Term
| What are some examples of companies who have used IT to gain a competetive advantage? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why do companies look to IT for more than just ROI |
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Definition
| Sought innovation in business processes, management systems, policies, core business models. |
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Term
| What are some current trends in the information age? |
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Definition
1.) Internet growth and technology (digital) convergence.
2.) Transformation of the business enterprise.
3.) Growth of a globally connected economy.
4.) The rise of the information economy.
5.) The emergence of the digital company. |
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Term
| What are some business objectives of information systems? |
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Definition
1.) operational excellence ( Wal Mart )
2.) New products, services, and business models.
3.) Customer and supplier intimacy ( Axicom)
4.) Improved decision making
5.) Competetive advantage.
6.) Survival. |
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Term
| What are five key components of information systems? |
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Definition
| hardware, software, data, processes, and people |
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Term
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Definition
| Asynchronous JavaScript and XML is not a new programming language but a technique that uses existing languages to make web pages function more like a traditional desktop application program. |
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Term
| What are some responsibilities of the systems analyst? |
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Definition
| Translate business requirements into IT projects. |
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Term
| What kind of knowledge does a systems analyst need? |
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Definition
| Technical knowledge, oral and written communication, analytic ability, understanding of business operations, and certifications ( Cisco, microsoft, novell) |
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Term
| What are the three primary roles of a system analyst? |
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Definition
| Consultant, supporting expert, agent of change. |
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Term
| What are some qualities of the systems analyst? |
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Definition
| Problem solver, good communicator, technically qualified, business oriented, personal and professional ethics, self disciplined and self motivated, good decision making capabilities. |
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Term
| What are the top 3 trends in technology infrastructure? |
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Definition
1.) new client computing ( small mobile devices now connected)
2.) Merging of internet, tv, and telephone communications
3.) Back end computing |
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Term
| What are some trends in application software availability? |
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Definition
1.) SaaS- where the application and its data are accessed via the internet without locally installed programs.
2.) Open Source Software - a movement to create , share and modify software which is not proprietary. ( Linux operating system, mozilla firefox web browser)
3.) The web as an application platform ( plug ins, gadgets, API's ( application programming interface ),RIA ( a type of web site that provides active user interaction as well as delivers rich multimedia) |
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Term
| What are some examples of RIA? |
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Definition
| Javascript and ajax libraries, html5, adobe flash, microsoft silverlight. |
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Term
| What are some trends in Systems development? |
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Definition
1.) HCI considerations
2.) Agile iterative development
3.) Emphasis on traditional project management techniques
4.) UML models and modeling techniques. |
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Term
| What are some approached to analysis and design: |
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Definition
1.) Traditional systems ( SDLC or waterfall) - Phased approaches, may be used with or without the use of case.
2.) Iterative approach- series of releases over time
3.) Agile approach - Assumes a state of constant change, requirements may change on a daily basis.
4.) Object oriented systems ( UML ) |
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Term
| What are some facts about the SDLC? |
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Definition
1.) It is a phased approach to solving business problems.
2.) each phase has unqie user activities
3.) Should be used when systems have been developed and documented using SLDC, it is important to document each step, upper level management feels comfortable with it, adequate resources and time to complete the full SDLC. |
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Term
| What are the phases of the SDLC? |
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Definition
1.) Identify problems, opportunities and objectives
2.) Determine human information requirements
3.) Analyzing system needs
4.) Designing the system
5.) Developing and documenting software
6.) Testing and maintaining the system
7.) Implementing and evaluating the system. |
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Term
| What are some activities involved in the first step of the SLDC? ( Identifying problems, opportunities, and objectives) |
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Definition
| Interviews, summarizing knowledge obtained, estimating scope of project. Some outputs that should result are a feasability report so management can decide whether or not to proceed with the project. |
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Term
| What are some activities associated with determinign information requirements? |
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Definition
| Interviewing, sampling and investing hard data, questionnaires and prototyping, learning the 5 w's of the current system. Outputs include understanding from the analyst, knowing the business functions, and have complete info on the people, goals, data and procedure involved. |
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Term
| What are some activities involved with analyzing system needs? |
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Definition
| Creating data flow, activity, or sequence diagrams. Completing the data dictionary, analyzing the structured decisions made, prepare and present system proposal. Outputs should include recommendations on what, if anything should be done. |
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Term
| What are some activites involved in designing the reccomended system? |
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Definition
| Design procedures for data entry, design HCI, design system controls, design database, design backup procedures. The output should be a model of the actual system. |
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Term
| What are activities involved in developing and documenting software? |
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Definition
1.) system analyst works with programmers to develop any original software.
2.) Works with users to develop effective documentation
3.) Programmers design, code, and remove syntactical errors from computer programs.
Output should be computer programs and system documentation. |
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Term
| What are some activities involved in testing and maintaining the system? |
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Definition
Testing the information system, system maintenance, maintenance documentation.
Output should be problems ( if any , updated programs, and documentation ) |
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Term
| What are some activities involved with implementing and evaluating the system. |
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Definition
| Training users, analyst plans smooth conversion from old system to new system, reviewing and evaluating system. Output should be trained personell and an installed system. |
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Term
| What is the impact of maintenance? |
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Definition
| removes software errors, and enhances existing software. |
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Term
| What are the three current iterative methodologies? |
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Definition
1.) The unified process ( UP )
2.) Extreme Programming ( XP )
3.) Scrum |
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Term
| When should you use an agile approach? |
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Definition
1.) There is a project champion of agile methods in the organization.
2.) Apps need to be developed quickly in response to a dynamic environment.
3.) A rescue takes place.
4.) Customoer is satisfied with incremental improvements. |
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Term
| What are the five stages of agile development? |
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Definition
1.) Exploration
2.) Planning
3.) Iterations to the first release
4.) Productionizing
5.) Maintenance |
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Term
| When should you uses and Object oriented systems analysis and design approach? |
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Definition
1.) The problems modeled lend themselves to classes.
2.) An organization supports the UML learning
3.) Systems can be added gradually, one subsystem at a time
4.) Reuse of previously written software is a possibility
5.) It is acceptable to tackle the difficult problems first. |
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Term
| What are the stages in the UML approach? |
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Definition
1.) Define the use case model
2.) Analysis stage
3.) Design Stage
4.) Implementation stage |
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Term
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Definition
| A potentially-complex, nonroutine, one time effort limitied by time, budget, resources, and performance specifications designed to meet customer needs. |
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Term
| What are some major characteritics of a project? |
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Definition
| Has an established objective, has defined life span with a beginning and an end, require across the organizational participation. Has specific time, cost, and performace requirements, involves doing something never been done before. |
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Term
| Successful Projects have what characteristics: |
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Definition
1.) Agreement among the project team, customers, and management on the goals of the project.
2.) A plan that shows an overall path and clear responsibilities and will be used to measure progress during the project.
3.) Constant, effective communication among everyone involved in the project.
4.) a controlled scope
5.) Management support. |
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Term
| What are some reasons software projects fail? |
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Definition
unclear or missing business requirements.
Scope Creep
Feature Creep
Failure to manage project plan
Ignorance and optimisim
Changing technology |
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Term
| What is project management? |
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Definition
| the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. |
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Term
| What are the major project participants? |
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Definition
| project manager, project stakeholder, executive sponsor. |
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Term
| What are some factors driving outsourcing? |
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Definition
1.) Core competencies
2.) Financial savings
3.) Rapid growth
4.) The internet and globalization |
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Term
| Generally, you want to outsource: |
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Definition
| Noncore business functions |
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Term
| What are some challeneges project managers face? |
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Definition
1.) Personell
2.) Estimating
3.) Authority
4.) Controls |
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Term
| When determining a potential project, what should you do? |
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Definition
1.) Problem definition
2.) issues
3.) Objectives
4.) Requirements
5.) Constraints |
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Term
| What is the project life cycle? |
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Definition
1.) Defining
2.) Planning
3.) Executing
4.) Delivering |
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Term
| What three primary areas should a project manager focus on to ensure success? |
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Definition
1.) people
2.) communications
3.) Change |
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Term
| What two kinds of leaders do most teams have? |
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Definition
| Task leader, socioemotional leader |
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Term
| What are the three key elements of feasability? |
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Definition
| Technical, Economic, and operational feasability. |
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Term
| What does a project charter describe? |
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Definition
| A project charter describes in a written document what the expected results of the systems project are and the time frame for delivery. |
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Term
| What are the steps involved in ascertaining hardware and software needs? |
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Definition
1.) Inventory computer hardware currently available.
2.) Estimate current and future system workloads.
3.) Evaluate available hardware and software vendor.
4.) Choose the vendor
5.) Acquire the computer vendor. |
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Term
| What are some advantages and disadvantages of using cloud services, vs buying computer hardware. |
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Definition
Buying computer hardware advtanges:
- full control over hardware and software
- cheaper in long run
Disadvanges:
- initil cost is high
- risk of being stuck
- risk of obsolescence
Cloud Adv:
- Upgrades performed by supplier
- Rapid change of hardware and software
- Scalability
Disv:
- Company doesnt control its date
- data security a risk |
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Term
| What are some software alternatives, and what are their advantages and disadvantages? |
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Definition
Creating Custom Software: Adv:
- Specific response to specialized business needs.
- innovation gives for a comp adv.
Disv: Higher cost, ongoing maintenance
Purchasing COTS packages: Adv:
- Increased reliability, functionality, lower cost
Disv:
- Program focused, not business focused
- Limited customization
Using SaaS: Adv:
- No need to hire, train, large IT staff
- no expenditure of employee time on nonessential IT tasks
Disv: Less control of data, privacy concerns, less innovation |
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Term
| What are some guidlines for evaluating software? |
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Definition
| Performance effectiveness, efficiency, ease of use, flexibility, quality of documentation, manufacturer support |
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Term
| What is the breakeven analysis? |
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Definition
The point at which the total cost of the current system and the proposed system intersect.
- Useful when a business is growing and volume is key in variable costs
Use if the project needs to be justified in terms of costs, not benefits. |
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Term
| When should you use the payback method? |
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Definition
| Use it when the improved tangible benefits form a convincing argument for the proposed system |
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Term
| When is a cash flow analysis used? |
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Definition
| It is used to determine when a company will begin to make a profit and when it will be out of the red. Examines size, direction, and pattern of cash flow that is associated with the proposed information system. |
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Term
| What does a present value analysis tell you? |
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Definition
| It is a way to assess all the economic outlays and revenues of the information system over its economic life, and to compare the costs of today with future costs and today's benefits with benefits with the future benefits. |
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Term
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Definition
| A formal, approved document that manages and controls project execution. |
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Term
| White are is the triple constraint to a project? |
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Definition
Scope, Cost, Goal.
Cant change one without changing the others. |
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Term
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Definition
| - It is a hierarchal outline that identifies the products and work elements involved in a project. |
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Term
| What are the two types of estimates? |
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Definition
Macro = ballpark
Micro= detailed estimates ( bottom up estimates) |
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Term
| What kind of tasks does the WBS contain? |
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Definition
| The WBS contains tasks that represent work that needed to be done on a project. It focuses on what needs to be done and how, not when it needs to be done. |
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Term
| What are the main types of task patterns? |
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Definition
1.) dependant tasks
2.) multiple successor tasks
3.) Concurrent tasks
4.) Predecessor tasks
5.) successor tasks
6.) multiple predecessor tasks |
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Term
| Why is the critical path important? |
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Definition
| It informs the project manager of the shortest timeframe the project could possibly be completed. |
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Term
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Definition
| A simple bar chart that depicts project tasks against a calender. |
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Term
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Definition
| a graphical network model that depicts a projects tasks and the relationships between those tasks. |
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Term
| Project failures may be prevented by: |
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Definition
| Training, experience, learning why other projects have failed. |
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Term
| What are the three management levels? |
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Definition
| Opertional control, managerial planning control, strategic management. |
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Term
| What does a context level data flow diagram represent? |
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Definition
- it focuses on the data flowing into and out of the system and the processing of the data.
- It shows the scope of the system. |
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Term
| What are the three types of relationships in an ERM model? |
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Definition
1 to 1
1 to many
many to many |
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Term
| Why are use case diagrams helpful? |
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Definition
-They identify all the actors in the problem domain
- actions that need to be completed are also clearly shown on the use case diagram |
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Term
| What are the four relationships in a use case diagram? |
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Definition
1.) communicates- an actor is connected to a use case using a line with no arrowheads. The task of the use case is to give some sort of result that is beneficial to the actor in the system.
2.) Includes- Describes the situation in which a use case contains a behavior that is common to more than one use case. also known as uses in visio.
extends- describes the situation in which one use case possesses the behavior that allows the new use case to handle a variation or exception from the basic use case.
Generalizes- implies that one UML thing is more typical than the other thing. |
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Term
| What are the use case levels? |
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Definition
1.) White- enterprise level
2.) Kite - business unit or departmental level
3.) Blue- user goals
4.) Indigo- functional or subfunctional
5) Black- most detailed |
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