1. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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1. When DFDs are said to be exploded from one level to the next, this means that a
specific process is shown in greater detail at the next level. Example: A process at
one level has three documents as input to the process and two documents as
2. Accountants are concerned with systems documentation. CASE tools provide some
benefit and some disadvantages with documentation. On the positive side, the
systems documentation will always agree with the program code for those instances
where CASE coding models are used to convert the structure diagrams into machine
3. The structured design approach is documented by data flow and structure diagrams,
in which the system designed follows a top-down approach. The designer starts with
an abstract description of the system and, through successive steps, redefines this
4. The structured approach develops each new system from scratch from the top
down. Object-oriented design builds systems from the bottom up through the
assembly of reusable modules rather than creating each system from scratch. A
top-down approach is advantageous in that the system is designed around the
5. The systems development life cycle should be conducted, albeit in a modified form.
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6. Actual transactions are processed on alternative systems that are available for
purchase. The transaction speed, accuracy and efficiency are compared. If at all
possible, the benchmarking should be conducted on the customer’s computer
system, so that the results are meaningful. Also, the technical presentations by the
7. The weights are crucial and can very easily affect the outcome. Sensitivity analysis
shows the effect of change on a weight and can be used to determine its
8. The prospective user should select the contact user group from a lengthy list of
contacts provided by the vendor rather than a short list provided by the vendor in
9. The end users should provide input as to their requirements of the system. Prototype
reports are helpful. Close consideration should be paid to the exact nature of the
data needed, exactly when (how frequent) the data needs to be reported, and the
10. The output requirements of the users are examined in order to determine the
attribute of the tables. All of the attributes that a user wishes to accept may not be in
11. Although they are extremely accurate, they are not error-free. With bar-codes or any
12. The DFD needs to be decomposed so that the enough detail is illustrated to produce
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13. Modules are considered to be weakly coupled if they have very little interaction with
each other. Modules that perform a single, well-defined task are considered to be
strongly cohesive. Thus, if each module performs a single-well defined task and is
14. The designer can express the detailed logic of the module, regardless of the
15. If only “good” data are used for program tests then the control procedures for
16. Yes, all modules must be tested in conjunction with another. This is necessary to
ensure that modules interact together in the desired fashion. In other words, the data
17. Run manuals list each system and the frequency with which they should be run.
Further, the required hardware and file requirements are listed. These lists tend to be
numerous and even a seasoned computer operator may occasionally forget exactly
19. The cold turkey cutover is a method in which the old system is terminated and the
new system is turned on at the same time. This method can easily wind up being the
costliest method if the new system was not adequately tested in all possible
operating situations and the system fails or data is lost. The phased cutover is a
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20. The systems personnel should conduct the post-implementation review regardless
of whether the system was developed in-house or purchased. The end-users should
be interviewed as well as the accountants. The post-implementation review should
21. The accountant should provide technical expertise during the detailed design phase.
For AISs, the specifications must comply with GAAP, GAAS, SEC, and IRS regulations.
Further, accounting choices, such as depreciation and inventory valuation methods
2.
3. MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. C
2. A
3. C
4. PROBLEMS
1. CASE TOOLS
TO: Mike Cassidy
FROM: Janet Huber
SUBJECT: Purchase of CASE tools
As you are aware, the demands on the information systems department personnel
continue to increase. We need to invest in tools that will allow our workers to be
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investment should allow the information systems department to be more responsive
to user’s requests and needs in the long run. Systems designed with CASE tools are
easier to modify. Further, the systems developed using CASE tools should increase
2.DATA FLOW DIAGRAMS
See drawings on the following pages. The following diagram is labeled as both the
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3. DATA FLOW DIAGRAMS
The problem is that they do not reconcile from one level to the next. At the context
level, a disapproved notice is displayed as flowing from the order processing system
4. DESIGN INPUT VIEW
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5. SYSTEM DESIGN
Some possible reasons the system is not meeting Ms. Alper’s needs may be any of
the following:
For the future, the end users should be consulted again after the initial consultation
to determine if the design specifications accurately incorporate their needs. If not,
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6. ATTRIBUTES AND OPERATIONS
a. general ledger attributes—account name, account number, normal balance
b. accounts payable ledger—
account name, account number, balance, amount posted, posting
reference, date of posting, due dates; accounts payable operations—
c. accounts receivable ledger—
account name, account number, balance, amount posted, posting
reference, date of posting, due dates; accounts receivable operations—
d. fixed assets ledger—asset
name, account number, cost, accumulated depreciation amount, posting
reference, posting date; fixed assets operations—increase balance for
e. inventory ledger—item number, item name, quantity on hand, reorder point,
EOQ, location, cost, price; inventory operations—increase balance for
7. COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE
The systems analysis and requirements phase was never conducted.
Further, a conceptual design was never prepared. A crucial aspect, the
feasibility study was never conducted. Thus, no criteria were available to
judge whether the vendor’s RFP was appropriate for Gusher. Due to time
constraints, the software was purchased hurriedly without conducting the
proper analysis. What happened in this situation is characteristic of what
happens oftentimes; a rush to put in a new project due to an overworked
systems department causes more work, troubles, headaches, and cost
8. DATA FLOW DIAGRAM