Quiz 4: Identifying and Selecting Systems Development Projects

Nonintegrated systems used in the past are being replaced with cooperative,integrated enterprise systems that can easily support information sharing.

Systems analysis is the first phase of the systems development life cycle.

During project identification and selection,all possible systems development projects that an organizational unit can undertake are identified and assessed.

An IS manager,a formal planning group,a user department,and a development group are possible sources for information systems development projects.

Requirements structuring is the first activity of the project identification and selection phase.

Projects identified by top management have a cross-functional focus.

When identifying and selecting projects,the development group is very concerned with cost-benefit analysis.

When comparing alternative methods for making information systems identification and selection decisions,top management has the smallest project size and a cross-functional focus.

To maintain consistency,top management or a steering committee should classify and rank projects,not the IS group or individual business units.

The criteria used to evaluate projects will vary by organization.

Potential benefits are the process of analyzing an organization's activities to determine where value is added to products and/or services and the costs incurred for doing so; this process usually also includes a comparison with the activities,added value,and costs of other organizations for the purpose of making improvements in the organization's operations and performance.

When classifying and ranking projects,resource availability,potential benefits,and project size/duration are possible evaluation criteria.

Project selection is a process of considering both short- and long-term projects and selecting those most likely to achieve business objectives.

The Baseline Project Plan is the primary deliverable from the project identification and selection phase.

A schedule of specific IS development projects is the primary deliverable from the project identification and selection phase.

Due to the principle of incremental commitment,a selected project will result in a working system.

When determining how to allocate IS resources,organizations have traditionally used a systematic planning process.

"What information requirements will satisfy our business's decision-making needs today and well into the future?" is a question that might be asked by a planning-based approach to project identification and selection.

A major disadvantage to the planning-based approach is that an organization's informational needs are more likely to change than its business processes.

To benefit from a planning-based approach for identifying and selecting projects,an organization must analyze its information needs and plan its projects carefully.

The rising costs of information systems is one reason why improved information systems project identification and selection is needed.

Data redundancy and users having little confidence in the quality of data are reasons why improved information systems project identification and selection is needed.

A disciplined approach,driven by top management commitment,is a prerequisite to most effectively apply information systems in order to reach organizational objectives.

Requirements determination and requirements structuring are two processes that can significantly improve the quality of project identification and selection decisions.

Corporate analysis is an ongoing process that defines the mission,objectives,and strategies of an organization.

During corporate strategic planning,executives typically develop a mission statement,statements of future corporate objectives,and strategies designed to help the organization reach its objectives.

A business objective statement is a statement that makes it clear what business the company is in.

"We are in the business of selling high-quality men's shoes" is an example of a mission statement.

"Baker's Fitness Center will increase market share and profitability" is an example of a mission statement.

Objective statements are a series of statements that express an organization's qualitative and quantitative goals for reaching a desired future position.

Mission statements are a series of statements that express an organization's qualitative and quantitative goals for reaching a desired future position.

Mission statements are often referred to as critical success factors.

A company should define its competitive strategy and then define its mission and objectives.

A competitive strategy is the method by which an organization attempts to achieve its mission and objectives.

To build the most effective information systems,an organization must clearly understand its mission,objectives,and strategy.

A low-cost producer competitive strategy reflects competing in an industry on the basis of product or service cost to the consumer.

The South Korean-produced Hyundai uses a product focus competitive strategy.

Promoting your product as having an ingredient that competing products do not,setting the product apart from the competition,best exemplifies the product differentiation competitive strategy.

The product focus or niche competitive strategy is similar to both the low-cost and differentiation strategies,but with a much narrower market focus.

Systems requirements planning is an orderly means of assessing the information needs of an organization and defining the systems,databases,and technologies that will best satisfy those needs.

During ISP,the current and future organizational needs are modeled,and strategies and project plans to migrate the current information systems and technologies to their desired future state are developed.

Top-down planning is an ISP methodology which attempts to gain a specific understanding of the information system needs of a part of the organization.

Bottom-up planning is an ISP methodology that identifies and defines IS development projects based upon solving operational business problems.

The bottom-up approach always views the informational needs of the entire organization and thus results in the creation of cohesive information systems.

A location-to-function matrix identifies which organizational units are located in or interact with a specific business function.

A unit-to-function matrix identifies the relationship between organizational entities and each business function.

The target situation must be developed in light of technology and business trends,in addition to organizational constraints.

The systems identification and selection process for an Internet-based electronic commerce application is no different than the process followed for other applications.

The Internet is a large worldwide network of networks that use a common protocol to communicate with each other.

An Intranet refers to the use of the Internet between firms.

EDI is the use of telecommunications technologies to transfer business documents directly between organizations.

Organizations that have Intranets dictate what applications will run over the Intranet and the speed and quality of the hardware connected to the Intranet.

An extranet is Internet-based communication to support business-to-business activities.

When developing either an intranet or an extranet,developers know who the users are,what applications will be used,the speed of the network connection,and the type of communication devices.

When developing an Internet EC application,developers must deal with several unknown factors,including the user,connection speed,and access method.

Identification and assessment of all possible systems development projects that an organization unit can undertake is conducted during: A)project identification and selection B)project initiation and planning C)design D)analysis

Which of the following is one of the three primary activities associated with identifying and selecting IS development projects? A)preliminary investigation of the system problem or opportunity B)identification of potential development projects C)requirements determination D)generating alternative initial designs

A department head deciding which project requests to submit is an example of: A)a preliminary investigation of the system problem or opportunity B)identifying potential development projects C)requirements determination D)generating alternative initial designs

Research has found that projects identified by top management more often: A)have a narrow,tactical focus B)reflect diversity and have a cross-functional focus C)have a strategic,organizational focus D)will integrate easily with existing hardware and systems

Research has found that projects identified by individual departments or business units most often: A)have a narrow,tactical focus B)reflect diversity and have a cross-functional focus C)have a strategic,organizational focus D)will integrate easily with existing hardware and systems

Potential development projects can be identified by: A)a steering committee B)top management C)a senior IS manager D)all of the above

Which of the following possible project sources most often reflects the broader needs of the organization? A)user department B)development group C)IS manager D)top management

Which of the following characteristics is associated with the steering committee selection method? A)greater strategic focus B)greater organizational change C)fewer users,management layers,and business functions D)less concern on cost-benefit analysis

Which of the following is a way projects can be identified? A)bottom-up source B)upper-echelon source C)top-down source D)both A and C

The extent to which the project is viewed as improving profits,customer service,etc.,and the duration of these benefits best defines which of the following evaluation criteria? A)potential benefits B)resource availability C)technical difficulty or risks D)strategic alignment

The extent to which the project is viewed as helping the organization achieve its strategic objectives and long-term goals describes: A)potential benefits B)resource availability C)technical difficulty or risks D)strategic alignment

Analyzing an organization's activities to determine where value is added to products and/or services and the costs incurred best describes: A)affinity clustering B)business process reengineering C)value chain analysis D)technical difficulty or risks

If the project team and organizational officials reassess the project after each subsequent SDLC phase to determine if the business conditions have changed or if a more detailed understanding of a system's costs,benefits,and risks suggest that the project is not as worthy as previously thought,they are: A)adhering to the incremental commitment principle B)overly cautious C)using a CASE methodology D)adhering to a bottom-up commitment principle

Which of the following is a true statement regarding a planning-based approach? A)An emphasis is placed on identifying the procedure that is required to solve a particular problem as it exists today. B)The difficulty with this approach is that the required organizational procedures are likely to change over time as the environment changes. C)A major advantage of this approach is that an organization's informational needs are less likely to change (or will change more slowly)than its business processes. D)One of the benefits of this plan is that an organization does not need to analyze its information needs and plan its projects carefully.

Which of the following is a need for improved information systems project identification and selection? A)The costs of information systems are steadily decreasing. B)Many systems can handle applications that cross organization boundaries. C)Data redundancy is often out of control,and users may have little confidence in the quality of the data. D)Systems maintenance costs are well under control.

Gaining a clear idea of where an organization is,its vision of where it wants to be in the future,and a plan of how to make the transition to its desired state is: A)the third activity in the analysis phase B)a prerequisite to making effective project selection decisions C)the first step in a bottom-up approach D)not necessary if one is using a CASE product

An ongoing process that defines the mission,objectives,and strategies of an organization refers to: A)corporate strategic planning B)analysis C)goal setting D)information systems planning

A statement that makes it clear what business a company is in is called a: A)business statement B)corporate policy statement C)goal statement D)mission statement

"We are in the business of designing,fabricating,and selling to retail stores high-quality wood furniture" is what kind of statement? A)business statement B)mission statement C)goal statement D)corporate policy

A series of statements that express an organization's qualitative and quantitative goals for reaching a desired future position best defines: A)objective statements B)information systems plan C)competitive strategy D)business policy

Once a company has defined its mission and objectives: A)goals can be established B)an information architecture can be developed C)project analysis can begin D)a competitive strategy can be formulated

The method by which an organization attempts to achieve its mission and objectives best defines: A)critical success factors B)competitive strategy C)business policy D)information systems plan

Which of the following is a strategy for a low-cost producer? A)competing in an industry on the basis of product quality B)capitalizing on a key product criteria requested by the market C)competing in an industry on the basis of product or service cost to the consumer D)competing in an industry on the basis of product quantity

Which of the following describes the product differentiation strategy? A)competing in an industry on the basis of product quality B)competing in an industry on the basis of product quantity C)competing in an industry on the basis of product or service cost to the consumer D)capitalizing on a key product criteria requested by the market

Which of the following is a competitive strategy? A)low-cost producer B)product differentiation C)product focus D)all of the above

If Kia Motors is attempting to achieve its mission and objectives by providing a low-priced line of cars,this is referred to as its: A)competitive strategy B)business policy C)information systems plan D)objective statement

The second planning process that can play a significant role in the quality of project identification and selection decisions is called: A)strategic alignment B)cost/benefit analysis C)information systems planning D)incremental commitment

Which of the following is a true statement regarding ISP? A)During ISP,the current and future information needs of an organization are modeled. B)Strategies and project plans to migrate the current information systems and technologies to their desired future state are developed. C)ISP is a top-down process that takes into account the outside forces (industry,economic,relative size,geographic region,etc.). D)All of the above.

An orderly means of assessing the information needs of an organization and defining the systems,databases,and technologies that will best satisfy those needs best defines: A)information systems planning B)mission statement C)objective statement D)competitive strategy

Which of the following is the first ISP step? A)Develop target blueprints B)Assess current IS-related assets C)Define a series of scheduled projects D)Assign resources

A generic information systems planning methodology that attempts to gain a broad understanding of the information system needs of the entire organization defines: A)bottom-up planning B)top-down planning C)democratic planning D)foundation planning

This approach begins by conducting an extensive analysis of the organization's mission,objectives,and strategy and determining the information requirements needed to meet each objective: A)foundation planning B)democratic planning C)top-down planning D)bottom-up planning

This approach requires the identification of business problems and opportunities used to define projects: A)foundation planning B)democratic planning C)top-down planning D)bottom-up planning

A generic information systems planning methodology that identifies and defines IS development projects based on solving operational business problems or taking advantage of some business opportunities defines: A)democratic planning B)bottom-up planning C)top-down planning D)foundation planning

Which of the following is an advantage to the top-down planning approach over other planning approaches? A)broader perspective B)improved integration C)better understanding D)all of the above

Which of the following best describes the top-down planning approach advantage,improved integration? A)If not viewed from the top,totally new management information systems may be implemented rather than planning how to evolve existing systems. B)If not viewed from the top,planners may lack sufficient management acceptance of the role of information systems in helping them achieve business objectives. C)If not viewed from the top,planners may lack the understanding necessary to implement information systems across the entire business rather than simply to individual operating units. D)If not viewed from the top,information systems may be implemented without first understanding the business from general management's viewpoint.

Which of the following best describes the top-down planning approach advantage,better understanding? A)If not viewed from the top,totally new management information systems may be implemented rather than planning how to evolve existing systems. B)If not viewed from the top,planners may lack sufficient management acceptance of the role of information systems in helping them achieve business objectives. C)If not viewed from the top,planners may lack the understanding necessary to implement information systems across the entire business rather than simply to individual operating units. D)If not viewed from the top,information systems may be implemented without first understanding the business from general management's viewpoint.

An advantage of the bottom-up planning approach is: A)identifying pressing organizational problems B)broader perspective C)improved integration D)better understanding

Which of the following is an advantage of the bottom-up planning approach? A)By using the bottom-up approach,a broader perspective can be achieved. B)IS plans can be created faster and are less costly to develop than using the top-down approach. C)By using the bottom-up approach,planners may gain the understanding necessary to implement information systems across the entire business. D)By using the bottom-up approach,planners will have sufficient management acceptance of the role of information systems in helping them achieve business objectives.

The matrix that identifies the relationships between organizational entities and each business function is: A)unit-to-function B)location-to-unit C)function-to-process D)entity-to-process

The matrix that identifies which data are created,updated,accessed,or deleted in each system is: A)data entity-to-information system B)process-to-information system C)information system-to-objective D)process-to-data entity

The process of arranging planning matrix information so that clusters of information with some predetermined level or type of affinity are placed next to each other on a matrix report defines: A)grouping B)isolating C)affinity clustering D)trend analysis

Matrices of the target or "future" situation are sometimes called: A)forward-looking matrices B)"to be" matrices C)candidate matrices D)proposed matrices

Which of the following is a CASE tool feature that can help you make sense out of matrices? A)management of information B)matrix construction C)matrix analysis D)all of the above

The second activity in the ISP process is: A)describe the target situation,trends,and constraints B)describe the current situation C)develop a transition strategy and plans D)develop the logical design

The third activity in the ISP process is: A)describe the target situation,trends,and constraints B)describe the current situation C)developing a transition strategy and plans D)develop the logical design

Which of the following is a true statement regarding the IS plan? A)The short- and long-term development needs identified in the plan are typically expressed as a series of projects. B)Projects from the long-term plan tend to build a foundation for later projects. C)Projects from the short-term plan are specific steps to fill the gap between current and desired systems or respond to dynamic business conditions. D)All of the above.

Which of the following is not a component on the typical information systems plan? A)corporation history B)constraints on IS development C)informational inventory D)the short-term plan

The use of telecommunications technologies to directly transfer business documents between organizations best defines: A)electronic delivery B)computer conferencing C)extranet exchange D)electronic data interchange

An Internet-based communication that supports business-to-business activities best describes: A)Internet B)electronic commerce C)electronic data interchange D)Extranet

__________ refers to analyzing an organization's activities to determine where value is added to products and/or services and the costs incurred for doing so; usually also includes a comparison with the activities,added value,and costs of other organizations for the purpose of making improvements in the organization's operations and performance.

__________ is the extent to which the project is viewed as helping the organization achieve its strategic objectives and long-term goals.

__________ are the extent to which the project is viewed as improving profits,customer service,and so forth and the duration of these benefits.

__________ is the amount and type of resources the project requires and their availability.

__________ refers to the number of individuals and the length of time needed to complete the project.

__________ refers to the level of technical difficulty to successfully complete the project within given time and resource constraints.

__________ is a strategy in systems analysis and design in which the project is reviewed after each phase and continuation of the project is rejustified.

__________ is an ongoing process that defines the mission,objectives,and strategies of an organization.

A __________ is a statement that makes it clear what business a company is in.

__________ are a series of statements that express an organization's qualitative and quantitative goals for reaching a desired future position.

A __________ is the method by which an organization attempts to achieve its mission and objectives.

__________ is the competitive strategy that reflects competing in an industry on the basis of product or service cost to the consumer.

__________ is the competitive strategy that reflects capitalizing on a key product criterion requested by the market.

__________ is the competitive strategy that is similar to both low-cost and differentiation strategies but with a much narrower market focus.

__________ is an orderly means of assessing the information needs of an organization and defining the systems,databases,and technologies that will best satisfy those needs.

__________ is a generic information systems planning methodology that attempts to gain a broad understanding of the information system needs of the entire organization.

__________ is a generic information systems planning methodology that identifies and defines IS development projects based upon solving operational business problems or taking advantage of some business opportunities.

__________ is a matrix that identifies which data are captured,used,updated,or deleted within each process.

__________ is the process of arranging planning matrix information so the clusters of information with some predetermined level or type of affinity are placed next to each other on a matrix report.

The __________ is a large worldwide network of networks that use a common protocol to communicate with each other.

__________ refers to Internet-based communication to support day-to-day business activities.

__________,__________,and __________ are the three general classes of Internet EC applications.

An __________ is Internet-based communication to support business activities within a single organization.

__________ is the use of telecommunications technologies to directly transfer business documents between organizations.

__________,__________,and __________ are the three unknowns that must be dealt with when designing and building Internet applications.

Match each of the following terms with its definition. a.mission statement b.information systems planning c.top-down planning d.bottom-up planning e.objective statements -A generic information systems planning methodology that identifies and defines IS development projects based on solving operational business problems or taking advantage of some business opportunities.

Match each of the following terms with its definition. a.mission statement b.information systems planning c.top-down planning d.bottom-up planning e.objective statements -A generic information systems planning methodology that attempts to gain a broad understanding of the information system needs of the entire organization.

Match each of the following terms with its definition. a.mission statement b.information systems planning c.top-down planning d.bottom-up planning e.objective statements -An orderly means of assessing the information needs of an organization and defining the systems,databases,and technologies that will best satisfy those needs.

Match each of the following terms with its definition. a.mission statement b.information systems planning c.top-down planning d.bottom-up planning e.objective statements -A statement that makes it clear what business a company is in.

Match each of the following terms with its definition. a.mission statement b.information systems planning c.top-down planning d.bottom-up planning e.objective statements -A series of statements that express an organization's qualitative and quantitative goals for reaching a desired future position.

Match each of the following selection methods with its related characteristic.(Answers may occur more than once.) a.top management b.steering committee c.user department d.development group -Narrow/nonstrategic focus

Match each of the following selection methods with its related characteristic.(Answers may occur more than once.) a.top management b.steering committee c.user department d.development group -Integration with existing systems focus

Match each of the following selection methods with its related characteristic.(Answers may occur more than once.) a.top management b.steering committee c.user department d.development group -Largest project size

Match each of the following selection methods with its related characteristic.(Answers may occur more than once.) a.top management b.steering committee c.user department d.development group -Greater organizational change

Match each of the following selection methods with its related characteristic.(Answers may occur more than once.) a.top management b.steering committee c.user department d.development group -Less concern with cost-benefit analysis

Match each of the following selection methods with its related characteristic.(Answers may occur more than once.) a.top management b.steering committee c.user department d.development group -Fewer users,management layers,and business functions

Match each of the following selection methods with its related characteristic.(Answers may occur more than once.) a.top management b.steering committee c.user department d.development group -Longest project duration

Match each of the following selection methods with its related characteristic.(Answers may occur more than once.) a.top management b.steering committee c.user department d.development group -Formal cost-benefit analysis

Match each of the following types of matrices with its corresponding definition. a.function-to-process b.function-to-data entity c.process-to-data entity d.function-to-objective e.unit-to-function -Identifies the relationships between organizational entities and each business function.

Match each of the following types of matrices with its corresponding definition. a.function-to-process b.function-to-data entity c.process-to-data entity d.function-to-objective e.unit-to-function -Identifies which processes are used to support each business function.

Match each of the following types of matrices with its corresponding definition. a.function-to-process b.function-to-data entity c.process-to-data entity d.function-to-objective e.unit-to-function -Identifies which data are captured,used,updated,or deleted within each process.

Match each of the following types of matrices with its corresponding definition. a.function-to-process b.function-to-data entity c.process-to-data entity d.function-to-objective e.unit-to-function -Identifies which functions are essential or desirable in achieving each organizational objective.

Match each of the following types of matrices with its corresponding definition. a.function-to-process b.function-to-data entity c.process-to-data entity d.function-to-objective e.unit-to-function -Identifies which business functions utilize which data entities.

Match each of the following types of matrices with its description. a.process-to-information system b.data entity-to-information system c.location-to-function d.information system-to-objective e.location-to-unit -Identifies which business functions are being performed at various organizational locations.

Match each of the following types of matrices with its description. a.process-to-information system b.data entity-to-information system c.location-to-function d.information system-to-objective e.location-to-unit -Identifies which organizational units are located or interact with a specific business location.

Match each of the following types of matrices with its description. a.process-to-information system b.data entity-to-information system c.location-to-function d.information system-to-objective e.location-to-unit -Identifies which information systems are used to support each process.

Match each of the following types of matrices with its description. a.process-to-information system b.data entity-to-information system c.location-to-function d.information system-to-objective e.location-to-unit -Identifies which data are created,updated,accessed,or deleted in each system.

Match each of the following types of matrices with its description. a.process-to-information system b.data entity-to-information system c.location-to-function d.information system-to-objective e.location-to-unit -Identifies which information systems support each business objective as identified during organizational planning.

Match the following typical components of an information system plan with its description. a.Organizational Mission,Objectives,and Strategy b.Informational Inventory c.Mission and Objectives of Information Systems d.Constraints on IS Development e.Overall Systems Needs and Long-Range IS Strategies f.The Short-Term Plan g.Conclusions -Description of the primary role IS will play in the organization to transform the enterprise from its current to future state.

Match the following typical components of an information system plan with its description. a.Organizational Mission,Objectives,and Strategy b.Informational Inventory c.Mission and Objectives of Information Systems d.Constraints on IS Development e.Overall Systems Needs and Long-Range IS Strategies f.The Short-Term Plan g.Conclusions -This section provides a summary of the various business processes,functions,data entities,and information needs of the enterprise.

Match the following typical components of an information system plan with its description. a.Organizational Mission,Objectives,and Strategy b.Informational Inventory c.Mission and Objectives of Information Systems d.Constraints on IS Development e.Overall Systems Needs and Long-Range IS Strategies f.The Short-Term Plan g.Conclusions -Briefly describes the mission,objectives,and strategy of the organization.

Match the following typical components of an information system plan with its description. a.Organizational Mission,Objectives,and Strategy b.Informational Inventory c.Mission and Objectives of Information Systems d.Constraints on IS Development e.Overall Systems Needs and Long-Range IS Strategies f.The Short-Term Plan g.Conclusions -Briefly describes limitations imposed by technology and the current level of resources within the company.

Match the following typical components of an information system plan with its description. a.Organizational Mission,Objectives,and Strategy b.Informational Inventory c.Mission and Objectives of Information Systems d.Constraints on IS Development e.Overall Systems Needs and Long-Range IS Strategies f.The Short-Term Plan g.Conclusions -Presents a summary of the overall systems needed within the company and the set of long-range (2-5 years)strategies chosen by the IS department to fill the needs.

Match the following typical components of an information system plan with its description. a.Organizational Mission,Objectives,and Strategy b.Informational Inventory c.Mission and Objectives of Information Systems d.Constraints on IS Development e.Overall Systems Needs and Long-Range IS Strategies f.The Short-Term Plan g.Conclusions -Contains likely but not-yet-certain events that may affect the plan,an inventory of business change elements as presently known,and a description of their estimated impact on the plan.

Match the following typical components of an information system plan with its description. a.Organizational Mission,Objectives,and Strategy b.Informational Inventory c.Mission and Objectives of Information Systems d.Constraints on IS Development e.Overall Systems Needs and Long-Range IS Strategies f.The Short-Term Plan g.Conclusions -Shows a detailed inventory of present projects and systems and a detailed plan of projects to be developed or advanced during the current year.

List and briefly identify the three primary activities of the project identification and selection phase.

Define and briefly discuss corporate strategic planning.

Define and briefly discuss information systems planning.

Define top-down planning and bottom-up planning.

What is incremental commitment? Does it always result in a working system? Why or why not?

Identify six reasons why improved information systems project identification and selection is needed.

Briefly discuss three generic competitive strategies.Provide an example of each.

What is a top-down planning approach? Identify four advantages to the top-down planning approach over other planning approaches.

Using any business as an example,provide one example each for its organizational locations,units,functions,processes,and information systems.

Briefly describe three of the ten types of matrices that are beneficial during information systems planning.