SECTION A - ANALYSIS
Section A - Specification and Analysis
The aim of this section is to investigate the user's requirements and
draw up a set of working objectives. This involves a feasibility study
and analysis of existing systems (both computer and/or paper-based) to
determine what user requirements (objectives) could be addressed by
the introduction of a database system.
PREPARATION
After finding an organisation on which to base your project you need
to get in touch with them to discuss it in more detail. A three-step
approach is recommended:
1. An informal discussion to establish the problem. You should then
complete appendix A and discuss it with your teacher before agreeing
to tackle the problem. Remember that the project has to have enough
scope to gain you good marks and that you have a limited amount of
time in which to complete the project. Under no circumstances take on
a project that is too big or too small without consulting your
teacher.
2. A formal investigation. This could take the form of an interview,
observation or questionnaire. Try to get hold of any original
documents (order forms, invoices, receipts etc.) for inclusion in your
appendices.
These will help to identify what data will need to be stored and any
processing that will have to be carried out.
3. With the end-user agree set of objectives for a new system.
PAPERWORK
You could use the following outline plan to write up your
specification. This is not prescriptive and you may choose to include
more headings :
1.INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Describe the organisation in very general terms and give some brief
background information about it. Nature of its business; Is it a
big/small organisation; Number of transactions per day etc.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Give an overview of the problem you intend to solve using the example
format below for guidance:
'XYZ Ltd deals with 30 telephone orders per day. At present these
orders are recorded manually on a carbon pad and then passed on to the
warehouse for processing. Ifordered items are in stock the warehouse
willprocess the order and complete an invoice and delivery note using
a word processing package - total values are calculated by hand. One
copy is despatched to the customer and another sent to the Accounts
department. The system generally works well but as this side of the
business has expanded Mrs. Smith feels that the current system has
major flaws. She has three concerns:
1. On busy days there can be a delay in processing customer orders.
The telephone operator has some idea of which items are in stock but
their information is based on the previous days stock levels. If an
item has run out of stock they will only find out when the warehouse
has attempted to process the order. This can lead to the embarrassing
situation where customers have to be phoned backed and told that their
order can 't be processed immediately.
2. The manual calculation of order values can lead to mistakes being
made.
This is particularly true as product prices change on a regular basis.
Customers are often quoted one price and then invoiced for a
(different one. This has led to customer dissatisfaction and even
threats of court actions
3. The present system seems to generate unnecessary amounts of papers
Communication between telephone operators, the warehouse and accounts
department is by printed copy.
Mrs. Smith feels that the introduction of a computer database system
could tackle some or all of these problems. She is hoping for a system
that can process customer orders faster and more accurately. She also
wants to reduce the amount of paper generated by the system and feels
that a centralised" system could improve communication between the 3
departments.
In your statement avoid phrases such as |up-to-date| and modern
systems as they are meaningless. Try to identify what the user wants
that databases do best - store large volumes of data, which can be
accessed and processed quickly and accurately based on user- defined
criteria.
2. INVESTIGATION
2.1 The current system
This should be a summary of the main points of your investigation/
research. Describe how the current system operates with the aid of
data flow diagrams and flowcharts. You need to identify tasks being
performed and data flows. Refer to the questionnaire/interview
transcript and any original source documents in your appendices.
2.2 Problems with the current system
What problems exist with the current system? You need to try and be
specific here. Orders take too long to process leading to customer
dissatisfaction. It is difficult to find out if an item is in stock.
Invoices have to be calculated manually leading to the possibility of
mistakes being made.
The more problems or potential problems you can identify the more
scope you will have to exploit the features of Access.
3.REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW SYSTEM
3.1 General objectives
Describe the user's requirements and your aims in very general terms.
This might include, for example holding details about customers,
products and orders or calculating the value of invoices.
The specific objectives outlined below will act as performance
criteria for your project
3.2 Specific objectives - quantitative
Prepare a numbered list of your quantitative objectives. These are
objectives that can be measured i.e. it should be possible to find a
customers details in 10 seconds; an order should take no longer than 1
minute to process; stock levels should be automatically updated when
an order is processed.
3.3 Specific objectives - qualitative
Prepare a numbered list of your qualitative objectives. These are
objectives that can't easily be measured (e.g. the system should be
user friendly) but are important for the project to be successful. On
completion of the project the end-user will need to be involved in the
testing to show that you have met these objectives.
Get the end-user to sign and date your objectives to show that he/she
agrees with your assessment of the problem and what needs to be
achieved.
This part of your paperwork is VERY important, as you will need to
refer back to it in your design, testing and evaluation. Objectives
should be numbered so that you can refer back to them e.g.
"Objective 3 was met by..." Unless you can link these sections of your
coursework to specific objectives you may score badly.
4. CONSTRAINTS
4.1 Hardware
Describe the hardware available to you at the end-user's organisation,
at school and at home.
4.2 Software
Describe the software available to' you at the end-user's
organisation, at school and at home.
4.3 User's IT skills and knowledge
Give an indication of the end-users IT skills (novice, intermediate or
expert?) and identify what effects this may have on the design e.g.
will the user interface need to be intuitive?
How to get full mark
You Have identified an appropriate problem in conjunction with their
end-user and independently of the teacher.
A clear, statement covering both the context and the nature of the
problem was provided.
YOU have clearly identified and delimited a substantial and realistic
problem, and has recognised the requirements of the intended user(s)
and the capabilities and limitations of the resources available.
,all of the requirements are specified and clearly documented.
YOU have fully identified the information flow and data dynamics of
the problem.
The analysis indicates an appreciation of the full potential of the
appropriate hardware and software facilities available and also, if
appropriate, their limitations.
YOU have identified the user's current IT skill level and training
needs.
Qualitative and quantitative evaluation criteria have been identified
in details. |
Clarification of Question by
laixiaoxiao-ga
on
10 Nov 2002 03:59 PST
GOOD IDEAS FOR THE WORK
Avoid payroll systems because we usually do not consider everything
that is involved e.g. tax, national insurance.
Membership systems for clubs make good projects (there can be a social
side and a team side) School tuck shop or a comer shop.
Avoid video shops unless the student can consider multiple copies of
videos. Library projects have the same problem.
Keeping tabs on equipment in a drama department.
Systems designed to manage fleets of vehicles (consider MOT, petrol
consumption, etc.)
Management information here would be consideration of which is the
most l'tlel-efficient car, etc.)
Employees training database (especially where training has to be
re-done evely few years.)
Organising sporting events is a good project (e.g. sports days, tennis
tournaments, saving data from one year to the next).
Mail merge is OK but do it in Access, not through Word.
Hotel bookings (could also apply to a local leisure centre)
Takeaway delivery service (normally easy to find a real end-user and
easy to do) Newspaper delivery rounds (example used by Heathcote needs
adapting but could be the basis of a v.
good project)
The hardware is Compaqe 1700 laptop
The software is windows office Access
It is just a pratical work,which will not be marked, you can creat a
usr-oganisation.
DO HELP
|
