Information Systems Analysis

Please answer all 3 questions separately.  250 words or more with references.

1. There are several different levels in the testing process (unit or component testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing) that a software product must go through before release. The question is why we need to go through these levels. Could we skip some levels? Could we just test the finished software instead?  

 2. A consulting project involved a credit card “ bottom feeder” (let’ s call it Credit Wonder). This company bought credit card accounts that were written off as uncollectable debts by major banks. Credit Wonder would buy the write-off accounts for 1 or 2 percent of their value and then would call the owners of the written-off accounts and “ offer a deal” to the credit card account holders.

Credit Wonder wanted a database for these accounts. Legally, it did own them and so could contact the people who had owed the money—but as prescribed in credit law. For example, Credit Wonder could call only during certain hours and no more than once a week, and they had to speak to the actual account holder. Any amount collected over the 1 to 2 percent of the original debt would be considered a gain. In its database, Credit Wonder wanted a history of what settlement was offered, the date the account holder was contacted, and additional notes.

QUESTIONS:

1. How might a systems analyst manage such a system project?
2. Who would the systems analyst need to interview to get the system requirements?
3. How would a database analyst help in structuring the database requirements?

[Sources: “CHAPTER 12: MOVING INTO IMPLEMENTATION” – Alan Dennis, Barbara Haley Wixom, and Roberta M. Roth (2012). System Analysis and Design, Fifth Edition, John Wiley & Sons.]

3. For some projects, testing with simulated data or live data is just a matter of changing data set files and setting up some new systems configurations. However, for some other projects, selecting either simulated data or live data for testing is a big concern for systems analysts because their decisions would affect other groups. If you are preparing a detailed test plan as a systems analyst, please explain your proposed testing strategies plan regarding the use of either simulated data or live data. Will you use simulated data or live data? Why?