Using MIS Chapter 10 Flashcards
Agile Development
An adaptive project management process based on the principles listed in Figure 10-23. Can be used for the management of many types of projects; in this text it applies to the development of information systems.
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Application
a combination of hardware, software, and data components that accomplishes a set of requirements.
-Synonym for application software.
As-is Model
a model of the existing business process
-A model that represents the current situation and processes.
Baseline WBS
the final WBS plan is denoted as the baseline WBS.
This baseline shows the planned tasks, dependencies, durations, and resource assignments.
-The final work-breakdown structure that shows the planned tasks, dependencies, durations, and resource assignments.
Brooks’ Law
states that adding more people to a late project makes it later.
-The famous adage that states: Adding more people to a late project makes the project later. Brooks’ Law is true not only because a larger staff requires increased coordination, but also because new people need to be trained. The only people who can train the new employees are the existing team members, who are thus taken off productive tasks. The costs of training new people can overwhelm the benefit of their contributions.
Business Analyst
is someone who is well versed in Porter’s models and in the organization’s strategies and who focuses, primarily, on ensuring that business processes and information systems meet the organization’s competitive strategies.
The primary focus of a business analyst is business processes.
-(1) A person who understands business strategies, goals, and objectives and who helps businesses develop and manage business processes and information systems. (2) Someone who is well versed in Porter’s models, organizational strategy, and systems alignment theory, like COBIT, and who also understands the proper role for technology.
Business Process
a network of activities, repositories, roles, resources, and flows that interact to accomplish a business function.
-A network of activities that generate value by transforming inputs into outputs.
Business Process Management (BPM)
a cyclical process for systematically creating, assessing, and altering business processes.
Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN)
Standard set of terms and graphical notations for documenting business processes.
COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technology)
A set of standard practices, created by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, that are used in the assessment stage of the BPM cycle to determine how well an information system complies with an organization’s strategy.
Configuration Control
refers to a set of management policies, practices, and tools that developers use to maintain control over the project’s resources.
-A set of management policies, practices, and tools that developers use to maintain control over the project’s resources.
Cost Feasibility
involves an assessment of the cost of the project.
-An assessment of the cost of an information system development project that compares estimated costs to the available budget. Can also refer to development plus operational costs vs. value delivered.
Control Flow
directs the order of activities.
-A BPMN symbol that documents the flow of activity in a business process.
Critical Path
is the sequence of activities that determine the earliest date by which the project can be completed.
Critical Path Analysis
is the process by which project managers compress the schedule by moving resources, typically people, from noncritical paths onto critical path tasks.
-The process by which project managers compress a schedule by moving resources, typically people, from noncritical path tasks to critical path tasks.
Data Flow
shows the movement of data among activities and repositories.
-A BPMN symbol that documents the movement of data among activities and repositories in a business process.
Deliverables
every task should culminate in one or more results called deliverables.
-examples of deliverables are called documents, designs, prototypes, data models, database designs, working data entry screens, and the like.
Without a defined deliverable, it is impossible to know if a task was accomplished.
-Tasks that are measurable or observable steps in a development project.
Diseconomies of Scale
the situation that occurs when adding more resources creates inefficiencies.
-A principle that states as development teams become larger, the average contribution per worker decreases.
Gantt Chart
shows tasks, dates, and dependencies.
-A chart that shows tasks, dates, dependencies, and possibly resources.
Implementation
has two meanings for us. it could mean to implement the information systems components only, or it could mean to implement the information system and the business processes that use the system.
-In the context of the systems development life cycle, the phase following the design phase consisting of tasks to build, test, and convert users to the new system.
Just-in-Time Design
Rather than design the complete, overall system at the beginning, only those portions of the design that are neede to complete the current work are done. Common for agile development techniques such as scrum.
Maintenance
with regard to information systems, maintenance is a misnomer; the work done during this phase is either to fix the system so that it works correctly or to adapt it to changes in requirements.
-In the context of information systems, (1) to fix the system to do what it was supposed to do in the first place or (2) to adapt the system to a change in requirements.
Object Management Group (OMG)
a software-industry standards organization
Organizational Feasibility
concerns whether the new system fits within the organization’s customs, culture, charter, or legal requirements.
-Whether an information system fits within an organization’s customer, culture, and legal requirements.
Paired Programming
in some cases, team members work in pairs; in paired programming, for example, two team members share the same computer and write a computer program together.
-The situation in which two computer programmers share the same computer and develop a computer program together.
Parallel Installation
the new system/business processes run parallel with the old one until the new system is tested and fully operational.
-parallel installation is expensive because the organization incurs the costs of running both the existing and the new system/business processes.
-A type of system conversion in which the new system runs in parallel with the old one and the results of the two are reconciled for consistency. Parallel installation is expensive because the organization incurs the costs of running both systems, but it is the safest form of installation.
Phased Installation
the new system/business processes are installed in phases across the organization(s).
-A type of system conversion in which the new system is installed in pieces across the organization(s). Once a given piece works, then the organization installs and tests another piece of the system, until the entire system has been installed.
Pilot Installation
the organization implements the entire system/business processes on a limited portion of the business.
-A type of system conversion in which the organization implements the entire system on a limited portion of the business. The advantage of pilot implementation is that if the system fails, the failure is contained within a limited boundary. This reduces exposure of the business and also protects the new system from developing a negative reputation throughout the organization(s).
Plunge Installation
the organization shuts off the old system/business processes and starts the new one.
-A type of system conversion in which the organization shuts off the old system and starts the new system. If the new system fails, the organization is in trouble: Nothing can be done until either the new system is fixed or the old system is reinstalled. Because of the risk, organizations should avoid this conversion style if possible. Sometimes called direct installation.
Requirements Analysis
The second phase in the SDLC, in which developers conduct user interviews; evaluate existing systems; determine new forms/reports/queries; identify new features and functions, including security; and create the data model.
Resources
People or information system applications that are assigned to roles in business processes.
Roles
In a business process, collections of activities.
Schedule Feasibility
Whether an information system will be able to be developed on the timetable needed.
Stand-up
In scrum, a 15-minute meeting in which each team member states what he/she has done in the past day, what he/she will do in the coming day, and any factors that are blocking his/her progress.
Swim-lane Layout
A process diagram layout similar to swim lanes in a swimming pool; each role in the process is shown in its own horizontal rectangle, or lane.
System Conversion
The process of converting business activity from the old system to the new.
Systems Analyst
IS professionals who understand both business and technology. They are active throughout the systems development process and play a key role in moving the project from conception to conversion and, ultimately, maintenance. Systems analysts integrate the work of the programmers, testers, and users.
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
The classical process used to develop information systems. The basic tasks of systems development are combined into the following phases: system definition, requirements analysis, component design, implementation, and system maintenance (fix or enhance).
Technical Feasibility
Whether existing information technology will be able to meet the needs of a new information system.
Test Plan
Groups of action and usage sequences for validating the capability of new using software.
Trade-off
In project management, a balancing of three critical factors: requirements, cost, and time.
Velocity
In scrum, the total number of points of work that a team can accomplish in each scrum period.
Waterfall Method
The assumption that one phase of the SDLC can be completed in its entirety and the project can progress, without any backtracking, to the next phase of the SDLC. Projects seldom are that simple; backtracking is normally required.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A hierarchy of the tasks required to complete a project; for a large project, it might involve hundreds or thousands of tasks.
Information systems and business processes are synonymous terms.
True or False
False
Project teams create a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, which is a hierarchy of the tasks required to complete a project. A) work breakdown structure B) control chart C) critical path D) scatter plot
A) work breakdown structure
The term \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ refers to a set of management policies, practices, and tools that developers use to maintain control over the SDLC project's resources. A) swim-lane layout B) trade-off C) configuration control D) transmission control protocol
C) configuration control
According to the scrum process, once the tasks are known for a given set of requirements, the next step is to assign each task a difficulty score, called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) tallies B) scrums C) points D) grades
C) points
Agile development methodologies welcome changes in requirements.
True or False
True
Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) is often used in the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ stage of the business process management (BPM) cycle. A) component creation B) process modeling C) implementation D) assessment
D) assessment
Once the project's goals and scope have been defined, the next immediate step in the system definition phase of the SDLC is to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) plan the project B) determine system requirements C) form a project team D) assess feasibility
D) assess feasibility
During the system implementation phase of the SDLC, once a system has passed testing, the organization installs the new system. Which of the following terms is used to refer to this activity? A) system control B) system conversion C) agile development D) beta testing
B) system conversion
Which of the following statements is true of the swim-lane layout used for modeling the business processes?
A) It complicates the process diagrams.
B) It draws attention to the interactions among components of the diagram.
C) Each role in the business process has to share the swim lane with other roles.
D) All activities for a given role are repeated in all the swim lanes.
B) It draws attention to the interactions among components of the diagram.
Which of the following are the four dimensions of feasibility?
A) planning, process, technical, and schedule feasibility
B) operational, strategic, technical, and tactical feasibility
C) schedule, process, technical, and competitive feasibility
D) cost, schedule, technical, and organizational feasibility
D) cost, schedule, technical, and organizational feasibility
Developers in the system definition phase of the SDLC use management’s statement of the system needs in order to begin to define the new system.
True or False
True
According to Brooks' Law, adding more people to a late project will \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) speed up the project B) guarantee efficiencies C) create diseconomies of scale D) reduce the need for coordination
C) create diseconomies of scale
Which of the following statements is true of information systems?
A) Every business process should include at least one information system.
B) Every information system has at least one application.
C) Information systems include all business process activities.
D) Information systems should be bought entirely off-the-shelf.
B) Every information system has at least one application.
In a business process, only a single resource is assigned to a role.
True or False
False
A \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ shows the tasks, dates, and dependencies for the tasks of a project. A) scatter plot B) Gantt chart C) Pareto chart D) control chart
B) Gantt chart
A(n) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a formal description of a system's response to use and misuse scenarios. A) system conversion B) test plan C) work-breakdown structure D) activity log
B) test plan
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a standard set of terms and graphical notations for documenting business processes. A) Component Object Model B) Business Process Modeling Notation C) Business Process Execution Language D) ISO 9000
B) Business Process Modeling Notation
In a business process, an inventory or a database is an example of a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) repository B) decision tree C) cookie D) botnet
A) repository
Fixing a system so that it works correctly, or adapting it to changes in requirements, occurs during the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ phase of the SDLC. A) component design B) implementation C) maintenance D) requirements analysis
C) maintenance
In a Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) diagram, a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ symbol represents an activity. A) rectangle B) dotted arrow C) solid arrow D) diamond
A) rectangle
A project team that opts for off-the-shelf software during the component design phase of the SDLC will need to produce design documentation for writing program code.
True or False
False
In a business process, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are defined as collections of related tasks that receive inputs and produce outputs. A) activities B) resources C) presentations D) databases
A) activities
User involvement is critical throughout the system development process.
True or False
True
In Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), diamonds represent decisions and usually contain a question that is answered with yes or no.
True or False
True
Rapid application development, the unified process, extreme programming, and scrum have led to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) the swim-lane method B) agile development C) SDLC D) the waterfall method
B) agile development
Tasks in the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ phase of the SDLC include building and testing system components and converting users to the new system. A) system implementation B) component design C) system definition D) system maintenance
A) system implementation
The actors or participants in a business process are the users of information systems.
True or False
True
In the system definition phase of the SDLC, technical feasibility refers to whether existing information technology is likely to be able to meet the needs of a new system.
True or False
True
In business processes, resources are collections of procedures.
True or False
False
In a Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) diagram, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ represent decisions and usually contain a question that is answered with yes or no. A) rectangles B) diamonds C) circles D) squares
B) diamonds
