Database System for Small Local Dvd Video Shop - Assignment Example

SPECIFICATION DESIGN TEST STERGERY TESTING IMPLEMENTATION EVALUATION USER GUIDE SPECIFICATION BACKGROUND Marvin Bird owns andruns a DVD and video rental shop called Box Set Rentals, in Sheffield, United Kingdom. His business specializes in television series, spin-offs and US series that are not aired on UK television. The aims of Box Set Rentals are to offer a unique group of DVDs and videos at a competitive price with competitive terms. Marvin orders his titles direct from the production companies in the US and checks their catalogues at least once a week for new ones. He charges 9.99 for each box set based on a 14 day loan. He is currently able to offer this price due to the current exchange rates which mean that he breaks even with 3 customers for each box set, as each costs US$45. Multiple sets can be ordered and rentals can be renewed online. When customers make their first rental, they will be assigned a customer reference number which will identify them, and the details to be linked to this number will be the address and contact details. Failure to return the rental will result in customers being levied a full week's rental at 9.99 every 14 days until the rental is returned. Problem to be solved Marvin would like the system to keep a store of customer details which can be accessed at the push of a button, he wants to be able to retrieve rental and returns information, as well as have a user-friendly interface to log in transactions. He also wants the system to perform financial calculations, which can be printed and reported on. Most of all, Marvin would like the system to be compatible with his current hardware and software requirements, and the system should also be able to interact with existing spreadsheets. In a nutshell, Marvin is not looking to change his computer or buy new software to meet this requirement. Requirement Specification The requested system will allow Marvin to record rentals, renewals and returns automatically. He will also be able to keep an electronic database of all the titles in his store. Input When a customer seeks to rent out a title, Marvin will access the rentals form of the database which will allow him to enter the customer's membership number, and record the details and cost of the titles required. By doing this, Marvin will be aware of who has what title, for how long, and how much they have paid for it. The required fields will include the following: Customer Reference Number Stock Number Date Out Date In Rental Type Payment Received Rental Status Processing The system will calculate the number of rentals the customer has on their record, as well as any outstanding fines for late returns. This will involve a simple calculation that will performed by running a query on the required customer. The fields for fines will be in a table which will is easy to update. Output After all data has been entered, it will be stored in the database, and pre-programmed reports will be able to present this data as information which Marvin can use to manage his stock and the store. The data can also be printed for customers if they want to check their rental history. Objectives Make the system simple for the user to operate The system should be self-explanatory and should not require constant reference to a manual. This means that the system can be used by anyone regardless of their IT skills. Producing the right outputs To check that all the reference values are correct so that calculations and reports are valid. Reduce amount of work for the user Incorporate the use of list/combo boxes so that the user can select an item without typing it out. The use of list/combo boxes also reduces the margins for error, for instance, two versions of the same product, e.g. Lost - Season II and Lost - Seson II. Remove as many errors as possible Automate as many of the processes, so that use is limited to data input, and printing reports. Hardware and Software Used Hardware; - HP Personal Computer with keyboard, mouse, TFT screen, 120GB hard drive, 256 MB RAM and a Samsung Laser Printer. Software; - Microsoft Home XP operating system Microsoft Office 2003 DESIGN Start Screen This is the basic layout of start screen; - Title: - The title will be the company's name, which is Box Set Rentals. Menu: - This will present the user with data entry options in the way of tabs across the top of the form. Picture/Logo: - It can be used to make the start screen look more eye catching and user-friendly. Order Form This is the layout of the customer details form; - Surname This field will be entered manually. Name This field will be entered manually Title This field will be entered using a drop-down box, to prevent repetition as these are standard fields. Address This field will be entered manually. Postcode This field will be entered manually. Date of Birth This field is formatted and dates have to be entered in the following format - dd/mm/yyyy. This is to standardize the data entry format. Phone This field will be entered manually. Mobile Number This field will be entered manually Email Address This field will be entered manually Customer Reference This field will be entered manually and has to be entered before Rentals and Returns are entered. The format for data entry is the Surname and a 2-digit number. The purpose of this is to distinguish between customers with the same surname. Printer Image Clicking this button will print the current form. Rentals Form This is the design of the Rentals Form: - Customer Reference Number This field will be entered via a drop-down box to minimize error in the data input, and to ensure the rental is linked to the right customer. The data inputter will have printed a card and this card will be used to get the customer reference number. Stock Number This field will be entered via a drop-down box that is linked to the Stock Reference table. Once again this is to minimize errors in the process. The data inputter will get this reference from the cover of the title. Date Out This field will be entered manually in the following format - dd/mm/yyyy. Date In This field will be entered manually in the following format - dd/mm/yyyy. Rental Type This field will be entered through a drop-down box. Payment Received This field is entered manually and is preset to accept currency ( Sterling). The value entered into this field should match that of the value in the Rental Type field. Status This field will be entered through a drop-down box and will show Marvin which titles are out, which have been returned and which have been lost. Current Income When clicked this button will show the total earnings from the rentals. Returns Form This is the design of the rentals form:- Customer Reference Number This field will be entered via a drop-down box to minimize error in the data input, and to ensure the rental is linked to the right customer. The data inputter will have printed a card and this card will be used to get the customer reference number. Stock Number This field will be entered via a drop-down box that is linked to the Stock Reference table. Once again this is to minimize errors in the process. The data inputter will get this reference from the cover of the title. Date This field will be entered manually in the following format - dd/mm/yyyy. This will record the date the title is returned. Fine This field is a checkbox, and will be ticked if the return is late. Rental Type This field will be entered manually and the data inputter will put in the appropriate fine. Add New Title Form This is the design of the Add New Title Form:- Stock Number This field will be entered manually in the following format - SN0000. Title This field will be entered manually and the full title of the title will be added in this field. Rating This field will be entered using a drop-down box and has preset ratings that match those on the original title cover. Title ID This field will be entered manually and will match the ID on the original title cover. Format This field will be entered using a drop-down box and will serve to distinguish between different media formats. Number of copies This field will be entered manually in a number format. Print Title List When clicked this button will print a list of all the titles registered in the database. Overdue Titles Form This is the design of the new titles form which is based on a query to pick out outstanding order:- Fines Clicking this button will enable the user to see customers who have incurred fines on their rentals. Total Outstanding Fines Clicking this button will enable the user to see the total fines owed to Box Set Rentals. TEST STRATEGY TEST PLAN Test number Test data used Purpose of test Excepted results Test. 1 Load up system. Select the file. So that the user can access the database. Main menu should be displayed. Test. 2 Press the 'View Popular Titles' button. Click on the 'View Popular Titles' Test 'View Popular Titles' button and query works. List of popular titles should appear Test. 3 Press the "Register New Members" tab. Click on "Register New Members" tab Test that the tab works. Tab opens up the Customer Details form. Test. 4 Press the "Rentals" tab. Click on "Rentals" tab Test that the tab works. Tab opens up the Rentals form. Test. 5 Press the 'Current Income' button. Click on the "Current Income" button Test "Current Income" button and query works The total current income should appear Test. 6 Press the "Returns" tab. Click on "Returns" tab Test that the tab works. Tab opens up the Returns form. Test. 7 Press the "Add New Titles" tab. Click on "Add New Titles" tab Test that the tab works. Tab opens up the Stock Reference form. Test. 8 Press the 'Print Title List' button. Click on the "Print Title List" button Test "Print Title List" button and query works. The current title list should appear. Test.9 Press the "Overdue Titles" tab. Click on "Overdue Titles" tab Test that the tab works. Tab opens up the Outstanding Titles form. Test. 10 Press the 'Fines' button Click on the "Fines" button Test "Fines" button and query works. The list of customers with fines should appear. Test. 11 Press the "Total Outstanding Fines' button Click on the "Total Outstanding Fines" button Test "Total Outstanding Fines" button and query works. Tab opens up the Outstanding Fines query. TESTING Three fictional customers have been added to the database, as has a list of titles and reference numbers. This tests the data input part of the system and ensures that it is functional. The queries also work as they calculate total sales. IMPLEMENTATION This system will be implemented using the forms created in the design. Entrance This page consists of a form and access to other forms is through the tabs. Rentals For completing rental information by store assistants. Returns For completing returns by store assistants. Customer Details For adding and editing customer details by store assistants. These forms are used to enter and record information on title rentals. EVALUATION The database will be evaluated through comments made by the users in assessing its user-friendliness and ease of use. The system must reduce errors and have as many automated tasks as possible I feel that I have succeeded in doing this. The stock reference, customer details, rentals and returns tables have been linked to enable drop-down boxes that add values that are present in existing lists. This also produces consistency on the data as there are no variations and differences in spelling. This system must be able produce details of outstanding rentals, fines and income obtained. Command buttons enable the user to print pre-determined information without constantly updating the data. The system has to be easy to install and transfer. The database can be operated on any device with Microsoft Office software and does not require special installation instructions. It can also be transferred to other computers on a flash disk, which means that data can be analysed away from the store. The system has to be user friendly and easy to use. The forms are arranged in a logical manner, which means the preceding steps have to be completed. The use is also limited to data entry, most of which are drop down boxes. Reduce amount of work for the user The use of queries automates tasks which reduces the amount of work the user has to do for simple tasks. Make the system secure The database is password-protected, and only Marvin will have editing rights. All other store assistants will only have data entry capabilities, which will reduce inappropriate data changes. Possible improvements This system is mainly geared for data entry, however if Marvin's business expands then the database would need to be expanded to include more analytical capabilities, and total store management. Conclusion The database system meets the requirements requested by the owner of Box Set Rentals. USER GUIDE User Guide This database will run on any computer running Windows 2000 operating system as a minimum. The computer will also need to have Microsoft Office 2000 which has the Microsoft Access programme. How To Load Up This System This system is supplied on a CD-ROM to be copied to a computer hard drive. The size of this database is approximately 8 MB, and this is set to grow with increasing use of the system. Getting Started Insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive and it will open up the drive folder. There will only be one file which will be this database. Right-click on the database and copy the file into the required location. Double-click on the database to open it. Enter password - thebestdvds The database is ready to use. Read More