Why is strategic systems planning not technically considered to be part of the SDLC?

Strategic systems
planning is not part of the SDLC because the SDLC pertains to specific applications, whereas the strategic
systems plan is concerned with the allocation of such systems resources as employees (the number of
systems professionals to be hired), hardware (the number of workstations, minicomputers, and
mainframes to be purchased), software (the funds to be allocated to new systems projects and for
systems maintenance), and telecommunications (the funds allocated to networking and EDI)7. What is
strategic systems planning, and why should it be done?Strategic systems planning involves the allocation
of systems resources at the macro level. It usually deals with a time frame of 3 to 5 years. This process is
similar to budgeting resources for other strategic activities, such as product development, plant
expansions, market research, and manufacturing technology. There are four justifications for strategic
systems planning: 1. A plan that changes constantly is better than no plan at all. 2. Strategic planning
reduces the crisis component in systems development. 3. Strategic systems planning provides
authorization control for the SDLC. 4. Cost management8. What is the purpose of project planning, and
what are the varioussteps? The purpose of project planning is to allocate resources to individual
applications within the framework of the strategic plan. This involves identifying areas of user needs,
preparing proposals, evaluating each proposal’s feasibility and contribution to the business plan,
prioritizing individual projects, and scheduling the work to be done. The basic purpose ofproject
planning is to allocate scarce resources to specific projects. The product of this phase consists of two
formal documents: the project proposal and the project schedule.9. What is the object-oriented design
(OOD) approach? OOD builds systems from the bottom up through the assembly of reusable modules
rather than create each system from scratch. OOD is most often associated

oriented design (OOD) builds system is to build information system fromreusable standards components
or objective. This approach may be equated by tothe process of the building an automobile. Car
components do not create each newmodel from the scratch.10. What are the broad classes of facts that
need to be gathered in the system survey?Data resource. These include external entities, such as
customer or vendors.

Subscribe to view the full document.

Subscribe to Unlock

Users. These includes both the managers and operation users.Data stores. Data stores are the files,
database, accounts and source documentsused in the system.Process. Processing task represent a
decision or an action trigged by information.Data flows. Data flows are represented by the movement of
documents and reportsbetween data resources, processing task and users.Controls. These include both
accounting and operational controls and maybemanual procedures or computer controls.Transaction
volumes. The analyst must obtain a measure of transaction volumes fora specified period of timeError
rates. As system reached capacity, error rates increase to an tolerable rate.Resource cost. Used by the
current system include the cost labor, computer time,material and direct overhead.Bottlenecks and
redundant operations. The analyst should note points where datafiles come together to form a
bottleneck.11. What are the primary fact-gathering techniques?Primary gathering techniques include
observation, task participation, personalinterview and reviewing key documents.12. What are the
relative merits and disadvantages of a currents system surveys?Advantages of surveying the current
system are Identifying what aspect of theold system should be kept, Forcing system analysts to fully
understand the systemand Isolating the root of problem symptoms. The disadvantages of surveying
thecurrent system are current physical tar pit, this term used to describe the tendencyon the part of the
analyst to be “sucked in” and “blogged down” by task. Second is

stores, and data flows. Response: Data sources include two types of entities: (a) external, such as
customers orvendors, and (b internal, other departments in the organization. Data stores are the
files,databases, accounts, and source documents used in the system. Data flows represent
themovement of document or reports among the data sources, data stores, processing tasks, andusers.
14. What are some of the key documents that may be reviewed in a current systems survey? 15. What is
the purpose of a systems analysis, and what type of information should beincluded in the systems
analysis report?

Unlocks Icon

Subscribe to unlock

t of document or reports among the data sources, data stores, processing tasks, andusers. 14. What are
some of the key documents that may be reviewed in a current systems survey?Response: Some of the
key documents that may be reviewed are organization charts, jobdescriptions, accounting manuals,
charts of accounts, policy statements, descriptions ofprocedures, financial statements,
performance reports, system flowcharts, source documents,accounts, budgets, forecasts, and mission
statements. 15. What is the purpose of a systems analysis, and what type of information should
beincluded in the systems analysis report? Response: The purpose of systems analysis is to understand
both the actual and the desiredstates. The systems analysis report should contain the problems
identified with the currentsystem, the user’s needs, and the requirements of the new system. 16. What
is the primary objective of the conceptual systems design phase? Response: The purpose of the
conceptual design phase is to produce several alternativeconceptual systems that satisfy the system
requirements identified during systems analysis. Bypresenting users with a number of plausible
alternatives, the systems professional avoidsimposing preconceived constraints on the new system.
The user will evaluate these conceptualmodels and settle on the alternatives that appear most plausible
and appealing. These alternativedesigns then go to the systems selection phase of SDLC, where their
respective costs and benefitsare compared and a single optimum design is chosen.17. What are two
approaches to conceptual systems design? Response: The structured approach and the object-oriented
approach. 18. How much design detail is needed in the conceptual design phase? Response: The
conceptual design phase should be general; however, it should possess

sufficient detail to demonstrate how the alternative systems are conceptually different in theirfunctions.
19. What is an object, and what are its characteristics in the object-oriented approach?
 examples. Response: The object-oriented design (OOD) approach is to build information systems from
reusable standard components or objects. The concept of reusability is central to the object-oriented
approach to systems design. Once created, standard modules can be used in other systems with similar
needs. Ideally, the organization’s systems professionals will create a library (inventory) of modules that
can be used by other system designers within the firm. For example the tasks of validating data in a
payroll system or an AR system prior to updating are similar in concept and may be performed by
program modules derived from the same object. The benefits of this approach include reduced time and
cost for development, maintenance, and testing and improved user support and flexibility in the
development process.20. What is the auditor’s primary role in the conceptual design of the system?
Response: The auditor is a stakeholder in all financial systems and, thus, has an interest in theconceptual
design stage of the system. The auditability of a system depends in part on its designcharacteristics.
Some computer auditing techniques require systems to be designed with specialaudit features that are
integral to the system. These audit features must be specified at theconceptual design stage.21. Who
should be included in the group of independent evaluators performing the detailedfeasibility study?
Response: This is a thought provoking question and answers will vary. The followingindividuals may be
involved: The project manager, a member of the internal audit staff, a userrepresentative, and systems
professionals who are not part of the project but have expertise in thespecific areas covered by the
feasibility study. 22. What makes the cost-benefit analysis more difficult for information systems than
formost other investments an organization may make? Response: The benefits of information systems
are often very difficult to assess. Manytimes the benefits are intangible, such as improved
decision-making capabilities. Also,maintenance costs may be difficult to predict. Most other
investments that organizations make,for example, the purchase of a new piece of equipment, tend to
have more tangible and estimablecosts and benefits. 23. Classify each of the following as either one-time
or recurring costs: a. training personnel one-time b. initial programming and testing one-time c.
systems design one-time d. hardware costs one-time e. software maintenance costs recurring f. site
preparation one-time g. rent for facilities recurring h. data conversion from old system to new system
one-time i. insurance costs recurring