ISM 3113 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ACCURATE ANSWERS
What is the author's definition of a system? - Answers - A system is a "collection of
people, software, hardware, processes, and methods, organized in a specific way to
produce a product, service or result."
Explain why "the question"is more important than "the answer." - Answers - A quick
answer is not always the optimal solution. Quite often the first answer, is only
deceivingly correct. In fact, sometimes the first answer is just plain wrong. Why is that?
Well, when we answer too quickly, or the answer comes too easily, we risk committing a
"Type III" error: Precisely solving the wrong problem. Think about your own experiences
in your personal life and your professional life. Notice how there is a predisposition
toward providing"answers." Quite often, we are asked to provide answers without even
being given questions. In the contemporary business world, we experience the pressure
to produce "solutions." But solutions to what exactly? How do we know we are solving
the correct problem? In fact, how do we know that the person asking for "the
solution" has a grasp on the problem? The first thing one must do when attempting to
solve a problem is to verify the question in order to understand the complexity of the
situation.
Why is it important to identify stakeholders and end-users of a system? - Answers - it is
important to understand that we need to identify who are the users of the current system
because they are the ones with the closest interactions. They are the best source of
information about "what is going on here?" and "what is going wrong here?" They are
also the best source of "what is going right here?" Because, maybe, in fact, there is no
problem that needs to be solved. Many system acquisition, integration and
implementation projects fail because they started out as solutions in search of
problems. Hence, the reason why it is so important to confirm "what is going on here?"
We also need to identify who will be the end-users of the new system. Sometimes they
may be the same personnel; often the group will look different, with some of the same
users from the "legacy"(old)system, and others will be first time users. It is quite typical
that the system is being built with the intended purpose of expanding its "boundary" to
include these first time users' tasks and processes.
What are the four stages of the traditional SDLC? Draw the diagram. - Answers -
process made up of distinct stages. There are many differing opinions offering
variations of SDLC stages. In this textbook we begin with the most traditional view of the
SDLC, which divides the process into four main stages: Planning, Analysis, Design, and
Implementation.
What are the two competing views of SDLC? (Disciplined versus Agile) - Answers -
Disciplined - The first view is that each stage of the SDLC is an isolated process,
completed once and never revisited.
ACCURATE ANSWERS
What is the author's definition of a system? - Answers - A system is a "collection of
people, software, hardware, processes, and methods, organized in a specific way to
produce a product, service or result."
Explain why "the question"is more important than "the answer." - Answers - A quick
answer is not always the optimal solution. Quite often the first answer, is only
deceivingly correct. In fact, sometimes the first answer is just plain wrong. Why is that?
Well, when we answer too quickly, or the answer comes too easily, we risk committing a
"Type III" error: Precisely solving the wrong problem. Think about your own experiences
in your personal life and your professional life. Notice how there is a predisposition
toward providing"answers." Quite often, we are asked to provide answers without even
being given questions. In the contemporary business world, we experience the pressure
to produce "solutions." But solutions to what exactly? How do we know we are solving
the correct problem? In fact, how do we know that the person asking for "the
solution" has a grasp on the problem? The first thing one must do when attempting to
solve a problem is to verify the question in order to understand the complexity of the
situation.
Why is it important to identify stakeholders and end-users of a system? - Answers - it is
important to understand that we need to identify who are the users of the current system
because they are the ones with the closest interactions. They are the best source of
information about "what is going on here?" and "what is going wrong here?" They are
also the best source of "what is going right here?" Because, maybe, in fact, there is no
problem that needs to be solved. Many system acquisition, integration and
implementation projects fail because they started out as solutions in search of
problems. Hence, the reason why it is so important to confirm "what is going on here?"
We also need to identify who will be the end-users of the new system. Sometimes they
may be the same personnel; often the group will look different, with some of the same
users from the "legacy"(old)system, and others will be first time users. It is quite typical
that the system is being built with the intended purpose of expanding its "boundary" to
include these first time users' tasks and processes.
What are the four stages of the traditional SDLC? Draw the diagram. - Answers -
process made up of distinct stages. There are many differing opinions offering
variations of SDLC stages. In this textbook we begin with the most traditional view of the
SDLC, which divides the process into four main stages: Planning, Analysis, Design, and
Implementation.
What are the two competing views of SDLC? (Disciplined versus Agile) - Answers -
Disciplined - The first view is that each stage of the SDLC is an isolated process,
completed once and never revisited.
