Which of the following questions might be asked at the preliminary design review? At the critical design review?

You have been hired by a computer consulting firm to develop an income tax calculation package for an accounting firm. You have designed a system according to the customer’s requirements and presented your design at a design review. Which of the following questions might be asked at the preliminary design review? At the critical design review? At both? Explain your answers.

a) What computer will it run on?
b) What will the input screens look like?
c) What reports will be produced?
d) How many concurrent users will there be?
e) Will you use a multiuser operating system?
f) What are the details of the depreciation algorithm?


Under the design review procedures, some firms provide a preliminary and critical design review. In the preliminary design review, the possible questions that might be asked are those factors that need to be considered first in preparation for something of greater size and importance. This includes the physical environment in which locations, equipment functions and environmental restrictions are considered. Other than these are the interface or what will the input screens look alike. Will the input comes from one or more other systems? Is the output going to one or more other systems? Is there described way in which the data must be formatted and is there a prescribed medium that the data must be used?

In the both preliminary and critical design review, user and human factors such as who will use the system and will there be several types of user are also questions that need to be measured. Functionality, resources, security and quality assurance might also be asked. This will help in determining the several mode of operation and when will be the system be changed and enhanced. Skill level of every type of user and what training is required for each type of user are just few questions found in both preliminary and critical review. When you have designed a system you also need to know if how difficult would it be for a user to misuse the system and how easy will it be for the user to understand and use the system. Details of the depreciation algorithm will be asked in either critical or preliminary design review.
Designing a system according to the customer’s requirements are not enough, you need to consider some factors that will ensure the quality of the system.