Solution Manual for Systems Analysis and Design, 7th Edition

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-1Chapter 1:The SystemsAnalyst andInformation Systems DevelopmentAnswer to Your Turn 1-1: Being an AnalystStudent answers will vary, depending on their preferences regarding being a: 1)systemsanalyst,2)business analyst,3) requirements analyst, 4)infrastructure analyst, or5)change management analyst. Verify that the student has correctly associated the skillsneeded with the type of analyst for which they aspire and that the student has created aplan to acquire those skills.The roles and the names used to describe them may varyfrom organization to organization.Answer to Your Turn 1-2: Implementing a Satellite Data NetworkWhile answers may vary, answers might include the following:1.A Cost-Benefit analysis, along with other financial processes (ROI, etc.) wouldcertainlyreveal that a just-in-time (JIT) inventory can reduce inventory costs andincrease revenue. A standard communication line, encrypted or not, would not beable to handle the high bandwidth needed for data, voice and video transmissions.2.A competitor would be able to narrow the gap by adopting the JIT type ofinventory management. Voice and video are not necessary to keep the inventoryup to date on a timely basis, data transmissions alone would work well.Answer to Your Turn 1-3: Too Much Paper, Part 1System RequestSponsor: Document Manager.Business Need: Increase efficiency in storing, updating, and retrieving informationon employee injury claims.BusinessRequirements: Automated system which allows for electronic submissionof reports via a secure web site.Business Value: Reduce response time for employee inquiries, increase effectivenessof storing, updating, and retrieving employee injury claims.Reduce storage costsof paper files.Special Issues: Must have someone who understands how to create and maintain asecure web site. Must have resources to migrate paper files to data storage. Must

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-2work within HIPAA guidelines to ensure that medical documents are treatedaccording to regulations.Answer to Your Turn 1-4: Too Much Paper, Part 21.Issues arising from digital signatures and electronic documents typically focus onestablishing validity for signatures and originators. As these issues can beovercome using certificates and encryption, they don’t necessarily affect theproject feasibility. However, they do need to be addressed.2.Answers will vary.The project champion, organizational management, andperhaps most importantly a subset of the stakeholders must believe in and showsupport for the project.One solution would be toplan and provide for sufficienttraining that demonstrateshow their jobs might be easier to accomplishwith theautomated system.Answer to Your Turn 1-5:Discovering Visible Analyst-Lesson 1Student answersand experienceswill vary based onthe adoption of the softwarepackage, Visible Analyst. It is highly recommended that a CASE tool be used formodeling throughout this course.Answer to Concepts in Action 1-A: Managerial Causes of IT FailuresQantas provides for an “ice-breaker” discussion topic for the first class. Perhaps groupthe students and have them discuss this company and then provide for class discussionabout the importance of IT project success.Answer to Concepts in Action 1-B: BPI on the FarmEfficiency gains are mentioned in this Concept in Action. What are the drawbacks to thisscenario? Is it as easy as it seems? Issues such as Wi-Fi coverage on a farm, perhapseven cellular coverage can come into play as can weather, dust, and other issues inherentwith a farming enterprise.Answer to Concepts in Action 1-C: Interview with Don Hallacy, President,Technology Services, Sprint CorporationThis is an opportune time to identify theresponsibilities of the differing roles that ananalyst serves.

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-3Answer to Concepts in Action 1-D:Carlson HospitalityCarlson Hospitality can use the information from the survey to determine whether theone-point increase in market share revenue ($20million per point) will offset costsassociated with increasing the level of services to high-quality customers which wouldresult in a 10% increase in customer satisfaction.Answer to Concepts in Action 1-E: Return on Investment1.One method for determining a return on investment is to complete a Cost-BenefitAnalysis using the Present Value Method. Many of the costs for servervirtualization are associated with the initial construction: physical manipulation ofthe servers and software licensing. The ongoing costs of labor in updating andaccessing tables would be relatively small. Using this type of analysis wouldallow the project sponsors to show how the benefits of the virtualization would berealized on a long term basis.2.Implementing a major change to a system should certainly include a systemsanalyst. Systems analysts typically have a broad view of the system, and would beable to ascertain how virtualizing the servers will affect the whole system.Answers to End of Chapter Questions1.List and describethe six general skills all project team members should have?[1] Technical skills (knowledge of how to employ technology in development systemsolutions). [2] Business skills (knowledge of how to apply IT to business problems toachieve a valuable solution). [3] Analytical skills (ability to solve complexproblems). [4] Interpersonal skills (oral and written communication skills with bothtechnical and non-technical audiences). [5] Management skills (ability to manageothers and cope with an uncertain environment). [6] Ethical skills (ability to dealwith others honestly and ethically).2. What are the major roles on a project team?Business analyst–emphasis on the business issues addressed by the system: value ofnew system; identification of problems and opportunities; revision of businessprocesses and policies.Systems analyst–emphasis on IS issues of the system: how IT can be used tosupport business processes;designof new business process and IS; and enforcementof IS standards.Infrastructure analyst–technical issues associated with integrating new systemcomponents to existing technicalinfrastructure.

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-4Requirements analyst–eliciting the requirements of the new system from allstakeholders. They understand the business well, are excellent communicators, andare highly skilled in obtaining system requirements.Change management analyst–emphasis on facilitating organizational adaptation tonew system. Helping to identify and overcome resistance to change and assuringadequate training and documentation of new system.Project manager–ensuring that progress is made on the project; time schedules andbudgets are met; supervision of project team; and manage relations with projectsponsor and users.3. Compare and contrast the role of a systems analyst, business analyst, andinfrastructure analyst.These three roles emphasize different perspectives on the system. The businessanalyst represents the sponsor/users interests, while the systems analyst knows how toapply IS to support business needs. Together, the systems analyst and the businessanalyst can design a system that conforms to the IS standards while adding value tothe business. The infrastructure analyst has more technical knowledge and providesthe team with technical constraints, or identifies infrastructure changes that the newsystem will require.4. Compare and contrastthe role of requirements analyst, change management analyst,and project manager.These three roles also emphasize different perspectives on the system. Therequirements analyst focuses on eliciting the requirements from the systemstakeholders. The change management analyst focuses on people and managingissues surrounding the installation of the system. The project manager ensures thatthe project is completed on time and within budget and that the system delivers theexpected value to the organization.5.Describe the major phases in the systems development life cycle (SDLC).The planning phase focuses on determining if there is justification to build aninformation system and developing a plan to accomplish the development project.The analysis phase is focused on understanding the existing situation and determiningthe needs and requirements expected from the new system. The design phase refinesthe system requirements (from analysis) and develops specifications for how the newsystem will fulfill those requirements. The implementation phase involvesconstructing (or installing) the new system, testing, converting, training, andproviding support for the new system.6.Describe the principal steps in the planning phase. What are some majordeliverables?

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-5Step 1–Project Initiation: the project sponsor works with the IS department todevelop a preliminary assessment of the project’s feasibility. It is important to makean initial evaluation of the project’s value (is it worth doing; is it technically possiblefor us; will it be used?). The system request and the results of the feasibility analysisare usually presented to management for approval. If the project is accepted, wemove to:Step 2–Project Management: the project work plan is created, project staffing isdetermined, and project management controls and procedures are established. Theseelements comprise the project plan.The deliverables in the planning phase include the feasibility analysis and the projectplan.7.Describe the principal steps in the analysis phase. What are some majordeliverables?Step 1–Analysis Strategy: based on the nature of the project, the project team willformulate the approach that will be used to develop the requirements for the newsystem. The strategy usually includes the following steps:Step 2–Analyze the current system: gather information from the project sponsor andusers of the current system regarding its strengths and weaknesses. Use the problemsidentified to formulate objectives for the new system.Step 3–Create new system concept: based on the gathered information, develop ageneral concept of the new system, including functions and capabilities it will have.Step 4–Modeling activities: express ideas for the new system’s processing and datarequirements with process models and data models.Step 5: Prepare and present system proposal: assemble the analysis results, systemconcept, process model and data model into a proposal for the new system. Projectsponsor and/or approval committee will determine if system has enough merit tocontinue development.The primary deliverable for the analysis phase is the system proposal, whichcombines the information generated during this phase into a document that expressesthe initial conceptual design for the new system and the basis for the design decisions.8.Describe the principal steps in the design phase. What are some major deliverables?Step 1–Design Strategy: based on the nature of the project, the project team willdetermine the appropriate means of developing the system (in-house customdevelopment, purchase of pre-written software, or outsourcing development to a 3rd

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-6party. Following this, the steps below outline the various design tasks that must beperformed:Step 2–Design the system architecture: describe the basic hardware, software, andnetworking that will be used in the new system.Step 3–Design the user interface: the overall structure of the system, the user’snavigation through the system; the inputs and outputs of thesystem, and theappearance of the screens are designed.Step 4–Design the database and/or files: develop specifications for the data storagestructures that will be implemented for the new system.Step 5: Design the programs: develop plans and outlines for each program that willbe written to implement the functions and capabilities of the new system.The primary deliverable for the design phase is the system specification, whichcombines all the design specifications mentioned above. The system specification isthe basis for the construction work that will be performed by the programmers.9.Describe the principal steps in the implementation phase. What are some majordeliverables?Step 1–Build the system: programs are written and tested, and various infrastructurecomponents are installed. Testing is conducted to verify system performance.Step 2–Train the users: develop and conduct training programs so that end users arethoroughly familiar with the new system’s functions and work procedures.Step 3–Convert to the new system: transition from the old system and procedures tothe new system and procedures.Step 4–Support the new system: evaluate the development process for lessonslearned from this project, and establish methods for identifying and implementingchange to the new system as needed.The primary deliverables for the Implementation phase includes the completed anddocumented programs, users manuals and procedures manuals, training materials, andplans for system support.10. Which phase in the SDLC is most important?While each phase is important to the overall systems analysis, special attention mustbe given to the planning and analysis phase. The planning phase is intended todetermine the feasibility of a project and to create a project plan. If the feasibilityanalysis is poorly done or misunderstood or the project is ill-planned, then the chance

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-7of success is extremely low. Similarly, if the analysis phase is shortened or omittedaltogether, then the requirements of the system will not be fully defined and mayresult in either a system that does not address business needs or one that does not getcompleted due to continuous rework.11. What doesgradual refinementmean in the context of SDLC?Generally, the clarity of understanding and the depth of detail of the new system aregradually refined during the phases of the SDLC. Initially, the requirements are onlyvaguely understood. This understanding is improved during the Analysis phase.Further detail is developed during Design, and then is fully expressed duringImplementation.12. Describe the four steps of business process management(BPM). Why do companiesadopt BPM as a management strategy?BPM is a methodology used by organizations to continuously improve end-to-endbusiness processes. Itfollows a cycle of systematically creating, assessing, andaltering said processes. The four steps of BPM are:Step 1: defining and mapping the steps in a business process,Step 2: creating ways to improve on steps in the process that add value,Step 3: finding ways to eliminate or consolidate steps in the process that don’t addvalue, andStep 4: creating or adjusting electronic workflows to match the improved processmaps.By studying and improving their underlying business processes, organizations canachieve several important benefits, including: enhanced process agility, improvedprocess alignment, and increased process efficiencies.13. Compare and contrast BPA, BPI, and BPR. Which is most risky? Which has thegreatest potentialvalue?The three techniques applied within BPM for business processes are that ofAutomation (BPA), Improvement (BPI), and Reengineering (BPR). It is entirelypossible that all three of these techniques could be used on the same projectdepending on the scope and impact the planned change will have on the steps ofBPM.As a rule, when technology is applied to a process to enhance agility and providemore ability for change the project would be a BPA. When a process incorporatesindustry “best practices” or perhaps finds ways to eliminate or consolidate steps in the

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-8process it would be termed BPI. The BPR techniquechanges the fundamental way inwhich the organization operates. In effect, BPR makes major changes to takeadvantage of new ideas and new technology.BPR is considered to contain the most amount of risk of the three techniques due tothe significant organizational and operational changes that result.The answers can certainly vary with regard to greatest potential. In many cases it willbe a “hybrid” blend of all three that could hold the most potential for the organization.14.Give three examples of business needs for a system.To maintain or improve the competitive position.To perform a business function more efficiently.To take advantage of a new business opportunity.15.Describe the roles ofthe project sponsor and the approval committee.The project sponsor is the individual or department responsible for initiating asystems request. Typically during the Planning phase the project sponsor works withthe IT department to conduct a feasibility analysis. The approval committee (orsteering committee) then evaluates the systems request along with the results of thefeasibility study to determine whether or not to approve the request.16.What is the purpose of an approval committee? Who is usually on this committee?The approval committee generally serves as the decision making body regardinginvestments in information systems projects. This committee generally has a broadorganizational representation and therefore can avoid allocating resources that willserve only narrow organizational interests. The approval committee commonly hasproject oversight responsibilities as well; monitoring project performance after theproject has been accepted. The composition of the approval committee will varyfrom organization to organization, but generally consists of high-level managers fromthroughout the organization. The committee is often chaired by the CIO.17.Why should the system request be created by a businessperson as opposed to an ISprofessional?Usually, the system request originates with a businessperson because the need for thesystem or system improvement is recognized in the business unit. It is unlikely the ISprofessionals in the organization will be able to recognize all the business needs andopportunities for systems and improvements in the business units since they are notinvolved directly in those areas. Also, the businessperson will have a much betteridea of the value of the proposed system or improvement, and therefore is in a betterposition to create a meaningful system request.

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-918. What is the difference between intangible value and tangible value? Give threeexamples of each.Tangible value represents the system benefits that are quantifiable and measurable.Intangible value represents benefits that are real, but are difficult to quantify andmeasure. Examples of tangible benefits might be increased sales, reduced operatingcosts, and reduced interest costs. Examples of intangible value might includeincreased customer satisfaction, improved decision making, improved problemrecognition.19.What are the purposes of the system request and the feasibility analysis? How arethey used in the project selection process?The purpose of the system request is to initiate a systems project. The system requestpulls together preliminary ideas on the reason for the system and its expected value tothe organization. The feasibility analysis represents a more detailed investigation intothe proposed system outlined in the system request. The system analyst and theproject sponsor work together to more fully develop the objectives of the system andto understand its potential costs and benefits to the organization. The system requestand the feasibility analysis are the key inputs used by the approval committee indetermining if the proposed system has enough merit to move into the analysis phase.20.Describe two special issues that may be important to list on a system request.Any special circumstances that could affect the outcome of the project must be clearlyidentified.Examples of special issues that may be important to include are:environmental factors that should be considered (e.g., new governmental reportingrequirements); competitive factors (e.g., IS-enabled systems introduced or anticipated bycompetitors); externally imposed deadlines that cannot be altered (e.g., completion by thestart of the next fiscal year); mandated technologies.21.Describe the threedimensionsof feasibility analysis.Technical feasibility looks at the capability of the organization to successfullydevelop the proposed system. Included in this assessment are the project size, thetypes of technologies to be used in the project, and the amount of prior experiencewith that technology and the business application. Economic feasibility addresses theeconomic justification of the project. Here, we attempt to determine if the value ofthe project’s benefits justifies investing in the project’s estimated costs.Organizational feasibility evaluates whether the system is likely to be accepted andused by the organization. Included in this assessment will be the strength of thesponsor’s and management’s support for the project and the enthusiasm or resistanceof the users for the project.22.What factors are used to determine project size?

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-10Some factors that can be used to determine project size include: the number ofpeople on the project team, the expected time to complete the project, thebreadth/scope of the project, thenumber of distinct features to be included in thesystem, the degree of integration required between the system and existing systems.23.Describe a “risky” project in terms of technical feasibility. Describe a project thatwould NOT be considered “risky.”A project that would be technically risky would be one that is large in scale, utilizestechnology that we have little or no experience with, and is for a business area that isnew and unfamiliar to the organization. A project that would not be consideredtechnically risky would be one that is small in scale, uses technology that is well-understood, and is for a business area that is very familiar to the users and developers.24.What are the steps for assessing economic feasibility? Describe each step.To assess economic feasibility, one should:1.Identify costs and benefits of the proposed system. List tangible costs andbenefits, including one-time and recurring costs.2.Assign values to the costs and benefits. Work with business users and ITprofessionals to quantify each of the costs and benefits. Try to estimate intangiblecosts and benefits as well.3.Determine the cash flow of the project over the analysis period. Project the costsand benefit annually over the analysis period, usually 3-5 years.4.Determine the project’s net present value. Calculate the present value of eachyear's costs and benefits, using the appropriate required rate of return for theproject. Subtract the cumulative PV of costs from the cumulative PV of benefitsto determine the project's net present value. If it is a positive number, the projectis considered acceptable.5.Determine the project’s return on investment. Use the ROI formula to calculatethe return the organization will get on its investment in the project. ROI = (Totalbenefits-Total costs) / Total costs.6.Calculate break-even point. Determine the point in time when the project hasgenerated enough cash flow to recapture its cost.7.Graph break-even point. Plot the yearly costs and benefits on a line graph. Thepoint of intersection is the break-even point.25.List two intangible benefits. Describe how these benefits can be quantified.One example of an intangible benefit is reduced response time to address customerrequests. Estimating the increase in the number of customers that could be servedand the average revenue gained per customer could approximate the value of thisbenefit. So, if we currently have 1000 customers, the average revenue per customeris $100, and by reducing our response time we can increase the number of customersserved by 30%, then our benefit will be $30,000 (300 add’l customers @ $100).

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-11A second example of an intangible benefit is improved customer satisfaction.Determining how much repeat business we lose from dissatisfied customers couldapproximate the value of this benefit. The amount of repeat business lost could bedetermined through customer satisfaction surveys or marketing research. Assume wecurrently have 1000 customers, each customer brings in average revenue of $100, andwe currently lose the repeat business of 10% of our customers due to dissatisfaction.If an improvement in customer satisfaction resulted in losing only 5% of repeatbusiness, then the value of that benefit would be $5,000 (50 customers retained@$100).26.List two tangible benefits and two operational costs for a system. How would youdetermine the values that should be assigned to each item?Two tangible benefits are: an increase in sales and a decrease in uncollectibleaccounts receivable. The best way to measure these benefits is to go to the businesspeople who understand these areas and ask them for reasonable estimates. The salesand marketing managers and the accounts receivable managers will be in the bestposition to determine these values.Operational costs are the ongoing costs associated with the new system, and are fairlyeasy to determine objectively. One common operational cost is that of maintenanceagreements for new hardware, which can be determined by contacting hardwarevendors about the costs of their maintenance contracts. Another common operationscost is that of new employees that will be needed to run the new system. Salaries andbenefits for new employees can be determined by checking local and regional salaryand wage surveys for the type of employee needed.27. Explain how an expected value can be calculated for a cost or benefit. When wouldthis be done?An expected value consists of a combining set of possible outcomes along with theassociated probability of each outcome. For example, the Production department mayestimate possible increases in costs for parts based on economic indicators. Theyestimate that there is a 40% chance the costs will increase to $300,000, a 25% chancethe costs will increase to $400,000 and a 35% chance the costs will increase to$350,000. Overall the expected value of the rise in costs would be estimated to be$342,500 = ($300,000 * .40) + ($400,000 * .25) + ($350,000 * .35).Estimating the expected value of a cost or benefit would be done when assigningcosts and benefits when determining economic feasibility.28.Explain the net present value and return on investment for a cost-benefit analysis.Why would these calculations be used?The net present value (NPV) method compares the present values of the project’scash inflows and outflows. If the present value of the benefits (inflows) is equal to or

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-12greater than the present value of the costs (outflows), then the project is consideredeconomically justifiable. NPV has the advantage of including a required rate ofreturn in the calculation, so the NPV figure captures the costs associated with tyingup money in the project. NPV also explicitly considers the timing of the cash flowsthroughout the system life. The return on investment (ROI) method simply comparesthe total net cash flows from the project with the total outflows in aggregate. Whilethis ROI number gives some sense of how much money the project generates incomparison to its total cost, it omits any consideration of the timing of the cash flowsand the time value of money. The ROI method, while simple to compute, is flawed inmany ways and should not be used as the only economic indicator of a project’smerit.29. What is the break-even point for the project? How is it calculated?The break-even point is the point in time when the project has generated enough cashflow to recapture its cost. The year in which the project breaks even is the first yearin which the cumulative NPV is a positive number. The exact point during that yearat which break even occurs is calculated by: (Yearly NPV (for first positive year)-Cumulative NPV at that year) / Yearly NPV (for the first positive year)30. What is stakeholder analysis? Discuss three stakeholders that would be relevant formost projects.Stakeholder analysis is a systematic process that identifies all parties that will beaffected by a new information system, and attempts to estimate the consequences ofthe project for each stakeholder group. A major goal of stakeholder analysis is toensure that the consequences of a new system are considered for all parties that willbe affected by the system. The most common stakeholders to consider for mostsystems projects are the system champion, the system users, and the organization’smanagement. The system champion is the person or group who initiates the projectand provides support for it. The users are the individuals who will work with thesystem once it is implemented. The organization management commits resources tothe project and has an interest in seeing those resources be used to improve thefunctioning of the organization.Solutions to End ofChapter ExercisesA.Go towww.bls.govand perform a search for “systems analyst.” What is theemployment outlook for this career? Compare and contrast the skills listed with theskills that were presented in this chapter.Student answers will vary.The search returned more than 8,500 responses from thebls website.This is an eye opening exercise for all students to complete.These skillsare consistent with those presented in this chapter.

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-13B.Think about your ideal analyst position. Write ajob postingto hire someone for thatposition. What requirements would the job have? What skills and experience wouldbe required? How would the applicants demonstrate that they have the appropriateskills and experience?Student answers will vary, depending on their preferences regarding being a systemsanalyst, business analyst, infrastructure analyst, or change management analyst. Tryto verify that the student has correctly associated the skills needed with the type ofanalyst position for which they aspire. Demonstration of skills and experience shouldcome from prior actual positions held, responsibilities and accomplishments in thosepositions, and references.C.Locate a news article in an IT tradeweb site(e.g., Computerworld.com,InformationWeek.com) about an organization that is implementing a new computersystem. Describe the tangible and intangible value that the organizationseeksfromthe new system.Students' answers will vary. Verify that the tangible examples are easy to quantifyand measure. Verify that the intangible value examples represent those benefits thatare more difficult to quantify (e.g., customer goodwill or repeat business).D.Car dealers have realized how profitable it can be to sell automobiles by using theWeb. Pretend that you work for a local car dealership that is part of a large chainsuch as CarMax. Create a system request you might use to develop a Web-basedsales system. Remember to list special issues that are relevant to the project.System RequestSponsor: Sales Manager.Business Need:Increase sales, increase market share, broaden geographic reach topotential customers.Business Requirements: Web-based access to vehicle inventory including pictures.Search capabilities. Ability to process requests for more information about avehicle.Business Value: Increase sales by 4%; increase market share by 1.5%; broaden reachto customers within 250 mile radius of dealership.Special Issues: Must have someone who will keep Web-site content up to dateconstantly. Who will handlecustomer inquiries? How will this person becompensated? Will the compensation of our current sales force be affected?How will the sales force feel about this new system? Will having our own Web-based sales system affect our participation in the CarMax chain?E.Think about your own university or college and choose an idea that could improvestudent satisfaction with the course enrollment process. Currently, can studentsenroll for classes from anywhere? How long does it take? Are directions simple tofollow? In online help available? Next, think about how technology can help support

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-14your idea. Would you need completely new technology? Can the current system bechanged?Create a system request that you could give to the administration that explains thesponsor, business need, business requirements, and potential value of the project.Include any constraints or issues that should be considered.On most campuses this is a “hot topic” which would make this an excellent exerciseto complete on the classroom whiteboard as a way of introducing the system requestform and how to complete it.F.Think about the idea that you developed in Exercise E to improve your university orcollege course enrollment process. List three things that influence the technicalfeasibility of the system, the economic feasibility of the system, and the organizationalfeasibility of the system. How can you learn more about the issues that affect thethree kinds of feasibility?Technical Feasibility–Student responses will varyEconomic Feasibility–The cost associated with such a system will be a largeunknown for the students. They might not realize that the existing system isprobably a part of a much larger and very expensive enterprise system.Organizational Feasibility–Understanding the organizational makeup is paramount.Is the current system free standing within the college or university, or is it a partof a system-wide (multi-campus operation?)G.Amazon.com was very successful when it decided to extend its offerings beyond booksto many other products. Amazon.com was unable to compete successfully witheBay.com’s auction site, however, and eventually abandoned its own auction site.What feasibility factors probably had the most significance in this failure? Explain.Most certainly it was Economic. The company lost vast sums of money annually.Technically it was not a challenge to compete, Organizationally,Amazon did notwant to lose, but finally Economically it had to be abandoned.H.Interview someone who works in a large organization and ask him or her to describethe approval process that exists for approving new development projects. What dothey think about the process? What are the problems? What are the benefits?Students' answers will vary.I.Reread the “Your Turn 1-2” box (Implementing a Satellite Data Network). Create alist of the stakeholders that should be considered in astakeholder analysis of thisproject.

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-15A list of stakeholders would include the project sponsor (also known as projectchampion), managers in the organization (particularly inventory), and users at theregional and national headquarters.Answers to Textbook Minicases1.The purpose of this minicase is to encourage students to recognize the value of thestructure of the four phases of the SDLC to smaller projects, even end-user computingprojects such as this. This minicase provides an opportunity for the class to be dividedinto small groups, each responsible for one of the main sections of the minicase, and thenhave the small groups present and discuss their answers.A.Planning:i.What is the purpose of the Planning Phase for a project such as this?In asmaller, end-user computing situation, the Planning phase ensures that the project scopeis understood prior to “diving in” to the project work. A system request may not be formallyprepared, but the business purpose of the project and the value to the business should bearticulated. Feasibility should be considered for any project. Technical feasibility evaluationshould encourage the developer to identify places where he/she might need assistance fromthe IS professionals. Economic issues and organizational feasibility concerns should helpdetermine if the project has enough value to justify the time and costs, and organizationalfeasibility assessment should help alert the developer to organizational acceptance issues.While a formal project plan may not be required, it is important to organize the project andlay out the timetable for work on the project. If additional help will be needed, the individualswho can provide that help must be lined up at the appropriate time.ii.What are the typical outcomes of the Planning Phase?Typically, the Planning phase produces a System Request, preliminary FeasibilityAssessment, and Project Plan, including workplan and staffing plan. The main point of theplanning phase is to more thoroughly understand the project, verify that it has value and isworth doing, and be prepared to tackle the project.iii.How did not doing this step affect Megan’s project outcome?Megan did not adequately appreciate the scale of the project she was taking on. Herapproach, “…set up the basics for the system and then tweak it around until I got what Iwanted…” demonstrates that a haphazard attitude toward such a project results in a pooroutcome. She also did not adequately understand the interests and reactions of her assistantand the members of her sales staff.B.Analysis:i.What is the purpose of the Analysis Phase?The purpose of the Analysis Phase is to develop a thorough understand of the functionalrequirements of the new system. In other words, we should clearly know whatthings the newsystem needs to provide to its users.ii.What is the key outcome produced during the Analysis Phase?The Analysis Phase produces the System Proposal, which is documents the functionalrequirements of the system in clear, unambiguous terms.iii.In what ways do you think this project was hurt by not going through a typicalAnalysis Phase?

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-16Megan had a list of things she thought would be useful in the new system, but she did not takethe time and effort to understand the details of the features she had identified. She also didnot apparently talk to any of the ultimate users of the system: her assistant and the members ofher sales staff. If she had taken the time to involve these individuals, she could have gotten amuch better grasp of the features and functions that they really need, and they would have hadthe benefit of contributing their ideas to the system’s requirements.C.Design:i.What is the purpose of the Design Phase?The Design Phase allows the developer a chance to consider options for implementing thesystem. The make versus buy decision is considered along with a detailed assessment of thealternatives. If any custom development is undertaken, the work that will be done is carefullylaid out using various design tools.ii.How do you think this project could have been improved by going through a typicalDesign Phase?Megan was given some advice on the development environment to use (WordPress). Thismay or may not have been good advice. If a more careful Design process had been followed,Megan could have done an assessment of all her options. For example, there may be asoftware product that she could have purchased that would have been suitable for herpurposes that would have been far easier for her, rather than the setup involved with aWordPress site. If she chose to move ahead with the WordPress platform, she could havebeen better prepared if she had worked on the design of each of the site features prior toimplementation in Word Press.iii.Do you think Megan’s assistant and sales force members could have helped at allduring the design phase? If so, how?At the very least, Megan could have met with her assistant and sales force members anddiscussed the design for the main system features. Their ideas and reactions probably wouldhave led to a much better outcome for the project.D.Implementation:i.What type of work is done in the Implementation Phase for a project like this?Implementation involves the construction of the system, testing of the system, training of theusers, developing documentation, putting the system into production, and maintaining thesystem.ii.What is usually done during the Implementation Phase to ensure that the users of thesystem are satisfied with it?Training and final testing are activities that enablethe users to be able to use the system andto be satisfied that the system performs as it should.iii.Megan’s approach to “construction” was to throw something together and “tweak itaround.” How do you think that approach contributed to the problems she is nowexperiencing with her project?As the answers to the previous sections make clear, Megan’s haphazard approach to theproject was a significant factor in the poor outcome of this project. Even projects that seemsimple and small in scope benefit from an orderly, well-thought-out approach. Many end-usercomputing projects like this end up wasting a lot of time and resources. Knowing andfollowing an orderly development project that is based on the SDLC should greatly enhancethe chances of a successful project that provides value to the business and provides usefulfeatures for the users.2.Student answers may vary; A sample answer is provided below:

Solution Manual for Systems Analysis and Design, 7th Edition - Page 18 preview image

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-17What is your specific objective for this Internet system? (There is a big differencebetween a web site that advertises and promotes products versus one that enablesorder entry).What specific things do you want customers to be able to do via the web site?(Review products; see store locations; search for products; place orders; processcredit card payments; track order status; track shipment).How were the revenue estimates you gave developed? How accurate do you feelyour estimates are?What budget are you considering for this project?What outside help will we be able to utilize in this project?Do you foresee an adverse response by the store owners, perhaps a feeling that thiswill take sales away from them?Are there any other adverse consequences we should anticipate from this system?3.Students’ spreadsheets may differ; the following sample suggests an appropriate format:Decker Company Revenue EstimatesNewResponseTimeServiceCalls perTruck per'WeekIncreasein ServiceCallsAverageRevenueper CallRevenueIncreaseper Truckper WeekAnnualRevenueIncreaseLikelihoodEstimateExpectedAnnualRevenue2 hours2081501200600,00020%120,0003 hours186150900450,00030%135,0004 hours164150600300,00050%150,000Total Expected Value:405,0004.As the numbers indicate, this would not be an economically feasible project for a numberof reasons. It would take more than the projected4-year life span to breakeven on theinitial investment, the return on investment is a very low number (-1), and the net presentvalue is currently projected as a number less than zero.

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-18Supplemental Minicase1.Refer to Minicase 2 inChapter 1 of the textbook. Harry has met with Bill and determinedthat Bill would like a system that allows customers to browse through products on-line, findstorelocations nearest them, and also place orders for products with credit card payments.Based on this scope, Harry is preparing an assessment of the feasibility of this system topresent to the Board of Directors. He is working on the technical feasibility issues currently.Prepare a summary of the technical risks that appear to be associated with this proposedsystem.Answer:This business application is new to the organization. No one has experience orunderstands Internet-based commerce. Manybusinesses are doing this, so we are notbreaking new ground; we just don’t have any in-house expertise in this type of businessventure.We do not have any in-house experience with the technologies associated with Internet-based commerce. No one on staff has done anything like this before. Given the shorttime frame, it will be difficult for the existing staff to get up to speed on the neededtechnology and determine how to use it effectively for this project.Client Server System2005200620072008TotalBenefitsIncreased Sales30,00033,00036,30039,930Reduced Inventory15,00015,00015,00015,000Total Benefits45,00048,00051,30054,930199,230Present Value Total Benefits41,28440,40139,61338,914160,212Development CostsSystems Analysts40,000Programmer Analysts35,000GUI Designer8,000Telecommunications Specialist2,500System Architect5,000Database Specialist675System Librarian3,750Development Training14,000Hardware18,700Software15,650Total Development Costs143,275Operational CostsLabor: Programmer Analysts8,7509,1009,6439,843Labor: System Librarian300312325337Hardware Maintenance995995995995Software Maintenance525525525525Preprinted Forms3,3003,3003,3003,300Total Operational Costs13,87014,23214,78815,00057,890Total Costs143,27513,87014,23214,78815,000201,165Total Benefits-Total Costs(143,275)31,13033,76836,51239,930(1,935)Cumulative Cash Flow(143,275)(112,145)(78,377)(41,865)(1,935)Present Value Total Costs143,27512,72511,97911,41910,626190,024NPV (PV Total Benefits-PV TotalCosts(29,812)ROI-1%(-1,935/201,165)Breakeven Point = notrealizedwithin this schedule

Solution Manual for Systems Analysis and Design, 7th Edition - Page 20 preview image

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-19We have a very small IS staff who are currently kept busy maintaining our existingsystems. Given this small staff, this is a sizeable project for us to undertake.This project represents a very high technical risk for this IS department. Point out that this isan ideal situation to outsource or hire consultants to do. Technically, our current staff isprobably incapable of developing this system in a timely manner.2.Jay Martin, the director of Marketing at Pier Systems, Inc., requested a new system bedeveloped to assist his sales staff in more effectively managing their customer contacts. As aside benefit of this system, Jay will receive detailed information about each salesperson’sdaily productivity, including number of customer contacts, time spent per contact, ordersplaced per contact, and revenues generated per contact. This detailed information about salesstaff productivity has not been previously available to Jay.Jay has been a strong and vocal advocate of this new system, although he has heard somegrumbling in the sales staff ranks about it. The sales staff has enjoyed considerableautonomy in the way they conduct their work day, and this system will provide a muchclearer picture of how each salesperson spends his/her time. Other top managers haveexpressed interest in the system, although much managerial attention has been focusedrecently on the implementation of a major new computer-based manufacturing andproduction system, which has been far behind schedule and plagued with problems. Basedon his discussions with his IS contact, Jay feels certain this system is technically andeconomically viable. How would you assess the Organizational Feasibility of this system?Answer: The project has an enthusiastic and committed project champion. Organizationalmanagement is supportive, but their attention is on another project that has not gone well. Itdoes not seem likely that organizational management will provide more that modest supportand enthusiasm for this project, as their energy is diverted toward the other implementationunder way. The end user support is very questionable. The material provided does not reallyreveal the benefits that the sales staff will gain directly. The end users will have to behandled very carefully to gain their support and diminish their fears about this new system.All in all, the organizational feasibility risk of this system seems quite high at this time.Experiential Exercises1.Purpose: To help students gain an appreciation of the terms phase, step, technique,and deliverable, and how those terms relate to understanding a process of significantlength and complexity.Divide class into groups of 3. Each group will address the same task. The task is todiscuss the experience of being a student at your institution, frompre-admission tograduation, in terms of phases, steps, techniques, and deliverables. Precede the groupwork with a general discussion of these terms.Although answers will vary, phases may include pre-admission to the institution,enrollment as student, pre-professional study, admission to professional program,professional study, and graduation. Steps may be courses of study to follow, course

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-20sequences and prerequisites, general education requirements, professional programrequirements, etc. Techniques may include such things as study habits, researchmethods, speed reading classes, study groups, etc. Deliverables will be courserequirements (papers, projects, exams), course grades, transcripts, certificates, anddiplomas.After each group has developed its ideas, class discussion should focus on comparingresults and clarifying the meaning of each term through the examples presented.2.Purpose: To help students understand and appreciate the role of the project sponsorin an IS development project.Assign students to identify a person in an organization who has initiated andsponsored the development of an information system application. This person willgenerally be a business-oriented manager rather than an IS staff member. Eithersingly or with a partner, the students should arrange an interview with this person todiscuss their experiences as a project sponsor. [As an alternative, the instructor mayarrange for a person who has served as a project sponsor to visit a class session andbe interviewed by the entire class about his/her experiences in the project sponsorrole.]It may be helpful to ‘force’ students to develop a list of interview topics beforeundertaking the interview. Have the students prepare an interview agenda for yourapproval prior to the interview. Questions should be targeted toward understandingthe project, the circumstances that motivated the project, and the involvement thesponsor had throughout the development process.Students should prepare a written summary of their interview, and/or make a classpresentation of their interview results. If class presentations are made, classdiscussion should focus on identifying common themes or similarities between theinterviewees, and also identifying significant areas of difference.3.Purpose: to help students understand the difference between tangible and intangiblevalues.The following 2 exercises come from CIO Magazine. The purpose is to show that everythingcan be measured-even intangibles.Exercise 1: Is it logical to say that more X (an intangible) is better than less, but it is in noway different or observable? Then in what way is X "better?" If you believe X is a goodthing, then you must also believe that it is somehow different from not having X. And ifit is different in a way that is relevant, then it must be observable. So ask what theobservable consequence is. Once you have identified an observable consequence,thinking of a way to measure it is pretty easy.Exercise 2: Create a thought experiment in which you imagine you have cloned an entireorganization into twin organizations, A and B. The two are identical in every way exceptfor one thing: Organization A has more of intangible X than organization B. Now,

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Chapter 1The Systems Analyst and IS Development1-21imagine that you are an objective observer standing outside these organizations lookingin. What do you imagine you observe to be different between A and B? If X is such adesirable thing, then there has to be some difference. What is it? Are certain thingsgetting done cheaper or faster? Are the customers of A likely to come back for morebusiness than the customers of B? Is employee turnover lower? Are mistakes of sometype less frequent? Just think it through-and be specific.4.Purpose: to help students understand the different roles played on a systemsdevelopment project team.Have students undertake a Web search for job descriptions similar to BusinessAnalyst, Systems Analyst, Project Manager, Technical Specialist (equivalent toInfrastructure Analyst). Have students develop a summary list ofjob responsibilities,qualifications, and experience required for each job category. Class discussionfocuses on developing a “master list” for each job category, and comparing andcontrasting the positions.

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Chapter 2Project Selection and Management2-1Chapter2: ProjectSelection andManagementAnswer to Your Turn 2-1: To Select or Not to SelectStudent answers will vary based on knowledge and experience. The response will more thanlikely describe a project that, though it wouldseem to be a perfect choice, did not fit into theorganizational portfolio of projects.This is an appropriate time to discuss the topic of budgetswhich organizations must live within.Answer to Your Turn 2-2: Selecting a MethodologyThrowaway prototyping would be a good choice for this scenario for a number ofreasons. First, this is a brand new idea, so there may be some ambiguity or confusion asto the functionality of the system. Second, there are technical issues associated withintegrating existing hardware and software due to the diversity at different locationsaround the world. Third, the time frame to delivery is one year.The time frame would allow for an in-depth analysis to gather information and developideas for the system before the design phase. Once the initial requirements weredocumented, a series of design prototypes can be created, distributed and tested todetermine whether issues dealing with functionality or technical problems have beenaddressed. Once the issues have been resolved, the project can move into design andimplementation.Direct students to FIGURE 2-9 as it allows students to compare andcontrast the methodologies with the selection criteria discussed in the chapter.Answer to Your Turn 2-3: Communication Complexity1.For a six member team, there are 15 communication channels.

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Chapter 2Project Selection and Management2-2For an eight member team, there are 28 channels. A good formula for figuring outhow many channels there are is: [N * (N-1)] / 2, where N is the number of teammembers.2.Answers will vary, but the larger the team the larger number of communicationchannels and the more complex communications will be.Answer to Your Turn 2-4: CASE Tool AnalysisStudent responses will vary based on the CASE tool selected. As a rule, CASE tools usedduring the analysis phase for creating integrated diagrams of the system and to storeinformation regarding system components are referred to asupper CASE, whereasCASE tools used during the design phase to create diagrams and associated code forsystem functionality and databases are referred to aslower CASE.Answer to Concepts in Action 2-A: Project Portfolio ManagementJust a note that itisan excellent idea to discuss the sheer size of the number of proposals and fundedprojects that a large organization fields on an annual basis. This stresses the importance of qualitywork with the System Request Form and that analysts must be adequately prepared in such acompetitive area.Answer to Concepts in Action 2-B, 2-C: Interview with CIOHaving your university or college CIO be a guest in class to answer questions from the studentswould be a great idea. Putting a name and a face on this very important position is an excellentthing to do.Answer to Concepts in Action 2-D: Agile Development at Travelers1.The projects certainly could be done with JAD sessions or with having the usersreview the project on a weekly basis. However, the success of an agile developmentdepends upon the cohesiveness of the team, typically accomplished by having usersmeet and devote all their time to the project so that they are able to communicateideas, comments, suggestions, and providing feedback immediately.2.In order to work on an agile development project, an analyst needs to be highlymotivated, dedicated to the project, able to communicate effectively, and work wellin a high-paced team environment.Answer to Concepts in Action 2-E: Where Agile Works andDoes NotWorkChances are the agile methodology discussion is growing rapidly onyour university orcollege. You may already have curriculum dedicated to Agile. Changing corporateculture of system development is difficult. This would be an opportune time to discusshow these changes will affect the development teams.

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Chapter 2Project Selection and Management2-3Answer toConcepts in Action 2-F: Trade-Offs1.In considering the trade-offs among the factors of functionality, time and money,it’s important to realize that a change in one of these factors affects the other two.Increasing functionality will most certainly increase the time and money neededto complete the project. Decreasing time or money will most certainly affecteither the level or quality of the functionality in the finished project.2.The project was considered successful from a ‘product’ standpoint, in that it metthe business needs for which it was meant. However, once the time frame hadbeen established, the project manager might have gone back to the clients andreworked the requirements, or the scope of the project. This would have providedthe development team with realistic goals and perhaps would have produced aproduct that could have been used more than once.Answer to Concepts in Action 2-G: Poor Naming StandardsStudent answers will vary depending upon their programming experience, syntaxlanguage, and code comments. This is a great time to reinforce the concept of standards.Solutions to End of Chapter Questions1.Describe how projects are selected in organizations.An organization will base the selection of a project on an evaluation not only of theproject’s costs and expected benefits, but also the technical and organizational risksthat have been identified for the project. Both the systems request and feasibilityanalysis can provide that type of information.2.Describe how project portfolio management is used by IT departments.Portfolio management is the process of determining the mix of project types that willmaximize benefit to the organization, while minimizing risks and costs to theorganization. Included in portfolio management is the process by which anorganization assesses how potential projects fit into the existing projects currentlyunderway. Ideally, the organizational project portfolio consists of both high and lowrisk projects, large and small projects, etc.3.Describe the major elements and issues with waterfall development.Waterfall development follows the phases of the life cycle in sequence (planning,analysis, design, and implementation). Each phase is thoroughly documented andapproval is required beforeproceeding to the subsequent phase. It is difficult, thoughnot impossible, to go backwards in the SDLC under waterfall development.

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Chapter 2Project Selection and Management2-4Waterfall development methodologies have several advantages: requirements areidentified long before programming begins, and requirement changes are limited asthe project progresses. The key disadvantages are that the design must be completelyspecified before programming begins, a long time elapses between the completion ofthe system proposal in the analysis phase and the delivery of system, and testing maybe treated almost as an afterthought in the implementation phase. In addition, thedeliverables are often a poor communication mechanism, so important requirementsmay be overlooked in the volumes of documentation. If the project team misses animportant requirement, expensive post-implementation programming may be needed.Users may forget the original purpose of the system, since so much time has elapsedbetween the original idea and actual implementation.4.Describe the major elements and issues with parallel development.Parallel development modifies the SDLC by altering the design and implementationphases. In parallel development, general design of thewhole system is created; then,the project is divided into subprojects, each of which is designed in detail andimplemented. Work on the subprojects occurs simultaneously in an effort to reducethe time between analysis and delivery of the system. After all subprojects arecomplete, the pieces are integrated into the final delivered system.The total time to deliver the system can be reduced using parallel development ascompared to waterfall development. However, there can be significant challenges inintegrating the subprojects since design decisions made in one subproject may affectother subprojects if they are not completely independent.5.Describe the major elements and issues with the V-model.The V-Model of development follows a waterfall approach in that each phase iscompleted before the next is begun. The V-Model differs in that during each phase ofdevelopment not only are requirements specified and components designed, but thetesting of those components is also defined. This allows for a well-defined testingplan which can improve the overall quality of the system.As with waterfall development, the V-Model of development is rigid, and may not bea good choice for a project that is dynamic in nature.6.Describe the major elements and issues with iterative development.Iterative development is characterized by multiple versions of the overall project. Theinitial version contains the most important and fundamental requirements. Thisversion can be accomplished with a mini-waterfall process. Once the version iscomplete, feedback is solicited as to the appropriateness of the system. The projectthen goes into the next version of the project, incorporating feedback that wasreceived. The benefit to this is that an abbreviated version is quickly available forreview.

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Chapter 2Project Selection and Management2-5The chief disadvantage ofiterative development is that users begin to work with asystem that is intentionally incomplete. Users must accept that only the most criticalrequirements of the system will be available in the early versions and must be patientwith the repeated introduction of new system versions..7.Describe the major elements and issues withsystemprototyping.Prototypingperformsanalysis, design, and implementation into one phase, and thisphase is cycled through several times until the system meets user needs. A “quickand dirty” version of the system is developed early and rapidly, and user feedback issolicited. Based on user comments, the system is modified and refined repeatedly.Ultimately, the system will be refined to the point where the users accept it and it canbe put into production.Prototyping does provide rapid delivery of a system to the users.A disadvantage,however, is the lack of careful, methodical analysis before making designs andimplementation decisions. System prototypes may have some fundamental designlimitations that are a direct result of an inadequate understanding of the system’s truerequirements early in the project..8.Describe the major elements and issues with throwaway prototyping.Throwaway prototypingincludes the development of prototypes, but uses theprototypesprimarily to explore design alternatives rather than as the actual newsystem.Once complete, any ambiguous features or challenging design issues may beaddressed using adesign prototype.A design prototype is created to enable users tounderstand the issues under consideration. Many design prototypes may be built tominimize the risk associated with the system by confirming that important issues areunderstood before the actual system is built.Throwaway prototyping can result in a longer time frame to delivery due to the factthat the prototypes are not necessarily used for the final design. However, thismethodology creates an opportunity to address and resolve key issues that arisebefore getting to the development stage.9.Describe the major elements and issues with agile development.Agile development is amethodology in which the SDLC is streamlined. Much of themodeling and documentation is eliminated and the emphasis is placed on simple,iterative development in which each iteration is a small project on its own, completewith planning, requirements analysis, design, coding, testing, and documentation.

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Chapter 2Project Selection and Management2-6Agile development is dependent upon a team that is highly motivated, cohesive,stable, and experienced. This type of development works best with small projects. Ifthe project is not small, or the teams do not work well, then the likelihood of successis reduced.10.Compare and contrast structured design methodologies in general to rapidapplication design (RAD) methodologies in general.Structured design methodologies are usually fairly formal, step-by-step approaches tosystems development. The project moves through the phases in a systematic way.The emphasis in most of these methodologies is development of specifications for thenew system prior to implementation. RAD methodologies, on the other hand,ncorporates special techniques and computer tools to speed up the analysis, design,and implementation phases in order to get some portion of the system developedquickly and into the hands of the users for evaluation and feedback.11.Compare and contrast extreme programming and throwaway prototyping.Extreme programming uses continuous testing, simple coding performed byteamsofdevelopers, and close interactions with end users. System functionality grows overtime iteratively after a very superficial planning phase. Code is thoroughly tested asit is added to the system. By practicing discipline and keeping the development teamsmall and focused, extreme programming can create good results very quickly.Throwaway prototyping focuses more on experimentation during the design phase.The prototypes are intended to clarify technical issues before the 'real' system is built.The prototypes will be discarded and do not become the final system.12.What are the key factors in selecting a methodology?How well are user requirements understood?How familiar are the systems developers with the technology being employed?How complex is the system?How essential is system reliability?How demanding is the time frame/project schedule?How visible is theproject schedule?(see FIGURE 2-9)13.Why do many projects end up having unreasonable deadlines? How should a projectmanager react to unreasonable demands?Although training and software are available to help project managers, unreasonabledemands set by project sponsors and business managers can make projectmanagement very difficult. Too often, the approach of the holiday season, the chanceat winning a proposal with a low bid, or a funding opportunity pressures projectmanagers to promise systems long before they are realistically able to deliver them.

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Chapter 2Project Selection and Management2-7Th ese overly optimistic timetables are thought to be one of the biggest problems thatprojects face; instead of pushing a project forward faster, they result in delays.Thus, a critical success factor for project management is to start with a realisticassessment of the work that needs to be accomplished and then manage the projectaccording to the plan. This can be accomplished by carefully following the basic stepsof project management as outlined in this chapter.14.Name two ways to identify the tasks that need to be accomplished over the course of aproject.One way to identify tasks is to follow a top-down approach, defining high level tasksfirst, and then breaking those tasks down intosubtasks. A second way is to follow amethodology, which will provide a standard list of tasks for the SDLC. This standardtask list can be modified as needed for the specific project.15.What is the difference between a methodology and a work plan? How are the twoterms related?A methodology provides a standard, formalized list of steps and deliverables for theSDLC. Work plans include the specific steps, tasks, and deliverables that will beneeded for a specific project.To create a work plan, the project manager identifiesthe tasks that need to be accomplished and determines how long each one will take.Then the tasks are organized within a work breakdown structure.16.Some companies hire consulting firms to develop the initial project plans and managethe project, but use their own analysts and programmers to develop the system. Whydo you think some companies do this?It is possible that a company does not have skilled project managers available on itsin-house staff. Project management requires a unique set of skills, and consultingfirms may develop project management capabilities because of the many projectsundertakenIn some cases, methodologies are obtained from consulting firms for theirclients to follow; provided by the vendor of the software to be installed; or mandatedas a part of projects involving government agencies.17.Describe the differences between a technical lead and a functional lead? How arethey similar?Typically, a project will have one project manager who oversees the overall progressof the development effort, with the core of the team composed of the various types ofanalysts. Afunctional leadusually is assigned to manage a group of analysts, and a

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Chapter 2Project Selection and Management2-8technical leadoversees the progress of a group of programmers and more technicalstaff members.18.Describe three technical skills and three interpersonal skills that would be veryimportant to have on any project.Specific answers will vary.Desirable technical skills might include programmingexperience in the chosen programming language, experience in configuring thehardware and communications technology platform correctly, and experience inutilizing the file/database environment effectively.There are many interpersonal andcommunication skills needed on a project. A number of desirable interpersonal skillsmightbe listed by the student,includinginterviewing skills, negotiation skills, andconflict resolution skills.19.What are thebest ways to motivate a team? What are the worst ways?Research has shown that technically-oriented people are motivated by recognition,achievement, the work itself, responsibility, advancement, and the chance to learnnew skills. The worst ways to motivate technical staff include setting unrealisticdeadlines, failing to recognize good effort, accepting low quality output, rewarding allteam members monetarily regardless of work quality, failing to include teammembers in important project decisions, and providing poor working conditions.20.List three techniques to reduce conflict.Clearly define the roles on the project, hold team members accountable for theirassigned tasks, develop detailed operating procedures and make sure the teammembers understand them, have each team member commit to the project charter.21.What is the difference between upper CASE and lower CASE?Some CASE software packages are primarily used during the analysis phase to createintegrated diagrams of the system and to store information regarding the systemcomponents (often calledupper CASE), whereas others are design-phase tools thatcreate the diagrams and then generate code for database tables and systemfunctionality (often calledlower CASE).22.Describe three types of standards, and provide examples of each.Coding standardsincludea header thatlists the programmer, last date of update, and ashort description of the purpose of the code.An example might be that all programsare to be written following structured programming outlines.Procedural standardsdefine processes that are to be followed by all team members. An example would bethat all changes to a requirements document must beapproved by the projectmanager.. User interface design standards create a common understanding of the

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Chapter 2Project Selection and Management2-9appearance and functioning of the screens the end users see. An example would be tocreate a standard group of icons that are used consistently on all screens.23.What belongs in theelectronicproject binder? How is theelectronicproject binderorganized?All project deliverables, all internal communication, and all project documentationshould be placed in theelectronicproject binder(binder).A simple way to set upyour documentation is to create a folder hierarchy and use subfolders to separatecontent according to the major phases of the project.24.What are the trade-offs that project managers must manage?The project manager must trade off system size, development time, and project cost.A larger project will require more time and money; while a short time frame mayrequire more money or reduced project size. Since most projects have time and/ormoney constraints, the project manager must strike a balance between size, time, andcost in order to define an achievable project.25.What is scope creep, and how can it be managed?The most common reason for schedule and cost overruns occurs after the project is underway isscopecreep.Scope creep happens when new requirements are added to the project after the original projectscope was defined. It can happen for many reasons.The project manager must actively work to keep theproject tight and focused. The key is to identify the requirements as well as possible in the beginning ofthe project and to apply analysis techniques effectively.26.What is timeboxing,and why is it used?Timeboxing is a technique that is used to organize a project when time is a criticalissue. With timeboxing, a fixed deadline is established, and the project teamprioritizes the functionality of the system so that the essential features are deliveredwithin the set deadline. If some features must be omitted given that time frame, theyare postponed to a later version of the system. With this technique, the users areassured of getting a system with essential functionality by the project deadline, andother, less essential features and refinements are added in later system versions.27.Create a list of potential risks that could affect the outcome of a project.Weak personnel, scope creep, poor design decisions, overly optimistic projectestimates.28.Describe the factors a project manager must evaluate when a project falls behindschedule.Typically a project falls behind schedule when one of the risk factors listed above arerealized. At that point the manger should determine which of those risk factors, or

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