388 Part III • Acquiring Information Systems
emphasized. How can you reconcile these two points of
view?
3.There have been many failures in the development of appli-
cation systems using the traditional SDLC. Discuss some
characteristics of the methodology that could contribute to
the high failure rate under certain situations.
4.Compare the role of the systems analyst in the development
of an application system using the SDLC and using a proto-
typing approach.
5.Some IS specialists contend that end prototypes are usually
poor technical solutions. Comment on why this perception
might (or might not) be valid.
6.Discuss why an application might be built using prototyping
as part of the SDLC methodology, rather than by a pure pro-
totyping methodology alone.
7.Discuss the role of the project manager in the in-house devel-
opment of a customized application, and in what situations
both IS and business managers might serve as coleaders of a
project.
8.It has been said that “a system without good documentation
is worthless.” Provide support for this statement. Then
comment on how today’s advanced tools might alleviate the
documentation burden.9.At each milestone in a system development project some
form of a go/no-go decision is made about continuing the
project. What factors should be considered in this decision?
10.Discuss how some modern tools (e.g., CASE), techniques
(e.g., JAD), and new methodologies (e.g., eXtreme
Programming) help IS organizations overcome the disadvan-
tages of the traditional SDLC methodology.
11.Discuss the role of testing in each of the SDLC, RAD, and
eXtreme Programming methodologies.
12.Discuss and contrast the role of application clients in the
SDLC, RAD, and agile methodologies.
13.Maintenance is often the longest-lasting phase of systems
development, as a system is enhanced and fixed with new
releases. Discuss the tasks that need to be done as a new
version of software is ready for release.
14.Discuss some factors that would encourage an organization
to outsource some or all of its information systems develop-
ment work.
15.Discuss the unique issues that arise with offshore outsourc-
ing of information systems development.
16.From the perspective of an organization’s managers, discuss
what you see as some of the primary trade-offs between the
benefits and risks of user application development.Bibliography
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