Bead Bar Systems Development - Capstone Project Example

Running head: BEAD BAR SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Bead Bar Systems Development Project Payel Guha 26th August 2007 Executive Summary The purpose of the project is to envelope the business processes and functionalities of Bear Bar enterprise into an information system which would manage all its resources and cover up the negative aspects of the system. All the internal and external factors which make the enterprise function in a diligent manner would be taken care by the proposed system. The information system would make the enterprise to flow in a planned, organized and decisive manner. Each department would be able to capture, nurture and share effectively valuable business information so as to remain synchronized with the latest events and decisions can be framed accordingly. Order tracking, fulfillment, inventory and supply dynamics can be managed optimally. Introduction and Purpose The primary objective is to organize information and operate in a planned and controlled manner to capitalize on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organisation. The proposed information system would departmentalize the operations of the various departments and make the organisation accessible to its stakeholders in a pre-approved and designed manner. Not everyone would be allowed to access all kinds of information and all activities can be tracked so as to ascertain the state of the organisation at every point of time. The involvement of EIS, MIS, DSS, TPS and knowledge work systems would ensure that different variants of stakeholders manage the system with their given privileges to drive the enterprise. Proposed system: We desire to create a company website which can be accessed through the internet so that all the franchisee locations are able to access it and perform the business functions of recording and updating the system for all the business changes. All the franchisee locations are connected with the help of public data carriers so that it is able to access the company website to perform their functions. Each such franchisee would have their access privileges to enter the transaction section and operate their business process. The president and the owner, vice president’s of all the departments would have an Executive Information System (EIS) Management Information System (MIS) to manage their operations. The accounts department may use Transaction Processing System (TPS) and the ground level workers can use Knowledge Work System to measure worker output, productivity and others. Lists of Input and Output information and sources: Prior to outlining the input and output information, the system development life cycle must be in place so that the analysis is done accordingly. The correct nature of the inputs and the outputs would make the system design vary accordingly as it requires to capture the information and put it into a frame to interpret in a decisive manner to take further decisions. The systems development life cycle for Bead Bar is as follows: Feasibility analysis: The new proposed system and the present working system are analyzed so that the ROI (Return On Investment) is obtained. The proposed system is further analyzed for economical, technical, schedule and other feasibilities so that it stands in front of all difficulties in the development of the project. The Bead bar enterprise’s key management people are involved in the process of feasibility analysis. All the inputs, outputs and external environment are studied in detail so that the underlying intricacies would be researched well for their impact and development. Inputs: Bead Bar’s inputs are in the form of company’s short and long term objectives, its financial base and credibility for years to come, its general strategic plans, consent of the advisors and directors, risk handling strategies and many others. Outputs: The feasibility has outputs in the form of higher management approval for the sustenance of the systems development, its full length use to cover all business functions, risk mitigation strategies and many others. Systems planning and requirements gathering: After the system is thoroughly checked for all its inputs and outputs, the requirements phase takes the lead. All the key stakeholders of the departments and the users of the system must be taken into account for gathering the crucial departmental functions, requirements and its interaction with other departments to achieve the central goal of the enterprise. Input: It must be in the form of the users of the system who are better-off to understand and figure out the exact ground level happenings in the business. Their view of the workings of the enterprise must be captured so that appropriate implementation can be done. Output: The valuable information fetched from the users of the system must be given a representation and frame it accordingly to fix it into a system. Systems Analysis and Design: Bead Bar’s system requirements are studied and the system is analyzed and designed accordingly. The flow of data is analyzed so that the system captures the entire business cycle and their functions. Inputs: It would come from the requirements gathering phase and the order of business flow. Outputs: It would result in helping the analysts and designers in the process of database handling and further development of the system. Database Model: The database model for Bead Bar is as follows, which shows the interaction of the different entities of the business. Figure 1 : Database Model Coding: The above design is given a representation of the business and the various functions are finally implemented at this stage. Inputs: It is in the form of requirements gathered from the previous stages and the design documents. Outputs: It results in actual implementation of the system so that it can be viewed physically. Implementation and Training: This stage correlates with actual planting of the system at the Bead Bar so that the present system is replaced and the proposed system takes its place. The users must be trained to operate the business functions with the system, store and retrieve data whenever it is demanded. System feedback and maintenance: The general working of the system must be responded back so that any form of negative points would be highlighted and discussed to take advantage of the system and technologies involved. Advantage to the Bead Bar: The merits of the technology would envelope the very nature of the technology which the enterprise needs to focus. The following are the various advantageous factors: The Bead Bar would get a global recognition and would be accepted by all. It would create trust and confidence in the eyes of the people. Having an internet website would make possible that it markets itself to the global pool of the internet and gets accessible quite possibly. Customers can access it online and order for purchase of products and services. The store would be able to reach a greater domain of customers so that it can be a good source for expanding their business. The store would require less budget for marketing as the website, in the form of information system would get the direct and indirect marketing done by itself. It can also reduce the human errors of wrong deliveries and other related factors. Computerized system would make it error-free and would enhance greater satisfaction of service (Hoffer, 2002). It can also generate revenue by marketing other related companies and their products in their website space. It can render services to other companies via its website so that other businesses can purchase its products in bulk for their enterprise requirements facilitating B2C model of ecommerce. Payment systems can be made quite secure so that customers can pay online and are not troubled by the in-hand payments. The Bar would have enough mechanism to track their product list and its availability so that timely action can be taken to update. The customers get a greater facility to compare products and judge the best one before taking them. Physically doing so would have taken them a lot of effort and time. Impact of information technology on Bead Bar: The following are the various impact of the technology: Choice – Online shopping offers easy access to a wider range of products than the high street, and consumers are able to shop around more easily for best deals. Convenience – Online shopping can save time and items can be delivered at the doorstep. Value for money – Many companies offer free delivery and often statutory rights are enhanced to cover the right to return or exchange items within 7 days, which sometimes is not offered to high street shoppers. Accessibility – For people without cars, the young, old and people with mobility problems, the internet can help people to access the best high street deals even if they cannot get to the high street. The implementation of ecommerce would facilitate the superstore to reach a larger domain of customers and cater their services. The following would be the impact: Better display of products and its various dimensions and features so that one gets a clear idea of the product and the various other related entitlements. The entire description of the products would be made Quicker and easy access so that one gets to order at their convenience with ease. The trouble and time issues with respect to physically in person visiting the store. The online store would be functional all the time 24*7*365. A customer can make his orders at ease, anytime and it would be met at the earliest. Correct updation’s of products and offers to attract customers. Enough marketing of its products would be done which would facilitate the very idea of its getting the customers know the products inside out, so that it sells better. Servicing to the other businesses so that the company grows and creates a brand image. It can purchase and sell its products across geographical boundaries and tie-ups with other service providers so that both of them prosper and create a stable and promising situation. Getting reports for the exact amount of sales and tracking the profits of the company. Making long term strategic goals for the expansion of the business into other sectors so that enough diversification helps to sustain itself in the field of competition. Systems Review and Maintenance schedule: The review and maintenance schedule must include the following: Preventative maintenance - To undertake scheduled maintenance and review tasks to keep the hardware and/or system software in good operating condition. The preventative service is likely to include: hardware maintenance to keep electromechanical equipment correctly operating (fans, filters, back up batteries, adjustments, alignments, etc) replacement of hardware components to keep the equipment up to current specifications (e.g. engineering changes) updating of system software (bug fixes, new versions, etc) testing and analysis of system reports (error logs, self tests, system parameters, performance measures, etc) Maintenance of system documentation. Remedial maintenance - To correct faults and return the system to operation in the event hardware, system software or network component of the system fails. The remedial service is likely to include: maintaining a Help Desk function that will log and action any calls from the customer in the event of a system problem investigating the problem (on site or via remote login) resolving the problem directly or managing the resolution if a third party service is required restoring and/or returning the use of the system to the customer Updating documentation with respect to the problem and its resolution. Conclusion Bead Bar has taken a right step in the light of technology and it must exploit the very supreme nature of the latest technology. It has taken a great step which would place it above all its competitors and would enhance the very nature of competition. It must also take care of the innovative techniques for getting the customers using the website and the frequent updation’s that would make efficient handling of the information. The use of information system would make the Jewelry superstore organize and restructure itself so that it is able to depict organizational thought in every activity and would handle every resource productively and optimally. References/Bibliography Hoffer A. Jeffrey (2002). Modern systems analysis and design, third edition. Pearson Education Korth (2002). Database Management systems. Navathe Elmasri (2002). Fundamentals of Database systems, fourth edition. Pearson Education. Read More