System as Designed to Meet the Special Accommodation Needs of Individual Students - Coursework Example

Question In lieu with Amazon.com specialty in books, venturing into other products would be risky. Considering that thenew products that Amazon.com intended to expand to, that is wine and specialty gifts are completely unrelated to books, they would have been inexperienced in terms of marketing these new products. They are would also have to target a completely different clientele in comparison to those that they had attracted while dealing with books only. Due to these considerations, they would have to lose credibility in terms of the quality of service they provided. Question 2 Prototyping, which is usually a quick functional model of the system design, is exposed to the users. In our case the students who are expected to be the main users of the software are presented with the prototype for a period of time and they report back give feedback on their experiences. Problems are then identified in real time and any requirements that may have been left out noted. The prototype is then reviewed and the difficulties experienced by the target users rectified. Loopholes in the system are identified and requirements left out incorporated. A brainstorming session, designed to come up with ideas, possibilities and solutions to problems can be a good requirement gathering technique. Stakeholders, such as programmers, managers and the potential users form a think tank. Issues such as how best to present the bookstore’s catalog of items online for example can be visualized. Payment modes and delivery modalities can be born and nurtured in such sessions. Survey tools such as a questionnaire can be used to collect relevant pieces of data that can be help in the requirement gathering process. Use of well-structured questionnaires, designed to give the desired information, such as preferences in design techniques, best payment modes, delivery schedules and so on, can play a vital role in requirement gathering processes. The analysts must ensure to follow acceptable principles of designing questions in a questionnaire in order to reap maximum benefits of this technique of requirement gathering. These answers can be analyzed to find how best to design the functionality and aesthetics of the user interfaces in the system. Requirements workshop comprising of necessary stakeholders can be very instrumental in gathering requirements. Members present can identify problems and suggest solutions to these problems. For example, if a student (who is a potential user of the system) can highlight some of the problems encountered by the current system used by the bookstore, such as time wasting, members can come up with suggestions such as introduction of delivery mechanisms that are time conscious. In the process, requirements may be gathered. Question 3 This system is designed to meet the special accommodation needs of individual students by offering a variety of options based on pricing, location and facilities available to them. On the other hand, hostel owners can provide description of the properties they own by contacting the university’s administration. This system offers advantages for both the students, premise owners and university administration. For students, they are provided with a platform to search from a variety of available hostels and choose those best suited for their individual needs. This saves them time and makes it easier to compare the various hostel listed in the database. For the hostel owners, advertising is catered for and therefore cut down on their operational expenses. Finally, the school administration enhances their accommodation needs for their students and helps them monitor the whereabouts of the students. This enhances their mandate to ensure protection of enrolled students. However, the systems could be made even better by enabling online rent payments by students and providing actual photographs of the various listed hostels for the students to view. Question 4 Table 1 CASE tool Features Suitability ArgoUML1 Supports diagrams Platform independent Exports diagrams with GIF, PNG, PS and others Available in many languages (10) Easy to install and use Advanced diagram editing Code generation Suitable Visual Paradign2 Central server to store documents Members can access and modify documents in the server Sharing of files is enhanced Files are protected using passwords to prevent unauthorized access Enhance help functionality Most suitable IBM’s Rational Rose3 Enhances database interfaces Enhances development of data and data storage models Synchronizes between data model and object model during database development Not suitable After an analysis of the CASE tools described in the table above, it is my recommendation that Visual Paradigm would be the most suitable tool for the class semester project since it is designed for use by teams; definitely the class will operate as a team. Question 5 Table 2 End user database (Wikipedia.com) Enterprise database (QVC) Marketing strategy Marketing through google search engine Marketing through their websites’ burners Customers Researchers Shoppers especially women Application Website Website (Cushing, Nadkrani, Finch, Fiala, Murphy-Hill, Delcambre & Maier, 5) End user database is used to enable users edit documents contained in the database whereas enterprise database adopt a server-client based database with a dedicated Database Management System (DBMS). Question 6 Table 3 Ask Jeeves (Natural language search engine) Google (Keywords search engine) Uses questions used in natural such as “What is the capital city of Nigeria?” Gives back a list of questions that may contain the answers. List is more specific to the question Searches websites that contain the words typed in Search gives a list of websites that contain the keywords Gives back a wide range of content some that may not be very relevant Both these two search engines give back a list containing similar phrases or words as the one typed in by the user. I would however prefer the keyword mode of searching because it provides a wider variety to choose from. Question 7 Table 4 Amazon.com4 website vs eBay5 Similarities Differences Both have help functions on their home pages (one that loads first) They both employ search mechanisms which are categorized with relevant search topics Most commonly asked questions are featured in both the websites The wording is different in the two websites, i.e. “help” in amazon.com and “customer support” in eBay. These websites have employed appropriate means of guiding the customers to find whatever they are looking for in a simple manner by use of search capabilities, appropriate titles that may help the customer and frequently asked questions that may assist the customer in case of similar problems. Live chat using software such as Skype would further enhance their customer help sections since this would guarantee a one-on-one access to help services. Question 8 A project is a temporary undertaking aimed at creating a new product or service within a stipulated timeframe. In most cases, the activities carried out in a project are constrained by resources such as time and funds. Some of the activities undertaken by a project leader (manager) include determining the activities to be carried out and in what order or sequence, beginning and ending time should be outlined, allocation of each activity a timeline, determining the critical activities, projections on expected challenges and allocation of resources such as funds to the various activities. A work plan would be necessary for scheduling purposes giving the activity, start time, end time and by whom among the project members. In this case, after identifying the main activities to be carried out in the development of a website, these activities will be allocated among the three members of the project (my two friends and I) and timeframe for start and end of activities outlined. This work plan will help in delegation of duties and coordination of these responsibilities. Question 9 Table 5 Waterfall development Throwaway prototyping Involves five steps: Feasibility study Identification of requirements Designing Coding Testing Notes: Testing is carried out in every level of the development process Involves the following steps: Outline requirements Develop prototype Evaluate prototype Specify system Develop software Validate software Deliver software system Notes: Reduces risks in the software development process Prototypes are developed and discarded Prototypes used for a specific, experimental purpose then discarded Usable parts of the prototype are used in developing the final product By combining these two software development models, a better hybrid model that incorporates the advantages of both can be derived as follows: Feasibility study Identification of requirements Design prototype Test prototype; if errors are detected re-design until satisfactory Develop software Validate software Deliver software Question 10 Table 6 Packaged (in-house) Outsourcing Pros: Avails a learning opportunity Requirements are defined in increments rather than up front Privacy of confidential information is guaranteed Quality assurance is maintained Pros: Risk is limited since cost is fixed and can easily be budget for Cheaper as compared to in-house acquisition Enhances handling of large volume and high throughput by vendors Training needs are lowered and absorbed by vendor Cons: Large investment cost is required Expenditure may be volatile and difficult to predict Cons: Vendor unreliability creates uncertainties Vendor inexperience can dent the credibility of the organization (Cornell University Library, 1) Question 11 Hardware Specifications: 2.0 GHz dual core processor 250GB hard-disk drive 1 GB RAM Wireless internet connectivity DVD ROM Drive 5.0 camera Software Specifications Windows 7 professional OS MsOffice 2010 Pastel accounting application software Question 12 Inputs always involve collecting, entering and processing of data. A batch input involves a centralized system where a computer expert inputs all the required data. This system of input is appropriate for entering data off-line or during off-peak periods. However, it may be slow and cost ineffective. Online input system on the other hand is characterized by immediate feedback and automated database updates. This method is very fast and cost effective (Cononel & Rob 222-227). When designing Graphical User Interfaces (GUI), it is crucial for the designer to use intuitive, consistent icons. Color should be used sparingly and the appropriate font type and size used. To ensure these, the designer should follow five basic steps: Know their users Scrutinize user various tasks Establish goals for using the software Create a storyboard for main ideas The designs should be evaluated over and over to ensure they remain relevant and appealing Works Cited Cononel, C. & Rob, P. ed 8 Database Systems: Design, Implementation and Management. Cengage Learning, 2009 Cushing, J. Nadkrani, N. Finch, M. Fiala, A. Murphy-Hill, E. Delcambre, L. & Maier D. Component-based end-user database design for ecologist. Business Media, LLC: 2007 Moving Theory into Practice Digital Imaging Tutorial. Determining the Best Approach: Outsourcing vs in-housing programs. Cornell University Library: 2003 Read More