Question 1

Which of the following is not a key guideline for managing day-to-day interactions with outsourced staff?
A) communicate frequently
B) closely monitor and manage the work of the outsourcer's staff
C) create a centralized project management office
D) hire offshore legal expertise for writing contracts

Accepted Answer

Closely monitoring and managing the work of the outsourcer's staff is not a key guideline for managing day-to-day interactions with outsourced staff.

Question 2

When a change made to one part of a system results in unexpected changes to another part of the system,it is commonly referred to as a ripple effect.

Accepted Answer

This is correct. When a change made to one part of a system has unexpected consequences in other parts of the system, it is often referred to as a ripple effect.

Question 3

All of the following are considered advantages to using RAD methodology,except:
A) dramatic savings in development time.
B) system quality much higher than with SDLC.
C) focuses on essential system requirements.
D) ability to rapidly change system design at user request.

Accepted Answer

RAD methodology may result in faster development time, a focus on essential requirements and the ability to quickly change designs. However, it does not necessarily guarantee higher system quality than SDLC.

Question 4

What is a specific characteristic of an application that can be important for determining the potential risks of developing a new business application by an employee with no professional IS training?
A) the number of users of the application
B) the potential impact on operations or decisions based on the application
C) the average age of the developer
D) both A and B

Accepted Answer

The number of users of the application and the potential impact on operations or decisions based on the application are both important characteristics to consider when determining potential risks of developing a new business application. The average age of the developer is not a relevant characteristic in this context.

Question 5

Which of the following is not a characteristic of eXtreme Programming (XP)?
A) it is a one type of so-called agile approaches to systems development
B) programmers write code in pairs and test their own code
C) both definition and construction tasks are accomplished together
D) it works best when developing large-scale, complex transaction processing systems

Accepted Answer

XP is known to work well for small-to-medium scale systems, but may not be suitable for large-scale, complex systems. Therefore, option D is not a characteristic of XP.

Question 6

The agile method that emphasizes independent project teams,coordination and communication between and within teams with lots of team meetings,iterative and continuous monitoring of work,team ownership of the final product is called:
A) XML.
B) RAD.
C) Scrum.
D) JAD.

Accepted Answer

The description matches the characteristics of the Scrum methodology, which is centered on self-organizing teams, frequent meetings, flexibility, and constant communication between teams and stakeholders. XML is a markup language used for data exchange, RAD is a rapid application development methodology, and JAD (Joint Application Development) is a workshop-based approach that involves stakeholders and IT professionals in the software design and development process.

Question 7

The parallel strategy of installing a new system is the riskiest method of installation because the old system is abandoned as soon as the new system is implemented.

Accepted Answer

The cutover (or cold turkey) strategy is riskiest.

Question 8

A type of testing where the objective is to make sure that the system performs reliably and does what it is supposed to do in a user environment is referred to as user acceptance testing.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. User acceptance testing (UAT) is the type of testing conducted to ensure that the system functions properly in the user environment and meets the user's requirements.

Question 9

A common shortcoming of user-developed applications is:
A) inadequate system testing.
B) inadequate knowledge of the business problem.
C) the usage of a prototyping methodology.
D) too much time spent on documenting the system.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A common shortcoming of user-developed applications is:
A)...

Question 10

Agile methodologies are especially useful for developing smaller systems rather than largescale transaction processing applications.

Accepted Answer

Agile methodologies prioritize flexibility and adaptability, making them well-suited for smaller projects where changing requirements are more likely. Larger systems, particularly those involving complex transaction processing, may require more rigorous planning and documentation to ensure reliability and scalability.

Question 11

The Construction phase of the SDLC involves installation and operations of the new system.

Accepted Answer

These steps are part of the Implementation phase.

Question 12

The SDLC methodology is the best methodology when an application needs to be quickly developed.

Accepted Answer

The SDLC is a very time-consuming process.

Question 13

A software tool used to automate one or more steps of a software development methodology is referred to as:
A) RAD.
B) Piloting.
C) JAD.
D) CASE.

Accepted Answer

CASE stands for Computer-Aided Software Engineering, which involves the use of software tools to automate one or more steps of a software development methodology. RAD (Rapid Application Development) and JAD (Joint Application Development) are both software development methodologies themselves and do not refer to software tools. Piloting is a process of implementing a small scale version of a software or system to test its feasibility and does not involve automation.

Question 14

Which is not a potential disadvantage of having an application developed by a business user,rather than an IS professional?
A) A similar application may already exist in another business unit, so it could be a redundant effort.
B) Users typically pay more attention to system controls for ensuring data quality and security, and therefore development costs are higher.
C) It is common for user developers to change jobs.
D) User-developed systems are frequently less well documented.

Accepted Answer

Users paying more attention to system controls for ensuring data quality and security, leading to higher development costs, is a disadvantage of having an application developed by a business user rather than an IS professional. The other options (A, C, and D) all point out potential disadvantages of user-developed systems.

Question 15

Which is a potential advantage of having an application developed by a business user,rather than an IS professional?
A) The system requirements do not have to be explained to an IS analyst.
B) If the system is a high priority for a business unit, it does not have to compete with other business units for IS personnel to work on it.
C) Business managers have more control over the development costs for the application.
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Having an application developed by a business user has several potential advantages, including not having to explain system requirements to an IS analyst, prioritization for development resources within the business unit, and more control over development costs. All of these advantages are included in option D.

Question 16

What three characteristics should be evaluated by organizations when choosing whether or not to have a non-IS professional develop a new application?
A) application, development tool, and telecommunications characteristics
B) training classes attended by user, IS professional certifications, security issues
C) application, development tool, and developer characteristics
D) number of years developer has been in the organization, the application size, and the cost of the development tool

Accepted Answer

When choosing whether a non-IS professional should develop a new application, the three characteristics that should be evaluated are the application, development tool, and developer characteristics. This is because the success of the application and its long-term maintainability depends on the skill set of the developer and their ability to use the appropriate development tools. The application characteristics are also important to consider to ensure that the end product meets the organization's requirements. The other options (A, B, and D) do not accurately reflect the key considerations for this decision.

Question 17

Some consultants have claimed that up to one-third of all spreadsheets contain errors,which can include mechanical errors (typos),errors in logic,as well as errors in omission.

Accepted Answer

Several studies have revealed the prevalence of errors in spreadsheets. Some studies estimated that up to 88% of spreadsheets contained errors, while others found that 50-80% of spreadsheets had significant errors. Therefore, it is likely that up to one-third of all spreadsheets contain errors. These errors can result from mechanical errors, such as typos or incorrect formulas, as well as errors in logic or omission.

Quiz 9: Methodologies for Custom Software Development

Which of the following is not a key guideline for managing day-to-day interactions with outsourced staff?

When a change made to one part of a system results in unexpected changes to another part of the system,it is commonly referred to as a ripple effect.

All of the following are considered advantages to using RAD methodology,except:

What is a specific characteristic of an application that can be important for determining the potential risks of developing a new business application by an employee with no professional IS training?

Which of the following is not a characteristic of eXtreme Programming (XP) ?

The agile method that emphasizes independent project teams,coordination and communication between and within teams with lots of team meetings,iterative and continuous monitoring of work,team ownership of the final product is called:

The parallel strategy of installing a new system is the riskiest method of installation because the old system is abandoned as soon as the new system is implemented.

A type of testing where the objective is to make sure that the system performs reliably and does what it is supposed to do in a user environment is referred to as user acceptance testing.

A common shortcoming of user-developed applications is:

Agile methodologies are especially useful for developing smaller systems rather than largescale transaction processing applications.

The Construction phase of the SDLC involves installation and operations of the new system.

The SDLC methodology is the best methodology when an application needs to be quickly developed.

A software tool used to automate one or more steps of a software development methodology is referred to as:

Which is not a potential disadvantage of having an application developed by a business user,rather than an IS professional?

Which is a potential advantage of having an application developed by a business user,rather than an IS professional?

What three characteristics should be evaluated by organizations when choosing whether or not to have a non-IS professional develop a new application?

Some consultants have claimed that up to one-third of all spreadsheets contain errors,which can include mechanical errors (typos),errors in logic,as well as errors in omission.