week 3 flashcards
What are the two subphases of systems analysis?
Requirements determination and requirements structuring.
What are characteristics of a good systems analyst?
Impertinence (question everything), impartiality, relaxing constraints, attention to detail, and reframing.
What are the primary deliverables of requirements determination?
Interview transcripts, observation notes, system documents, system prototypes.
What business aspects must a systems analyst understand?
Business objectives, information needs, data handling, policies, key events affecting data.
What are open-ended interview questions?
Questions with no prespecified answers that allow for detailed responses.
What are closed-ended interview questions?
Questions that require respondents to choose from specific answers.
What are key guidelines for effective interviewing?
Avoid leading questions, listen carefully, record notes within 48 hours, avoid setting false expectations, seek multiple perspectives.
What is the primary disadvantage of interviewing individuals?
Reconciling contradictions and inefficiency due to repeated questions in different interviews.
What are the advantages of group interviews?
Efficient use of time, synergy between participants, more comprehensive discussions.
What is the Nominal Group Technique (NGT)?
A structured group brainstorming technique where members first work individually, then pool ideas under a facilitator.
What is the benefit of observing users?
Provides accurate insights into how users interact with systems and perform their jobs.
What is a drawback of observing users?
People may change behavior when they know they are being observed, and observations are only a snapshot.
What can analyzing documents reveal?
Existing system problems, organizational goals, key stakeholders, rules for data processing.
What is the difference between formal and informal systems?
Formal systems are documented organizational procedures; informal systems are actual workflows used in practice.
What are four types of documents analyzed in system requirements?
Written work procedures, forms (e.g., invoices), reports (e.g., cash flows), and system documentation (e.g., flowcharts).
What is prototyping?
An iterative development process where requirements are converted into a working system for user feedback and refinement.
What are the two types of prototyping?
Evolutionary prototyping (becomes the final system) and throwaway prototyping (discarded after system development).
When is prototyping useful?
When requirements are unclear, few users are involved, or the system is complex and needs early visualization.
What are drawbacks of prototyping?
Lack of formal documentation, difficulty in scaling, and bypassing SDLC checks.
What is Business Process Reengineering (BPR)?
Radical redesign of business processes to achieve major improvements in performance and efficiency.
How does BPR improve business operations?
Eliminates unnecessary steps, improves data flow, and makes businesses more responsive to change.
What are disruptive technologies?
Technologies that break traditional business rules, enabling radical business process changes.
How does agile methodology approach requirements determination?
Uses continuous user involvement with an iterative analysis-design-code-test cycle.
What is Agile Usage-Centered Design?
A method that focuses on user roles, goals, and tasks rather than system functions.
