MSC228 - Information Systems Analysis & DesignGroup Assignment – SSL inc Showtime Sound & Lighting Inc. 2 MSC228 - Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 2. Contents 2. Contents............................................................................................................ 3. Introduction...................................................................................................... 3.1 Background Information.................................................................... Current problems/opportunities........................................................ 3.3 Minimum System Requirements........................................................ 4. Feasibility Analysis............................................................................................ 4.1 Technical Feasibility........................................................................... 4.2 Economic Feasibility........................................................................... 4.3 Organisational Feasibility................................................................... 4.4 Schedule Feasibility........................................................................... 4.5 Resource Feasibility........................................................................... 5. Current System Specifications........................................................................... 5.1 UML Models............................................................................................... 5.1.1 Use Case Diagram.......................................................................... 5.1.2 Structural Model............................................................................ 5.1.3 Activity Diagram............................................................................ 5.2 Structured Design Models.......................................................................... 5.2.1 A Context Diagram........................................................................ 5.2.2 The Level 0 DFD............................................................................. 5.2.3 One Level 1 DFD............................................................................ 5.3 A Rich picture of the problem solution..................................................... 6. Proposed System Specifications..................................................................... 6.1 UML Model............................................................................................... 6.1.2 Use Case and Description............................................................. 7. Comparison and Analysis................................................................................ 8. Bibliography..................................................................................................... 3 4 4 4 5 6 6 7 9 9 10 11 11 11 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 19 20 21 23 3 Also need to match time requirements with employee schedules and temporary workers schedule. this is also done manually. The company grew from a part-time one man business to a full-time operation with three permanent employees.MSC228 . Burt and Ernie the two field technicians. Current problems/opportunities The current system is the system that was initiated when the business was first formed. and invoices are prepared from manually collected information and they are stored in MS-Word format and lot of data is duplicated. rental and sale of audio. He wants to gain and maintain a competitive advantage against his competitors through excellent customer service.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 3. orders. Business is growing and Tom plans to expand the current workforce in order to cater to growing business needs. The company consists of Tom Smith the president. With the receipt of a customer request it is required to compare with availability of equipment manually. SSL services range from providing DJ services. Introduction: 3.1 Background Information Showtime Sound & Lighting (SSL) Inc. 4 . However the current system in place which is part computer and part manual does not support this growth. purchasing. A change to a customer order will require multiple document changes manually and a human error could affect the accuracy of the information recorded. However this system is neither sufficient nor accurate enough to support the growth of the business. Again this is done manually while refereeing to schedules and lists stored in the computer. and in fact it cannot even cope with the current volume of business in an efficient manner. consultation services. & secretary. This has led to a decrease in the quality of service extended towards existing customers. Equipment and personnel needs to be allocated accordingly to the proposals generated. is a small business owned by Tom Smith. The proposals. video and lighting equipment. Martha who is in charge of the management functions of accounting. There is no proper customer or order base maintained and therefore lot of time is wasted in obtaining previous customer and order details. it is part manual and part computerised. SSL is currently centred on providing services for the local entertainment industry and other organisations which require their services. lease frequency by customer. System should cater to maintain and easy update of price information. If Customer requires a proposal the order is categorised as a proposal and resources are allocated until. contract employee performance. 3. Then it should be cross referenced to employee availability. by season. it is assumed that a proposal will have valid expiry date. System should be able to generate reports such as equipment lease details.2 Minimum System Requirements Systems must be able to find existing customer details and if not be able to add a new customer faster and an efficient manner. lease frequency by item. Technicians should be able to complete order fulfilment details. [Each time an equipment detail is entered availability should be verified instantly].(14 or 30 days from date of proposal).Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc Management prepares a list of all the support needed for an event. Should be able to generate customer contracts with cross referencing customer and order files. and which of the temporary staff is more efficient and reliable. Management decisions are hard to make since it is not possible to gather all required information in an accurate and efficient way. and customer trends to support management decisions. Should generate an order goods check list for the technicians on a daily basis with the order details for loading along with contract worker details linked to the day orders. This is time consuming and in some cases with error. proposal becomes a order or it expires. and contract worker performance review. This is also done manually. System should be able to pull out a pervious customer order in order to facilitate accurate servicing for existing customer if their requirement is repetitive. There is no email for the company and therefore it is not possible to email invoices and other information to the customers. Creating customer agreements also is a problem since all customer data needs to be pulled from the stored customer file and copied in to the agreement templates. what stock to maintain based on previous sales. returning customer frequency.MSC228 . Once customer requirements are recorded it should be cross referenced with the equipment availability. what are the market trends based on time of year. 5 . based on the order from the customer. over time details if any. cannot be accurately determined with the existing system nor it is automated. And then based on that generate new order. Decisions such as what equipment to purchase. All order information is provided to the technician. for lease or for sale. SSL currently does not possess the required technology to facilitate a new system. therefore mobile workers can connect to the system and run remote applications.1 Technical Feasibility The company has been using several templates in MS-word. SSL currently have a customer base of 50 active customers. Feasibility Analysis 4. Considering the availability of the required technology to be purchased and also the level of knowledge in the current employee segment the new system is technically feasible. With the introduction of MS-Access means it can be utilised and manipulated with the use of MS-Word as well as MS-Excel. therefore it would be relatively easy to enter all customer data into a new data base. Due to the fact the new system will be based on a data entry and reference system it will be easy for the current employees to grasp the new system with proper training. For a new system to be implemented while facilitating the company’s expected future growth of business and the number of employees. Up to five (4) new Desktop computers including a DELL edge basic business server running Microsoft Small Business Server 2008R2 as the operating system (which is the latest server software by MS) will be required.MSC228 . A centralised database with MS-Access will be at the back end while the front end will be developed using VB or C#.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 4. This will enable the technicians to enter information to the system soon as an even is over via remote desktop. Therefore training will be required for all current employees. Tom and Martha have been the primary users of this existing system. new hardware will be required to be purchased. in one stand alone computer. Microsoft Small Business Server 2008R2 supports remote desktop access. but future employees could be trained in house. 6 . 000 1 1 $7. installed in server + 2 other computers( 3 user license included ) SSL custom Information system Setting up of network + remote desktop configuration and set up.500 Usage Server (Dell – Power edge T110 with MS Small Business Server 2008R2 operating system + LCD 17” screen) Desktop computers(Dell–Vostro 230 mini tower with 17” LCD screen + wireless) NetBook – Dell inspiron 10” laptop Netgear ADSL modem + Wireless Router( n300) Optus Mobile broadband connection unit + 1 year usage.000 $1. + To connect the 2 netbooks via internet to remote desktop application from site.000 $1.2 Economic Feasibility (ROI and NPV is not required as per question) • Development cost breakdown of the system is as below Item Price / AUD $2.$120 from Norton 5 user per year+ ink toner 1500 pages per toner X 4 per year at $100 in total $520) Total per month $100 per month $50 per month $200 per month 7 . VP and Sec/Acc/Pur $400 3 $1.000 $50 10 $500 $14. $500 $130 $900 1 1 1 $500 $130 $900 Information System software Wireless Network setup + Remote application set up on the netbooks and system readiness Training Staff (per Hour) Total cost $7.MSC228 .(available from DODO) Brother Colour Laser Multifunction Printer / Networkable Brother Mono Laser printer / Networkable Microsoft office – Professional Will provide means to host centralised database and to run remote desktop applications for the technicians.200 $400 $125 $49 2 1 2 $800 $125 $98 Two technicians To set up ADSL connection Wireless network in the office.500 Quantity Total / AUD 1 $2.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 4. (from Optus) Technical support on site + phone support $1200 per year Other hardware + software support (security software license fee . President .753 President + staff • Operational cost is as below Item Cost per month / AUD $50 per month Ongoing internet connection / ADSL2+ 50 Gb connection. Main network print / scan /copy Backup printer only. Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc • Tangible and Intangible benefits Costs Benefits -Retain current customers expected loss was 5%-10% customers in two years. $40.000 $120. Tangible -Total System costs $14.553 Development Cost(one time) Operational costs($200 per month) Other unforseen costs ($100 per month) Total costs Benefits Retain current customers Total benefits $40.753 $2.400 $1.MSC228 .200 $3.600 2013 $0 $2.200 $18.200 $3.600 Total $14.353 2012 $0 $2.200 $3.600 $25. 8 . There will be many more other benefits such as improved customer service. more time to invest on sales development.753 $7.000 in the coming two years and may worsen or continue into the next years as well. he estimates that he will lose a minimum of 5%-10% of customers over the next two years if he is not able to give them a better service.000 saved. -Proper inventory selection -Proper contract worker selection[more efficient] -Time for employees to improve customer service and increase market share -Improve quality of service -Better customer relations and better service recognition. • Basic cost benefit analysis using cash flow method 2011 $14.00 to $80.000 to 80. which will save company from investing on non profit generating equipment. since the new system will generate accurate information about the usage of the equipment Tom will be able to purchase the correct piece of equipment.000 $120. This would result in a total loss of revenue of AUD 40. Also new equipment purchase will be done in a more efficient manner.000 $40.400 $1.000 $40. Taking all these into account will make the system economically feasible.753 -operational costs $200 per month Intangible -Unforseen hardware repairs and upgrades.400 $1.000 As per the president of the company Tom. feasibility study. therefore there will be no learning curve involved for the development team. programs and database files. 4. Design – design physical system. The technology used in a hardware perspective will require 3 weeks from project green light to purchase and delivery. Furthermore the new system will not jeopardise the job security of any of the employees it will only enrich and enhance the working conditions of the existing working employees.4 Schedule Feasibility The technology which will be used in this system is basic and the development team is well aware of its systems and capabilities. training Duration(days) 7 10 15 12 9 . Analysis – develop strategy for analysis. The new system will be in align with this company objective. Process Planning – identify project. There are no strict deadlines involved in the project however a realistic timeline would be preferred by the management such as 45 to 60 days. Also the new system will be much helpful to the employees since it will address the earlier problematic issues they had in obtaining correct information.3 Organizational Feasibility SSL in the past have been renowned for its great quality of service. Implementation – construct system. It is very achievable. use cases and modelling. However system software will be in production at same time and therefore hardware will be available when required for testing. Therefore the new system will be a system much desired by the top management and the current employment. It is already tested technology and methodology to the development team. install system and migrate system.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 4. and it is what the company hope to develop further in the future in order for the business to grow as well as to service the existing customers in more timely and organised manner. The management will be able to use the new reporting tools which will be in line with the requirements of the current management in order to make the right management decisions in order to gain the competitor advantage that will propel SSL to be the preferred service provider of its kind. design architecture. identify opportunities. determine requirements.MSC228 . it will give the customers a better improved quality of service and also facilitate the companies expected growth as well as help achieve that goal. Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 4. Required hardware and software is available for development team. adequate space as required. The new system will not interfere with the existing system while been developed and there will be no dependencies between the two systems. required technical knowhow is available. Since project is a simple one staff turnover should be sufficient. Manpower is available in terms of development perspective. 10 . The required technical computer literacy is minimal to support the system in a ongoing environment and the additional required training will be sufficient to manage the system.5 Resources Feasibility Resources required for the new system from SSL as of current is. Cabling is not required since it will be a wireless network. adequate power supply and connection are available as per floor plan required. There is adequate furniture to facilitate the new system.MSC228 . 1 Use Case Diagram SSL order system Create new customer <<extend>> * Customer * Create order or quote <<extend>> <<extend>> Validate item availability Validate employee availability * SSL Management * Generate reports for management decisions Generate event sheet * * * * SSL tecnician Update event completion details Database entry maintained manually * * SSL employee 11 .1 UML MODELS 5.MSC228 . Current System Specifications 5.1.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 5. SSL checks staff schedule file to validates staffing availability 6. 4. 2.1. If stock not available. If the customer is a new customer the use case is extended by use case ID 2 Add new customer. 3.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 5. 4. 6.If existing customer he is checked against outstanding payments. Trigger: Customers contact SSL to place sales order or get quote. a. SSL checks stock file to validates stock availability 5. If customer exists then customer details retrieved.1. Generate invoice / update stock levels.2 Structural Model 12 . Customer contacts SSL. inform customer and modify item and return to step 4 or exit. Brief description: This use case describes how a order or quote is created. 2. Records the sales order.1 Use case detailed description Use Case Name: Create order or quote Primary Actor: Customer ID: 1 Importance: High Use Case Type: Essential Stakeholders and interests: customer wants to purchase items and services or need quote from SSL and SSL wants to sell items and services to the customer. Normal flow of events: Sub flows Alternate/Exceptional flows: 1.a. 5. Customers provide order details of items required for purchase.MSC228 . Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 13 .MSC228 . 1.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 5.MSC228 .3 Activity diagram Customer contacts SSL If existing customer [NO] [YES] Customer provides customer details Add customer Evaluate customer history for payment details [YES] If past payment due [NO] Discuss payment Customer provide order details [YES] [NO] If alternative ok Check availability for stock and manpower [NO] If availability ok [YES] Discuss with customer for alternative confirm order Update records and generate invoice or proposal Print event support sheet 14 . MSC228 .Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 5.2.2 Structured Design Models 5.1 Context Diagram 15 . 2.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 5.2 Level 0 Data Flow Diagram 16 .MSC228 . MSC228 .2.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 5.3 Level 1Data Flow Diagram 17 . Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 5.MSC228 .3 A Rich picture of the problem solution 18 . 1. Proposed System Specification 6.1 UML MODELS 6.MSC228 .Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 6.1 Use Case Diagram 5.1.1 Use Case Diagram SSL order system Create new customer <<extend>> * Customer Order process system * Update availability * * Contract worker * SSL Management * Generate reports for management decisions * * SSL tecnician Update event completion details 19 . president invokes required report function 2.1.MSC228 . System generates required report 3.2 Use Case Detailed Description Use Case Name: Generate reports for management decisions Primary Actor: President ID: 4 Importance: High Use Case Type: Essential Stakeholders and interests: President wants to generate reports to make management decisions. Trigger: Customers contact SSL to place sales order or get quote. 3. b Hire more efficient contract workers. 3. Normal flow of events: Sub flows 1. a Initiate purchase request for new stock. 20 . Brief description: This use case describes how an order or quote is created. President makes decision based on results.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 6. However the differences are on the way they interact with each other elements and how and what information is recorded at what point and when. which equipment should be discontinued and so on. with the new system the way the data is stored it will be easy to manipulate the data get the availability automatically by the system in real time. which items are on more demand based on yearly festive seasons. The event support document is auto generated therefore all required information is included in the sheet which will result in fewer mistakes. One of the key problems with the earlier system was that although a customer base was maintained it was not done in a efficient manner and therefore the real potential could not be utilised. which will in turn result in more revenue for the 21 . which equipment gives a better return. from initiation to the point where it is confirmed and all the required information is generated. Analysis team has considered a balance between the context and level 0 DFD. The more data the system capture in a normalised manner the better. The availability feedback to the customer is better because of this system. Both the diagrams will reflect that. with the new system they can pull out information about existing customers and same data will be relayed to auto generate the required customer contracts when required. All this means in a customer perspective is that they will get a better and a quality service on a timely manner. Also in the earlier system they had to manually check if items requested by customer was available. They interact with the customer. Based on this there will be less data duplication hence less subjected to error. Once these are confirmed order is placed and the required documentation is generated. which employees are more efficient. Our level 0 data flow diagram (DFD) upgraded the same context diagram by keeping customer as the external entity as it was in the context diagram and the data flows are the same. Comparison and Analysis The main business process of the company is the order processing system. It will be possible to generate reports to see which equipment is leases or purchased more. The way the data will be maintained and segregated it will be easy to analysed to get required reports for the management to make important management decisions. The context diagram shows data flow between customer and order processing system.MSC228 . With the structured design model we have tried to consolidate by reducing data duplication and at the same time capture much information as possible in a manner they can be processed in a more efficient manner.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 7. which customers are more repetitive. Using same search methods the availability of workers will be checked to see if customer order can be serviced properly. MSC228 . all the extra time in the hands of the employees and management means they can pursue new customers and new opportunities which will give the company the much anticipated enhanced better reputation and by doing so get an competitive advantage over the competition.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc company. 22 . Third Edition.aspx/sitelets/solutions/software/business/en/us/server_soluti ons?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd 23 .dell. Bibliography Alan Dennis. Tanenbaum. Computer Networks. Computer Networking a Top Down Approach. Boston. John Wiley & Sons. New Jersey. James F. Barbara Haley Wixom. Roth. Systems analysis and design . Fifth Edition. Prentice-Hall. 2010. Keith W. 2010. Pearson. 4th edition.MSC228 .com/content/topics/global. New Jersey. Kurose. 1996.Information Systems Analysis & Design Group Assignment – SSL inc 8. Andrew S. Link to details on Windows small business server 2008 R2 http://www. Roberta M. Ross.