Information Systems Quality and Testing - Simply Events Ltd - Case Study Example

COMPUTER USABILITY Contents Page Introduction................................................................................................................ 3 Project stakeholders …………………………………………………………………4 Benefits of the website……………………………………………………………….6 Force field analysis model…………………………………………………………...8 User stories…………………………………………………………………………..9 Test plan……………………………………………………………………………..10 Visual logic chart……………………………………………………………………..12 Appendix……………………………………………………………………………..14 References ………………………………………………………………………….14 Introduction Simply Events Ltd is an events company established in 1993 and operates in the hospitality industry in the United Kingdom, Stratford. Currently the company operates and is involved in the following activities; organizing and promoting events, recruitment, marketing, and finance. The company is an employer of 37 full time and 15 part time employees. It currently relies on providing their services for the local market and intends to join the global market. There is an increasing competition in the sector from other companies. These companies have been employing innovative e-marketing techniques to gain a competitive advantage in the market thus prompting Simply Events to adopt these methods. Therefore, in a bid to see this effected, the company has contracted Eclipse Web Solutions to steer the website project that will see the company develop a new website that will help in promoting their products and services (Rubin & Chisnell, 2008). Project stakeholders. The company is the major stakeholder of this website project as it is the one involved in its development. Therefore, the man aim of the company in suggesting this project is to see it join its competitors in using the latest technology available. Those in the company who are set to benefit from the project include the following; human resource manager, business development director, marketing manager, area manager and finance manager. The other stakeholder who will also be involved in this website project is Eclipse Web Ltd. This is the company contracted to manage the website project by Simply Events. The other stakeholders are the customers who the company is targeting with the use and adoption of this new method of business promotion. They are set to learn more about the company concerning its products and services in order to purchase them. Benefits of the website project. Successful development and implementation of the business is set to improve the performance of this company. This will be achieved through discarding the old ways of doing things and adopting the new and innovative technology. Therefore the website is going to be of value through the following ways; increasing awareness both locally and internationally, improving the long and time wasting manual operations and finally earning the company a position in the global platform as it strives to deliver and satisfy their customers (Harrison & Waite, 2006). Human resource department will benefit from the website project due to cost reduction. Currently the department has been publishing or advertising job vacancies in the local newspaper which has not been cost effective. Additionally, the advertisement is also limited geographically. The website will improve advertisements by reducing the cost of publication and also availing the advertisement to a larger audience. Information reaching the larger audience will make the recruitment process to be very competitive thus leading to recruitment of highly qualified personnel who will help the company attains its goals. Business development and marketing department will also find the website useful. These departments will utilize the social media to generate new business opportunities and raise the strategic profile of the company. This will enable the brand to reach a wider audience thus opening opportunities both locally and internationally. Previously the business relied on word of mouth for growth but the website will make this process easier and help reach a wider audience within a short duration. This will be achieved by utilizing innovative marketing techniques such as the Google search engine optimization and the email capture software. This website will also help the marketing department develop an e-business strategy for the company in future (Flavián, Guinalíu & Gurrea, 2006). The finance department will also benefit from the website through a reduction in hard money transactions. The website will provide an online and appointment scheduling system which will help in faster delivery of products and services hired. This is bound to improve efficiency and production by reducing the current bookings done by phone. The website will also provide an opportunity for e-marketing and promotion thus increasing consistency in sales. Consequently, this will increase sales throughout the seasons and not only limited to festive season like in the past. The website will also provide an opportunity for online shops which will boost the services of the existing shops. These online shops will promote the products and services offered by the company thus increasing the revenue currently generated by the shops. Revenue from the shops currently comes second after that of the warehouse that is leading. The website will also help the owners and the managers track the performance of the business (Atterer , Wnuk, & Schmidt, 2006). This will be achieved by a reduction in written records and also improving reporting cases. To the consumers or clients the website will provide them with an opportunity to brows the products and services they would wish to get from the company. Through this they are likely to come across other products and services rather than relying on the word of mouth. Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Model. In the development of this website, the project management team will utilize the field analysis model to analyze the viability of this project (Burnes, 2004). This method tends to list, discuss, and assess the various forces for and against a proposed change. In this case the development and implementation of the website is the proposed change. There exist two forces in this model and they are; driving forces and restraining forces. Driving forces refer to people and processes that are in support of the change and the process (Schein, 1996). Restraining on the other hand refer to people and processes that are not supporting or are preventing the change. Therefore, to see the project succeed the team will promote the driving forces whilst minimizing the resisting forces (Dent & Goldberg, 1999). The five step model of this method involves describing the situation, which in this case is the development and implementation of the website. The second step is to establish the objectives and goals of the intended outcomes of the change process. In the case of this project the benefits of the website to the company had already been assessed. The next step is to evaluate the current position of the company by assessing the key driving and resisting forces (Battleson, Booth & Weintrop, 2001). Then the importance and the potential of each force are also assessed. Finally, a change management strategy is developed. User stories A user story is a description in business or everyday language of the user of a system or end user that describes what a user does or need to do with a system being developed. Being a short description of the users’ needs, it focusses on the value and result that the customer achieves. Their importance and purpose in the creation of a system or a website is that it will help in developing the website according to the user’s needs. They are easy to priorities and also great for those people who are not used to commissioning websites to describe their needs (Amant, 2005). It makes it easier to estimate development efforts of the project. It also allows the project team and the users to discuss the requirements throughout the life of the project (Cohn, 2004). Below are the user stories for the development and implementation of Simply Events. Force Field Analysis Model for the website project of Simply Events Ltd. Appendix 1 Objective; Development and Implementation of a Website. Driving forces Restraining forces. The company is in dire need of a website to improve efficiency in its service delivery. Additional cost incurred n employing a web administrator. Increase the scope of marketing both at the local and international arena. Most customers come from the local market. The company is small and still growing thus has limited resources to support international trade that involves shipping. The website will reduce the cost of operation for example publishing cost involved in advertising. Some employees will be laid off. Customers will be fascinated by the changes. No more phone calls for ordering products and services. Employees will be disgruntled by the changes. Most feel insecure about their jobs. Increased service delivery due to the large market. The company has limited capacity to handle the increased demand. Appendix 2 Student ID First name: Surname: User story# User story title User role Feature Goal S1 Website allow customers feed their information Company owner Allow the customer to enter their details free of error To enable customer to receive notification upon completion of putting their loin details S2 Update Frequently asked questions sections Company owner Owner to update FAQ sections to capture most asked questions In order to gauge regularly inquired things from customers and plan accordingly S3 Activate relevant buttons and links Employee who is website administrator Make relevant buttons and hyperlinks to be synchronized properly Visitors and customer ought to have ease while navigating the website S4 Ease of resetting details such as password Website administrator such as IT manager If a visitor or customer forget their details they should have ease of retrieving them To enable visitors change login details such as passwords with ease S5 Company’s ability to change or delete an account of a visitor Marketing manager as website administrator When customer disregards policy framework and rules, their account to be deactivated or deleted To enable the company manage the list of serious customers who will benefit the company S6 Details such as graphics and images should be edited Company management as website administrator Relevant images according to discounts and current offers should be introduced Current offers and discounts should be availed to the customers to view them S7 Updating of company information by company Website administrator All company details, such as address, mode of payment, phone number etc Enable customers contact the company with ease. S8 Career section and space Human resource department as website administrator Vacancies and work opportunities for interested visitors Likely visitors of the website should access career chance or opportunities being offered. S9 Receipt of queries, complains or compliments Company relations department as website administrator All necessary questions to be responded to within the specified time Gauge public mood and opinion of customers pertaining to different services S10 Completion of relevant field Company as administrator Allow visitors access subsequent stages of the page Allow for production of a visionary line by the system S11 Concealing of login information such password IT department as website administrator Security of the user to access their account effectively and with ease Safeguard the accounts of the users or the customers S12 Reboot or reset button should clear most fields Website administrator Restart the whole navigation afresh by user To allo customer to login using fresh details to their accounts anytime S13 Clearance of all uploads or promotions Website administrator All uploads must be sanctioned and cleared by the company To allow for authentic promotions to be uploaded S14 Make website look presentable and organized Website administrator Website to be neat, presentable and organized To enhance the natural appeal of the website S15 Update of the relevant conditions and terms of company Website administrator Include relevant policies To delineate the borders and terms of operations for the company Test plan Test plan Appendix 3 Test execution date 31st June 2015 Time 10.00 AM Location Company office Tester Project manager Test case number (e.g., TC 1.0) Feature tested (e.g., Functional Requirement FR 1) Test case description Test case condition Expected result Actual result Status Read More