System Requirements Specifications - Assignment Example

Names of Group Member) (Instructor's name) (The Course) (Date) Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………3 Purpose…………………………………………………………………………...4 Scope……………………………………………………………………………...3 Problem Statement………………………………………………………………..5 Methodology………………………………………………………………………….….6 System Requirements……………………………………………………………………7 Context Diagram…………………………………………………………………8 Data Flow Diagram………………………………………………………………12 Functional Requirements……………………………………………………………….13 Non-Functional Requirements………………………………………………………....14 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...16 Reference:……………………………………………………………………………….17 System Requirements Specifications Introduction. E – commerce is presently the new frontier for nearly all business organizations around the world. The benefits of modern information technology with improvements in both speed of transfer of data and security of information has led many business to invest in ventures which make use of the internet as the medium of exchange of both goods and services similar to the traditional market. This development has been motivated by fairly predictable trends in technological advancement in internet computing, driven largely by well funded research institutions throughout the world. Historical background/Overview The trends in the development of computer hardware have all aimed at improving efficiency, speed, capacity while at the same time reducing the physical size of the hardware to user - convenient levels. Gordon Moore one of the founders of Intel predicted in 1965 that the density of transistors on semi- conductors chips would double every eighteen months (Treese & Stewards , 2003, pg 432). The doubling of density meant a reduction in size and improvement in processor speed. The modern solid state chip technology has led to the emergence of miniature chips with extremely high speeds and capable of performing complex operations. The same positive trends has been sustained in storage capacity, communications ability and portability all of which have led to improved internet ability and e- commerce or simply trading via internet. Notable internet shopping sites include eBay and iTunes . Purpose The purpose for this project is to highlight in detail all the resources and materials that would be required by Vampire Media in their quest to develop a truly online music store with all desirable features as envisaged by the founders or promoters of the company. Online trade still faces certain challenges and inhibitions and there still exist opportunities for improvement to the services offered by existing online trading stores particularly with respect to products with digital content like music and videos.. This is the opportunity that Vampire Media limited wishes to exploit by developing an all user interactive , inter-operative open system that would change the extent and prevalence online music trade in the world. Three major stakeholders are identifiable at this point, namely: The Users-These are target clients who will make use of the proposed system to get interactive online access to download their favorite music and videos, make recommendations to their friends , it would allow real time charting and sharing of music contents, The System Developers and Operators-The proposed system will need the expertise of persons with advanced knowledge in computing and software development to put in place the relevant applications on which the system would run. The proposed system would need to have a user friendly User Interface(UI) and also help management track sales inventory ,staff and customer information data. It should also have a real time reporting mechanism for specific relevant information that the management may be interested in at any particular time. Service Providers-These are the organizations that would supplement the operations of Vampire Media Ltd by providing services such as financial services ,Shipping services and Insurance services. For example, card companies would be engaged to facilitate online funds transfer from card holders’ accounts to the account of Vampire Media. The proposed system would therefore require a link with the card company’s system. Problem Statement/ Requirement Elicitation In order to get the full details of the proposed system. It is important that the managers are involved from the onset. From preliminary interviews with the managers, the following system requirement are apparent.: Develop new functionalities with extremely versatile and easy to use and understand User Interface (UI); a system that is more reliable easy to maintain and scalable to accommodate future needs; utilities that would be to allow web- based data entry and search from remote locations , monitor usage of the system , communication with uses and determine the traffic or level of usage; online system that would ensure safety and security of information in its database i.e. product information, buyers information, staff members, suppliers, and other stakeholders to the system such as Payment Agencies and Shipping or Courier Firms. Such information would only be accessible to authorized persons only .Password protection would essential with the integrity of the password to be used improved by dictating the length and style of passwords acceptable; a new high capacity database that will store information input buy users and staff as well as music producers and support database schema that allows for future possible enhancement of the services to include the online trading activities other than music and vendors; An access user interface that allow entering of new data and editing of existing information in the database; a high speed broadband server that will direct user enquiries and information and ensure fast retrieval of information by the users, the service providers and also help the management access information about the customer , music suppliers and online payment agents; a credible Internet Service Provider to provide the internet link for Vampire Media Ltd and establish the platform from which the company will sell its online music through web- based interaction with its stakeholders; definite system architecture with all the relevant hardware and software requirements. Methodology In order to achieve the desired system,the document will highlight the following areas: Context Level Diagram to help in understanding the background of the system proposed by Vampire Media. Level 0 Data Flow Diagrams to demonstrate the features of the proposed new system Events Table, to help in gathering information in actualizing the new system and indicate the resources required at every stage. Case Diagram, to help in identifying the relationship between all the stakeholders in the proposed system. The System Requirements. The new information system proposed provides solutions to the challenges faced by existing online music stores as well as incorporating the strengths of such stores. The system will have three key Functional Requirements working separately and interlinked via the internet. These would be: 1. The content and applications server. This would generally incorporate storage of information and applications necessary for the systems operations such as customer details, products details, information regarding other stakeholders. 2. User Interface(UI) between Contents and Transactions, this is useful in actualization of the selling process and would give the buyers the ‘market place’ experience where they can walk through an online store , sample products, check products details and desirability and put products of choice into online shopping basket/ trolley or returning the products they do not wish to buy.This would be in the form of a specialized software 3. Process management which would include order processing, payment, shipping and even customer service and support the context diagram below summarizes the three tier plan. Context Diagram The system will consist of the content server which will have all information relevant in a typical market place , product catalogue, prices of products, payment methods, shipping methods , taxations information profile of music recording houses and the artists they are have contracted. The buying /selling process begins when a buyer logs into the online site registers himself by inputting his relevant data and begins to browse through the catalogue of available music and videos. During this process the buyer may mark the items of interest. The UI should be easy to understand and use. By marking the items desired the buyer would be literally filling up an online trolley and the transaction system would automatically display the price of the items picked incorporating the taxes and other charges thereon. The other key component will be the Transactions Engine that will be linked to the contents server and will perform all the operations relevant to the selling process. More or less acting as the shop or market assistant. After picking up by making the desired music and videos the buyer would be compelled to select product preference i.e. whether they would prefer to down load the music / video into their system or have the original CD delivered to their door step. If a buyer chooses to buy the digital content only ,he would select the BUY option upon which the payment processing begins. For first time buyers they would have to select available payment modes like the different card companies input their details and relevant card numbers and authorization passwords. The transaction engine then would perform a series of verification and determines authorization status of the card holder. A link is vital with the various card processing companies who would confirm the authenticity of the card and allows the transaction to proceed. The UI should be able to give the buyer a final opportunity to verify the items bought total cost and the option to PROCEED with the buying process or pick up more music / vendors or return certain music or vendors back to the ‘shelf’. The customers proceeds and an order advice would be automatically sent to the Music Recording Studio and a receipt immediately given to the customers which may be hypertext linked to the music or video purchased and which will allow the buyer to download the contents to his own computer system or CD for future enjoyment or allows access to the online Music for a given duration of time. The receipt may also come with unique access codes which when put in the requisite site then the buyer can enjoy the music / video .The UI should at the point of complete purchase allow the buyer to RECOMMEND his latest purchase to his friends or relatives by allowing a link to his address book and choosing the target friends who may be able to get brief preview of his latest purchase via an email message to them. This would be in line with Vampire Media Ltd intention of having a system that is capable of sending recommendations to other potential buyers thereby boosting the popularity of the new site and sales in general. When the buyer later links to the Music echo products server he may be use his usual long in name and password to continue enjoying the particular echo or music purchased or submitted to until such time the subscript will expire. The UI should be able to list he product (Music/ Videos) already purchased or subscribed to which the buyer can enjoy at will. Advertisement prompts may be useful here to promote new products and produce the customer to buy with brief perceive e.g. 5 seconds or a minute However when the buyer chooses direct shipment of the original CD, then the transaction engine would quickly link the seller to the chosen shipping company the seller then ships the product and informs both the buyer and vampire ltd information centre of the shipment status and a shipment code to enable the buyer track the product on the shipping companies websites.The transaction engine finally would perform payment settlement allowing and actualizing transfer of funds from the buyers account and distributing the funds as pre- determined ie 50 % to the artists account, shipment charges to the shippers account, fixed and other charges to their representative accounts where possible and the balance directed to Vampire Media Ltd Account. This account would be secured and access limited to authorized person only. It would serve as away of quick monitoring daily or weekly sales, geographical distribution of customers and other useful sales information that could be required by Vampire Media Ltd for management decisions making. The DFD below summaries the transactions process described above The DFD Level 0 Diagram: The system architecture The basic system components would be as follows and would therefore the infrastructure requirement of the system by the system before commissioning. Vampire Media Ltd would be sub- divided into different divisions with different content systems or databases all having links to the Transactions engine or supported by its core System Specialist/Operators. To provide full utility in managing the system the transaction engine would be integrated with the company’s key departments like finance, human resources and Logistics. Functional Requirements: No. Fuctional Requirement Details Description Inputs Processing Output 1 Update music/video inventory Producers give the music/videos in stock Producers send list to staff Staff uploads the list Confirmation sent to producers 2 Updating buyers orders Customer order’s for access to video/music or hard copy Customer selects order from list System checks availability Customer gets order confirmation 3 Update customer data Customer enters his own details as he logs in as a user Data input by customers using interactive UI System checks for correctness of information Customer gets confirmation that data was successfully entered Sales records Update of sales records Customer selects items to be bought and accepts to buy Customer selects payment,insurance,shipping methods Service providers checks the customer details and complete the sale Customer get receipt,staff get a copy plus statement showing the charges deducted Non-fuctional Requirements The following are the easily identifiable non-functional requirements Process requirements; the system processes would require an interoperative and scaleable system that can easily be connected to other systems,accept additional applications as the needs may dictate from time to time. External/regulatory requirements;the system should be able to comply with all regulations applicable in the industry at any given time eg government tax regulations. Ethical Features;the system should be able to stand the ethics tests on matters of privacy and data protection as may be necessary for different users. Networking features; the system would definitely require high bandwidth,that is also scaleable to sustain the data traffic that it may experience at any given time. Identification procedures;the system should have a system of verification of identity for both users and staff to ensure intergrity of the information and the processes. By the separating the Contents from Transactions the following benefits will be realized by the management of Vampire Media Ltd: Cost effective – since transaction system in centralized it is easy to monitor the system without need for several other systems to manage the operations of the different units; scaling up or adding add-ons into the system made possible since a new service need only to are interfaced to he existing processing system which would be designed to take additional services without effecting the existing services; Improved security it is easier to monitor security and integrity of the system through the centralized Transaction engine rather than at the content servers. The transaction engine will have Applications Logic and UI capability for both buyers , music stores , shipping companies, card companies and system operators (Treese and steward, 2003 pg 412) and will therefore be running on a system specialized application software taking into account the basic and other functionalities. Conclusion. For the system to operate as designed, it would be very important to utilize advanced software development techniques which would allow full incorporation of the Systems Specifications as outline and also the intended abilities of the new system. A trial run would be necessary with due consideration to the security and integrity of the new system. Vampire Media Ltd would definitely have to invest in hardware equipment like the servers, storage media, communications on which the whole system would run. Most of such equipment are generally expensive and require regular maintains and specialized expertise. Reference: Treese, Winfred and Stewart, Lawrence.Designing Systems for Internet Commerce.Boston:2nd Ed,Pearson Education Inc.,2003 Layzell,P and Loucopoulus,P.System Analysis and Development.London:3rd Ed, Chartwell-Bratt, 1989 Read More