysts
B) management
C) the project development team
D) the steering committee

Question 5

When would a company go through a systems development life cycle?

A) only when major changes are needed
B) only when minor changes are needed
C) anytime changes are needed
D) Usually a company only goes through one complete systems development life cycle, after which the only phase that is repeated is the operations and maintenance phase.

Question 6

Who is responsible for planning and monitoring a project to ensure timely and cost-effective completion?

A) information systems steering committee
B) management
C) project development team
D) accountants

Question 7

In which phase of the systems development life cycle are the broad needs of the users converted into detailed specifics that are coded and tested?

A) conceptual design
B) implementation and conversion
C) physical design
D) systems analysis

Question 8

What is the correct sequence of the phases in the systems development life cycle?

A) conceptual design, physical design, system analysis, implementation and conversion, and operations and maintenance
B) operations and maintenance, conceptual design, system analysis, physical design, implementation and conversion
C) system analysis, conceptual design, physical design, implementation and conversion, and operations and maintenance
D) system analysis, physical design, conceptual design, and operations and maintenance, implementation and conversion

Question 9

Which group of individuals listed below can be the most effective in generating employee support and encouraging the development and acceptance of an AIS project?

A) accountants
B) information systems steering committee
C) management
D) project development team

Question 10

Fairfax Corporation uses two systems for revenue cycle transaction processing.One system keeps track of customer sales.The other system keeps track of accounts receivable.Last year,Fairfax Corporation decided to merge the two systems into one so that both functions could be performed in the same system.This is an example of

A) competitive advantage.
B) technological innovation.
C) productivity gains.
D) systems integration.

Question 11

What role does the information systems steering committee play in the systems development process?

A) It guides project development.
B) It is an executive-level group established to plan and oversee the information systems function.
C) It designs system controls and periodically monitors the system to verify the controls are implemented and functioning properly.
D) None of the descriptions above are appropriate.

Question 12

Who is responsible for ensuring that the new system will meet the needs of users?

A) accountants
B) system programmers
C) the project development team
D) system analysts

Question 13

Which of the following activities is performed during the systems development life cycle?

A) assessing the ongoing feasibility of the project
B) managing the behavioral reactions to change
C) planning
D) All of the above activities are performed during the life cycle.

Question 14

The purpose of systems analysis is to

A) identify the problem to be solved by the new (or redesigned) system and the causes of the problem in the current system.
B) determine design specifications for the new (or redesigned) system.
C) communicate information needs to consider during business process reengineering.
D) discover any violations of policies established by the information systems steering committee.

Question 15

Approximately what percentage of software development projects are cancelled before they are ever completed?

A) 70%
B) 30%
C) 66%
D) 54%

Question 16

A company that invests in a system in the hopes of improving product or service quality is attempting to use their information system to gain

A) a competitive advantage.
B) improved business processes.
C) productivity gains.
D) better systems integration.

Question 17

Who is responsible for preparing the specifications used to create or revise system programs?

A) management
B) system programmers
C) systems analysts
D) accountants

Question 18

Identify the main reasons why companies change existing systems?

Question 19

The ________ step of the systems development life cycle (SDLC)identifies and evaluates design alternatives and to develop design specifications.

A) conceptual design.
B) implementation and conversion.
C) physical design.
D) systems analysis.

Question 20

Describe the physical design stage of the systems development life cycle.

Question 21

Which planning technique does not show the relationships among various activities?

A) Gantt chart
B) PERT
C) the critical path method
D) VAN

Question 22

Which of the following statements about systems development is true?

A) Planning throughout the systems development life cycle promotes coordination between systems and strategic plans.
B) Organizations should conduct systems development activities at least once every five years.
C) The systems development steps are critical for profit-oriented businesses, but are too expensive and time consuming for most not-for-profit organizations.
D) Diligently following the steps and suggestions in the systems development life cycle ensures the final system will meet user needs and be implemented at or below the budgeted cost.

Question 23

Which of the following about planning for systems development is false?

A) Project plans are developed for each new system and each system modification. Then, these project plans are combined together to form the master plan.
B) A project development plan includes an economic feasibility analysis and a schedule of activities.
C) The master plan identifies system goals, who will develop the system, and the resources that will be needed.
D) The master plan includes details about organizational goals, existing systems and resources, projects being conducted, and predictions of future needs and requirements.

Question 24

Refer to the diagram below,where the numbers next to the arrows refer to the number of days required for completion of the corresponding activity.What is the critical path?

A) A-B-D-F
B) A-C-E-F
C) A-B-D-E-F
D) A-C-B-D-F
E) A-C-B-D-E-F

Question 25

Refer to the diagram below,where the numbers next to the arrows refer to the number of days required for completion of the corresponding activity.What is the critical path?

A) A-B-D-F
B) A-C-E-F
C) A-B-D-E-F
D) A-C-B-D-F
E) A-C-B-D-E-F

Question 26

An effective project development team consists of

A) systems analysts.
B) accountants.
C) users.
D) all of the above

Question 27

In which tool is a prioritized list of projects contained?

A) project development plan
B) implementation plan
C) the master plan
D) all of the above

Question 28

A network of arrows and nodes representing project activities that require an expenditure of time and resources and the completion of initiation of activities,respectively,is called

A) a Gantt chart.
B) a PERT diagram.
C) a SDLC cycle.
D) CASE.

Question 29

Identify the individuals who make up the project development team and describe the team's purpose.

Question 30

Describe the importance of the master plan in systems development.

Question 31

________ requires that all activities and the precedent and subsequent relationships among them be identified.

A) A CASE diagram
B) A Gantt chart
C) A PERT diagram
D) A SDLC cycle

Question 32

Who should communicate frequently with users and hold regular meetings to consider ideas and discuss progress so there are no surprises upon project completion?

A) information systems steering committee
B) management
C) project development team
D) accountants

Question 33

Identify and discuss the role of the groups that influence the development and implementation of an AIS.

Question 34

PERT is an acronym that stands for

A) program evaluation and review technique.
B) process effort and resource table.
C) preliminary expenditures and revision template.
D) performance effectiveness and refinement target.

Question 35

The ________ is the basic building block of information systems planning.

A) master plan
B) project development plan
C) systems analysis plan
D) implementation plan

Question 36

Refer to the diagram below,where the numbers next to the arrows refer to the number of days required for completion of the corresponding activity.What is the critical path?

A) A-B-D-F
B) A-C-E-F
C) A-B-D-E-F
D) A-C-B-D-F
E) A-C-B-D-E-F

Question 37

Who is responsible for maintaining existing computer programs?

A) management
B) system programmers
C) systems analysts
D) accountants

Question 38

A planning horizon of at least ________ years is common for any master plan; however,the plan should be updated at least ________ each year.

A) 3; four times
B) 5; four times
C) 3; two times
D) 5; two times

Question 39

All of the following are benefits of planning and managing systems development except

A) controlling costs.
B) ensuring systems are consistent with organizational goals.
C) guaranteeing that employees use the system.
D) aids in keeping the organization abreast of technological change.

Question 40

External parties may need to participate in an organization's systems development and analysis process.

Question 41

Suppose a state law mandates that the firm maintained certain sales information.Where should this requirement be considered in a feasibility study?

A) economic feasibility
B) legal feasibility
C) operational feasibility
D) technical feasibility

Question 42

Estimating future cash flows and discounting them back to the present is part of which capital budgeting technique?

A) the future value method
B) the internal rate of return
C) the net present value method
D) the payback method

Question 43

Which of the following is the most important and frequently analyzed aspect of a feasibility study?

A) economic feasibility
B) technical feasibility
C) legal feasibility
D) operational feasibility

Question 44

Which of the following aspect of a feasibility study is concerned with meeting external reporting requirements?

A) technical feasibility
B) legal feasibility
C) scheduling feasibility
D) operational feasibility

Question 45

________ model is the basic model used to create a framework for an economic feasibility analysis.

A) The capital budgeting
B) The cash budgeting
C) The cost/benefit
D) All of the above models are used to create a feasibility framework.

Question 46

The most important and is frequently re-analyzed part of a feasibility study is the ________ aspect.

A) economic feasibility
B) operational feasibility
C) scheduling feasibility
D) technical feasibility

Question 47

Refer to the table below,which shows the results of payback,net present value,and internal rate of return analysis of four projects.Which is preferred by the payback criterion?

A) Project A
B) Project B
C) Project C
D) Project D

Question 48

It is most difficult to quantify ________ when assessing economic feasibility.

A) benefits
B) costs
C) the payback period
D) costs, benefits, and the payback period

Question 49

Refer to the table below,which shows the results of payback,net present value,and internal rate of return analysis of four projects.Which is preferred by the internal rate of return criterion?

A) Project A
B) Project B
C) Project C
D) Project D

Question 50

Which of the following aspect of a feasibility study is concerned with human resources?

A) technical feasibility
B) legal feasibility
C) scheduling feasibility
D) operational feasibility

Question 51

A feasibility study should first be performed in the ________ stage of the systems development life cycle.

A) conceptual design
B) implementation and conversion
C) physical design
D) system analysis

Question 52

Identify the statement below that best describes a Gantt chart.

A) a network of arrows and nodes representing project activities
B) a bar chart with project activities on the left-hand side and units of time across the top
C) a pie chart with the size of estimated expenditures represented as slices
D) a scatterplot diagram with activities on the Y access and dots representing the potential expenditures of each activity

Question 53

Refer to the table below,which shows the results of payback,net present value,and internal rate of return analysis of four projects.Which is preferred by the payback criterion?

A) Project A
B) Project B
C) Project C
D) Project D

Question 54

A consideration of whether an organization's employees will use a new or revised system represents the ________ aspect of a feasibility study.

A) economic feasibility
B) operational feasibility
C) scheduling feasibility
D) technical feasibility

Question 55

Refer to the table below,which shows the results of payback,net present value,and internal rate of return analysis of four projects.Which is preferred by the net present value criterion?

A) Project A
B) Project B
C) Project C
D) Project D

Question 56

Estimating benefits and expenditures to determine whether a proposed system would be beneficial is known as

A) the "best guess" model of benefit analysis.
B) the "value added" benefit model.
C) the capital budgeting model.
D) the estimated benefits model.

Question 57

One disadvantage of a Gantt chart is the fact that

A) it does not show the entire schedule for a project.
B) it does not show project progress.
C) it does not show relationships among project activities.
D) it does not permit an individual to quickly determine which activities are behind schedule.

Question 58

Companies usually accept the project with the ________ when using the payback method to determine a project's economic feasibility.

A) longest payback period
B) weighted average payback period
C) payback period that is equal to the project's economic life
D) shortest payback period

Question 59

Refer to the table below,which shows the results of payback,net present value,and internal rate of return analysis of four projects.Which is preferred by the net present value criterion?

A) Project A
B) Project B
C) Project C
D) Project D

Question 60

Refer to the table below,which shows the results of payback,net present value,and internal rate of return analysis of four projects.Which is preferred by the internal rate of return criterion?

A) Project A
B) Project B
C) Project C
D) Project D

Question 61

Which method of data gathering is most likely to result in information that represents the personal biases and opinions of the person giving the information?

A) a questionnaire
B) an interview
C) observation by the analyst
D) system documentation

Question 62

Identify the behavioral problem below that arises due to users receiving an insufficient explanation of why a system must be changed.

A) communication
B) natural resistance to change
C) the manner in which the change is introduced
D) top management support of change

Question 63

Describe economic feasibility analysis.What techniques are used in economic feasibility analysis?

Question 64

________ is a form of resistance when users continue to use a manual process instead of adopting a new information system.

A) Acceptance
B) Aggression
C) Avoidance
D) Aggravation

Question 65

On October 15,2013,a newly installed robotic vacuuming system stopped working.A service technician was called to repair the robots.The technician found that water had been placed into the robot's path,causing it to malfunction.This is an example of dealing with change by

A) deterrence.
B) projection.
C) avoidance.
D) aggression.

Question 66

A good rule to follow to prevent behavioral problems associated with implementing a new system is "Avoid complex systems that cause radical changes." What expression is used to describe this system design rule?

A) allay fears and stress new opportunities
B) keep the system simple and humanize it
C) control users' expectations
D) test the system

Question 67

During ________ of systems analysis,an examination made of each development activity to define the problem to be solved.

A) information needs and systems requirements
B) the feasibility study
C) the initial investigation
D) the systems survey

Question 68

Modeling of the existing system occurs during the ________ phase of systems analysis.

A) information needs and system requirements
B) feasibility study
C) initial investigation
D) systems survey

Question 69

Three months after Modern Helpdesks Incorporated began accepting e-mail service requests,several service advisors had never checked their e-mail accounts.This is an example of dealing with change by

A) deterrence.
B) projection.
C) avoidance.
D) aggression.

Question 70

In order to reduce resistance resulting from uncertainty,what guideline should be implemented and followed during the systems development process?

A) attempt to meet the users' needs
B) avoid emotionalism
C) keep communication lines open
D) keep the system simple

Question 71

Identify and describe the five types of feasibility that must be considered throughout the system development life cycle.

Question 72

Dysfunctional employee behavior in response to implementation of a new computerized information system is likely to be the result of

A) poor human resource policies.
B) lack of communication and training.
C) weak system controls.
D) inadequate compensation policies.

Question 73

Significant system changes were implemented two months ago.The changes were well-planned,well-designed,thoroughly tested before and after conversion,and several employee training sessions were conducted.Still,the changes haven't resulted in any productivity increases,cost savings,or process improvements.Management is puzzled and needs to find out why the system isn't successful.The best action for management to take is

A) conduct face-to-face interviews with managers, key personnel, and randomly selected employees from each functional area impacted by the system changes in an attempt to discover why the changes aren't effective.
B) make sure the system changes were well documented and review the documentation to see if perhaps some important feature or process was overlooked during the design phase.
C) e-mail a series of questions to all employees, asking for input about further changes that would bring about the desired results.
D) advise employees that consultants will be conducting observation sessions over the next two weeks to determine if employees have fully implemented changes and whether there is any evidence of resistance to the changes.

Question 74

When seeking to find answers to question pertaining to "why," the most useful approach is to

A) conduct interviews.
B) make observations.
C) distribute questionnaires.
D) read system documentation.

Question 75

________ is a form of user resistance where data are erroneously entered into a system.

A) Acceptance
B) Aggression
C) Avoidance
D) Aggravation

Question 76

When is a proposal to conduct a systems analysis prepared?

A) after a written request for systems development is prepared
B) after the development team completes the survey of the existing AIS
C) after the initial investigation of the project is approved
D) before the initial investigation

Question 77

Identify the form of user resistance that occurs when the new system is blamed for any unpleasant occurrence.

A) passive-aggression
B) proclivity
C) procrastination
D) projection

Question 78

Shortly after a new automated quality assurance system was deployed,a firm's production output dropped by five percent.The shift manager blamed the new system,declaring that "after we laid off staff,nothing went as fast." This is an example of dealing with change by

A) deterrence.
B) projection.
C) avoidance.
D) aggression.

Question 79

When the information is brief and well defined,which is the best data-gathering approach to use?

A) a questionnaire
B) an interview
C) observation by the analyst
D) system documentation

Question 80

What are some of the reasons why behavioral problems occur when a new AIS is introduced?