Systems Development Life Cycle Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary focus of an IT strategic plan?

To outline financial funding for IT projects

To determine personnel requirements for IT departments

To establish the relationship between the organizational goals and IT infrastructure (correct)

To report on the operational performance of IT systems

Which of the following is NOT typically a part of the systems development life cycle?

Budget forecasting (correct)

System design

Requirements gathering

Deployment and maintenance

What role does the IT steering committee play in IT planning?

They manage day-to-day IT operations

They conduct training sessions for IT staff

They develop software applications for the organization

They make final decisions regarding IT expenditures and policies (correct)

Which cost-benefit analysis factor is often considered when a company is acquiring new applications?

The long-term operational savings versus initial investment Signup and view all the answers

When implementing an IT system, why is user feedback critical during the planning phase?

It provides insights into user needs and potential improvements Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following tools can augment various development methods in IT?

Unified Modeling Language (UML) Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary objective of an IT strategic plan?

It must be aligned with the organization’s strategic plan. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a component of a typical IS operational plan?

Application development timeline Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the four common approaches to conducting a cost-benefit analysis?

Break-even analysis Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant challenge in evaluating the costs of IT investments?

Cost estimates may not include indirect costs. Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of IT architecture is essential according to the objectives of an IT strategic plan?

It must seamlessly network users, applications, and databases. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a constraint in the IS operational plan?

Budget restrictions Signup and view all the answers

In the context of acquiring IT applications, what is a fundamental decision companies must make?

How much computer code does the company want to write? Signup and view all the answers

Why are intangible benefits of IT difficult to evaluate?

They often do not have a short-term impact. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the systems analysis stage in the SDLC?

To examine the business problem and define system requirements Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a stage in the traditional SDLC?

Customer feedback Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the feasibility study in the SDLC?

An assessment that includes technical, economic, and behavioral feasibility Signup and view all the answers

Who typically makes the final decision to proceed or halt a project in the SDLC?

Steering committee Signup and view all the answers

During which stage of the SDLC do the users and developers most closely collaborate?

Systems analysis Signup and view all the answers

What option is generally considered during the systems investigation stage?

Enhance the existing system or develop a new one Signup and view all the answers

Which role is primarily responsible for defining the technical specifications within the SDLC team?

Technical specialists Signup and view all the answers

What is a deliverable from the systems analysis stage?

Set of system requirements Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Learning Objectives

Assess cost/benefit analyses for strategic IT planning.
Identify four business decisions for acquiring new applications.
Understand six key processes in the systems development life cycle (SDLC).
Explore alternative development methods and supporting tools.

IT Planning

Aligns with the organizational strategic plan.
Involves creating a comprehensive IT architecture.
Managed by an IT steering committee to guide IS operational planning.

IT Strategic Plan

Must align with organizational goals.
Provides seamless networking for users, applications, and databases.
Allocates resources efficiently to compete among projects, ensuring timely and functional completion.

IS Operational Plan Components

Includes a mission statement for the IS function.
Describes the IS environment and objectives.
Outlines constraints, application portfolio, and resource allocation.

Evaluating IT Investment

Assess costs and benefits to determine investment viability.
Conduct cost-benefit analyses through various methods:
- Net Present Value (NPV)
- Return on Investment (ROI)
- Break-even analysis
- Business case approach

Challenges in Assessing IT Costs

Problems include uncertainty in long-term impacts and changes in technology.
Intangible benefits, like enhanced productivity or employee satisfaction, are hard to quantify.

Strategies for Acquiring IT Applications

Decide on the amount of custom coding versus purchasing off-the-shelf applications.
Determine payment structures and ease of use for the applications.

Traditional Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Stages

Stages include:
- Systems investigation
- Systems analysis
- Systems design
- Programming and testing
- Implementation
- Operation and maintenance

Teams in the Traditional SDLC

Collaborates with users, systems analysts, programmers, technical specialists, and stakeholders.

SDLC: Systems Investigation

Options include:
- No change to current systems.
- Enhance or modify existing systems.
- Develop a completely new system.
Conduct a feasibility study considering:
- Technical feasibility
- Economic feasibility
- Behavioral feasibility
Steering committees make go/no-go decisions based on feasibility studies.

SDLC: Systems Analysis

Analysts assess business problems to be solved by the new IS.
Deliverable includes a comprehensive set of system/user requirements.

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Description

This quiz covers the key concepts of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), including its stages, team roles, and activities such as systems investigation and analysis. It also explores IT planning and the importance of aligning with organizational strategies. Perfect for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of SDLC.