System Boundary and Project Complexity

(1) A boundary drawn to include patient personal data collection within the Mentcare system increases its scope and cost compared to relying on an external patient record system — but avoids slowness and dependency on the external system's availability

(2) Deciding to include multiple user types with very different requirements within a single system boundary may require a configurable system rather than a simple fixed-function one, increasing complexity

(3) Positioning the boundary to include a difficult subsystem (rather than treating it as external) increases development complexity but may give the team more control

Explanation

Boundary decisions directly affect complexity and cost: including data collection avoids external dependency but adds scope and cost; a wide user base requiring different boundaries leads to a configurable system architecture; including a complex subsystem inside the boundary increases development effort but reduces integration risk. Excluding UI does not automatically reduce cost — it may increase complexity if the boundary becomes poorly defined.