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What is a system development process?
A set of activities, methods, best practices, deliverables, and automated tools that stakeholders (Chapter 1) use to develop and continuously improve information systems and software.
What is the Capability Maturity Model (CMM)?How it is relevant to sys development?
Capability Maturity Model (CMM) – a standardized framework for assessing the maturity level of an organization’s information system development and management processes and products.
In level 3 of CMM (Defined) the sys development methodology will be defined.
Describe the 5 levels of CMM. Which level is dependant on establishment of a sys development process?
Level 1—Initial: System development projects follow no prescribed process.
Level 2—Repeatable: Project management processes and practices are established to track project costs, schedules, and functionality.
Level 3—Defined: A standard system development process (sometimes called a “methodology”) is purchased or developed. All projects use a version of this process to develop and maintain information systems and software.
Level 4—Managed: Measurable goals for quality and productivity are established.
Level 5—Optimizing: The standardized system development process is continuously monitored and improved based on measures and data analysis established in Level 4.
(b) level 3 (Define)
What is the difference between the sys life cycle and a SYSs development methodology?
A sys development methodology “executes” the sys development stage of the sys life cycle.
System life cycle – the factoring of the lifetime of an information system into two stages, (1) systems development and (2) systems operation and maintenance.
System development methodology – a standardized development process that defines (as in CMM Level 3) a set of activities, methods, best practices, deliverables, and automated tools that system developers and project managers are to use to develop and continuously improve information systems and software.
What is FAST?
A hypothetical methodology to demonstrate a representative sys development process.
What is creeping commitment approach to sys development?
A strategy in which feasibility and risks are continuously reevaluated throughout a project. Project budgets and deadlines are adjusted accordingly.
Why do companies use methodologies? Why do some choose to purchase a methodology?
Methodologies ensure:
• A consistent, reproducible approach is applied to all projects.
• There is reduced risk associated with shortcuts and mistakes.
• Complete and consistent documentation is produced from one project to next.
• Sys analysts, designers, and builders can quickly reassigned between projects because all use the same process
• As development teams and staff constantly change, the result of prior work can be easily retrieved and understood by those who follow.
(b) Many IS organizations can’t afford to dedicate staff to development and continuous improvement of a homegrown methodology.
What are the 10 fundamental principles of sys development?
Get the system users involved. Use a problem-solving approach.
Establish phases and activities. Document through development.
Establish standards. Manage the process and projects
Justify systems as capital investments. Don’t be afraid to cancel or revise scope.
Divide and conquer. Design systems for growth and change.
Differentiate between process and project management.
Process management – an ongoing activity that documents, manages, oversees the use of, and improves an organization’s chosen methodology (the “process”) for system development. Process management is concerned with phases, activities, deliverables, and quality standards should be consistently applied to all projects.
Project management is the process of scoping, planning, staffing, organizing, directing, and controlling a project to develop an information system at a minimum cost, within a specified time frame, and with acceptable quality.
What is cost-effectiveness and how it impacts sys development?
Cost-effectiveness – The result obtained by striking a balance between the lifetime costs of developing, maintaining, and operating an information system and the benefits derived from that system. Cost-effectiveness is measured by a cost-benefit analysis which is performed throughout the sys development process.
What is risk management and how it impacts sys development?
The process of identifying, evaluating and controlling what might go wrong in a project before it comes a threat to the successful completion of the project or implementation of the IS.
What is an entropy?
Sys scientists describe the natural and inevitable decay of all systems over time as entropy.
Differentiate among problems, opportunities, and directives of sys development process.
Problem – an undesirable situation that prevents the organization from fully achieving its purpose, goals, and/or objectives.
Opportunity – a chance to improve the organization even in the absence of an identified problem.
Directive - a new requirement that is imposed by management, government, or some external influence.
Name 6 problem classes of PIECES framework.
To improve performance
To improve information (and data)
To improve economics, control costs, or increase profits
To improve control or security
To improve efficiency of people and processes
To improve service to customers, suppliers, partners, employees, etc.
What is the role of steering committee? And if a project proposal was not approved?
Steering committee – an administrative body of system owners and information technology executives that prioritizes and approves candidate system development projects.
Backlog – a repository of project proposals that cannot be funded or staffed because they are a lower priority than those that have been approved for system development.
List eight basic phases that are common to most modern sys development methodologies.
1. Scope definition 2. Problem analysis 3. requirements analysis
4. Logical design 5. Decision analysis 6. Physical design & Integration
7. Constructing and testing 8. Installation & Delivery
What is constraint?
Any factor, limitation, or restraint that may limit a solution or the problem-solving process.
What is scope creep?
A common phenomenon wherein the requirements and expectations of a project increase, often without regard to the impact on budget and schedule.
The relevance of Scope Definition in controlling scope creep.
By documenting initial scope (in Scope Definition), you can establish a baseline for controlling scope creep on both budget and schedule.
What is statement of work?
A contract with management and the user community to develop or enhance an information system; defines vision, scope, constraints, high-level user requirements, schedule, and budget. Synonyms include project charter, project plan, and service-level agreement.
Differentiate between logical and physical design.
Logical design – the translation of business user requirements into a system model that depicts only the business requirements and not any possible technical design or implementation of those requirements. Common synonyms include conceptual design and essential design.
Physical design – the translation of business user requirements into a system model that depicts a technical implementation of the users’ business requirements. Common synonyms include technical design or implementation model.
What is a sys model? How do they improve sys development?
System model – a picture of a system that represents reality or a desired reality. System models facilitate improved communication between system users, system analysts, system designers, and system builders.
What is analysis paralysis?
Analysis paralysis – a satirical term coined to describe a common project condition in which excessive system modeling dramatically slows progress toward implementation of the intended system solution.
Describe 5 types of feasibility.
Technical feasibility – Is the solution technically practical? Does our staff have the technical expertise to design and build this solution?
Operational feasibility – Will the solution fulfill the users’ requirements? To what degree? How will the solution change the users’ work environment? How do users feel about such a solution?
Economic feasibility – Is the solution cost-effective?
Schedule feasibility – Can the solution be designed and implemented within an acceptable time?
Risk feasibility – What is the probability of a successful implementation using the technology and approach?
What is a cross-cycle activity? Name 4 of them.
Cross life-cycle activity – any activity that overlaps many or all phases of the systems development process.
1.Fact-finding 2.Documentation and presentation
3.Feasibility analysis 4.Process and project management
What is repository?
A database and/or file directory where system developers store all documentation, knowledge, and artifacts for one or more information systems or projects.
Why should a methodology have alternative “routes”?
Today a variety of types of Prj, technologies, and development strategies are exist. We must provide alternative routes and strategies to accommodate different types of Prj, technology goals, development skills, and development paradigms
What are agile methods?
Advocates of agile methods suggest that sys analysts and programmers should have a tool box of methods that include tools and technologies from all methodologies.
What is a model-driven strategy?
A system development strategy that emphasizes the drawing of system models to help visualize and analyze problems, define business requirements, and design information systems.
List 3 model-driven development techniques.
Process modeling – a process-centered technique popularized by the structured analysis and design methodology that used models of business process requirements to derive effective software designs for a system.
Data modeling – a data-centered technique used to model business data requirements and design database systems that fulfill those requirements.
Object modeling – a technique that attempts to merge the data and process concerns into singular constructs called objects. Object models are diagrams that document a system in terms of its objects and their interactions.
What is rapid App development strategy?
(RAD) is a system development strategy that emphasizes speed of development through extensive user involvement in the rapid, iterative, and incremental construction of series of functioning prototypes of a system that eventually evolves into the final system.
What is time boxing? Why it is popular?
Time box – the imposition of a non extendable period of time, usually 60-90 days, by which the first (or next) version of a system must be delivered into operation.
Advocates of the time boxing argue that management and user enthusiasm for a Prj can be enhanced and sustained because a working version of sys is implemented on a regular basis.
What is commercial App package implementation strategy? Why it is necessary?
A software application that can be purchased and customized to meet the business requirements of a large number of organizations or a specific industry. A synonym is commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) system.(b) For many core Apps such as human resources, financials, procurement, manufacturing and distribution,, there is little competitive value in building your own sys.
What is request for proposals?
(RFP) – a formal document that communicates business, technical, and support requirements for an application software package to vendors that may wish to compete for the sale of that application package and services.
What is an incremental implementation strategy?
An strategy that is commonly applied to both model-driven and RAD routes in which the Prj delivers the IS into operation in several stages. Each stage implement a version of the final sys using a RAD route.
What are benefits of using automated tools in sys development?
Improve productivity Improve quality Methodology that really works
Better and more consistent documentation Reduce lifetime maintenance
List 3 classes of automated tools for sys development.
1.Computer-aided systems engineering (CASE)
2.Application development environments (ADEs) 3.Process and project managers
Differentiate between computer-aided sys engineering and App development ENVs.
Computer-aided systems engineering (CASE) – the use of automated software tools that support the drawing and analysis of system models and associated specifications. Some CASE tools also provide prototyping and code generation capabilities.
Application development environments (ADEs) – an integrated software development tool that provides all the facilities necessary to develop new application software with maximum speed and quality. A common synonym is integrated development environment (IDE)
What is the role of a CASE repository?
A system developers’ database where developers can store system models, detailed descriptions and specifications, and other products of system development. Synonyms include dictionary and encyclopedia.
What is the difference between forward & reverse engineering?
Forward engineering – a CASE tool capability that can generate initial software or database code directly from system.
Reverse engineering – a CASE tool capability that can generate initial system models from software or database code. |
