Exam 7: Moving on to Design

Packaged software is preferred when the business need is common and time is a constraining factor?

A package is a logical grouping of UML elements.

Which of the following is not a fundamental way to approach the creation of a new information system?

A package diagram is a class diagram that shows only packages and classes.

In order to aid project team to make a decision of an acquisition, they employ several approaches to gather additional information. The document that solicits a formal proposal from a potential vendor, developer, or service provider is called _________

There are three design strategies: 1) developing a custom application in-house, 2) hiring a consultant, and 3) relying on an external vendor, developer, or service provider to build the system.

MVC is an example of layered design of software architecture.

Max has been a project manager for 10 years and is considered one of the best in his department of well qualified IS professionals. The approval committee is considering the approval of a new unique Internet system that could possibly catapult the firm ahead of all of the competition. Buying a packaged system would be the best design strategy.

There are three primary types of outsourcing contracts: 1) time and arrangements, 2) variable-price, and 3) value added.

A company adopting an enterprise resource planning (ERP) application, has adopted the strategy of outsourcing.

The layer that would include the classes that would interact with middleware applications is the physical architecture layer.

What is an "object wrapper" and how can one be used to help integrate systems?

Mariana, the IS manager, has just received a note from the accounting department stating that they wish a new purchasing system could be placed on the priority list. The chief accounting officer (CAO) has just learned that three of their competitors have new purchasing systems. Since purchasing has not been considered a key business function in the past, the CAO is concerned that his department lacks the functional expertise to implement a new purchasing system. She feels that purchasing is becoming a strategic necessity for the company and a new system should be in place by this time next year. The CAO has managed the automation of numerous accounting functions, such as the purchase of a combined general ledger with accounts receivable and accounts payable, the custom development of a just-in-time inventory control system, and the management of a financial projections and stock funds project that was contracted to an outside vendor. What would you recommend Mariana do? Include in your discussion the design strategy selection process and the important characteristics that apply to the strategy selected.

Explain how the "time frame" factor influences the selection of a design strategy for a project.

When the project skills are not strategic but they do exist in-house and the time frame is short, the most appropriate development strategy is packaged software.

Custom applications require excellent project management and a proven methodology, and the project team should choose to develop a custom application only if it is certain that the underlying coordination and control mechanisms will be in place.

It is much less efficient to buy packaged software that has already been created, tested, and proven than to build a system from scratch.

Kiki, the marketing manager, and Joan, the director of information systems, have just returned from a conference on state-of-the art technology for marketing management. Each day after viewing vendor presentations and listening to other marketing managers discuss "what they don't have and what they really need," Kiki and Joan would brain storm ideas and record them in Joan's laptop. On the flight home, Joan, a successful project manager, and Kiki, an experienced marketing professional, recognize that they have the foundation for a one-of-a-kind marketing management system that would improve the decisions the marketing staff must make. This new system could possibly change the way their primary products are marketed. In the process, this new system could save the company millions of dollars and possibly make millions more. Joan has an expert IS staff that is just completing a production management system. They are always interested in learning new technology and often request additional training. No new projects have been approved by the steering committee. What would you recommend Kiki and Joan do? Include in your discussion the design strategy selection process and the important characteristics that apply to the strategy selected.

The _____ layer addresses how the software will execute on specific computers and networks.

What is a walkthrough?