Chapter 6

.1 Typically, companies choose in-house software development for all of the following reasons except __________. .a to satisfy unique business requirements .b to maximize changes in business procedures and policies .c to meet the constraints of existing systems and technology .d to develop internal resources and capabilities Advantages of purchasing a software package over developing software in-house include all of the following except __________. .a lower costs and less time to implement .b proven reliability and performance benchmarks .c need for more technical support staff .d future upgrades provided by the vendor If the vendor customizes a software package, the modified package __________. .a will cost more .b will take longer to obtain .c might be less reliable .d all of the above __________ is the use of outside companies called service providers to handle a portion of a company's IT workload. .a Outsourcing .b Application hosting .c Prototyping .d Self checking A major disadvantage of outsourcing is that __________. .a service providers seldom concentrate on specific functions .b it forces a company to add IT staff in busy times .c it raises employee concerns about job security .d all of the above If management decides to develop a system in-house, the __________ phase of the SDLC can begin. .a systems analysis .b systems design .c systems implementation .d systems evaluation When evaluating and purchasing software, based on the analysis of the system requirements a systems analyst must do all of the following except __________. .a identify the key features of the system .b estimate volume and future growth .c specify any software constraints .d prepare a request for proposal or quotation The Usenet is an Internet bulletin board system that contains thousands of forums, called __________, that cover every imaginable topic. .a chat rooms .b telnet .c mailing lists .d newsgroups To determine whether a software package can handle a certain transaction volume efficiently, a __________ test can be performed. .a benchmark .b projective .c leapfrog .d touchstone
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.10 In evaluating and purchasing software packages, the final step is to __________. .a evaluate information system requirements .b identify potential software vendors .c evaluate software package alternatives .d install the software package .11 To design and deliver a successful presentation to management, all of the following suggestions should be kept in mind except __________. .a begin with a final decision or a timetable for the next steps in the process .b summarize the primary viable alternatives .c explain why the evaluation team chose the recommended alternative .d allow time for discussion and for questions and answers .12 Prototyping offers many benefits, including all of the following except __________. .a users and systems developers can avoid misunderstandings .b systems developers can create accurate specifications for the finished system based on the prototype .c managers can evaluate a paper specification more effectively than a working model .d systems analysts can use a prototype to develop testing and training procedures before the finished system is available .13 Although most systems analysts believe that the advantages of prototyping far outweigh any disadvantages, when using prototyping all of the following are potential problems that should be considered except __________. .a prototyping increases the risk of potential financial exposure that occurs with a finished system fails to support business needs .b the rapid pace of development can create quality problems, which are not discovered until the finished system is operational .c other system requirements, such as reliability and maintainability, cannot adequately be tested using a prototype .d in a very complex system, the prototype becomes unwieldy and difficult to manage .14 Languages such as C++ and Java are called __________ (because a programmer specifies the actions that the program must perform when certain events occur). .a action driven .b event driven .c program driven .d performance driven .15 With a report generator, sample field values can be input to create a(n) __________ that users can review before final report design decisions are made. .a hardcoded trail .b in-house report .c audit trail .d mock-up report .16 In the systems design phase, the first step is to __________. .a review the system requirements document .b determine how data will be input .c create the systems design specifications document .d design an overall user interface

.17 When determining data entry and storage considerations, follow all of these guidelines except __________. .a data should be entered into the system where and when it occurs .b data should be verified when it is entered .c data should be entered into a system multiple times .d data duplication should be avoided

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.18 Reports that trace the entry of and changes to critical data values are called __________ and are essential in every system. .a hardcoded trails .b in-house reports .c audit trails .d mock-up reports .19 __________ are numbers or letters assigned in a specific order. .a Sequence codes .b Cipher codes .c Alphabetic codes .d Action codes .20 College course numbers usually are assigned using a __________. .a self-checking code .b significant digit code .c derivation code .d block sequence code .21 __________ use letters to distinguish one item from another based on a category, an abbreviation, or an easy-to-remember value, called a mnemonic code. .a Cipher codes .b Alphabetic codes .c Sequence codes .d Action codes .22 ZIP codes are __________. .a self-checking codes .b significant digit codes .c derivation codes .d action codes .23 __________ combine data from different item attributes, or characteristics, to build the code. .a Alphabetic codes .b Block sequence codes .c Derivation codes .d Action codes .24 __________ use a keyword to encode a number. .a Sequence codes .b Cipher codes .c Significant digit codes .d Self-checking codes .25 When developing a code, keep all of the following suggestions in mind except __________. .a keep codes concise .b allow for expansion .c avoid confusing codes .d make codes interchangeable

.26 A company's IT department makes, builds, and develops in-house software, whereas a software package is purchased or leased from another firm. .a true .b false

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.27 A software package that can be used by many different types of organizations is called a vertical application. .a true .b false .28 A software package developed to handle information requirements for a specific type of business is called a horizontal application. .a true .b false .29 Companies often decide to develop software in-house because no commercially available software package can meet their unique business requirements. .a true .b false .30 Upgrades generally are more expensive than buying an entire package or acquiring new software because vendors seldom offer a lower price to current users. .a true .b false .31 An ASP provides more than a license to use software; it rents an operational package to customers. .a true .b false .32 One outsourcing concern is that a company must turn over internal data to an external service provider and trust the provider to maintain quality. .a true .b false .33 Outsourcing is especially unattractive to a company whose volume fluctuates widely, such as a defense contractor. .a true .b false .34 Empowerment makes an IT department less productive because it must spend more time responding to the daily concerns of users and less time on high-impact systems development projects that support strategic business goals. .a true .b false .35 If user applications access corporate data, no controls must be provided to ensure data security or integrity. .a true .b false .36 A company's decision whether to develop software in-house, customize a software package, purchase a software package, or select a combination of these solutions affects the remaining SDLC phases and the involvement of a systems analyst. .a true .b false .37 Customizing a software package requires a combination of tasks, because an essential part of the system is being purchased and redesigned. .a true .b false .38 Whenever possible, decisions about hardware should be made first because hardware is the main element in any system - it is the part with which people work directly and affects the system's usability. .a true .b false

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.39 An RFP can be thought of as a shortened version of an RFQ, because the RFP refers to a specific product and contains a set of detailed specifications. .a true .b false .40 A major advantage of using a consultant is that a systems analyst can tap into broad experience that is difficult for any one company to acquire. .a true .b false .41 If software will run on a mainframe computer, or as an enterprise-wide application, it probably will be purchased from a retail source. .a true .b false .42 The Internet is a primary marketplace for all IT products, and a systems analyst can expect to find descriptive information on the Web about all major vendors and their products. .a true .b false .43 A benchmark measures the time a software package takes to process a certain number of transactions. .a true .b false .44 When evaluating software package alternatives, using a demonstration copy to enter a few sample transactions could be an acceptable test for vertical applications or a large system. .a true .b false .45 Web sites maintained by consultants and software publishers seldom include product references or links to vendors. .a true .b false .46 When benchmarking, each software package should be matched against the RFP features and the choices ranked, with features that are more important than others given a higher weight. .a true .b false .47 For personal computer users, software license terms and conditions usually can be modified. .a true .b false .48 If a software package is customized, then the task of installing the software package will be less complex and difficult. .a true .b false

.49 The primary objective of an evaluation and selection team is to eliminate system alternatives that will not work, rank the system alternatives that will work, and then present the viable alternatives to management for a final decision. .a true .b false .50 The system requirement document is the starting point for measuring the performance, accuracy, and completeness of the finished system before entering the systems design phase. .a true .b false

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.51 Whatever the reason, if management's decision is to stop all further work then the systems analyst has no additional tasks other than to file all research in an illogical location so that it cannot be retrieved if the project is reopened in the future. .a true .b false .52 A logical design includes the output that must be produced by the system, the input needed by the system, and the processes that must be performed by the system without regard to how tasks will be accomplished physically. .a true .b false .53 Whereas logical design is concerned with how the system will meet requirements, physical design is concerned with what the system must accomplish. .a true .b false .54 During systems design, a systems analyst should return to the analysis phase only in very limited situations. .a true .b false .55 Prototyping allows users to examine a model that accurately represents system outputs, inputs, interfaces, and processes. .a true .b false .56 The end product of design prototyping is a full-featured, working model of an information system. .a true .b false .57 In a fourth-generation environment, the development tools are highly interactive. .a true .b false .58 Languages such as C++ and Java are procedural languages that require the programmer to create code for each processing step. .a true .b false .59 COBOL is a nonprocedural language because the programmer does not write a series of instructions that the program follows from start to finish. .a true .b false .60 Using a report writer, the report design easily can be modified at any time in the design process. .a true .b false

.61 Modern CASE tools seldom include a screen generator that interacts with the data dictionary. .a true .b false .62 Even when it does not evolve into the finished system, a prototype greatly helps to ensure that the final product will meet all requirements. .a true .b false

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.63 Some systems analysts still use systems flowcharts because they are easy to construct and understand, but they are more likely to be seen on older, file-oriented designs. .a true .b false .64 The components of a system are independent, so the design phase is a series of clearly defined steps. .a true .b false .65 A system is reliable if it adequately handles errors, such as input errors, processing errors, hardware failures, or human mistakes. .a true .b false .66 If a system is designed and implemented well, it never will need to be modified. .a true .b false .67 Often the best design strategy is to come up with several alternatives, so users can decide what will work best for them. .a true .b false .68 A guideline to consider in processing design is that design modules that perform multiple functions are easier to understand, implement, and maintain. .a true .b false .69 Codes can be used to simplify output, input, and data formats. .a true .b false .70 Codes often are longer than the data they represent, so they squander storage space and costs, boost data transmission time, and increase data entry time. .a true .b false .71 Most design trade-off decisions that a systems analyst will face come down to the basic conflict of quality versus cost. .a true .b false .72 Codes can reduce data input errors in situations when the coded data is easier to remember and enter than the original source data, when only certain valid codes are allowed, and when something within the code itself can provide immediate verification that the entry is correct. .a true .b false

.73 Action codes indicate what action is to be taken with an associated item. .a true .b false .74 Self-checking codes use a check digit to verify the validity of a numeric code. .a true .b false

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.75 When developing a code, use a single code to classify two or more related attributes. .a true .b false

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