Problem I -
Jim Jones is a bakery owner who wants to spend $20,000 to modernize his store by adapting it more closely to the preferences of his repeat customers, keeping track of their likes and dislikes. Information such as basic ingredients (whole wheat, gluten free, etc.), fillings, toppings, and portion size are all items of interest to him, since he believes that in this way he can better serve his customers. Jim has asked you to develop a system for him that will help make his customers happy while increasing his business.
You have heard what Jim had to say about his customers. There are certainly more preferences that he can keep track of. Develop a problem definition for Jim that includes: Issues, Objectives, Requirements and Constraints.
Problem II-
Melanie Smith owns an online organic-based health food company that sells vitamins and other relatively nonperishable products for those who want choices regarding alternative food products for their diet. Melanie is developing a new system that would require her staff to be retrained.
Given the information in the table below, make a PERT diagram for her and identify the critical path. (7 points)
|
Description
|
Task
|
Must Follow
|
Time (weeks)
|
|
Interview executives
|
A
|
None
|
6
|
|
Interview staff in order fulfillment
|
B
|
None
|
3
|
|
Design inputs
|
C
|
B
|
2
|
|
Design outputs
|
D
|
A, C
|
3
|
|
Write use cases
|
E
|
A, C
|
4
|
|
Record staff reactions to prototypes
|
F
|
D
|
2
|
|
Develop system
|
G
|
E, F
|
5
|
|
Write training manual
|
H
|
B, G
|
3
|
|
Train staff
|
I
|
H
|
2
|
If Melanie could find a way to save time on the "write use cases" phase, would it help? Why or why not (8 points)
Problem III-
Complete the following Case Study:
"It's really some choice. I mean, no single package seems to have everything we want. Some of them come darn close, though," says Roman, an advertising executive for Empire Magazine with whom you have been working on a systems project. Recently, the two of you have decided that packaged software would probably suit the advertising department's needs and stem its general decline.
"The last guy's demo we saw-you know, the one who worked for Data Coliseum-really had a well-rounded pitch. And I like their brochure. Full-color printing, on card stock. Classic," Roman asserts. "And what about those people from Vesta Systems? They're really fired up. And their package was easy to use with a minimum of ceremony. Besides, they said they would train all 12 of us, on-site, at no charge. But look at their advertising. They just take things off their printers."
Roman fiddles in his chair as he continues his ad hoc review of software and software vendors. "That one package from Mars, Inc., really sold me all on its own, though. I mean, it had a builtin calendar. And I like the way the menus for the screen displays could all be chosen by Roman numerals. It was easy to follow. And the vendor isn't going to be hard to move on price. I think they're already in a price war."
"Do you want to know my favorite, though?" Roman asks archly. "It's the one put out by Jupiter, Unlimited. I mean, it has everything, doesn't it? It costs a little extra coin, but it does what we need it to do, and the documentation is heavenly. They don't do any training, of course. They think they're above it."
You are already plotting that to answer Roman's burning questions by your March 15 deadline, you need to evaluate the software as well as the vendors, systematically, and then render a decision. Evaluate each vendor and package based on what Roman has said so far. (Assume that you can trust his opinions.) What are Roman's apparent biases when evaluating software and vendors? What further information do you need about each company and its software before you can make a selection? Set up a table to evaluate each vendor. Answer each question in a separate paragraph.
Problem IV-
An auditor examined data flow diagrams in a small portion of system development projects and determined that there were nearly 12% of them with errors. The Vice-President for Development wants a better estimate of the percentage so you are tasked to sample the diagrams produced for the past five years and report back.
a) How large a sample would you have to examine to be 95% certain that your estimate would be within 3% of the actual percentage? Explain how you arrived at your answer.
b) Given your answer to part a), how will you arrive at the estimate that you will report back to the vice-president?
Problem V-
Pete's Hardware, a small company, has set up a new office. The table below shows the revenue expected for the first five months of operation, in addition to the costs for office remodeling, etc.
|
July
|
August
|
September
|
October
|
November
|
|
REVENUE
|
$35,000
|
$36,000
|
$42,000
|
$48,000
|
$57,000
|
|
COSTS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office Remodeling
|
$25,000
|
$8,000
|
|
|
|
|
Salaries
|
11,000
|
12,100
|
$13,300
|
$14,600
|
$16,000
|
|
Training
|
6,000
|
6,000
|
|
|
|
|
Equipment Lease
|
8,000
|
8,480
|
9,000
|
9,540
|
10,110
|
|
Supplies
|
3,000
|
3,150
|
3,300
|
3,460
|
3,630
|
a) Determine the cash flow and accumulated cash flow for the company.
b) When is Pete's expected to show a profit? Explain your answer.
Problem VI-
Scientifico, Inc., a manufacturer of precise measuring instruments for scientific purposes, has presented you with a list of criteria that its managers think are probably important in selecting a vendor for computer hardware and software supporting their operations. The criteria are not listed in order of importance.
1. Low price.
2. Precisely written software for engineering applications.
3. Vendor performs routine maintenance on hardware.
4. Training for Scientifico employees.
a. Critique the list of attributes in a paragraph.
b. Using its initial input, help Scientifico, Inc. draw up a more suitable list of criteria for selecting computer hardware and software vendors to purchase from.
Problem VII-
"We're a progressive company, always looking to be ahead of the power curve. We'll give anything a whirl if it'll put us ahead of the competition, and that includes every one of us," says I. B. Daring, an executive with Michigan Manufacturing (2M). You are interviewing him as a preliminary step in a systems project, one in which his subordinates have expressed interest. As you listen to I. B., you look around his office to see that most of the information he has stored on shelves can be classified as internal procedures manuals. In addition, you notice a PC on a back table of I. B.'s office.
The monitor's screen is covered with dust, and the manuals stacked beside the PC are still encased in their original shrink-wrap. Even though you know that 2M uses an intranet, no cables are visible going to or from I. B.'s PC. You look up behind I. B.'s massive mahogany desk to see on the wall five framed oil portraits of 2M's founders, all clustered around a gold plaque bearing the corporate slogan, which states, "Make sure you're right, then go ahead."
List the elements of STROBE that you have observed during your interview with I. B.
Next to each element of STROBE that you have observed, write a sentence on how you would interpret it.
Problem VIII -
Weaver Pizza wants to install a system to record orders for pizza and chicken wings. When regular customers call Weaver Pizza on the phone, they are asked their phone number. When the number is typed into a computer, the name, address, and last order date is automatically brought up on the screen.
Once the order is taken, the total, including tax and delivery, is calculated. Then the order is given to the cook. A receipt is printed. Occasionally, special offers (coupons) are printed so the customer can get a discount. Drivers who make deliveries give customers a copy of the receipt and a coupon (if any). Weekly totals are kept for comparison with last year's performance. A summary of the business activities for Weaver Pizza is:
- Display customer record. Input is the customer number and the customer record. Output is customer information.
- Take customer order. Input is the order information (including the customer number). Output is the total amount due for the order.
- Send order to cook. Input is the customer order. Output is the cook's order.
- Print customer receipt. Input is the customer order and the customer master record. Output is the customer receipt.
- Deliver customer order. Input is the customer receipt and coupons. Output is the delivered receipt to the customer.
- Print weekly totals. Input is the customer order and the previous year's customer order summary. Output is the weekly performance figures.
a) Draw a context-level data flow diagram for Weaver Pizza.
b) Explode the context-level diagram to show all the major processes. Call this Diagram 0. It should be a logical data flow diagram.