Understanding IT Infrastructure Investments

1. Which of the following is not infrastructure investments a firm may consider? • Upgrade bandwidth • Upgrade desktop operating systems • Increase the number of servers • Determine industry standards • Convert to VoIP

2. Which of the following is not infrastructure investments a firm may consider? • Upgrade bandwidth • Upgrade desktop operating systems • Increase the number of servers • Determine industry standards • Convert to VoIP Determining industry standards is not typically associated with information technology infrastructure investments.

3. Which type of cost or benefit of systems cannot be immediately quantified? • Tangible • Contained • Intangible • Differential • Factorial

4. Which type of cost or benefit of systems cannot be immediately quantified? • Tangible • Contained • Intangible • Differential • Factorial Intangible benefits, such as more efficient customer service or enhanced employee goodwill, cannot be immediately quantified but may lead to quantifiable gains in the long run.

5. Which financial model gives an approximation of the accounting income earned by a project? • Payback method • Accounting rate of ROI • Net present value • Profitability index • Internal rate of return

6. Which financial model gives an approximation of the accounting income earned by a project? • Payback method • Accounting rate of ROI • Net present value • Profitability index • Internal rate of return The accounting rate of return on investment (ROI) calculates the rate of return from an investment by adjusting the cash inflows produced by the investment for depreciation.

7. Which financial model takes into account the time value of money? • Payback method • Cost-benefit ratio • Net present value • Profitability index • Internal rate of return

8. Which financial model takes into account the time value of money? • Payback method • Cost-benefit ratio • Net present value • Profitability index • Internal rate of return Internal rate of return (IRR) is defined as the rate of return or profit that an investment is expected to earn, taking into account the time value of money.

9. Which of the following is not a significant problem area for information systems? • Industry standardization • Operations • Design • Data • Cost

10. Industry standardization • Operations • Design • Data • Cost Which of the following is not a significant problem area for information systems? A very large percentage of information systems fail to deliver benefits or to solve the problems for which they were intended because the process of organizational change surrounding system building was not properly addressed.

11. During system implementation the systems analyst becomes a(n)… • programmer. • change agent. • financial expert. • chief information officer. • operational manager.

12. During system implementation the systems analyst becomes a(n)… • programmer. • change agent. • financial expert. • chief information officer. • operational manager. The system analyst is the catalyst for the entire change process and is responsible for ensuring that all parties involved accept the changes created by a new system.

13. Which of the following is not necessarily a factor that will help determine the implementation outcome? • Management quality • Level of complexity and risk • Governmental regulation • Management support • Role of users

14. Which of the following is not necessarily a factor that will help determine the implementation outcome? • Management quality • Level of complexity and risk • Governmental regulation • Management support • Role of users Government regulation does not necessarily affect the implementation outcome of system changes. The other options are largely behavioral and organizational issues.

15. Which problem area should be addressed if information required for a specific business function is inaccessible? • Design • Data • Cost • Operations • Not sure

16. Which problem area should be addressed if information required for a specific business function is inaccessible? • Design • Data • Cost • Operations • Not sure Other data problems may be a high level of inaccuracy or inconsistency, or the information in certain fields may be erroneous or ambiguous, or not organized properly.

17. Which problem area should be addressed if the system is not compatible with the structure, culture, or goals of the organization? • Design • Data • Cost • Operations • Not sure

18. Which problem area should be addressed if the system is not compatible with the structure, culture, or goals of the organization? • Design • Data • Cost • Operations • Not sure Historically, information systems design has been preoccupied with technical issues at the expense of organizational concerns. Without a close organizational fit, such systems create tensions, instability, and conflict.

19. Users and systems specialists having different backgrounds, interests, and priorities regarding new systems is called the… • user-designer communication gap. • structural disorientation. • mythical man-month. • complex technology. • user-designer incompatibility.

20. Users and systems specialists having different backgrounds, interests, and priorities regarding new systems is called the… • user-designer communication gap. • structural disorientation. • mythical man-month. • complex technology. • user-designer incompatibility. These differences between users and system designers lead to divergent organizational loyalties, approaches to problem solving, and vocabularies.

21. Sufficient funding is available. • Successful work habit changes will result. • Successful organizational realignments will occur. • Employees will be rewarded for time and effort. • Employees will receive network access. Which of the following is not a reason why it’s important to have management backing of an information systems project?

22. Sufficient funding is available. • Successful work habit changes will result. • Successful organizational realignments will occur. • Employees will be rewarded for time and effort. • Employees will receive network access. Which of the following is not a reason why it’s important to have management backing of an information systems project? If an information systems project has the backing and commitment of management at various levels, it is more likely to be perceived positively by both users and the technical staff.

23. internal rate of return. • return on investment. • stock share. • man-month. • cost basis. The traditional unit of measurement used by systems designers to project costs is the …

24. The traditional unit of measurement used by systems designers to project costs is the … • internal rate of return. • return on investment. • stock share. • man-month. • cost basis. Projects are estimated in terms of how many man-months are required. However, adding more workers to a project does not necessarily reduce the time needed to complete it.

25. Projects with challenging and complex technology to master benefit from… • increased man-months. • internal integration tools. • external integration tools. • formal control tools. • formal planning tools.

26. Projects with challenging and complex technology to master benefit from… • increased man-months. • internal integration tools. • external integration tools. • formal control tools. • formal planning tools. The success of such projects depends on how well their technical complexity can be managed.

27. Which of the following formal planning tools lists the specific activities that make up a project and their duration? • Gantt charts • Man-month calendars • Pert charts • Group decision support systems • Teleconferencing tools

28. Which of the following formal planning tools lists the specific activities that make up a project and their duration? • Gantt charts • Man-month calendars • Pert charts • Group decision support systems • Teleconferencing tools Large projects benefit from appropriate use of formal planning tools and formal control tools. With proper project management techniques, a detailed plan can be developed.

29. Which of the following formal planning tools visually represents the sequence and timing of different tasks in a project as well as required resources? • Gantt charts • Man-month calendars • Pert charts • Group decision support systems • Teleconferencing tools

30. Which of the following formal planning tools visually represents the sequence and timing of different tasks in a project as well as required resources? • Gantt charts • Man-month calendars • Pert charts • Group decision support systems • Teleconferencing tools These project management techniques can help managers identify bottlenecks and determine the impact that problems will have on project completion times.

31. A deliberate strategy to thwart the implementation of an information system is known as… • predictive analysis. • subterfuge. • mis-designing. • counterimplementation. • biased management.

32. predictive analysis. • subterfuge. • mis-designing. • counterimplementation. • biased management. A deliberate strategy to thwart the implementation of an information system is known as… If the use of a system is voluntary, users may choose to avoid it; if its use is mandatory, resistance will take the form of increased error rates, disruptions, turnover, and even sabotage.

33. Which of the following is not an effective strategy managers should use to overcome user resistance to new projects? • Management edicts • User education • More equipment • User participation • Better incentives for users

34. Which of the following is not an effective strategy managers should use to overcome user resistance to new projects? • Management edicts • User education • More equipment • User participation • Better incentives for users Strategies to overcome user resistance include user participation, user education and training, management edicts and policies, and better incentives for users who cooperate.

35. How data will be changed • Organizational structure changes • How operations will change • Decision-making changes • Attitudinal changes Which of the following is not explained in a well-written organizational impact analysis for new system projects?

36. Which of the following is not explained in a well-written organizational impact analysis for new system projects? • How data will be changed • Organizational structure changes • How operations will change • Decision-making changes • Attitudinal changes Although systems analysis and design activities are supposed to include an organization impact analysis, this area has traditionally been neglected.

37. Which of the following establishes the human objectives for a system that leads to increased job satisfaction? • Formal planning tools • Sociotechnical design plan • External integration tools • Technical implementation plan • IT Strategic plan

38. Which of the following establishes the human objectives for a system that leads to increased job satisfaction? • Formal planning tools • Sociotechnical design plan • External integration tools • Technical implementation plan • IT Strategic plan A well-formulated sociotechnical project design plan is expected to produce an information system that blends technical efficiency with sensitivity to organizational and human needs.

39. Which of the following refers to the interaction of people and machines in the work environment? • Sociotechnical design • External integration • Ergonomics • Enterprise-wide planning • Not sure

40. Which of the following refers to the interaction of people and machines in the work environment? • Sociotechnical design • External integration • Ergonomics • Enterprise-wide planning • Not sure Ergonomics considers the design of jobs, health issues, and the end-user interface of information systems. The impact of the application system on the work environment and job dimensions must be carefully assessed.