Self-assessment on system analysis and design

1. What is a system?
Ans: A system is a set of related components that produces specific results
2. What is an information system?
Ans:
Information systems are identified as enterprise computing systems, transaction
processing systems, business support systems, knowledge management systems, or user
productivity systems
3. Describe IT
Ans:
IT refers to the combination of hardware and software resources that companies use to
manage, access, communicate, and share information
4. What are the components of an information system?
Ans: Information systems have five key components: hardware, software, data, processes,
and people
5. Explain what each component does
Ans:

Hardware
Is the physical layer of the information system
Software
System software
Application software
Enterprise applications
Software
Horizontal system
Vertical system
Legacy systems
Processes
Describe the tasks and business functions that users, managers, and IT staff
members perform to achieve specific results

People

Self-assessment on system analysis and design

Stakeholders
Users, or end users
6. Explain the various type of information system.
Ans:
Transaction processing systems
Involve large amounts of data for routine business transactions such as payroll
and inventory, and are mission-critical systems
Efficient because they process a set of transaction-related commands as a group
rather than individually

Business support systems

Provide job-related information to users at all levels of a company
Management information systems (MIS)
Radio frequency identification (RFID)

Knowledge management systems

Called expert systems
Simulate human reasoning by combining a knowledge base and inference rules
Many knowledge management systems use a technique called fuzzy logic

7. Explain the phase in SDCL and major activities undertaken at each phase.
Ans:
Systems Planning
Systems planning phase
Systems request begins the process & describes problems or desired
changes
Purpose of this phase is to perform a preliminary investigation
Key part of preliminary investigation is a feasibility study
Systems Analysis
Deliverable is the System requirements document
Systems Design
Deliverable is system design specification
Management and user involvement is critical
Systems Implementation
New system is constructed
Systems Support and Security
A well-designed system must be secure, reliable, maintainable, and
scalable

Self-assessment on system analysis and design

Most information systems need to be updated significantly or replaced

after several years of operation

Summary

Planning (Why build the system? How should the team go about building it?)

Analysis (Who uses system, what will it do, where and when will the system be used?)

Design (How will the system work?)

Implementation (System delivery)

Self-assessment on system analysis and design

Process

System Request
Feasibility
Analysis
Product
Workplan

Analysis

System Proposal

Planning

Design
Implementati
on

System
Specification
New System and
Maintenance
Plan

8. Discuss system analyst

Ans: the three important role of a system analyst are consultant, supporting experts, and
agent of change.
Responsibilities
Translate business requirements into IT projects
Knowledge, Skills, and Education
Needs technical knowledge, strong oral and written communication skills and
analytic ability, an understanding of business operations, and critical thinking
skills

Self-assessment on system analysis and design

Certification
Important credential
Systems analysts need a combination of technical and business knowledge, analytical
ability, and communication skills
The systems analyst is a key person analyzing the business, identifying opportunities for
improvement, and designing information systems to implement these ideas.

9. What are the qualities of a system analyst?

Ans:
i.
A system analyst is a problem solver through skillful application of tools,
techniques, and experience.
ii.
A system analyst must be a good communicator: relating meaningful ideas to
people
iii.
Must be able to understand humans need in interacting with technology, and
iv.
they need enough computer experience to programme,
v.
to understand the capabilities of computers,
vi.
to glean information requirement from users,
vii.
and to communicate what is needed to programmers.
viii. A system analyst should also possess strong personal and professional ethics to
help them shape their client relationships.
ix.
Must be self-disciplined, self-motivated individual who is able to manage and
coordinate other people including innumerable project resources.
10. Describe the business organizational structure
Ans:
Organization structure includes top managers, middle managers and knowledge workers,
supervisors and team leaders