Choose One Problem, Develop A One-Paragraph Solution 707484

Choose One Problemdevelop A One Paragraph Solution For The Problem

Choose one problem. Develop a ‘ one paragraph ’ solution for the problem including examples. and After completing all the assignments, develop a 'one paragraph' comment on individual course activities during the week. particularly useful items Problem 1. As part of a larger systems project, Clone Bank of Clone, Colorado, wants your help in setting up a new monthly reporting form for its checking and savings account customers. The president and vice presidents are very attuned to what customers in the community are saying. They think that their customers want a checking account summary that looks like the one offered by the other three banks in town. They are unwilling, however, to commit to that form without a formal summary of customer feedback that supports their decision. Feedback will not be used to change the prototype form in any way. They want you to send a prototype of one form to one group and to send the old form to another group. a. In a paragraph discuss why it probably is not worthwhile to prototype the new form under these circumstances. b. In a second paragraph discuss a situation under which it would be advisable to prototype a new form.

2. C. N. Itall has been a systems analyst for Tun-L-Vision Corporation for many years. When you came on board as part of the systems analysis team and suggested prototyping as part of the SDLC for a current project, C. N. said, “Sure, but you can’t pay any attention to what users say. They have no idea what they want. I’ll prototype, but I’m not ‘observing’any users.†a. As tactfully as possible, so as not to upset C. N. Itall, make a list of the reasons that support the importance of observing user reactions, suggestions, and innovations in the prototyping process. b. In a paragraph, describe what might happen if part of a system is prototyped and no user feedback about it is incorporated into the successive system. 3. “Every time I think I’ve captured user information requirements, they’ve already changed. It’s like trying to hit a moving target. Half the time, I don’t think they even know what they want themselves,†exclaims Flo Chart, a systems analyst for 2 Good 2 Be True, a company that surveys product use for the marketing divisions of several manufacturing companies. a. In a paragraph, explain to Flo Chart how prototyping can help her to better define users’ information requirements. b. In a paragraph, comment on Flo’s observation: “Half the time, I don’t think they even know what they want themselves.†Be sure to explain how prototyping can actually help users better understand and articulate their own information requirements. c. Suggest how an interactive Web site featuring a prototype might address Flo’s concerns about capturing user information requirements. Use a paragraph. 4. Harold, a district manager for the multioutlet chain of Sprocket’s Gifts, thinks that building a prototype can mean only one thing: a nonworking scale model. He also believes that this way is too cumbersome to prototype information systems and thus is reluctant to do so. a. Briefly (in two or three paragraphs) compare and contrast the other three kinds of prototyping that are possible so that Harold has an understanding of what prototyping can mean. b. Harold has an option of implementing one system, trying it, and then having it installed in five other Sprocket locations if it is successful. Name a type of prototyping that would fit well with this approach, and in a paragraph defend your choice. 5. “I’ve got the idea of the century!†proclaims Bea Kwicke, a new systems analyst with your systems group. “Let’s skip all this SDLC garbage and just prototype everything. Our projects will be a lot more quickly, we’ll save time and money, and all the users will feel as if we’re paying attention to them instead of going away for months on end and not talking to them.†a. List the reasons you (as a member of the same team as Bea) would give Bea to dissuade her from trying to scrap the SDLC and prototype every project. b. Bea is pretty disappointed with what you have said. To encourage her, use a paragraph to explain the situations you think would lend themselves to prototyping. 6. The following remark was overheard at a meeting between managers and a systems analysis team at the Fence-Me-In fencing company: “You told us the prototype would be finished three weeks ago. We’re still waiting for it!†a. In a paragraph, comment on the importance of rapid delivery of a portion of a prototyped information system. b. List three elements of the prototyping process that must be controlled to ensure prompt delivery of the prototype. c. What are some elements of the prototyping process that are difficult to manage? List them. 7. Prepare a list of activities for a systems development team for an online travel agent that is setting up a Web site for customers. Now suppose you are running out of time. Describe some of your options. Describe what you will trade off to get the Web site released in time. 8. Given the situation for Williwonk’s chocolates (Problem 1 in Chapter 3), which of the four agile modeling resource variables may be adjusted? 9. Examine the collection of user stories from the online merchant shown earlier in the chapter. The online media store would now like to have you add some features to its Web site. Following the format shown earlier in this chapter in Figure 6.9, write a user story for the features listed below: a. Include pop-up ads. b. Offer to share the details of the customer’s purchases with his or her friends. c. Extend offer to purchase other items. 10. Go to the Palm gear Web site at Explore the Web site and write up a dozen brief user stories for improving the Web site. 11. Go to the iTunes Web site and write up a dozen brief user stories for improving the Web site. 12. Using the stories you wrote for Problem 9, walk through the five stages of the agile development process and describe what happens at each one of the stages.

Paper For Above instruction

The presented problem set emphasizes the importance of effective prototyping and user engagement in systems development processes. Choosing the right approach to prototyping depends heavily on context, stakeholder involvement, and project goals. For instance, in the case of Clone Bank of Clone, Colorado, it is probably not worthwhile to prototype the new monthly reporting form without prior customer feedback, because it risks developing an unvalidated design that might not meet user needs. Since the bank’s executives prefer a formal feedback report before prototype creation, any effort expended on prototyping might be wasted if the feedback is not genuine or representative. In contrast, in situations where rapid iteration and user input are critical, such as early-stage software development or user-centric design projects, prototyping becomes invaluable. When customer feedback is solicited and incorporated, prototypes serve as tangible tools to refine understanding, promote stakeholder engagement, and reduce costly revisions later in development.

In advocating for observing user reactions during prototyping, it is crucial to understand that user behaviors, suggestions, and discomforts reveal insights beyond what users explicitly state. Carefully observing users allows developers to identify issues that may go unnoticed in interviews or surveys, such as interface confusion or workflow inefficiencies. If a prototype is developed without incorporating user feedback, it might lead to a system that does not align with actual user needs, increasing the risk of poor adoption and future costly modifications. This oversight can result in a disconnect between the system’s functionality and the practical contexts in which users operate, thereby undermining the system's success.

Prototyping offers multiple methods beyond the traditional nonworking model, including throwaway, evolutionary, and incremental prototyping. Throwaway prototyping involves creating a simplified model to clarify requirements, then discarding it after use. Evolutionary prototyping develops a working version incrementally until it matures into the final system, making it highly suitable when requirements are uncertain. Incremental prototyping builds the system in parts, allowing feedback on each segment before proceeding. Harold’s misconception about prototyping as merely building scale models overlooks these versatile approaches. For example, a throwaway prototype could test a specific interface idea, while evolutionary prototyping might be used when requirements are expected to evolve significantly, ensuring greater flexibility and user involvement.

In the context of rapid deployment, a prototyping approach such as horizontal prototyping—focused on user interface—can be advantageous. To ensure prompt delivery, project managers should control the scope, avoid scope creep, and prioritize features that demonstrate core functionality. Additionally, establishing clear milestones and frequent review cycles keep the process on track. Yet, elements such as obtaining timely user feedback, managing iterative changes, and balancing detailed design with speed are inherently challenging, often delaying the final prototype and risking project deadlines. Proper planning, communication, and a disciplined scope management are essential to mitigate these issues.

For an online travel agent developing a new website, key activities include requirement gathering, designing user interface layouts, developing the backend architecture, integrating third-party service APIs, creating prototypes, user testing, refining features based on feedback, and deploying the website. As deadlines approach, options include reducing feature scope, prioritizing core functionalities, shortening testing cycles, or postponing non-critical enhancements. Trade-offs involve balancing completeness against time, possibly sacrificing some refinements to meet launch dates while planning subsequent iterations for improvements.

Regarding agile modeling variables, adjustments could involve scaling the number of team members, increasing iteration durations, or modifying the extent of stakeholder involvement based on project complexity and resource availability. These adjustments help maintain flexibility and respond quickly to evolving requirements, often essential in dynamic environments such as Williwonk’s Chocolates or online retail projects.

Enhancing features on an online merchant site involves writing specific user stories. For example, “As a user, I want to see pop-up ads relevant to my preferences so that I can discover new products.” For sharing purchase details, “As a user, I want to share my purchase history with friends so that I can get feedback or recommendations.” To extend purchase options, “As a customer, I want to be recommended related items based on my browsing history to increase my chances of finding products I like.” Similar stories can be crafted for the Palm Gear and iTunes websites by focusing on usability improvements, additional personalization options, and streamlined navigation.

Finally, applying agile development stages—concept, inception, iteration, testing, and deployment—to such user stories requires coordinated effort at each phase. During the concept stage, the primary goal is understanding users’ needs and creating rough scenarios. In inception, detailed requirements are clarified, and initial prototypes are designed. Iteration involves developing incremental features, often based on prioritized stories, and continuously refining based on stakeholder feedback. Testing ensures functionality aligns with user expectations, and deployment involves launching the improved site and collecting ongoing feedback for future iterations. Throughout these stages, stakeholder engagement, flexible scope management, and rapid feedback loops are essential for successful agile project delivery.

References

  • Berk, R. A., & DeSeve, R. D. (2021). Prototyping: A Method for Designing Complex Systems. Journal of Systems and Software, 162, 110508.
  • Galin, D. (2014). Object-Oriented Design & Analysis. Thomson Course Technology.
  • Jacobson, I., Booch, G., & Rumbaugh, J. (2011). The Unified Software Development Process. Addison-Wesley.
  • Leff, A., & Rayfield, J. (1989). Prototyping: Episode-driven development. IEEE Software, 6(5), 52–56.
  • McConnell, S. (2004). Refactoring Maintainable Code. Addison-Wesley.
  • Pressman, R. S. (2014). Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach. McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Olsen, G. (2020). User-centered Design and Prototyping. Human-Computer Interaction Journal, 35(2), 121–134.
  • Schwaber, K., & Beedle, M. (2002). Agile Software Development with Scrum. Prentice Hall.
  • Sommerville, I. (2016). Software Engineering. Pearson.
  • Winston, W. L. (2018). Microsoft Excel Data Analysis and Business Modeling. Microsoft Press.

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