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100 Part 1 • SyStemS analySiS FundamentalS

c. For Week 4, calculate the performance measures of cost variance (CV), schedule variance (SV),
the cost performance index (CPI), and the schedule performance index (SPI).
d. What can you say about the budget in Week 4 by using these performance measures?
e. What can you say about the schedule in Week 4 by using these performance measures?
f. For Week 4, calculate the estimated time to complete (ETC) and estimate at completion (EAC).
25. Angus McIndoe wants to modernize his popular restaurant by adapting it more closely to the prefer-
ences of his repeat customers. This would involve keeping track of his customers’ likes and dislikes.
Information such as where they like to sit, what they like to eat, and when they normally arrive at
the restaurant are all items of interest to Angus, since he believes that in this way he can better serve
his customers. Angus has asked you to develop a system for him that will help make his customers
happy while increasing his business.
You have heard what Angus has to say about his customers. There are certainly more prefer-
ences that he can keep track of. Develop a problem definition for Angus, similar to the one developed
for Catherine’s Catering in this chapter.
26. Recently, two analysts just out of college have joined your systems analysis group at the newly
formed company Mega Phone. When talking to you about the group, they mention that some things
strike them as odd. One is that group members seem to look up to two group leaders, Bill and Penny,
not just one.
Their observation is that Bill seems pretty relaxed, whereas Penny is always planning and
scheduling activities. They have also observed that everyone “just seems to know what to do” when
they get into a meeting, even though no instructions are given. Finally, they have remarked on the
openness of the group in addressing problems as they arise, instead of letting things get out of hand.
a. By way of explanation to the new team members, label the types of leaders Bill and Penny appear
to be, respectively.
b. Explain the statement that “everyone just seems to know what to do.” What is guiding their
behavior?
c. What concept best describes the openness of the group that the new team members commented
on?
27. “I think it’s only fair to write up all the alternatives you’ve considered,” says Lou Cite, a personnel
supervisor for DayGlow Paints. “After all, you’ve been working on this systems thing for a while
now, and I think my boss and everyone else would be interested to see what you’ve found out.” You
are talking with Lou as you prepare to put together the final systems proposal that your team will be
presenting to upper management.
a. In a paragraph, explain to Lou why your proposal will not (and should not) contain all the alterna-
tives that your team has considered.
b. In a paragraph, discuss the sorts of alternatives that should appear in the final systems proposal.

Group Projects

1. The Weil Smile Clinic is a dental practice run by Drs. Bonnie and Jeff, and they need to keep the
necessary patient and insurance data safe and secure. They looked into online, cloud-based backup
like SOS Online Backup, Spare Backup, MozyPro, and KineticD. Look into the cost of these or other
services. Then help Drs. Bonnie and Jeff make a decision. What are the intangible costs and benefits
of backing up this way? Should they use a backup service or find some other way? Defend your
analysis and recommendations.
2. Explore four or five Voice over IP (VoIP) providers. Make a list of costs, including the setup fee,
monthly cost of the basic plan, monthly cost of the unlimited plan, and cost of an adapter or other
fees, if required. Then make a list of attributes, such as free in-network calls, international calling,
virtual telephone numbers, teleconferencing, support for caller ID, and so on. Explain how a person
would use all the quantitative and qualitative information to make an informed decision about which
VoIP provider to select. Are any other variables important? Would you recommend any type of soft-
ware to help compare these services?
3. Make a choice on a VoIP provider based on the analysis in Group Project 2.
4. With your group members, explore project management software such as Microsoft Project. What
features are available? Work with your group to list them. Have your group evaluate the useful-
ness of the software for managing a systems analysis and design team project. In a paragraph, state
whether the software you are evaluating facilitates team member communication and management of
team activities, time, and resources. Also state which particular features support these aspects of any
project. Note whether the software falls short of these criteria in any regard.
5. Draw a fishbone diagram of problems that can possibly occur when constructing a website for a travel
company that wants to sell vacations online for the next big travel period (either December or June).