Building Information Systems And Managing Projects (Ch #11)

Front 1

acceptance testing

Back 1

a process that provides the final certification that the system is ready to be used; users and management are satisfied that new system will meet standards and is formally accepted for installation

Front 2

component-based development

Back 2

combining commercially available software components to create large-scale business applications

Front 3

computer-aided software engineering (CASE)

Back 3

software tools that automate the methodologies for modeling and designing system

Front 4

conversion

Back 4

the process of changing from the old system to the new system

Front 5

Customization

Back 5

allows a software package to be modified to meet an organizations unique requirements without compromising the integrity of the software package

Front 6

data flow diagram (DFD)

Back 6

primary tool for representing a system’s component processes and the flow of data between them; offers a logical graphic model of information flow, partitioning system into manageable modules

Front 7

direct cutover strategy

Back 7

old system is entirely replaced with new system

Front 8

documentation

Back 8

shows how the system works from both a technical and end-user standpoint

Front 9

end-user development

Back 9

allows end users, with little or no formal assistance from technical specialists, to create simple information systems, reducing the time and steps required to produce a finished application

Front 10

ergonomics

Back 10

the interaction of people and machines in the work environment; considers the design of jobs, health issues, and end-user interace

Front 11

feasibility study

Back 11

determines feasibility (financial, technical, and organizational) of proposed solutions

Front 12

formal planning and tools

Back 12

used for documenting and monitoring project plans (e.g. Gantt charts & PERT charts)

Front 13

Gantt chart

Back 13

list project activities and their corresponding start and completion dates; visually represents the timing and duration of different task in a project

Front 14

implementation

Back 14

all the organizational activities working toward the adoption and management of an innovation

Front 15

information requirements

Back 15

identifies who needs what information, where, when and how, and is part of defining and understanding the problem

Front 16

information systems plan

Back 16

a report that identifies corporate goals and specifies how information technology fits into a company’s overall business plan and strategy

Front 17

intangible benefits

Back 17

benefits that cannot be quantified, but can produce long-run quantifiable gains (i.e., more efficient customer satisfaction, enhanced decision making)

Front 18

Joint application design (JAD)

Back 18

interactive session that accelerates the generation of information requirements and development of the initial systems design

Front 19

maintenance

Back 19

hardware, software, documentation or procedure changes to a system that is “in production”

Front 20

object-oriented development

Back 20

an approach to designing modular, reusable software systems using an object, which includes state (data) and behavior (code)

Front 21

organizational impact analysis

Back 21

analysis of procedural changes, transformation of job functions, organizational structure, power relationships, and behavior prior to implementing a new system

Front 22

parallel strategy

Back 22

an approach in which both old and new systems are run at the same time; old system is available as backup

Front 23

phased approach

Back 23

new system is introduced in stages

Front 24

portfolio analysis

Back 24

inventories all of the firm’s information systems projects and assets and determines the optimal mix of investment risk and reward, balancing riskier, high-reward projects with safer, lower-reward ones

Front 25

process specifications

Back 25

describes the transformation occurring within the lowest level of the data flow diagrams, showing the logic for each process

Front 26

production

Back 26

status of new system after it is installed and completely converted

Front 27

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

Back 27

methodology developed by U.S. Navy in 1950s to graphically depict project tasks and their relationship

Front 28

project

Back 28

planned series of related activities for achieving a specific business objective

Front 29

project management

Back 29

activities that involve the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to achieve specific targets within specified budget and time constraints

Front 30

prototyping

Back 30

building an experimental system quickly and inexpensively for end users to evaluate

Front 31

Rapid application development (RAD)

Back 31

the process of creating workable systems in a very short period of time

Front 32

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Back 32

a detailed list of questions submitted to external vendors to see how well they meet the requirements for the proposed system

Front 33

scope

Back 33

defines what work is or is not included in a project

Front 34

scoring model

Back 34

method of scoring alternative solutions; score based on the extent to which they meet selected objectives

Front 35

structure chart

Back 35

a top-down chart, showing each level of design, its relationship to other levels, and its place in the overall design structure

Front 36

structured

Back 36

a top-down methodology (from abtract to detail; from general to specific) of step-by-step techniques with each building on the previous one

Front 37

system testing

Back 37

tests the performance of the information systems as a whole

Front 38

systems analysis

Back 38

the first three problem-solving steps (defining and understanding the problem, developing alternative solutions, and choosing the best solution)

Front 39

systems design

Back 39

a model or blueprint for an information systems solution and consists of all the specifications (technical, organization, and people) that will deliver the functions identified during system analysis; shows how the chosen solution should be realized

Front 40

systems development lifecycle

Back 40

a process that partitions systems development into formal stages (systems analysis, system design, programming, testing, conversion, production and maintenance), with each stage requiring completion before the next can begin; oldest method for building information systems

Front 41

tangible benefits

Back 41

benefits that can be quantified and assigned a monetary value (i.e., increased productivity, lower operational costs)

Front 42

test plan

Back 42

a systematic testing plan devised by the system development team to perform the testing process

Front 43

testing process

Back 43

an activity that requires unit testing and system testing

Front 44

unit testing

Back 44

an activity that requires detailed testing of individual computer program

Front 45

user-designer communications gap

Back 45

the differences in backgrounds, interests, and priorities between end users and information systems specialists