ITEC 630 - MIDTERM EXAM

The midterm exam must include this cover sheet with the student's name and the date as well as the following statement:

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Honor Pledge

This exam is my own work. I received no assistance from any other individual, commercial entity, or unauthorized source.
Suspected violations of the academic integrity policy of the University of Maryland University College will be processed in accordance to the Procedures for Handling Charges of Alleged Academic Dishonesty outlined in Policy 150.25 - Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism (http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml).
In typing my name following the word 'Signature', I intend that this certification will have the same authority and authenticity as a document executed with my hand-written signature.

ITEC 630- Information Systems Analysis, Modeling, and Design
This is an open-book, individual examination. You are only allowed to use your textbook and information posted in our classroom. Please do not use any other sources that are not listed in our classroom. For example, you can refer to our class discussion notes and all links posted in the lecture notes but you should not search the Web for information to solve exam questions. You must do your own work and you may not collaborate with your classmates.
Answer the questions succinctly and clearly, explain your answer, and show your work. Answers, even if right but without an explanation, will get no credit. The explanations need to be brief, but complete, logical, and to the point. Do not quote anybody else, use your own words. Answers will be evaluated on the following criteria: key content, logical flow, and clarity.
Save the file with your answers as a MS Word file or PDF (please label the file Midterm – YourLastName.doc or Midterm -YourLastName.pdf ), and post it in your Assignments folder before the deadline. Please do keep the questions/instructions and points for each question in this document with your answers. The exam is due 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday, March 28, 2016.
Keep in mind that a late assignment will be penalized - five percentage points for being over 24 hours late and ten percentage points for being over 72 hours late. Assignments and examinations submitted more than one week after the due date will not be accepted and will receive a grade of "zero."
Problem I - (25 points)
Steve Smith is a restaurant owner who wants to spend his $15,000 to modernize his restaurant by adapting it more closely to the preferences of his repeat customers by keeping track of his customers’ likes and dislikes. Information such as where they like to sit, what they like to eat, when they normally arrive at the restaurant are all items of interest to him, since he believes that in this way he can better serve his customers. Steve has asked you to develop a system for him that will help make his customers happy while increasing his business, while keeping a high regard for privacy.
You have heard what Steve had to say about his customers. There are certainly more preferences that he can keep track of. Develop a problem definition for Steve, similar to one developed for Catherine’s Catering in chapter 3, pg. 51. Please note that the problem definition includes 5 items: Problem Definition, Issues, Objectives, Requirements and Constraints. (25 points)

Steve Smith Restaurant
Problem Definition
Steve Smith is a restaurant owner who would like to track and understand his repeat customer preferences. In better understanding these preferences, Steve Smith will be able to offer his customers a better experience at his restaurant and thus improving customer service and satisfaction.
Issues:
1. Identify customer preferred sitting 2. Identify customer preferred menu items 3. Track customer arrival times 4. Track Wait times compared to arrival times 5. Track weekly sales 6. Track promotion items sales during promotion period 7. Track paying customers spending trends
Objectives:
1. Create a system to collect the necessary data by entering user information 2. Store all the necessary data 3. Collect customer feedback to track customer service 4. Track customer spending trends 5. Create easily accessible reports
Requirements:
1. The system must be secure to ensure customer Privacy 2. Customer information must be entered on first visit, if second visit customer information must be easily pulled up by their phone number or name 3. Customer service review must be entered at the end of the experience 4. System must integrate with the ordering system in order to capture ordered items and money spent 5. The system must be easy to use for both manager and wait staff.
Constraints:
1. Cost is limited to $15,000 2. Customer experience must don’t be altered negatively in the gathering on this information 3. Steve would like this done ASAP.

Problem II- (25 points)
A. Please label each question as either closed question or open-ended question. (12 points) 1. How many personal computers do you have in this department? Closed 2. How is this task performed? Open 3. Why do you perform the task that way? Open 4. How many hours of training does a clerk receive? Closed 5. How many customers ordered products from the Web site last month? Closed 6. What are users saying about the new system? Open 7. What added features would you like to have in the new billing system? Open 8. Is the calculation procedure described in the manual? Closed 9. Is there anything else you can tell me about this topic? Open 10. Do you review the reports before they are sent out? Closed 11. How many employees are there in shipping? Closed 12. How are back-orders handled? Open B. You are going to interview the local manager of LDI, a national tire retailer, who has asked you to work as a system analyst on a management information system to provide inventory information. Here are five questions you wrote to prepare for the meeting:
1. Do you have any problems with your current system?
2. Is the current system providing you with enough information to help you make decisions?
3. How well do your employees accept changes in the system?
4. What kind of output would you like to see? What type of format is preferred?
5. Describe key decisions for which you are responsible.

Order your questions in a pyramid structure. (5 points)

C. Fill in the blank.
Match any of the key terms below with the definition that best fits it. (Ignore any key terms that do not fit) (8 points) 1. Systems analyst 2. Intangible benefit 3. Context diagram 4. Human-computer interaction 5. Level-0 diagram 6. Intangible cost 7. Data flow diagram 8. Tangible cost 9. Open-ended questions 10. Closed-ended questions 11. Systems development life cycle 12. Questionnaire 13. Joint application design 14. Tangible benefit

* Data flow diagram is a picture of the movement of data between external entities and the processes and the data stores within a system. * Systems analyst is the organizational role most responsible for the analysis and design of information systems. * Closed-ended questions are questions in interviews that ask those responding to choose from among a set of specified responses. * Level-0 diagram is a data flow diagram that represents a system’s major processes, data flows, and data stores at a high level of detail. * Context diagram is a data flow diagram of the scope of an organizational system that shows the system boundaries, external entities that interact with a system, and the major information flows between entities and the system. * Intangible cost is a cost associated with an information system that cannot be easily measured in terms of dollars or with certainty. * Joint application design is a structured process in which users, managers, and analysts work together for several days in a series of intensive meetings to specify or review system requirements. * Tangible benefit is a benefit derived from the creation of an information system that can be measured in dollars and with certainty.
Problem III- (25 points)
An analyst needs an organized method for collecting facts. Some systems analysts will frequently jump right into interviews. They believe, “Go to the people. That’s where the real facts are!” Wrong! This approach fails to recognize an important fact of life: People must complete their day-to-day jobs. You may be thinking, “But I thought you’ve been seen saying that the system is for people and that direct end user involvement in systems development is essential. Aren’t you contradicting yourselves?” A. Write a paragraph to offer your opinion on the issue described in the above statement. (11 points)
The collection of the meaningful data, that is able to work as information that a system analyst can use is a necessity. There are various methods that can available and Interviewing is one of them, It takes place face to face with the use of detailed questions. This method is beneficial because it offers room for more explanation getting rid of any misunderstanding. Questions can be changed quickly as new information is developed on the interview. However, interviews can be time consuming and expensive. The may also lead to dishonest answered because there is no anonymity.
An interviewer must be prepared before an interview in order to save time and be efficient. The use of a good mix of closed and opened ended should be in place to avoid long interview session. The interviewer should be prepared with a chosen logical sequence for the interviewer. Interviews should in conjunction with other information gathering tools. Interviewees should be sensitized to the importance of the interview and efforts should be made to avoid interfering with daily work if a fruitful interview is to be achieved B. Given that you can use all seven common fact finding techniques: (1) sampling of existing documentation, forms, and databases, (2) investigation, (3) observation of the work environment, (4) questionnaires, (5) interviews, (6) prototyping, and (7) joint application design. Using all of these seven techniques, propose a general step-by-step strategy (which technique goes first and which technique goes next) to discover the information system requirements and provide an explanation of your strategy decision. (14 points)
In the fact finding I would recommend starting with the Unobstructive forms of information gathering. This would familiarize the system analyst with the environment before spending time on the interactive methods. This is the order of my recommendation 1. Observation of the work environment would be the first. Because system analyst participates in the organization, studies the flow of documents, works within the existing system, and interacts with the users, meaningful information is gained and a better understanding of the organization and its culture. 2. Sampling of existing documents, forms and databases would follow. With understanding of information gleaned from step one, a system analyst would be more informed and the sampling would be based on this knowledge. 3. Investigation would follow. Resources have limitations. With that in mind this phase would be depended on the first 2 steps in order to guide the resources to a specific area. Investigation the whole organization may not be a good use of resources. 4. Questionnaire would follow. The information in hand would guide the questions to be listed in the questionnaire 5. Interviews would follow. Because they are time consuming, the information gleaned so far would be used to use interviews as a way to clear any misunderstanding or address any outstanding concerns that the system administrator may have 6. Join application design should follow if the other previous steps have not generated meaningful and conclusive information. In some cases the one on one interview process may not very useful information. This method not only helps the system analyst in getting answers to outstanding questions but also helps in identifying and analyzing problems, System Design and setting requirements of the system with group (shareholders) consensus. In some cases to save time and other resources JAD and be done in lieu of the interviews. 7. Prototyping can be very useful especially when the new system is not an upgrade of an old one or when the requirements and expectation are not clear between the end users and the developers. In such cases, prototyping is beneficial because Users and developers are able to test and understand the system in advance before final implementation. It also can make and determine development of the system before applying high development costs in the information system.
It is important for every system analyst to understand that act-finding techniques It is critical to capture the necessary facts to build a system successfully. The common fact finding techniques enables developer and system analysts to learn about the terminology, problems, opportunities, constraints, requirements, and priorities of the organization and the users of the system. Used wisely are appropriately their outcome are of benefit to the system analyst and organization as a whole. Problem IV - (25 points)
A summary of business activities for registering courses for enrolled students and for registering class lists for faculty members and for administrators at an online university is as follows:
Students send in a course registration form consisting of their personal information and their desired courses. The system checks that the courses are available and that the student is academically qualified to take the course.
Based on the checking results, the system will send to the student a confirmation and/or rejection letter with detailed information for each requesting course. Faculty members and administrators will receive registering class lists when the registration period is complete.
1. Draw a context-level data flow diagram for the “Courses Registration” system using the following items: (8 points)
Process name: Courses registration system
External entities: Derived from the above narrative
Data flows: Derived from the above narrative

Course Registration System DFD

2. Explode the above context-level diagram by drawing the logical data flow diagram level 0 showing all the major processes using the following items: (17 points)
Process names:
(1) Check Course Availability and Academic Qualification
(2) Register Requesting Courses
(3) Confirm/Reject Courses Registration
(4) Generate Class List
Data stores: Derived from the above narrative
External entities: Derived from the above narrative
Data flows: Derived from the above narrative.