Question
A business’s computer system needs to be updated.
The new system is now ready for implementation.
a.i.) Identify one stakeholder to be considered when planning the new system. [1]
a.ii.) Outline one consequence of not including all stakeholders in the design of the new system. [2]
b.) Describe two appropriate techniques to gather the information needed to find a suitable solution for the updated system. [4]
c.) Outline one reason testing should take place at every stage of the development process. [2]
d.) Evaluate two methods the business could use to implement the new system. Include the benefits and drawbacks of each. [6]
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans:
a.i.)
End users/ employees/ customers/ community members/ media/ suppliers;
Business owners/ managers/ shareholders/ investors;
a.ii.)
User dissatisfaction;
because the system does not meet user requirements;
Developers not being paid for the final product;
as the business owner requests are not evident in the final product/ or outside of the project’s scope;
Unsuccessful final product;
the developed system may either solve a different problem/ is not user friendly as compared to the existing system;
b.)
Examining current systems (using interviews/ surveys/direct observation);
To compare the existing system against possible requirements to identify missing features;
Examining competing products;
To compare own system with competitors to enable decisions on features to add;
Review of organizational capabilities;
To determine how well the organization manages resources to gain an advantage over competitors;
Literature searches;
To research current methods and to help inform development choices;
c.)
Testing is important (at every stage) to make sure the system operates in line with user requirements/as intended;
To prevent the end user being dissatisfied with the final system;
Testing is important to enable early discovery of errors;
to reduce time delay/ using more resources / avoid higher cost;
d)
Parallel running;
The old and new systems run together, so if a problem is found with the new system, it can be repaired/the old system can take over;
This is expensive as duplicate systems and staff are needed;
Pilot running;
The new system is only implemented in one branch of the organization so disruption is kept to a minimum;
It can take a long time for the new system to be fully implemented / two systems are still in operation within the organization, leading to duplication and possible errors;
Direct changeover;
The new system is implemented overnight so the changes happen very quickly;
If the new system fails, the company has no working system to fall back on;
Phased conversion;
Only one area/department/part of the system is updated at a time, so the disruption is kept to a minimum;
Multiple systems which may not be compatible with each other will be running at the same time;
Question
Outline one reason why accurate user documentation is necessary for a system.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans:
User efficiency;
To ensure that users know how to use the system correctly;
Support/Troubleshoot;
To provide users help when they encounter errors;
Accuracy;
To ensure the correct methods are used to enable reliable output;
Improved user experience;
the user is aware of all available features, so they can make the most out of the system;
Question
State two compatibility issues that may arise when international businesses merge.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans:
Language differences / lexical differences present across datasets to be merged;
Data representation differences / different data structures (e.g., date format, incompatible file formats);
Incompatible hardware;
Incompatible operating systems / different software versions;