Chat with AIExam 5: Information Systems Concepts
You have been asked to develop a system that will track your company's short-term investments. Outline and discuss, in a general way, the steps you would use to accomplish that goal.
(38) 
VerifiedOne good way to develop such a system would be with the systems development life cycle (SDLC). The SDLC comprises seven phases:
Initiation / planning: Decision makers identify a need for a new information system; they may conduct a feasibility study.
Requirements analysis: Based on input from users, systems designers determine the goals the system should achieve. Those goals might relate to the process of gathering information and / or the outputs needed.
Design: Systems designers use the results of the requirements analysis to design system specifications. They may identify currently existing tools for the system, or they may determine the system must be designed "from scratch."
Build: Using the results of the requirements analysis and the previously developed designs, systems personnel sketch out the components of the system. Such components may include database tables, a chart of accounts, queries, forms, reports or other elements.
Test: Using the model built in the previous phase, the system is tested. These tests may involve a sample of actual data or "dummy" data developed specifically for the test. Bugs are "ironed out" based on user feedback.
Implementation: The system is deployed throughout the relevant parts of the organization.
Operations and maintenance: As the system is used, it is further fine-tuned based on user feedback. The system will likely change over time, as well.
List the four macro- and four micro-level factors managers should consider when they select information technology resources based on the discussion in the text.
(39) VerifiedMacro-level factors: need, strategic fit, personnel involvement, financing
Micro-level factors: cost, adaptability, training, vendor reliability
In your own words, explain the purpose of the capability maturity model. List the levels of the model, and explain each one in your own words.
(40) VerifiedThe capability maturity model (CMM) helps organizations determine the sophistication of their business processes; it can serve as a guide for organizations that want to make their processes more cohesive and efficient.
The CMM comprises five levels:
Chaotic: everyone in the organization does things in whatever way seems best to them.
Repeatable: an individual develops a plan for completing a task and applies it consistently, but probably does not share the plan with others.
Defined: when deciding how to accomplish a task, decision makers look at broader policies and standards in the organization. They adapt and apply them to the specific task at hand.
Managed: decision makers set goals for a process, perhaps related to cost and / or time. If the process does not achieve the goals, decision makers look for ways to modify it.
Optimized: process quality is a pervasive consideration in the organization.
Robert is the president and CEO of Computer Solutions; the firm's main activity is installing enterprise resource planning software. When a client calls Robert, he does an "intake interview" where he assesses the client's needs and learns about their company. Robert tries to interview at least a dozen people at each client, including top management and mid- and lower-level employees.Which of the following activities would serve the same purpose as intake interviews if Robert uses the systems development life cycle?
(39) Advantages of using the systems development life cycle include: (i) strong control, (ii) opportunity for user input, (iii) rigidity.
(36) Although CPK Corporation had a process for paying vendor invoices, Lindsay thought it didn't work well. So, she used her own system without telling her supervisor or co-workers. Assume the process would be classified as "chaotic" using the capability maturity model. For each subsequent level of the CMM, suggest one action Lindsay should take to improve the process.
(37) Raul was leading a team charged with developing a new system for budgeting. If he decides to use the systems development life cycle:
(43) Please consider these independent cases as you respond to the next question: • Austin is the managing partner of a small CPA firm. In an effort to standardize certain internal business processes, Austin formed a team that developed a set of guidelines for tasks such as expense reimbursements and information technology purchases. After developing the guidelines, the team devised ways to determine if the processes are performing as expected.• Julie is the chief financial officer of PSC Corporation. She recently worked with a team to develop a broad set of principles that should characterize PSC's business processes. The team has applied those principles to some tasks in the accounting department; their next task is to teach other PSC employees about the principles.• Rob is an accountant at CTR Company. The owners of CTR, Lynn and Mark, don't know much about accounting, so Rob completes accounting tasks in whatever way seems best to him.For Rob to move his company's business processes forward one level in the capability maturity model, he should:
(40) Sylla and Wen suggested a three-stage process for evaluating information technology investments. At which stage of the process would someone be most likely to use the weighted-rating technique discussed in the chapter?
(34) Ethan was in charge of developing a web site that could be used to sell products and services to his company's clients. If he decides to use the systems development life cycle to structure his work, which of the following statements is most true?
(39) Please consider these independent cases as you respond to the next question: • Austin is the managing partner of a small CPA firm. In an effort to standardize certain internal business processes, Austin formed a team that developed a set of guidelines for tasks such as expense reimbursements and information technology purchases. After developing the guidelines, the team devised ways to determine if the processes are performing as expected.• Julie is the chief financial officer of PSC Corporation. She recently worked with a team to develop a broad set of principles that should characterize PSC's business processes. The team has applied those principles to some tasks in the accounting department; their next task is to teach other PSC employees about the principles.• Rob is an accountant at CTR Company. The owners of CTR, Lynn and Mark, don't know much about accounting, so Rob completes accounting tasks in whatever way seems best to him.For Julie to move her company's business processes forward one level in the capability maturity model, she should:
(31) Sylla and Wen suggested a three-stage process for evaluating information technology investments. Which step in the process is most closely aligned with the "internal environment" component of the COSO internal control and enterprise risk management frameworks?
(36) Please consider these independent cases as you respond to the next question: • Austin is the managing partner of a small CPA firm. In an effort to standardize certain internal business processes, Austin formed a team that developed a set of guidelines for tasks such as expense reimbursements and information technology purchases. After developing the guidelines, the team devised ways to determine if the processes are performing as expected.• Julie is the chief financial officer of PSC Corporation. She recently worked with a team to develop a broad set of principles that should characterize PSC's business processes. The team has applied those principles to some tasks in the accounting department; their next task is to teach other PSC employees about the principles.• Rob is an accountant at CTR Company. The owners of CTR, Lynn and Mark, don't know much about accounting, so Rob completes accounting tasks in whatever way seems best to him.Which level of the capability maturity model best describes Rob's company?
(43) Liam had developed a good process for safeguarding his company's information technology assets, but had not shared it with anyone else in the company. To move the process up one level in the capability maturity model, Liam should:
(40) Jack and Lindsay were choosing a new general ledger system for the company they own. They decided to use three factors for the evaluation: adaptability, strategic fit and training. They considered training three times more important than strategic fit; they considered adaptability twice as important as strategic fit. To keep their evaluation simple, they assigned a weight of "1" to strategic fit. If software package A had scores of 5 on adaptability, 8 on strategic fit and 9 on training, its score using the weighted-rating technique will be:
(34) The systems development life cycle has often been criticized because:
(35) Liam has developed a good process for safeguarding his company's information technology assets. He has completed the following actions with respect to the process: (i) talked about his methodology with some of his co-workers, (ii) created a schedule for applying his process to various kinds of information technology assets, (iii) explained how his process relates to similar processes in his company. To move the process up one level in the capability maturity model, Liam should:
(36) Which of the following statements would you expect to read in a company memo arguing against the use of the systems development life cycle as a form of internal control?
(33) ELH Corporation's process for buying inventory is well defined; the process also has metrics that establish goals for the process. Which level of the capability maturity model best describes ELH's inventory purchase process?
(42) Consider the following short case as you respond to the next question: Robert is the president and CEO of Computer Solutions; the firm's main activity is installing enterprise resource planning software. When a client calls Robert, he does an "intake interview" where he assesses the client's needs and learns about their company. Robert tries to interview at least a dozen people at each client, including top management and mid- and lower-level employees.What should Robert do immediately after he completes the interviews?
(30) 
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