Dillion

Andrew DillionJanuary 20th, 2013IST 230-051Systems Analysis & DesignW 6:00-8:40p.m.Professor HuntemanCH1 Review1. What is information technology and why is it important? Suggest three fictitious headlines that might be added toFigure 1-1Information technology (IT)A combination of hardware, software, and telecommunications systems that support business operations, improve productivity, and help managers make decisions.Companies use information as a weapon in the battle to increase productivity, deliver quality products and services, maintain customer loyalty, and make sound decisions. In a global economy with intense competition,information technologycan mean the difference between success and failure.How to protect yourself from DDOS! Apple is sharing your information with the NSA! Google Glass explodes on man's face! (The Apple one might be a little true, and when I say a little I mean a lot)2. Why would a systems analyst have to act as a translator? What groups might be involved?When they describe business processes to programmers, they must speak a language that programmers will understand clearly.3. Write a business profile for a large business in your town. You can use your imagination to supply details you might not know.A business profile defines a companys overall functions, processes, organization, products, services, customers, suppliers, competitors, constraints, and future direction.Applebee'smakes sure that even far-flung suburbs can have a neighborhood bar. The company operates the largest casual-dining chain with about 2,000 of its signature Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations across the US (with a few outposts in 15 other countries). Its eateries are primarily freestanding units and sport interiors festooned with local memorabilia to give each location an indigenous feel. The menu features beef, chicken, and pork items, as well as burgers, pasta, and seafood. The chain is known for its selection of appetizers. About 99% of Applebee's locations are franchised. Applebee's is owned by casual and family dining operatorDineEquity.4. What strategies are Wal-Mart and Lowes using to gain more online customers?have expanded their Web-based marketing channels to increase sales and serve customers better. This strategy combines the convenience of online shoppingandthe alternative of hands-on purchasing for those who prefer that option. Wal-Martoffers many shopping and pickup options, so customers can choose the method they prefer.5. Identify the main components of an information system. What is a mission-critical system?The five key components of an information system are hardware, software, data, processes, and people.Mission-critical systemAn information system that is vital to a companys operations.

6. Compare enterprise computing systems to transaction processing systems. Provide three examples of each type of system.Enterprise Computing Systems are companywide systems that take into account all data from each location while transaction processing systems are operations that receive data day-to-day based on how its generated. TP systems are normally single entities and do not finish the entire process if a single task has been missed. Enterprise Computing System - Wal-Marts inventory control system, Boeings production control system, and Hilton Hotels reservation system Transaction Computing System - Wal-Mart sells a candy bar, it marks one off the inventory list. Boeing sells 1000 pieces of product, they update the workload. Hilton Hotel has a guest stay a night in a suite, they verify all information and charge them when they leave.7. What are the four organizational levels common to many businesses? Which level typically requires data that supports long-term strategic planning and the overall business enterprise? What level of worker might rely heavily on transaction processing systems?Operational Employees, Supervisors & Team Leaders, Middle Managers and Knowledge Workers, Top ManagersTop Managers typically need data that supports long-term strategic planning.Operational Employees are the workers that most likely deal with TP systems.8. Describe three systems development tools and three development methods.Systems Development Tools ~Modeling - produces a graphical representation of a concept or process that systems developers can analyze, test, and modify. Prototyping - tests system concepts and provides an opportunity to examine input, output, and user interfaces before final decisions are made.Computer-Aided systems engineering (CASE) tools - provide an overall framework for systems development and support a wide variety of design methodologies, including structured analysis and object-oriented analysis.Systems Development Methods ~ Structured analysis - uses a series of phases to plan, analyze, design, implement, and support an information system.Object-Oriented Analysis - combines data and the processes that act on the data into things called objects.Agile Methods - attempt to develop a system incrementally, by building a series of prototypes and constantly adjusting them to user requirements.9. What are the phases of the SDLC waterfall model? Who was Barry Boehm, and what did he have to say about spiral models?To plan, analyze, design, implement, and support an information system.Spiral models initially were suggested in the 1990s byBarryBoehm, a noted software engineering professor. He stated that each iteration, or phase, of the model must have a specific goal that is accepted, rejected, or changed by the user, or client. Thus, each iteration produces feedback and enhancements, which enable the team to reach the overall project goal. Typically, each iteration in a spiral model includes planning, risk analysis, engineering, and evaluation. The repeated iterations produce a series of prototypes, which evolve into the finished system. Notice that these phases resemble SDLC tasks, which also can be iterative.10. Review the IBM history, and then consider the powerful statement shown inFigure 1-33. Is there a connection between the two? Why or why not?There is definitely a connection between the two. It is referring to how Herman Hollerith changed the business world with his punch card technology. He did that alone but now his company offers the brains of many other intelligent workers to all collaborate with one another so that any employee may flourish.