BUS 394 - Topic 1/2

Question 1

What is a system?

Answer 1

• a computerized system used to view, transmit, or manipulate
  information

Practically, can be almost anything computerized
- Web site
- Mobile app
- Desktop application

Question 2

systems analyst

Answer 2

responsible for analyzing business problems and
designing technical solutions

Fundamentally, they are responsible for conducting analysis and design

Question 3

Systems Design Life Cycle (SLDC)

Answer 3

Phases which delineate major activities in developing
a system
- can be completed concurrently or sequentially, depdning on the method used

Question 4

SLDC phases

Answer 4

Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation

Question 5

Planning phase (SLDC)

Answer 5

Project is formally proposed
Feasibility is assessed

Question 6

Analysis Phase (SLDC)

Answer 6

Requirements are gathered
Detailed writeups/models/diagrams are developed

Question 7

Design Phase (SLDC)

Answer 7

Solution decisions are finalized
System is fully designed and specifications are documented

Question 8

Implementation Phase (SLDC)

Answer 8

System is initiated
On-going system support

Question 9

Project

Answer 9

A project is an activity which achieves specific objectives through a set of defining tasks and effective use of resources

Question 10

Project goals

Answer 10

Target, time, Budget
These goals are ongoing, but they begin in the planning phase

Question 11

System

Answer 11

information system that achieves some organizational purpose.

Question 12

What are the 2 main activities in the planning phase

Answer 12

project selection and feasibility assessment

Question 12

What are the purposes of the planning phase

Answer 12

• project initiation and definition
• project motivation
• project feasibility

Question 13

Project selection (components)

Answer 13

Project Competition
- Project selection is very important to organizations. Not all projects will be funded.
- The question is not necessarily “Why do this project?” but rather “Why do this project instead of other projects?”

Project Justification
- Therefore, most organizations ask for a formal proposal before starting a project.
- The proposal typically involves a system request.

Question 14

What are the elements of a Systems Request?

Answer 14

Project Sponsor, Project overview, Business requirements, Business Value, Special Issues/ constraints

Question 15

Business Requirements vs Business Value

Answer 15

Business requirements
- brief, high level description
- the system will benefit the org by ….

Business Value
- more specific (qualitative) impacts to the org

Question 16

Who/ how do they select projects?

Answer 16

Every organization is different
Some possibilities include:
- top management
- steering committee
- functional area
- development team

Who selects the projects determines how they select the projects.

Strategies for project selection
- value chain analysis
- strategic alignment
- potential benefits
- resource availability
- project site/ Duration
- Technical difficulties/ risks

Question 17

Why determine Feasibility?

Answer 17

• Not every good idea is a good idea.
• System Request presumes a successful project
• Feasibility assessment determines if success is likely and if it is desirable

Question 18

3 main types of feasibilty

Answer 18

technical feasibility
economic feasibility
organizational feasibility

Question 19

Technical Feasibility

Answer 19

Evaluates resources:
- people, skills, experience, hardware/ software, etc.

Key questions
- Can we complete this project
if not, can we obtain the resources needed to complete this project

Question 20

Economic Feasibility

Answer 20

Evaluates Cost/ Benefits:
- Costs: initial and ongoing costs
- benefits: tangible and intangible benefits

Question 21

Organizational Feasibilty

Answer 21

Evaluation of acceptance:
- perceived usefulness, relative advantage over existing system, impact on the org, cultural fit, etc

Question 22

Other Considerations for feasibility

Answer 22

• Schedule feasibility
• Legal/Contractual feasibility