Online Comic Library System - Term Paper Example

Online Comic Library System Table of Contents Requirement Gathering Method 14 Interviews 15 Questionnaires 15Observation 15 Document Analysis 15 Program Specifications Form 25 References 27 Introduction Executive Summary The growth of world economies is hugely dependent on the implementation of technology in the constantly growing industry. This is because the application of technology in various industries has made it easy for transporting goods and performing service delivery to clients. A business that has a reliable technological system put in place always stands a big chance for growing the business in the future. The Comic Library System project basically represents an information system that avails comic books and other services affiliated to it on an online library platform. The content of this paper aims to describe the process of analysing and designing the system. These processes also entail the planning of the project development cycle and the management criteria utilized in achieving the project. Economic development within a business means there is an increase in demand for services therefore there is the need for increased and service delivery to always ensure the clients or customers are satisfied by the products. This project report aims to highlight on the challengers of using the current comic library system and subsequently propose new concepts of improving the current system operation to ensuring and increase customer satisfaction. The proposed system should offer reliable services through automating the operations that are considered to be manual in the current information system. That is why it is greatly advisable for the Comic Library business to upgrade its systems to support modern technologies that would include features and functions that support a wide area network. Installing a new technological system for the organization would be more efficient, reliable, and cheaper to implement. This is because it would not only help the institution to deliver quality services, but also enable it to increase their client foundation, hence get increased revenue generation for business. Description of the current system The existing system requires a lot of manual operations which consumes a lot of time. This current information system majorly depends on the manual method of storage for the resources offered by the institution. Furthermore, manually adding content from set locations leads to a lot of additional work which requires a high level of attentiveness to ensure there in no errors in cataloging and storing the information resource. The current system involves a lot of time consumption in terms of operating time and service delivery delay. This is not good for any business since it has a slow performance thus it is most likely to depreciate the value of the business in the future if the system is kept in operation. Problem Definition The current information system that the institution operates consumes a significant proportion of human labor and paper resources. The Institution also has to set in place a physical customer support to handle the constant complains and clarifications. This process require a lot of time which is mainly used in notifying the clients about new content or information, confirming and renewing their membership on the current system. The repercussions of utilizing the current system can prove to be inadequate in situations where there will be disappointed and disgruntled customers. This implies that the Institution has the possibility of losing their market share to innovative and competitive business players in the Comic Book distribution industry. The existing system platform limits the end users from accessing relevant comic book data on a first hand search. The delayed search and response from the current system is most likely caused by the hectic paper work and documentation needed to be performed at the set locations. The current Comic Library System has a lot of information that has to be added manually updated and then sorted into the system to essentially offer the information to clients. Streamlining the operations of the current system would improve the service delivery time and customer satisfaction in the business while limiting the pressure put on the human resources utilized by the current system. Proposed System Definition of the Proposed System The proposed system aims to produce a technological system that offers reliable services to the end users in terms of speed, maintainability, reliability, and security. The recommended information system will provide additional functionality and offer a highly interactive environment for the end user. The proposed system will increase the information system performance through delivering the some of the following functions to its end users: 1. The ability to make selections on the types of comic books that an end user desires once they are logged into the system. The customer one can be able to search comic material records on the server databases and chose from a long list of available material in digitized format. 2. The system functionality provides business application concepts that include the automation of the Library System operations like the updating client records, comic book inventory. 3. Increased productivity via the integration of workflow tasks with the back end system which also improves customer service and information management where there is automation of flow of information, notifications, and alerts between the client and system administrator. 4. Applying Information technology concepts through the use of knowledge based systems, for example, the use of query languages for requesting, sorting and searching information from the database. 5. The Application of Security and Authentication policies where there will be the use of passwords and security keys as a means to access the system. 6. The ability to deliver services to clients in different remote locations on an online platform minimizes the operation costs instigated by the need for physical distribution of comic material. The online platform also offers an instantaneous form of communication between the admin and customers. Objectives the System aims to Achieve The proposed system is intended to eliminate some of the problems existing in the current system. The objectives of the new system aims to achieve some of the following milestones include: a Offer ready access for comic material on the online library platform. b Simplify and facilitate better communication plus feedback between the library staff and the prospective clients that use the system to acquire comic reading material. c Increase efficiency by minimizing time utilized to conducting standard system operations like placing an order for the reading material and billing information. d Simplify the database search for comic book material via allowing clients to explore a variety of material from list of the available books. Advantages of Implementing the Proposed System 1. The ready availability of information resources allows easier location of products, services, prospected clients and identification of new business opportunities for the current system. 2. Improved speed and affordability for operating the business will lead to exposure to a wider market for delivery of the goods as well as services and information offered by the proposed system. 3. The business will realize increased profits through decreasing the operating costs and increasing revenues through increasing the efficiency of service delivery. 4. Assist in saving time that would have been otherwise used by customers to manually search for material within the system. The Planning System Development Life Cycle This stage is important in the course of the system development and is done to help in coming up with the functional and non-functional requirements. The development of the system through using a design method aids in accomplishing research tasks like using questionnaires and interviews. Determining the requirements via querying the end users helps the design team in knowing what exactly to include in the development of the proposed system. The software development methodology stage is used to describe how the project is going to be carried out, how the system is going to be implemented. System Development Life Cycle defines the parameters for the project management and framework required for designing and executing the proposed system for the institution. Methodology selection criteria The development methodology appropriate for the proposed Online Comic Library system is the waterfall model. This procedural model implements a sequential design process often used in software development process in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards through the phases of requirements/analysis, design, implementation, test, installation and maintenance. Requirements This section of the development phase defines needed information, function, behavior, performance and interfaces as expected by the intended system end users. This phase of the development cycle basically facilitates the collection of data and information to give facts, figures and other data variants that might be needed for system development. Design The system design stage in the development cycle offers information regarding the data structures, software architecture, interface representations, algorithmic details for the involved entities within the system. This section also involves the documentation of the activities scheduled during the software system development period. Implementation This is the actual installation of the system in its intended environment. The implementation section of the development period entails the training of end users and clients on how to use the new system. Testing Phase This stage of the development cycle entails the testing of the program in its operation environment for a specific period while closely monitoring its usability success. This also helps designers in pinpointing or identifying a number of end user problems, explore the functionality of the system and ensure that the system is free from bugs. Installation Phase – This instigates the actual acceptance and installation of the system into the working environment. This is achieved via making the systems available to be used by users. Maintenance - involves changes to the software in order to correct defects and deficiencies found during field usage as well as the addition of new functionality. Waterfall Model The Waterfall Model Strengths Easy to understand, easy to use Provides structure to inexperienced staff Milestones are well understood Sets requirements stability Good for management control (plan, staff, track) Works well when quality is more important than cost or schedule The Waterfall Model Weaknesses All requirements must be known upfront Deliverables created for each phase are considered frozen – inhibits flexibility Can give a false impression of progress Does not reflect problem-solving nature of software development – iterations of phases Integration is one big bang at the end Little opportunity for customer to preview the system (until it may be too late) When to use the Waterfall Model Requirements are very well known Product definition is stable Technology is understood New version of an existing product Porting an existing product to a new platform. This design methodology is chosen because: The time period for doing the project is clearly defined and once a stage s done and the results submitted the stage cannot be revisited the same way one cannot go back to a stage once completed in the waterfall model. The total cost of the project can be accurately estimated after the requirements have been defined. Feasibility Analysis Economic Feasibility Having a determined functionality scope of up to about the system administrator becomes economically feasible especially for the demanding market for Comic material around major cities in the world. Furthermore, the financial resources required for its implementation are minimal. Technical Feasibility The required technology for the development and subsequent deployment of the new system is readily available in the market. The dynamic nature most operating environments of most institutions require that the system should be adaptable to changes. The use of modern technology will ensure that these changes can be incorporated and also that the maintenance of the system will be easy. There is a large pool of computer experts and technicians, programmers, database designers and administrators who can be hired without a great deal of difficulty to develop, install and maintain the system and the database as a whole. Operational Feasibility Then the system would also be able to be integrated with the current system as most processes would require the Library System Institution staff to confirm entries as well as assist client to familiarize with the system. This can even be run concurrently for a while before implementing the system fully. Project Size Function Points Approach The main objective of the Function Point Approach is to evaluate the proposed systems capabilities from the end users point of view. To accomplish this objective, the analysis is based upon the various methods users interrelate with computerized systems. From the end users perception, the proposed system assists them in doing their job by offering specific functionality categorized in form of inquiries, outputs, internal files, inputs, and external interfaces. The functionalities are further defined below: External Input – basically represents transactional functions which permit an end user of the system to modify information stored on the system, for example to add, change and delete the data. In this case scenario, the system administrator can modify the contents linked to the comic book information.  External Output – This is the system functionality that enables the end user to produce outputs. For example, the system admin can display the information which is derived using the data that is maintained and data that is referenced. External Inquiries - The final capability provided to users through a computerized system addresses the requirement to select and display specific data from files. To accomplish this, a user inputs selection information that is used to retrieve data that meets the specific criteria. In this situation there is no manipulation of the data. It is a direct retrieval of information contained on the files. For example, a search conducted by an interested client on the library interface results an output from the direct retrieval of stored information. System Components The system components that are requiring accomplishing the smooth running of the proposed system are exemplified and listed below: Server Requirements Minimum CPU – P4/AMD Athlon 1.6GHz+ Minimum Disk Space – 2GB Minimum Memory – 512MB Minimum Network – 10/100MB Network Required Software – Apache, PHP, MySQL Client Requirements Minimum CPU – P3/AMD Athlon 1.0 GHz+ Minimum Disk Space – 512MB Minimum Memory – 256MB Minimum Network – 10/100MB Network Minimum Display – 800x600 Colors CRT Required Software -Web Browser (Internet Explorer or Mozilla) PDA Requirements Minimum Network – 802.11b Wireless Network Minimum Display – 240x320 Color Touch Screen LCD Required Software –Web Browser (Pocket Internet Explorer) Other Hardware Required 10/100 Switch 802.11b Wireless Access Point Optional Hardware Touch Screens Function Point Estimation Estimating software projects requires the consideration of several environmental factors while estimating projects. To perform successful function point estimation it is important to use a two key data points. The first one is analyses using the size of the deliverable. The second emphasizes on how much of the deliverable can be created within a distinct time interval. The subsequent condition for function point estimation is determining how long it actually takes to create a function point. The distribution or rate of delivery can be planned by comparing it to prior project performance or through utilizing industry standards. The delivery rate is represented in the form of function points per hour (FP/Hr.) and can be implemented to related or look alike proposed projects in order to estimate the effort used in accomplishing the project. That is, Project Hours = estimated project function points FP/Hr.). Work plan Major Objectives Key Tasks Major Lead Person Goal 1: Interface design Design admin interfaces Team member 1 Goal 2:Test Design Test interface consistency Team member 2 Goal 3:Complete Coding Compile source code Team member 4 Goal 4:Implement system Upload content to server Team member 3 Goal 5:Install system Execute files in the network Acquire domain name service Team member 4 Goal 6: Maintain system Constant monitoring of system functionality Team member 1 Goal 7:Upgrade system install new components increase functionality Team member 2 Gantt chart ACTION Time (Weeks) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Project detail description Project proposal Literature review Project plan Functional specification Design phase Coding System testing System Implementation Documentation Requirement Gathering Method In software application development, the requirements assessment phase focuses on defining and capturing the needs and problems that a software application is to address and solve. The requirements phase is the first phase in waterfall development model, setting the stage for the rest of the phases of the software application development. The requirements phase aims to come up with Requirement Specification document or documents. The aim is to define the requirements in as clear and as detailed manner as possible. Data has to be collected about the existing system for one to understand the existing system and one to determine the system’s requirements and analyze them. The following are the data collection methods used for the system: Interviews Interviews focus on collecting information that is organized with a sample number of prospective clients in order to identify business processes and requirements. This enables the system developers of the application to identify interface requirements and also allows the IT infrastructure staff that will operate the proposed system to understand technical requirements. Questionnaires Questionnaires, just like interviews are aimed at information collection and gathering of vital data from respective end users of the system. Questionnaires are often drafted to help the system developer gather information that supports the implementation of particular functionalities within the proposed system. Observation Online Comic Library System is looked at and observed on what was happening to the current system form the end users perspective. Subsequently, the observed flaws on the current system are duly noted and proposed solutions are appended to them. Document Analysis This included reading documentation such as strategies, policies and the Online Comic Library System documents. This further included reading of textbooks, manuals, newspapers, manuscripts, circulars and Internet materials. User Requirement and System Specification User Requirements Specification User requirements define he system expectations from the end users perspective. It defines the business needs for what the expected end users require form the proposed system. The collection of this information is advisable in the early stages of the system development before the validation process. User requirements specification acts as a powerful tool for ensuring that the proposed system will do what the end users the software system expect it to do. System Specification Using the requirements developed from the end user’s perspective and working within the framework of the selected business option, the software developer ought to develop a full logical specification of what the new system must do. The specification must be free from error, ambiguity and inconsistency. By logical, we mean that the specification does not say how the system will be implemented but rather describes what the system will do. The product of this stage is a complete Requirements Specification document. Non-Functional Requirement The design of the system should be attractive and the users will have usernames and passwords which is a form of security. It also promotes reliability where the system captures all expectations within and from its environs and ensures that all potential exceptions or errors are handled gracefully in a fail-safe manner. Compatibility where the stand alone system is compatible with other distributed systems. The portability of operational components which facilitate the stand-alone system is designed using PHP and MySQL Server for presentations which are cross platform. This ensures that the system is able to work in different environments. Storage requirement is another factor where the records will also be kept in a database and one will need passwords so as to be able to access them. Functional Requirement These are the essential parts of the system for it to function and it is important since it helps in identifying whether the system is meeting the user requirements as expected and the type of environment where the system is used. The application has to be well developed so as to satisfy the users and also in accordance to the guideline of the system, all the forms should be well integrated for connections between all of them. The knowledge based system should also have a database for storage of the information fed to it and also use the same information in generation of reports. The Administrator is able to add new employee and new users to the system and the employee is only able to add new users to the system while the user once added into the system can only log into the system and generate reports for prior books viewed. The Administrator in the system is also able to view their client activity use for security purposes. Use-case list Use-case diagram Use-case Descriptions This is achieved via picking on the major event scenario involved in the system with regards to its end users. An instance of a use case description for the system is the above exemplified scenario for the entities involved with the system. A main success scenario is one showcasing the client side operation when interested in a acquiring a digitized comic book form the library system. The below activities give a description of the events that would occur: 1. Customer browses catalogue, views and selects comic book they are interested in acquiring. 2. Client goes to the check out. 3. System presents full pricing information 4. Customer fills in credit card information 5. system authorizes purchase 6. System confirms sale 7. System sends confirmation email to client The Analysis The analysis stage is aimed at examining the various system processes via the use of use case tools or its equivalent to showcase figurative approaches to solving the systems requirements. The various methods used for analysing the system include state diagrams, class diagram and system diagrams. The represented versions of these figures are shown and explained below. Class diagram A class diagram majorly presents the classes and objects of the proposed system and their respective interrelationship. It also describes the structure of the system via showing the attributes of the classes and the individual operations performed by each object or class. The diagram below showcases the class diagram for the proposed online comic library system. Sequence diagrams A sequence diagram gives a diagrammatic snapshot of the object relations over time. It shows flow of events in a particular order as arranged by the time sequence programmed in the system. The events of a sequence diagram explain how the class operations are implemented in the final model. The sequence diagram exemplified below shows the activities involved in the stem operation for the proposed comic library. State diagram A state diagrams provide a behavioral depiction of the current system in terms the finite states that object uses in interacting with the system. The state diagram describes how the instances of the objects in the proposed system would work from an initial state of operation to the exit point in the system. The transition between the different states of operation for the proposed system is represented below: The Design The design stage which describes the actual description of the system right from the input of data, processing of data, storage of data, and the output required which is actually the major objective of the system. The purpose of system design is to create a technical solution that satisfies the specifications that accurately describe the design of the system, and that can represent the actual view of the interaction of the system with the users.This is the process of defining the architecture, components, modules interfaces, and dataflow system to satisfy specified requirements. User Interface design User interface Structure diagram The user interface structure can also be referred to as the state chart diagram. The state chart diagram depicts and describes the behaviour and activities of classes with regards to the response instigated from external entities. This structure diagram models the dynamic flow of control from state to state within a system. This is portrayed above on the state diagram. Database Design Normalization Database normalization is meant to optimize data storage for the proposed system. This ensures the process of organizing the tables and fields is made easier to ultimately aid in minimizing redundancy for relational databases. This also ensures there is consistency of system data. The checklist usually involves the inspection of records and whether they have different number of columns from other records. This prevents the tables from having any repeated fields. The primary keys used also have to be considered to check if they are made up of more than one field. List of Tables with data dictionary Database keys are used for symbolizing relationships. The list of table involved for this proposed system includes the following: The client The system administrator The records The books table ERD The ERD signifies the relationship between the different entities of objects or concepts within the proposed information system. It is used to model the relationships that exist among the proposed system entities. The diagram shows the entity relationship diagram for the proposed comic library system. Program Specifications Form Critical Analysis The prosed IT system offers a better and much aster platform for delivering services to the admin and the end user clients. The critical analysis of the proposed system can be achieved by breaking down the implemented concepts in the proposed system and comparing them to the current system. The factors to consider majorly involve the measure of performance by looking into the execution patterns for the set instructions, for example, checking whether a particular transformation provides an intended outcome. Studying the flow of information within the system helps the developer derive information categories and map activities linked to different objects operating within the system. Furthermore, performing a critical analysis is intended to help the organization in realizing the effectiveness and realization of the long term set goals and strategies for the proposed system. Reviewing the system also aids in the identification of any hazards that might arise when using the system. This offers a personalized framework for the systems engineer to audit the whole system functionality and rectify any errors or bugs within the system. Thus ultimately streamlines the execution of models that run within the proposed software system. Conclusion The software design and development procedure requires specialized skill and expertise to enable one to critically analyze structured methods for developing an object oriented end user system. The identification of system objects attributes and events affiliated to it particularly during the analysis stage of a software system is vital in defining the functions that would solve the problems experienced by the current system for the Comic library. Modeling information technology into a business is essential for economic growth since it introduces new approaches to handling business activities. These processes majorly save on business operation costs and make service delivery faster to clients. References AGGARWAL, K. K. (2005). Software engineering. [S.l.], New Age IntL Publishers. BENNETT, S., MCROBB, S., & FARMER, R. (2010). Object-oriented systems analysis and design: using UML. Maidenhead, Berkshire, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. DENNIS, A., WIXOM, B. H., & ROTH, R. M. (2009). Systems analysis and design. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley. GRADY, J. O. (2006). System requirements analysis. 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