Deck 13: Managing the Systems Development Life Cycle

Question 1

An accountant's responsibility in the systems development life cycle (SDLC)is to ensure that the system applies proper accounting conventions and rules and possesses adequate control.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The concept of reusability is central to the structured approach to systems design.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

In the conceptual design phase of the SDLC,task force members are focused on selecting the new system design.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

When the nature of the project and the needs of the user permit,most organizations will seek a pre-coded commercial software package rather than develop a system in-house.

Question 5

The payback method is often more useful than the net present value method for evaluating systems projects because the effective lives of information systems tend to be short and shorter-payback projects are often desirable.

Question 6

According to the text,a stakeholder is an end user of a system.

Question 7

Legal feasibility identifies conflicts between the proposed system and the company's ability to discharge its legal responsibilities.

Question 8

Recurring costs include: hardware maintenance,software acquisition,software maintenance,insurance,supplies,and personnel costs.

Question 9

All vendor-supported systems include software,infrastructure,and maintenance.

Question 10

In a backbone system,the vendor designs the user interface to fit the client's needs.

Question 11

Intangible benefits are not physical,but can be measured and expressed in financial terms.

Question 12

A tangible benefit can be measured and expressed in financial terms.

Question 13

When determining the operational feasibility of a new system,the expected ease of transition from the old system to the new system should be considered.

Question 14

One-time costs include operating and maintenance costs.

Question 15

All of the steps in the systems development life cycle apply both to software that is developed in-house and to commercial software.

Question 16

When the nature of the project and the needs of the user permit,most organizations will create the system in-house rather than rely on a commercial package.

Question 17

The conceptual design of modern systems follows one of two basic approaches: the structured approach and the object-oriented approach.

Question 18

When preparing a cost-benefit analysis,design costs incurred in the systems planning,systems analysis,and conceptual design phases of the systems development life cycle are relevant costs.

Question 19

The objective of systems planning is to link systems projects to the strategic objectives of the firm.

Question 20

In-house developed systems are less reliable than commercial software.

Question 21

Which technique is least likely to be used to quantify intangible benefits?

A)opinion surveys
B)simulation models
C)professional judgment
D)review of accounting transaction data

Question 22

The formal product of the systems evaluation and selection phase of the systems development life cycle is

A)the report of systems analysis
B)the systems selection report
C)the detailed system design
D)the systems plan

Question 23

The testing of individual program modules is a part of

A)software acquisition costs
B)systems design costs
C)data conversion costs
D)programming costs

Question 24

Examples of recurring costs include

A)software acquisition
B)data conversion
C)personnel costs
D)systems design

Question 25

When studying the detailed feasibility of a new project

A)prototyping does not affect the schedule feasibility analysis
B)the need for user training will influence the schedule feasibility analysis
C)protection from fraud and errors will influence the schedule feasibility analysis
D)a cost-benefit review will affect the schedule feasibility analysis

Question 26

A tangible benefit

A)can be measured and expressed in financial terms
B)might increase revenues
C)might decrease costs
D)all of the above

Question 27

Intangible benefits

A)are easily measured
B)are of relatively little importance in making information system decisions
C)are sometimes estimated using customer satisfaction surveys
D)when measured, do not lend themselves to manipulation

Question 28

Recurring costs include all of the following except

A)data conversion
B)software maintenance
C)insurance
D)supplies

Question 29

An example of a tangible benefit is

A)increased customer satisfaction
B)more current information
C)reduced inventories
D)faster response to competitor actions

Question 30

A primary role for accountants during the detailed design and implementation phases is to ensure that controls are adequate to meet the requirements of Statement on Auditing Standards No.109.

Question 31

Protection from inadvertent disclosures of confidential information is part of the detailed

A)operational feasibility study
B)schedule feasibility study
C)legal feasibility study
D)economic feasibility study

Question 32

When implementing a new system,the costs associated with transferring data from one storage medium to another is an example of

A)a recurring cost
B)a data conversion cost
C)a systems design cost
D)a programming cost

Question 33

Strategic systems planning

A)is not technically part of the SDLC
B)will eliminate any crisis component in systems development
C)provides a static goal to be attained within a five-year period
D)all of the above

Question 34

One-time costs include all of the following except

A)site preparation
B)insurance
C)programming and testing
D)data conversion

Question 35

An example of an intangible benefit is

A)expansion into other markets
B)reduction in supplies and overhead
C)more efficient operations
D)reduced equipment maintenance

Question 36

A cost-benefit analysis is a part of the detailed

A)operational feasibility study
B)schedule feasibility study
C)legal feasibility study
D)economic feasibility study

Question 37

Examples of one-time costs include all of the following except

A)hardware acquisition
B)insurance
C)site preparation
D)programming

Question 38

Site preparation costs include all of the following except

A)crane used to install equipment
B)freight charges
C)supplies
D)reinforcement of the building floor

Question 39

If individual modules are thoroughly tested,it is not necessary to test the whole system.

Question 40

The systems steering committee is responsible for all of the following except

A)assigning priorities
B)determining whether and when to terminate systems projects
C)analyzing the technical feasibility of the project
D)budgeting funds for systems development

Question 41

The systems analysis report does not

A)identify user needs
B)specify requirements for the new system
C)formally state the goals and objectives of the system
D)specify the system processing methods

Question 42

The degree of compatibility between the firm's existing procedures and personnel skills and the requirements of the new system is called

A)technical feasibility
B)operational feasibility
C)schedule feasibility
D)legal feasibility

Question 43

Typically a systems analysis

A)results in a formal project schedule
B)does not include a review of the current system
C)identifies user needs and specifies new system requirements
D)is performed by the internal auditor

Question 44

Which of the following is not an advantage of commercial software? Commercial software

A)can be installed faster than a custom system
B)can be easily modified to the user's exact specifications
C)is significantly less expensive than a system developed in-house
D)is less likely to have errors than an equivalent system developed in-house

Question 45

A commercial software system that is completely finished,tested,and ready for implementation is called a

A)backbone system
B)vendor-supported system
C)benchmark system
D)turnkey system

Question 46

Project feasibility includes all of the following except

A)technical feasibility
B)conceptual feasibility
C)operational feasibility
D)schedule feasibility

Question 47

A disadvantage of surveying the current system is

A)it constrains the generation of ideas about the new system
B)it highlights elements of the current system that are worth preserving
C)it pinpoints the causes of the current problems
D)all of the above are advantages of surveying the current system

Question 48

Systems analysis involves all of the following except

A)gathering facts
B)surveying the current system
C)redesigning bottleneck activities
D)reviewing key documents

Question 49

Which statement is not true? A systems design walkthrough

A)is conducted by a quality assurance group
B)occurs just after system implementation
C)simulates the operation of the system in order to uncover errors and omissions
D)reduces costs by reducing the amount of reprogramming

Question 50

Which of the following is not a tool of systems analysts?

A)observation
B)task participation
C)audit reports
D)personal interviews

Question 51

When developing the conceptual design of a system

A)all similarities and differences between competing systems are highlighted
B)structure diagrams are commonly used
C)an iterative approach may be used
D)inputs, processes, and outputs that distinguish one alternative from another are identified

Question 52

The detailed design report contains all of the following except

A)input screen formats
B)alternative conceptual designs
C)report layouts
D)process logic

Question 53

The output of the detailed design phase of the systems development life cycle (SDLC)is a

A)fully documented system report
B)systems selection report
C)detailed design report
D)systems analysis report

Question 54

The benefits of the object-oriented approach to systems design include all of the following except

A)this approach requires a top-down approach
B)development time is reduced
C)a standard module once tested does not have to be retested until changes are made
D)system maintenance activities are simplified

Question 55

The ability of a system to protect individual privacy and confidentiality is an example of

A)schedule feasibility
B)operational feasibility
C)legal feasibility
D)economic feasibility

Question 56

Project planning includes all of the following except

A)evaluating a proposal's feasibility
B)preparing a formal project proposal
C)selecting hardware vendors
D)producing a project schedule

Question 57

Reasons that a new systems implementation may be unsuccessful include all of the following except

A)organizational restructuring required by the new system results in displaced workers
B)end users do not understand the strategic merits of the new system
C)employees are not trained to use the system
D)system development team members include representatives from end-user departments

Question 58

Aspects of project feasibility include all of the following except

A)technical feasibility
B)economic feasibility
C)logistic feasibility
D)schedule feasibility

Question 59

Which statement is not correct? The structured design approach

A)is a top-down approach
B)is documented by data flow diagrams and structure diagrams
C)assembles reusable modules rather than creating systems from scratch
D)starts with an abstract description of the system and redefines it to produce a more detailed description of the system

Question 60

After the systems analysis phase of the systems development life cycle (SDLC)is complete,the company will have a formal systems analysis report on

A)the conceptual design of the new system
B)an evaluation of the new system
C)users' needs and requirements for the new system
D)a comparison of alternative implementation procedures for the new system

Question 61

Name four techniques that systems analysts use to gather facts during system surveys.

Question 62

Describe the cold turkey (or big bang)approach to system cutover.

Question 63

Name three topics that would not be included in the systems analysis report.

Question 64

Why is cost-benefit analysis more difficult for information systems than for many other types of investments organizations make?

Question 65

Discuss the differences between turnkey systems and backbone systems.

Question 66

What topics should be included in a systems analysis report?

Question 67

How is the organization's business plan used during systems planning?

Question 68

List at least three one-time costs and three recurring costs in system development.

Question 69

How is strategic systems planning related to the other SDLC activities?

Question 70

Describe a risk associated with the phased cutover procedure for data conversion.

Question 71

List three advantages and one disadvantage of commercial software.

Question 72

What is meant by object-oriented design? What does it mean for systems design?

Question 73

Name three items included in the detailed design report.

Question 74

Why is the payback method often more useful than the net present value method for evaluating systems projects?

Question 75

Why does the conceptual design phase present several possible alternatives for the system?

Question 76

Discuss the advantage of the parallel operation cutover approach.

Question 77

Explain an advantage of surveying the current system when preparing a systems analysis for a new systems project.

Question 78

List four types of facts that should be gathered during an analysis of a system.

Question 79

Contrast the structured and object-oriented approaches to conceptual systems design.

Question 80

What is the project schedule and what does it represent?