promptly informing managers
and employees about the project, assembling the project team (possibly including systems
analysts, programmers, accountants, and users), training selected personnel to improve
necessary skills and enhance communication among team members, and establishing
project controls (e.g., by implementing a project scheduling technique such as PERT).
Preparing the project proposal is a part of the project
definition phase, as are conducting
feasibility studies, determining project priority, and submitting the proposal for approval
Answer (B) is correct. A systems analysis requires a survey of the existing system, the
organization itself, and the organization's environment to determine (among other things)
whether a new system is needed. The survey results determine not only what, where, how,
and by whom activities are performed but also why, how
well, and whether they should be
done at all. Ascertaining the problems and informational needs of decision makers is the
next step. The systems analyst must consider the entity's key success variables (factors
that determine its success or failure), the decisions currently being made and those that
should be made, the factors important in decision making (timing, relation to other
decisions, etc.), the information needed for decisions, and how well the current system
makes
those decisions. Finally, the systems analysis should establish the requirements of a
system that will meet user needs.