Midterm for System Analysis and Design

Writing Requirements

• APA format, 3-4 pages in length (excluding cover page, abstract, and reference list)
• Include at least two peer reviewed sources that are properly cited.

Proper Citation with abstract, introduction, conclusion and reference

Tilley, S. and Rosenblatt, H. (2019) Systems Analysis and Design (Shelly Cashman Series), 12th Edition. Independence, KY: Cengage Learning. ISBN:9780357117897

• Suppose you work in the IT department of Global Hotels, a multinational hotel chain. Global Hotels runs several specialized business support systems, including a guest reservations system that was developed in-house to meet the requirements of a large company with worldwide operations. Guests can make one-stop online reservations by visiting Global’s website, which has links to all major travel industry sites. Global Hotels just acquired Momma’s, a regional chain of 20 motels in western Canada. Momma’s uses a vertical reservations package suitable for small- to medium sized businesses, and a generic accounting and finance package. Should Momma’s use Global Hotels’ information systems or continue with its own? In your answer, consider issues such as business profiles, business processes, system interactivity, EDI, ecommerce, and the characteristics of both information systems. What additional information would be helpful to you in making a recommendation?
• You are the IT director at Attaway Airlines, a small regional air carrier. You chair the company’s systems review committee, and you currently are dealing with strong disagreements about two key projects. Dan Esposito, the marketing manager, says it is vital to have a new computerized reservation system that can provide better customer service and reduce operational costs. Molly Kinnon, vice president of finance, is equally adamant that a new accounting system is needed immediately because it will be very expensive to adjust the current system to new federal reporting requirements. Molly outranks Dan, and she is your boss. The next meeting, which promises to be a real showdown, is set for 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. How will you prepare for the meeting? What questions and issues should be discussed?
• Just before the 2010 census, the U.S. Commerce Department canceled a plan to acquire 500,000 handheld computers they had ordered to tabulate data. According to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, costs had skyrocketed. He blamed the problem on “a lack of effective communications with one of our major suppliers.” Apparently, there was plenty of blame to go around. Secretary Gutierrez noted that the Census Bureau had submitted numerous technical changes to the vendor, Harris Corporation. This greatly increased the cost and the complexity of the devices. Gutierrez stated, “The Census Bureau was unaccustomed to working with an outside vendor on such a large contract.” He also pointed out that the vendor had submitted an initial estimate of $36 million to operate a help desk to assist census-takers, but that figure had jumped to $217 million. “It was a bad estimate. I can’t think of a better way to say it. Harris gave us the number. We accepted it. It was totally underestimated.” What can be learned from the failure of this project, and could it have been prevented? Suppose you were asked to head up a similar project. What would you do to prevent a similar outcome?
• North Hills College has decided to implement a new registration system that will allow students to register online, as well as in person. As IT manager, you decide to set up a JAD session to help define the requirements for the new system. The North Hills organization is fairly typical, with administrative staff that includes a registrar, a student support and services team, a business office, an IT group, and a number of academic departments. Using this information, you start work on a plan to carry out the JAD session. Who would you invite to the session, and why? What would be your agenda for the session, and what would take place at each stage of the session?