A proposal to modify "Exercisco Fitness Club" in Pokfulam, the location has been proposed to Baguio Villas.
Introduction
Name: Exercisco Fitness Club
Description: A proposal to modify "Exercisco Fitness Club" in Pokfulam, the location has been proposed to Baguio Villas. This location has been chosen because the area is very clean and there is a large population and this would be an advantage because there is more market share, and there would be more potential customers. The location is also good because there is a major project developing (cyber-port). This would be an advantage for the business because it would give it a good reputation. Plus this is another advantage because there is less competition and Baguio Villas is a very scarce place. The new technology applied to the Fitness center would in theory increase the customers attending the club. The club would easily keep a record of the customers joining and leaving the club. Plus the new system would be able to pinpoint specific addresses for business purposes. E.g. if a customer has not paid the bill for a month. Also the club would let members interact in fitness courses if they prefer and they would be able to purchase different materials connecting to the course.
Address: 59th Mount Hermon Rd,5th floor Krono Plaza, opposite Glon Canyon Rd Telephone: 25849843, Fax: 28394785, Manager Mobile: 91234534
How the business could use the following:
Databases: The business will use this to record all the members' data and personal phone numbers etc. And also if they are a regular fitness members. Also the database will ensure that the different courses which members attend. And also if they would want to purchase some material concerning the course
Spreadsheets: The business uses this to record all my annual or monthly results so I can see if I make any profits etc.
Web Sites: The business uses this to help people sign up as a member online so they don't need to travel to the center to obtain the form. And also any special offers or any special events
Image Creation: The business will use this to format my images to suit posters and web sites etc. And also I will use image creation to produce and format a logo unique for the business
Desktop Publishing: The business will use this to create posters and newsletters for members and maybe also forms for people who would like to become members.
History: The business has been recently opened. To be exact the business was first formed 4 months ago. The business has not succeeded very well compared to its predicted cash flow rate. This is because the business has not been able to keep a stable record of the time and number of customers who come and go from the Club. But the has started to release that without technology it would be very hard to cope with the expanding competition around the country and the world.
The types of customers targeted are spilt into 2 categories. Day time customers and Evening time customers. This is because since Hong Kong is a large low unemployment country customers, a majority male, will travel and work. This meaning that since the males or females who work will be off on their jobs there would be a less customers coming in at the day time. So the best thing to do is to target mostly house wives or else young adults. But in theory at the evening there would be more customers because the customers who arrive from their jobs normally tend to travel to a fitness club. Overall adults will the type of customers who would most likely attend the Fitness club.
Staff:
Staff
Role
Receptionist
The role of the receptionist is to welcome people into the fitness club and also take phone calls and entrance fees etc. The receptionist also checks members ID and handles the database to record the revenue coming into the business.
Instructors
The role of the instructors would be to train the members who preferred to have instructors rather than working out sole. Also the instructors would be trained in medical so they could aid people if a situation arises.
Managing Director
The role of the managing director is to run the day to day of the business this meaning he/she would motivate the employees and give feed back to the Board of Directors, and the managing director would receive feedback from different departments in the business and make decisions.
Cleaners
The cleaners have been contracted from a different business, this saves the hassle of employing individual cleaners by the business.
Accountants
Analysis of ordering system
When a member first enters the fitness club and wants to work out, the staff asks for the membership card, they identify the number from their notebook (which consists of the members name last name alphabetically and their membership number). Then the staff asks the member to fill out the table on their record book consisting of the Members name, membership number, time checked in and their signature. When the members finished, they sign-out and record their time on the book. Also the staff will collect the members card, and they give back to the member when they're done with they're work out.
Membership Form
Personal Information
Last Name: .......................................................................................
First Name: .......................................................................................
DOB: Day.................Month.................Year.................
Sex: Male Female
Home Telephone: ...............................................................................
Mobile: ...........................................................................................
Home Fax: .......................................................................................
Address: ..........................................................................................
District: ..........................................................................................
HK ID card # .....................................
Email Address: .................................................................................
Credit Card Information
Card No. : ..........-..........-.................
Expiry Date: Day.............Month...............Year................
Date: Day.............Month...............Year................
Signature: .....................................................................................
For Staff Use Only
Membership Number:.................................... Signature..........................
Fitness Course Form
Last Name: .......................................................................................
First Name: .......................................................................................
HK ID card # ..................................... (.....)
Home Telephone: ...............................................................................
Membership Number: ....................................
Data Started ......................................................................................
What type of work do you do? : ...............................................................
What Course would you prefer?
Aerobics Skiing Jogging Fitness Holiday Swimming
Beauty Course
Signature........................................................................................
How the information is recorded and kept
If a customer wants to join Exercisco Fitness Club, they would firstly have to complete the membership giving their personal information and their signature, then the staff at the fitness club would have to approve it and sign it showing it is alright for the customer to become a member, then this membership form is kept in a knew folder created for the member and stored in a cabinet, the file is labeled with the member's Last Name then First Name the staff then give the member a card which they write their name and membership number. After the customer has become and member and wants to take the fitness course which are supplied, they have to fill in the Course Form, which consists only of their name HK ID card number, phone number and their membership number, this is then checked by the staff to see what course the member would like to join, the member can hire a personal trainer if they prefer or work in group sessions. The Course form is kept in a different cabinet depending on the type of course chosen, in a file. But also there are stability test after each 2-3 sessions of the course to show if there are any signs of improvement from the member, these information sheets are kept with the course forms. As seen now the forms are kept in cabinets which are not safe, so it is really easy to vandalize the member personal information and course information.
Input
Processing
Output
Customer's Personal Information
Record the information on the member form and file it.
Customer gets membership and membership card
Staff cut out pictures from magazines, supporting a fitness club
They stick it on large posters, and make different sizes
Posters are produced different sizes but black and white.
Staff send order for new equipment if old is damaged or un-repairable
Supplier receives order and notes down the cost and the amount
The Fitness Club receives the stock of equipment and bill by mail.
Member gives information about which course preferred and to hire a trainer
The Fitness Club records the information and files it in a different cabinet from the personal information
A trainer is hired and the Member starts the course through the X number of weeks or days
Receipts
There are no receipts because the fitness club records all the times that members come in and out on the record book.
Stock Control
In Exercisco when a equipment is damaged or is not repairable then the Fitness club orders knew equipment by communicating with the supplier by telephone and notifying them out what kind of equipment is needed and when it is needed by. The staff will note down when the stock arrives and if it has arrived. But the bad point is that they can't pay the supplier or the supplier can't give them the bill straight away they have to either mail it or go straight to the supplier and give it to them face to face. Another bad point is that if they some how loose the paper where they had noted down the costs and the amount, and then they wouldn't be able to know how many their supposed to receive, and the cost of all of the equipment.
People Involved
The people involved with Exercisco fitness club are the staff firstly, then the suppliers. When talking about staff there are different types of staff because there are different jobs required for the fitness club. So there is a staff member at the counters noting down the members joining the members who check in and out to work out, the staff at the counter should be good at writing so the writing is clear and readable. Plus the staff member should be nice and friendly. And should have a good knowledge of where to put personal information and fitness course information. There is also a staff member taking care of the members he will look to make sure all the members are safe, sometimes more than one person observing, he is required to be strong so he can help members, and required to be good at First Aid. The supplier is an important source to Exerciso Fitness club because is it required to send any equipment when it is ordered from the Fitness club.
Analysis Finances
Record of Sales
In Exercisco Fitness Club, there are fixed costs for working out in the club. In the last 4 months of the business the sales have been recorded by each week so the business can get a clear understanding of how the sales have been going on and what downfalls there are. They record all the sales in a week onto a table, they do this by calculating the total number of members used the equipment and how many hours they had stayed in the club and how much the total cost is for that day, they combine this into the week and plot it on a paper. They keep this paper in a separate cabinet which is locked. After they have recorded the sales per week they then combine this into a month on a different table, they do the week sales because it shows more accuracy of which days there is a different number of sales for some specific reason.
Table of Sales per Week for the last 4 weeks on the first Month
No. of Weeks
No. of Members
No. of Hours
Total Cost
st Week
30
63
$1260
2nd Week
33
71
$1420
3rd Week
43
88
$1760
4th Week
40
81
$1620
TOTAL
46
303
$6000
Table of Sales for the last 4 months combined in one table
No. of Months
No. of Members
No. of Hours
Total Cost
st Month
46
303
$6,060
2nd Month
43
300
$6,000
3rd Month
39
314
$6,280
4th Month
50
280
$5,600
TOTAL
578
197
$23,940
Expenses
There are specific costs which the fitness club has to pay for, which are variable and fixed cost. Variable costs are costs which things needed, so if they business needs more pens or pencils then it will order them. Whilst fixed costs is costs like renting the fitness club area, so even if the fitness club is not receiving enough profit or cash flow they still have to pay the rent. Some other fixed costs are electricity bill, staff salaries per year, and also Exercisco fitness clubs hires mechanics to come in and check each equipment to make sure there is no damage so that the member will not be hurt in any way. Some variable costs are new equipment; this is a variable cost because the club will only purchase new equipment if the old is damaged or un-repairable. Also stationary which is used by staff to note down on paper and use pens etc. But the wages of staff is also a variable cost because they are paid monthly wages depending on how the business has done but the overall yearly wages is kept the same.
Forecasting of Profit/Loss
Exercisco currently records its Profit and Loss by doing a Cash Flow forecast; they can use this to predict if there is going to be any profit or loss in the net 12 months. The fitness club hires an accountant from an agency to produce the forecast, and show the fitness club, and then the fitness will know when they need to get an overdraft from the bank. An overdraft is a loan from the bank, but it is only borrowed when there is an emergency, and the club can tell the bank after reading the cash flow forecast when they need the overdraft. And an overdraft is a loan which is more than what is in our bank account, plus there is a much higher interest rate.
How the information is currently recorded and where it is kept
Exercisco first gathers all the bills received from renting agencies and the bills for the electricity from other electric supplier companies. Then the club gathers puts together the table about the record of sales and makes sure it is correct by counting the money received from the member. When the fitness club has produced the forecast sheet and all the fixed cost and variable costs, then they gather it together and produce a large file containing all the information related to finance. Exercisco first gathers all the bills received from renting agencies and the bills for the electricity from other electric supplier companies. Then the club gathers puts together the table about the record of sales and makes sure it is correct by counting the money received from the member. After all the information is gather into one file, it is stored in desk draw under the counter, this draw is locked, but can be very easily opened, so the security for this is not very good considering there are important facts and predictions about the business.
People Involved and their requirements
There are 2 types of people involved, the first one would be the staff member or manager who records the sales and expenses this person is required to properly record it on to a book when each member pays for the time they have spent using the equipment. The second type of person would be the accountant who is hired by the club from a firm, this accountant is required to collect the sales and expenses from the staff member and predict a cash flow forecast and show the manager, so they can have a clear knowledge of where there has to be action take.
Input, Processing, Output
Input
Processing
Output
Accountant is given information about sales and expenses
Accountant constructs an cash flow forecast
The cash flow forecast is shown to the club and there is an understanding of when to take action
Analysis of Advertising
How the business advertises
Exercisco Fitness club uses 3 different types of ways to advertise. Firstly they use newspaper to advertise they do this by writing what they want on the ad in the newspaper; they do not do this by computer because they don't have the technology yet. Another way the advertise is by cutting out pictures and hiring an typist to produce written work and produce a brochure suitable for their business, they also hire people to give these brochure type advertisements out on the streets, yet they know that people barely read them and normally just throw it in the bin, or on the floor, so this is bad for the environment because it creates litter. And the last way the club advertises is by hiring a company to create posters and stick them around building walls so people become aware of it, yet this is also harming the environment and barely people read it, considering Hong Kong is a very busy place and people have no time to read a poster on a wall.
People Involved and their requirements
There is only really one type of person involved and this would be the staff because they are the ones who create the poster, but there is also the poster hire company and they have requirements, these are that the poster is suitable for the business but they should also be attractive so people would be able to read it. Also the poster hire company is required to create the poster in the amount of time allocated to them and they should send the bill for the cost of their work only after the work is complete.
Analysis of Communication
How the business communicates
Exercisco communicates with its members and the supplier mostly by telephone. But for members the club is more likely to send a newsletter by mail instead of calling up, but if the customer hasn't paid the bill for their working out for a long period of time then the club will attempt to communicate with them vocally. But for suppliers when making an order the club sends a letter by mail with all the demands and the supplier most likely will reply with the date it will arrive and the cost to be ready when the equipment is delivered. These ways used by Exercisco are accurate as in they state the exact information needed for the member or supplier but it is time consuming whilst technology can increase the speed much more rapidly.
People Involved and their requirements
There are 2 types of people involved in communication; these are the club itself and the suppliers. The club is required to send newsletters to all its members about any up coming events or any new course, equipment arriving etc. The club should also be required to send it to the right addresses so the mail doesn't get lost. The supplier is required to reply to the mail order received by the club.
Flow Diagram
Areas to develop in terms of ICT
Problems
Improvements
Orders
* The security for the membership forms is quite low
* The members have to come to the fitness club to become a member
* The club might not be able to send its orders to its suppliers
* The suppliers might not be able to receive the orders and there might be a delay
* The club could use database to keep all the member's personal and course information
* They club can use email to send orders to the suppliers, this is faster and more efficient
Finance
* The record of sales could be wrong because of miss calculation
* The source where the information is recorded might be lost
* The staff might be able to give the right sales/expenses to the accountant to create a forecast
* The security for the information is very low
* They could use excel to figure out the record of sales and plot suitable graphs to show any profit or loss
* This would prevent them from hiring an accountant and saving money from this
* The security is high
Communication
* There might be a bad connection on the phone line so the orders to suppliers wouldn't be clear
* The letter order may not reach the supplier in time for the equipment to be sent and received
* The Club might not be able to complete all its newsletters for members
* The most reliable way to communicate is by email, because they can send straight and exact orders instantly
* They club can send email newsletters to its members, which would save paper and time
Advertise
* Normally people ignore all the brochure and poster type advertisements, because Hong Kong is a busy place
* People normally throw brochures on the floor, producing litter and harming the environment
* The best type of advertisement would be to use the internet
* The club could save time by creating adverts on Coral Draw/ ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
* The most reliable way to communicate is by email, because they can send straight and exact orders instantly
* They club can send email newsletters to its members, which would save paper and time
Advertise
* Normally people ignore all the brochure and poster type advertisements, because Hong Kong is a busy place
* People normally throw brochures on the floor, producing litter and harming the environment
* The best type of advertisement would be to use the internet
* The club could save time by creating adverts on Coral Draw/ and putting it on their website.
Design Brief
In the design stage there will be a use of different methods to present the problems and how these problems can be solved, there must be a variety of problems plus a variety of different solutions, and then there will be a selection of one solution best to solve the specified problem. There will also a majority of tables showing each problem and how it has effect the company, and this table will also include the solution, the specification will identify why each solution can be used giving various reasons, and how it will benefit the business or make it better than it was before Information Technology was introduced.
Implementation is the next crucial step when designing the new system for the business some examples that need to be installed are: writing programs, purchasing hardware + software, writing user documentation, testing the system using the test plan, installing networks, training staff
Another method of presenting the specification is by testing it and evaluating the solution, this would show an understanding if the solution will be fail free and/or cause more problems than before information technology is introduced to the business. Evaluating the system is important for the system because this would give knowledge of if the system is working properly and easy to use to the business, this can only be done after the system has been tested, plus the evaluation process sees if the system as met the requirements set by the client. The evaluation process also shows if the system can be developed or improved further and if it needs any modifying. It is actually just another form of re-analyzing meaning starting the same process all over again.
Membership system
* The customers can only obtain a membership form from the club and is handwritten, therefore unclear
* Detect invalid data for membership forms
* Record of membership information
* Printing invoices
Finances
* Calculation of record of sales
* Record of Finances
* Back up of financial files
Communication
* Bad connection on phone line so orders to suppliers will not be clear
* Newsletter to members
* Fast and efficient way of communication
* Letters can't be made for individual members, easily and fast.
Advertising
* People normally ignore brochures and posters
* No new forms of advertising only paper based
* Formatting pictures for advertisements
* The advertisements are normally black and white when photo-copied
Security
* The security for membership and financial information is low
* Accessibility of data in the company
Problem: The customers can only obtain a membership form from the club and is handwritten, therefore unclear
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Database
Databases can produce suitable fields (which the business inputs) which can be then produced into forms, these forms can be formatted in a large amount. Because they can change appearance to be attractive and databases also allow drop down lists to be available so that it form can be a closed question, for instants when asking for the Gender the drop down list could be Male and Female, this would help the customer from limiting them to typing the word, which they could produce typing errors on. Databases can use validation for checking the correct type of database terms.
The disadvantage of using databases to produce forms is that it is time consuming because you would first have to create the create the different types of fields suitable for the form, then you would have to allocate it to the type of database term it needs to be e.g. TEXT or Numbers or Boolean. This is a factor of time which the business might lack to have since it wants more members to join in a short period of time. It can't really be created into a hard copy form because of the drop down lists.
Word process forms
Word processing has some advantages which might benefit the company in different ways; this is that when creating a form it is really easy to create because it doesn't need any specific terms or functions. The customer can just type what they preferred in the lines that are created for them. Also a good feature of word processing is that it can add logos underneath the writing, the company's logo can be merged into the form and this would be show the logo easily without wasting space.
But there are a number of disadvantages for word processing these are: Word processing is only really for hard copy forms so this wouldn't solve the problem of the customers coming to the fitness club to participate in being a member. Also the customer can write what ever they want and in tick boxes they can tick all the boxes etc. also word processing is very plain and is not a good attractive type of form which people would like to fill in.
Website
The advantage to websites is that the company can create a website and put the forms there so people can print the form and fill it in there and mail the form to the fitness club. They can access the form from they're home which is efficient plus internet is 24 hours on so they can obtain the form at any time preferred.
The disadvantage is that the form might not appear on the website because of some error with the customer's internet settings etc. Also if the form is very large in size it might take a long time to load therefore the customer will think it wouldn't load and leave the website.
Final Solution:
After confirming the advantages and disadvantages of the membership forms, it has come to a firm understand that Database should be used to create forms with Booleans and drop down boxes, this form must not be large in size meaning no pictures and not that much color, a website will be created containing the form, because website is 24 hours so it can accessed any where, so customers can join at anytime and: The form shouldn't be large in size so customers can load the form quickly without any errors form the website. For databases the software that should be used it Microsoft Access, and for creating a website the software that best portrays the quality demanded by members is Dream weaver.
Problem: Detect invalid data for membership forms
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Data validation
There is less chance of making typing errors as the computer checks all your data for you, and you do not have to look through the document so carefully for errors, therefore this is a timesaver. Validation can be used in a database, where you set up the fields in a database so that only certain information can be entered. It's a check by the actual computer program and makes sure that the data is allowable.
The rules for data validation e.g. Text can only be typed in this field, can take time to program into the system. Another important disadvantage is that it only checks if the right type of database terms are in the write place, it doesn't check for typing errors completely.
Data verification
The advantages of verification are that data is less likely to be inaccurate. For many companies such as banks, data being accurate is crucial. Being accurate is crucial.
A big set back for data verification is that it does take time to check all the data, and in cases such as having two people entering the data, this is using another person that could be doing other more important work, and two wages need to be paid which would lose money.
Input Masks
They allow data to be entered quickly; you would not have to keep pressing the shift key for capital letters if you set up input masks to capitalize in certain places. All of the data will be accurate and consistent, providing you set up the input masks correctly, as the input masks will make sure that all of the data is the same.
When entering names, you could set it up so that the first letter of the 1st name and the 1st letter of the surname are capitalized. However when it comes to names such as McHugh, the check would not allow the third letter of this name to be capitalized.
Final Solution:
After analyzing the advantages and the disadvantages for the 2 solutions it has come to knowledge that the best solution for detecting invalid data would be Data validation, this solution is chosen as the final solution because it has more advantages e.g. time saving, which the business would need because if there are a large number of member it would be crucial for the business to produce the membership files, after checking for errors, as soon as possible, because the members would then be able to attend the fitness club. Also humans make sure they don't make typing errors because they are normally skilled in typing and can pinpoint their typing errors.
Problem: Record of membership information
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Database
Database has a large amount of advantages, which are that it can create the forms and therefore if it did it would be easy for it to record the number of members plus a good feature is that it can make queries and which will show if the members have paid they're money for the visit to the club, also database can search the member by typing its name and seeing for instant what types of courses the member has chosen to participate in.
The most common disadvantage of databases is the time. Formatting the fields and arranging the information in an orderly manner takes a large amount of time, the business might be able to spare this time if it hires computer technicians to work to produce it as soon as possible.
Spreadsheets
These is a good way of recording membership information because it would store them safely in the computer and also. Spreadsheets can also calculate the number of members in the company, if they have paid or not also it can produce charts showing the different number of members per month and if there has been a change.
Spread sheets has some important disadvantages, which are that spreadsheets is only really for numerical information not for TEXT, also it can't show if the member has had any change after doing the course they have chosen.
Paper based
Paper based record of information is good for the business because there are no need to buy computer because it is only using paper and pen, plus it is fast, so all the information about members and they're course choices can be written down and stored easily.
There are a large number of disadvantages, these are that there might be errors which would be bad for the business because it would show wrong information about the member, and also there paper with the information can be very easily lost therefore loosing valuable information.
Final Solution:
After going through the different types of advantages and disadvantages of the different solutions it has come to understanding that the most suitable type of membership recording system would be the Databases, this is because it would be easy to create a form from database therefore there would be no need to extracting the information from the database, instead the information can be processed and kept as tables with different fields relating to the form. This would be efficient because it is saving time for the business whilst the membership recording system in paper based would be out of hand because of so many forms. The hardware needed for this is a computer. The software that will be used for this is Microsoft Access.
Problem: Printing invoices
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Laser Printer
When using laser printer are specific advantages, which are as follows: Hardcopy has better resolution. Text, axis and tick labels on the laser printer can include in-line Greek and math characters as well as superscripts and subscripts. There are several fonts available on the laser printer, such as Helvetica, Courier, bold, italic, oblique, etc., and switching between fonts (even within a single line of text) is easy. Also fast laser printers can print 30 pages per minute.
There are specific disadvantages of a laser printer. These are as follows; the laser printer is very big so it is considered a bulk item if the business wants buy a laser printer it would cost more than normal printers. The laser printer can't do multiple printing using multiple papers. It takes time to scan the drum.
Ink Jet
One of the biggest advantages of Ink Jet printing is the numerous substrates and applications that it is being used for. In the wide format and graphics area, Ink Jet printers are being used for a wide range of things such as; posters, signs, billboards, fleet graphics, and backlit applications. It can also be transferred using Dye sublimation onto textiles, films, laminates, banner materials, etc.
Bubble Jet
There are specific advantages with Bubble Jet printers, these are that the printer is very quite when it is in motion because there is not contact at the print head. They are good for printing documents with extensive graphics. It has a printing speed of 600 characters per second.
There are some disadvantages of bubble jet printers are as follows: the printer doesn't permit multiple copies in a single printing process. A large amount of time is needed to store the whole line. The price of an ink jet printer is quite high compared to a normal printer's cost.
Dot Matrix Printer
Some advantages of Dot Matrix Printer are as follows: Can print graphics and a variety of fonts. Capable of high resolution--300 dpi or more .Paper input is usually continuous-feed; good for printing graphics
There are some disadvantages of dot matrix printers which should be known, they are as follows: Impact printing produces output which is below the quality of inkjet and laser printers. Printer ribbons dry out and have to be changed a lot. Higher-quality inkjet printers available for nearly the same price. The Dot Matrix printer is Slow compared to inkjets and laser printers.
Final Solution:
After analyzing the different types of printers, it is most likely that the Laser printer is the best type of printer to print invoices, for the business because it can print at a very high speed plus it can produce high quality graphics and pictures on the same page. They also contain fonts inside the ROM this meaning they can print with getting the information from the CPU and this increasing the speed of the printing and the computer.
Problem: Calculation of record of sales
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Spread sheets
It would be suitable to use spreadsheets for calculation of record of sales because, the sales is normally numbers and spreadsheets function well on numbers they can calculate different sums and find the average and do the mean, plus the spread sheets has different features also, it can create graphs which would show if there was an increase or decrease in sales in the last month or longer.
So far there are no real disadvantages of using a spreadsheet for calculations of record of sales. But a small disadvantage is that the business might need to train its staff to know how to use the system.
Hire accountant
Hiring an accountant is a good way to find out different types of information concerning the sales record. The accountant firm can calculate all the needed increase or decrease in sales plus they can calculate the costs therefore understanding if there has been any profits or losses. The accountant can create a cash flow forecast which is a prediction of what sales the business will have or loose in the next 12 months or more or less.
The most common disadvantage of hiring an accountant is that it would cost a lot, as know the cost of hiring an accountant is a lot considering they create a large number of information suitable for the company.
Manually
Calculating the record of sales manually as in doing it by staff is an advantage because it saves a large amount of money because then the business doesn't have to hire anyone do the calculations. Plus it is paper based so it is easy to write because typing takes more time than writing. So it would be faster and would save time so the business can get the information and understand what it has to do to change the sales (if wanted)
This is a large number of disadvantages, these are that there might be miss calculations therefore the information given to the manager about the sales would be wrong. Also since the record of sales would be on paper it would be very easy to loss therefore having to do the record of sales again.
Final Solution:
After seeing the different types of solution it has come to picture that the most suitable solution for the Calculation of record of sales is Spreadsheets, this is because it is cheap to install into the computer, plus the software needed for the spreadsheet is Microsoft Excel. Spreadsheets doesn't need any hired professionals the business can train its staff to operate it.
Problem: Record of Finances
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Spread Sheets
Spread sheets are useful for record of finances because they keep them in a suitable way, this meaning they keep it in an orderly manner. Also the spreadsheets can calculations. This means that it can calculate different sums for example average, so it can find the average number of sales, but also it can find the total number of sales.
The disadvantage, there are no big disadvantages because finances is normally recorded as numbers and spreadsheets were made for numbers. But if for instant the business wanted to find out how many sales it had received on 21st of November, it would have to do different sums just to get to that part.
Databases
A database it quite useful for recording financial information because the different types of costs or revenue can be recorded easily and also queries can be made so they can find out how much revenue was received for a specific day or if the business is has a creditor it has not paid back.
Probably the most common disadvantage of using databases for recording financial information is that, the business has to create different fields, this is categorized as the time consuming.
Monthly report
This is a good way of recording financial information because it shows the business exactly how the business is doing. Plus it will be able to give clear information about any improvements and it can also supply a graph to show any increase or decrease in revenue.
There are some disadvantages; well there are actually no important disadvantages. But some minor set backs are that there could be no knowledge of each day, only maybe a week. So this wouldn't show the full detailed record of sales.
Final Solution:
After analyzing all 3 solutions it has come to knowledge that 2 solutions are suitable for the system, these 2 are databases and monthly report this is because databases can store/record the financial information in an orderly manner and they can create forms or types of forms where monthly records can be inputted. After the databases have recorded all the financial information a monthly report can be produced. For databases I will use Microsoft Access and for the report as well
Problem: Back up of financial files
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Create backup files on different computer
There are some advantages of creating backup files for business information. Using the computer, files can be done fast and if there is any damage to the system and the current file is deleted, the back up file can just be transferred from the computer efficiently to the computer.
There are no crucial disadvantages of creating back up files on different computers to back up the important business files.
Photo-copy files
Photo-copying important information for the business is a good and cheap way to back up files, if some how the files are lost or hazard has occurred the back up file can replace it easily. Also the photo-coped file can stay in a safer place for instants in someone's house
There are some disadvantages of photo coping files, this is that if the photo copied files are lost then there would be no back up for the existing files. Plus when photo-coping sometimes some part of the coping is not done well so there might be crucial information lost because of photo coping.
Back up on CD-ROM
Using Compact Disk to back up existing files has a lot of advantages, the CD-ROM has a large amount of space so it can store large amounts of valuable information, plus the CD-ROM is compact and so it can be carried around and used on any computer to access the existing business files.
There are some crucial disadvantages which should be known. The Compact disc is very fragile this meaning that it is even scratched then it will not be able to function on the computer and if might even harm the computer if attempted. If the business wants to use CD-ROM's they need to get a CD writer or they will not be able to get the files onto the CD.
Back up on Floppy disk
Using a floppy disk for backing up of business files is a good idea because the floppy disk is quite compact and if it is dropped it will not damage the disk therefore not loosing any information, also the floppy disk is normally made so storing files on Microsoft Word.
Floppy disks have a small amount of space which limits them from keeping large graphical information which a CD can. Also a important factor is that floppy disk's might contain virus from other computers so it might harm the computer
Final Solution:
After seeing the different solutions it has come to knowledge that the most suitable ways of backing up files is by Creating back up files on different computers and also using CD-ROM because then if the computer is harmed in any way there is another computer, but if there is a virus in the network and files are lost, there is the CD-ROM which has the back up files. So the business has to think of buying a CD-Writer
Problem: Bad connection on phone line so orders to suppliers will not be clear
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Direct Mail
There are a number of advantages for sending information of suppliers, via direct mail. This is because it can be made confidential so it doesn't have to go through any special checks. Also direct mail can state the exact equipment wanted by the business so the supplier can know what to get, whilst in a phone the supplier might for to send a type of supply needed by the business
The disadvantages of direct mail include: relatively high cost per contact,
obtaining updated, accurate mailing lists and difficulty in getting the
Audience's attention. Plus it can be delayed for some reason so the order will not effectively reach the supplier and the supplies will not reach the Business in time.
Email
There are a large number of advantages when using email to send information across. These are that the information will reach the supplier plus exact information can be sent because all is typed up. Plus it saves money for the company because it is cheap whilst other direct mail is costly.
One of the biggest disadvantages of email is the capability for misunderstanding. Email has some other disadvantages as well. It can be used to talk to more than one person at a time, but the means for doing so can be a bit cumbersome. At its core, email is a one - to - one communication medium. Email requires active participation. The supplier has to check their email to get messages. If the supplier doesn't check their email, they will never know that somebody has contacted them.
Instant messaging/Chat
There are different advantages of chat, these are as follows: Interactive dialog may be established between multiple users. Conversation may be saved for review at later time. The cost is relatively low.
Some disadvantages of chat or instant messaging are that: chat offers no record of the transaction. Chat requires that both parties be using Internet connected computers at the same time. If all interested parties are not using the same protocol, they may not be able to connect.
Final Solution:
The best possible way to communicate with supplier is by EMAIL because it is fast and not expense plus the user that has received the message doesn't have to be connected to the internet to receive it
Problem: Newsletter to members
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Email
One of the main advantages of email newsletters is that they will reach the target audience/end user for a fraction of the cost of their traditional equivalents. It saves time and money by allowing customer-reach in a short period of time and thus ensuring timely delivery of information.
One of the biggest disadvantages of email is the capability for misunderstanding. Email has some other disadvantages as well. It can be used to talk to more than one person at a time, but the means for doing so can be a bit cumbersome. At its core, email is a one - to - one communication medium. Email requires active participation. The member has to check their email to get messages. If the member doesn't check their email, they will never know that somebody has contacted them.
Website
Using websites to portray newsletters is an effective way of showing the newsletters because then the member would just have to go onto the site and then they can read the newsletter they wouldn't have to move from they're seats. Plus they can also see different pictures which email has to send by attachments.
The main disadvantage of using website to show newsletters is, the member will never know if there is a newsletter on the website or not. Another is that if there are graphics or unknown fonts then the customer would have to download them, and normal they would not download
Direct Mail
There are a number of advantages for sending information of suppliers, via direct mail. This is because it can be made confidential so it doesn't have to go through any special checks. Also direct mail can state the exact information needed by the business so the member read the newsletter.
Some disadvantages of direct mail for sending newsletters to members, which are that it would be expensive sending it to all the members, plus it is not as fast whilst email can reach the member instantly, it can also be lost or miss-placed by the post office.
Final Solution:
It has been found that the most suitable type of newsletter to members would be the website because members who don't have email can access it easily but it shouldn't consist of unknown fonts or large graphics. Website will be created by dream weaver
Problem: Letters can't be made for individual members, easily and fast.
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Type Writer
Type writes were a commonly used form of typing letters, this is because they are very simply and easy to use, so thus staff for the business do not need any specific training which would cost them extra money, plus type writers can produce straight and fast typing this meaning that a letter can be typed much faster than a computer Microsoft Word, which would have to wait for the printing.
Are a fairly large number of disadvantages of using type writers, this include that if there is a typing error a whole new piece of paper needs to be use and also this is wasting time because they would have to start from be beginning. Plus type-writers are not as available in the market as they were supposedly 15 years ago.
Advertising Agency
There are several advantages of hiring a advertising agency, these include the agency will do all the work, they just need the client to make sure it is suitable for the company, so relating to letters the agency can type different advertisements to different members depending on they're course these letters could include the name of the member, they're type of course and if there are any new extension courses related to the course chosen by the member.
One of the most important or in other words common, would be the cost, it would cost a large amount of money because the agency is conduct the whole advertisement this meaning it would have to get the pictures and do the formatting.
Mail Merge
This type of letter producing has a large number of advantages, which are as follows: if databases are using the mail merge can be used and if wanting to send a letter mail merge can make sure that the letter is same to every member BUT the name at the top of each letter would be different, there could be basic information which could be the same whilst the specific information to specific members would be different, this is an advantage because the database can send the information of the name and course information, and this can be inputted into a letter and sent to all the members.
Some disadvantages to mail merge is that if there is not data base mail merge can't be used, this leading on the other disadvantage which is that database systems have to set up and different queries have to be set up, this is type consuming.
Final Solution:
After reading the different types of solutions it has come to a clear picture that since it is a modern world and type writers are not used that frequently, Mail Merge is the most suitable type of system for creating letters to individual members. The software needed for this to be operated would be Microsoft word for producing the mail merge letters and Microsoft Access for storing the member's personal and course information.
Problem: Fast and efficient way of communication
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Telephone
Using the telephone to communicate through out the country is a fast and efficient way because this is a form of voice communication also people can be reached from anywhere if they have a mobile which a majority of the people in the country has. Also by telephone the person can know immediately if they have reached the person they are calling, whilst mail the person who sent it doesn't know if it has reached there yet.
A disadvantage unless the individuals have previously made arrangements to converse at a specific time, the receiver may find the timing of the call awkward. Telephone calls are often inconvenient for the receivers, who were probably already busy doing something when their phones ring. Graphical information can't be sent.
Email
Email is quite an efficient way communicating fast and efficiently, because the sender can send a email and receiver will be able to receive it instantly so this not only saves time but saves money because email are quite cheap to use. Plus emails can send attachments these attachments can contain information from word processed to databases, plus the email can state different information and it is normally saved so the receiver can view it any time they prefer
Probably the most common disadvantage is that if the receiver doesn't log onto his/her email they will never know if they have received the email from anyone.
Instant messaging/Chat
Chat or instant messaging as a number of advantages, this is because they can arrange a live meeting meaning they can talk or chat over the internet about anything and also the information can be recorded and previewed. Also a good function of instant messaging, only some companies is they can voice communicate so this can take the place of a telephone, and chatting is not as expensive as direct mail or overseas phone calls
Some Disadvantages of instant messaging or chat are as follows: Traditional reference interviews not possible given terse nature of responses. No non-verbal cues available (body language, other visual/auditory cues).
Final Solution:
After analyzing the different types of communications which would give fast and efficient contact amongst people. It has come to picture that the best type of communication would be Email because it has much more advantages then the others plus it has only one disadvantages, most likely the receiver will check his email because if people have emails they are more like to frequently check it unless it is not they're important email address. Software will be email.
Problem: People normally ignore brochures and posters
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Newspaper
Newspaper advertising has several advantages for
Businesses. An advertiser has flexibility in terms of ad size and Placement within the newspaper. Exposure to the ad is not limited, so readers
Can take their time with your message. Short deadlines permit quick response
To changing market conditions. Newspapers permit an advertiser to reach a large number of people within a
Specified geographic area.
Disadvantages of newspaper advertising include: declining readership and market penetration, ad space can be
Expensive, clutter of competitive advertising and a relatively short life-span (newspapers are typically read once, then discarded), thus requiring multiple insertions.
Webpage
Some advantages of web page advertising are, there is a world wide audience, proactive and also it is economical meaning it doesn't cost as much to advertise for 24 hours a day. It can be changed and updated when ever pleased; also it can expand when preferred. Also a important advantage includes errors being corrected easily and efficiently
So far there are no important disadvantages but one minor set back could be that if the webpage if not updated then it is considered by the "Cyber World" to be dead. Also if the graphics of the adverts are too large customers won't bother waiting for them to load up.
Television
Television provides a means for reaching a great number of people in a short period of time. An additional advantage is its ability to convey your message with sight, sound and motion.
The disadvantages of television advertising are: relatively higher cost - both the terms of airtime and production, limited length of exposure, short airtime. Television ads may require multiple exposures to achieve message retention and consumer action. Also, many commercials are considered intrusive, prompting viewers to switch channels to avoid them.
Final Solution:
The 3 different solutions have different points of view, some are good for large amounts of people, but probably the best way to advertise is by webpage because it can be accessible from any where any time, which a newspaper or television lacks, because in a television there are only periods of time where the advertisement will appear, yet it will grab a large majority of the population but it will not be available world wide, which the web page advertisement will be. The software used for web pages will be dream weaver
Problem: No new forms of advertising only paper based
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Radio
Some advantages of radio are as follows: It can reach almost every citizen in a society, at any time, anywhere - and involve anyone (even the illiterate), anywhere. Radio is the cheapest electronic media of all, both on the transmitter and the receiver side. The radio listener is not fixed in front of a screen, like while watching television. This means that the listening can be done while doing practical things, moving around, but still with high concentration.
The disadvantages of radio are: an advertiser is limited to an audio message so there is no visual product or service identification, ad clutter can be high and exposure to the message is short and fleeting. Multiple exposures may be required for message retention and consumer action. Also, listeners may change stations to avoid commercials.
Internet pop ups
Internet pop up have a fair amount of advantages, this including that a large amount of people will be able to view them, if they go to a specific site the advert will pop up and it will be attractive to them because it is the first thing that is on the screen the webpage is behind them. Internet pop ups can give links to the web page so people can be aware of this.
But a most common disadvantage would be that people are annoyed by pop ups they normally just close them because they believe it is useless, because it slows them down from viewing they're webpage wanted. Some customers might close the pop up before it has even finished loading.
Webpage advertisements
Some advantages of web page advertising are, there is a world wide audience, proactive and also it is economical meaning it doesn't cost as much to advertise for 24 hours a day. It can be changed and updated when ever pleased; also it can expand when preferred. Also a important advantage includes errors being corrected easily and efficiently
Some disadvantages of web page advertisements are that people would not want to wait if the site has to download different types of fonts or large graphics
Television
The advantages of television include mass coverage throughout the world, re-play of programming and advertising, viewing flexibility (time and place), and prestige. ("I saw it on television" gives any statement interest and oftentimes validity).
The disadvantages of television are that the message is costly, and the message is temporary. Furthermore, television cannot be selective so that advertising and programs are sent to all audiences and cannot target specified groups.
Final Solution:
After reading through the different types of non-paper based advertisements, it has come to knowledge regarded cost and exposure the most suitable type of non-paper based communication would be Web pages, this is because 1. It is not paper based in any way, but people can print out the advertisements if they would like to. 2. Web pages can give all different types of graphics and colors which paper based advertisements might lack, or use up too much color ink. 3. It is much cheaper then producing paper-based adverts such as billboards which people ignore and therefore is a waste of money. The software that will be used is Dream Weaver and Coral Draw to produce web page advertisements.
Problem: Formatting pictures for advertisements
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Cut and paste
There are some advantages of cutting pictures from magazine and producing different types of designs onto paper and then scanning them into a computer, or the pictures can just be pasted onto paper and designed as a poster or brochure/leaflet type. This also has advantages which include that the pictures from magazines are clear and it is quite fast just to cut and paste onto paper so it saves times and money.
There are a lot of disadvantages of cutting and pasting pictures onto paper, these are that the cutting is not always perfect and also when sticking on it doesn't give a good impression because it looks like things were just slopped on in no orderly manner, plus it doesn't look attractive.
Desktop publishing
There is more control over the way text is arranged and formatted. DTP can be used to bring lots of different files together on the same document. You can import images into a DTP document from a scanner, graphics from a drawing package, frames from a video camera and text from a word processor. Desk Top Publishing (DTP) packages are used to produce high quality documents without going to a professional printer. DTP can be used to produce pages that combine text and pictures for leaflets, posters or magazines.
Some disadvantages of desk top publishing are that it is quite complicating. Also since it is complicating the business has to train its staff to operate it, which costs money.
Pictures from internet
Pictures from the internet are very useful because they can give clear picture, they can be formatted to different sizes and shapes but considering what format the picture is. Also pictures from the internet are cheap whilst you have to buy magazines and cut pictures out of it, after the pictures are cut the magazines are no use, whilst pictures can be changed in appearance and color if obtained from the internet and they can be produced hundreds of times.
Some disadvantages of using pictures from the internet are that if there a specific format e.g. Jpeg is it hard to covert them into a vector format so if the size is increase too much then the picture will not look good and will have jagged edges. Plus pictures from the internet can't be but in different types of layouts as in newsletter layouts because they would have to change the appearance which is time consuming.
Final Solution:
After analyzing the different types of picture formatting it has coming to knowledge that the most suitable type of picture formatting and producing adverts would be desk top publishing this is because Desk Top Publishing has control over picture and therefore pictures from the internet should be used, and then they will be imported into Desk Top Publish and formatted there.
Problem: The advertisements are normally black and white when photo-copied
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Photo-copy in color
This is a large number of advantages because it can easily print color adverts which would look good and it works a lot like a printer because it has fast printing systems. Also it can print mass production of copies, therefore there can be a large number of advertisements to be given out in public and they would be attractive because the public would get color copies whilst other adverts would be black and white.
The most common disadvantage of this would be the cost, because it is normally 3 times the cost of photo copying black and white.
Pictures from the internet
There are several advantages for obtaining pictures from the internet, this because there are varieties of pictures normally color based, these pictures are good because they can work at 256 color format, this means that there would be 256 different types of colors whilst black and white lack this because they have only 2 colors black and white.
But there are specific set backs which can limit them from being used and formatted instead of black and white, this include that they might be in a different format so they would have to be formatted. Also when talking about formatting if the picture is wanted to be changed in size they would have to change the picture type e.g. from Jpeg to Vector picture type
Print in color
Printing in color is a good solution, because then advertisements would colorful and therefore more attractive. Color printers e.g. Ink Jet printers can be used these printers have a good advantage because they use over 256 colors so they can print very efficiently without making a black or white spots plus they work at a very fast speed of 600 dots per second or more.
Some disadvantages are that this can't be printed in mass production because the ink will eventually run out. So this is quite a big set back.
Final Solution:
After analyzing the 3 types of solutions to solve the black and white advertisements, it has come to a stable understanding that most preferred type of solution would be the Printing in Color from a printer, because even thought it might take longer it is less costly compared to photo-copying in color. The hardware needed for this would be probably Laser Jet Printers.
Problem: The security for membership and financial information is low
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
Password on computer
This is quite a useful type of security because it would make sure that only people who know the password could log on to the computer and access the files, this is also good because only staff would know it, and therefore they can modify the files.
Some disadvantage are that the staff might tell the password to their friends who would then have access to the whole system and could benefit from this, staff may forget the password easily.
Locked Cabinets
Using cabinets for storing files for security is quite a good way of making sure the files are kept safe because then they might no be damaged because they're in a cabinet whilst in a computer the person can vandalize the computer therefore limiting access to the important files.
There are a large number of disadvantages, these include that if there is any hazard then there is no way of getting the files back if they are not backed up. Plus files can be lost if kept in cabinet because the business might forget which cabinet it has kept the files in.
Anti-virus software
Anti-virus software checks your system for the presence of viruses and deletes them if found. Anti-virus software makers constantly update their databases as new viruses are discovered. Anti-virus software is a vital tool. Anti-virus software is a good tool to locate and delete computer viruses from your system As rule anti-virus software is easy to use. Most anti-virus software makers update their virus databases so their users can protect themselves against the latest viruses.
Most do not specialize in Trojan horses. Databases used by anti-virus software contain only a few Trojans. Anti-virus software can't protect your computer from Internet attacks because the software doesn't include the analysis and monitoring of your network connections.
Final Solution:
After analyzing the different types of security system it has come to a clear understanding that Passwords to lock computers should be used so that anyone trying to delete the files would not be able to access the system. But also anti-virus should be used because then it would defend the system from being attacked by a virus and also make sure any files received don't contain hacker systems so hackers won't be able to get into the system and vandalize the important business information.
Problem: Accessibility of data in the company
Solution
Advantages
Disadvantages
LAN connection on computers
This is a very good way of making access around the company of the data around the company because they would let the whole company be able to access the data even at the same time, also they can modify it and it would not affect the files in anyway.
So far there are no important set back to using LAN connection to access the data of the company.
Manually
This has advantages because the staff would just have to ask the manager of the files to record/add or modify the files manually without having to log onto a computer which would take more time.
There are some disadvantages of this because the staff might not be able to obtain the file; they would have to have their passes to get in contact with the files.
CD-ROM
The advantages of using CD rom to access data of the system are as follows, this would it is cheap; to use also it can store different amounts of data because it has a large capacity. Also it is quite fast; therefore if anyone wants to access the data of the company (stored inside the CD-ROM) they can access it efficiently and fast without any "lag". Plus CD-ROM have control of all the content that means the data can be controlled from the CD without having to access the computer files, just opening up the CD-ROM
Some disadvantages of CD-Rom are that the maintenance cost of the hardware and software are expensive. It is slow at upgrading, so it would be a time factor. And it has quite a limited access of the data.
Final Solution:
After looking through the different types of solutions to the problem of accessibility of data in the company. It has come to a good understanding that LAN connection should be used for access because then every staff can access the data and modify the part; they need to relate to their jobs. Plus alternate or individual staff accounts can be made. This is a benefit because the manager can communicate easily with individual staff and also groups of staffs.
Advantages of Database
The software used to produce a suitable database is Microsoft Access. This software is used because it consists of all the database functions thus giving clear access to storage of information. Also the software allows the users to control different incoming data and alter it to produce forms, reports etc.
Tables
Tables are used in Database to collect and store data in a orderly manner, tables need to be used because when a field is put in Microsoft analyzes the data and puts in the appropriate format, the format can be altered depending on the field this can be don manually. It is possible to use make-table queries to archive old records, to make backup copies of tables, to select a group of records to export to another database, or to use as a basis for reports that display data from a specific time.
Data Relationship
In Microsoft access, the database lets the user have One to Many or Many to Many or One to one relationship of their tables, this is useful because then the table data can be gathered and used in different functions e.g. queries, forms, reports to display information from several tables at once.
Forms
A form is a type of a database object that is primarily used to enter or display data in a database. Forms can be used as a custom dialog box that accepts user input and carries out an action based on the input. These are useful because they can easily collect the data and transfer it to the table in View Form, this would let the user see the different types of data and this data inputted from the form can be used in reports and queries.
Queries
Queries are used to view, change, and analyze data in different ways. It can also be used as a source of records for forms, reports. There are several types of queries in Microsoft Access.
Data Dictionary
Field Name
Data Type
Format
Description
First Name
Text
30 Characters
This is the First Name of the Member
Last Name
Text
30 Characters
This is the Last Name of the Member
Date of Birth
Date/Time
Short Date
This is the Date of Birth of the Member
Sex
Boolean
M/F
This is the Gender of the Member
Home Telephone
Number
Auto Number
This is the Home Contact number of the Member
Mobile
Number
Auto Number
This is the personal Mobile Number of the Member
Address
Text
50 Characters
This is the Home address of the Member
District
Boolean
Hong Kong/Kowloon/ New Territories
This is the District which the Member lives
HK ID Card#
Number
Auto Number
The Hong Kong ID Card Number of the Member
Email Address
Text
30 Characters
The Email address of the member
Credit Card Number
Number
Auto Number
The credit card number of the Member
Expiry Date
Date/Time
Short Date
The expiry date of the Member's Credit Card
Date
Date/Time
Short Date
This is the Date the Customer Became a Member
Membership Number
Number
Auto number
This is the unique Membership number given to each member
Course Number
Number
Auto Number
This is the unique Course Number which Identifies each course
Start Date
Date/Time
Short Date
This is the Date in which the member started the Course
Report Date
Date/Time
Short Date
This is the time in which the report is produced
Weight Before/After
Number
Auto Number
This is the result of the weight before the course in Kilograms
Fat Percentage Before/After
Number
Auto Number
This is the resultant Fat percentage of the member before/after the course
Flexibility Before/After
Number
Auto Number
This is the flexibility of the member a before/after the course
Height Before/After
Number
Auto Number
This is the Height of the member before/after the course in cm
Weight Before/After
Number
Auto Number
This is the result of the weight before/after the course in Kilograms
Course Name
Text
30 Characters
This is the name of the Course
Days
Boolean
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/ Saturday/Sunday
This is the days in which the course takes place
Time
Date/Time
Short Time
This is the Time which the course starts
Instructor Name
Text
30 Characters
This is the Name of the Instructor who leads the Course
Instructor Gender
Boolean
M/F
This is the Gender of the Instructor who leads the Course
Description
Text
50 Characters
This is the Description of the Course
Course Data
Date/Time
Short Time
This is the Date the course is on
Data Flow Diagram
Membership Information Table
Course Details Table
Membership Fitness Table
Interrelated Query of Course Details Query for Mail Merging
Form to input the fitness of current members
Form for Course Participation
Form to input Details about different available Course
Form to input the personal information about current members
Spread Sheets
Software and Hardware Use
Spread Sheets is a good way to record sales income and costs etc. This is because it can calculate different sums. The Software that will be most useful for Spread Sheets is Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Excel includes four different types of calculation operators: arithmetic, comparison, text, and reference. This is useful because humans take time to calculate sums whilst Excel can figure the sum instantly. Excel has different Sheets, this is useful because 1 table can be done in one Sheet and another can be done in another sheet, this is an advantage because then a user can make multiply tables in one file instead of making one table per file saving space.
Data Flow Diagram for a month's finance
Input
Process
Output
Sales for course
Membership enrollment
Wages
Electricity Bill
Equipment Check/Repair Cost
Expenses
SALES REVENUE
-
TOTAL COSTS
Knowledge about the profit or loss made in a month
Data Flow Diagram for a year's finance
Input
Process
Output
Total Sales in 1 year for course
Total Membership enrollment in 1 year
Total Wages in 1year
Electricity Bill in 1 year
Equipment Check/Repair Cost in 1 year
Expenses in 1 year
SALES REVENUE (for 12 months/1 year)
-
TOTAL COSTS (for 12 months/1 year)
Knowledge about the profit or loss made in one year
Data Flow Diagram forecast for 3 years (Prediction)
Input
Process
Output
Sales in 3 years for course
Membership enrollment in 3 years
Wages in 3 years
Electricity Bill in 3 years
Equipment Check/Repair in 3 years
Cost Expenses in 3 years
SALES REVENUE (for 36 months/3 year)
-
TOTAL COSTS (for 36 months/3 year)
A prediction of any profit or loss in the next 3 years
Macros
There are 3 sheets in the work book, and from those sheets the profits for each table has been calculated, and this has been shown by graph form. Macros a process which records the procedure to complete a task and can be assigned a e.g. Ctrl q to produce that task in one click, this then saves time and can be deleted and viewed again without going through the process all over again.
Also the workbook with all the tables has to be open for the macros to be activated, because the macro recordings are saved in the workbook.
In sheet one of the work book there is a graph for the profits made in a month, and a macro has been used to display the graph.
The shortcut key is Ctrl q (hold control key and press q), this will then display the graph.
In sheet two of the work book there is a graph for the profits made in a month, and a macro has been used to display the graph.
The shortcut key is Ctrl e (hold control key and press e), this will then display the graph.
In sheet three of the work book there is a graph for the profits made in a month, and a macro has been used to display the graph.
The shortcut key is Ctrl r (hold control key and press r), this will then display the graph.
Advertising
Software and Hardware needed
The different types of software needed for creating a poster or flyer would be either Freehand or Corel Draw 10, the most appropriate software in this situation would have to be Corel draw, also scanners would be useful for task as well.
The software needed for the website to be produced is Dream weaver, this is because it has various functions which create a FTP website on design view, and then it can be loaded up easily from a website which offers free space. The hardware needed is a computer full functional and a modem, thus it can connect to the internet. Also an ISP number should be obtained, a scanner can be obtained to scan pictures which will be suitable for the website, also a digital camera can be used to take pictures and instead of scan just transfer it into the hard drive.
What public should see
The public should be able to see from the poster/flyer created the special offers or promotions given by the poster and also the appropriate telephone number and email address so the customers can get in contact with the fitness center. It should also include the logo customers will be able to differ it from a normal poster and also make it unique and easy to find.
Planning
Template Layout
= Editable Region
= Non-Editable region
Homepage of Business Website
Address page in website, showing the location of the buisness
Membership form on website
Webpage containing detail about different course offered to members
Webpage consisting of current events occurring in the business
Communication
Software and Hardware needed
There are different types of software and hardware which are appropriate for this topic. The software that should be used for creating a mail merge is Microsoft Word because in that, a letter head can be produced which will go with the merging, but a mail merge can only be done by a full functional Database system, this is because the database system would contain the information needed which would be appropriate for the mail merge for instant the Title then the First and Last name, this would be needed for the being sentence of the business letter. The Database should also be used to create a query which would then be located by the mail merge wizard in Microsoft Word (Tools->Letters and Mailing->Mail Merge Wizard). The adequate software needed to produce a fully functional database in Windows would be Microsoft Access. When producing graphics, the resource which would be most suitable is Corel Draw 10, because it has the capabilities of producing different formats of graphics, for user needs. A full serviceable webpage should be used to display email links for the user to send emails to the business about any concerns
There is a number of hardware needed for the task to be completed, firstly the most common would be a full functional Computer, and then the not so obvious hardware would be a Laser Printer because the final mail merge letter would have to be Top quality, because it is a business letter. The hardware needed to create an email link for customer of the business is most likely an Internet Service Protocol, and a full operative modem to be able to connect to the Internet.
Communication techniques
There should be a number of different forms of communication between the Business (exercisco fitness club) and the customer. This is because then there is more of a variety available to the customer when attempting to communicate with the business. The most common types of communication would be (excluding email):
Telephone:
Telephone is a very good way of communication because it a verbal form, thus making it easier and clear for the customer to orally communicates with the staff member of an employee of the business. Also telephone is a fast way of communicating with the business because it connects immediately when the customer calls via telephone, hence instant communication can be acknowledged
Fax:
Fax is an appropriate form of communication because it sends proper paper based information to the receiver via the telephone number. Also Fax can be used in the business because membership forms can be sent through the fax connections, this is an advantage because the forms would arrive at the business very rapidly.
Telex:
Is a modern type of communication which involves face to face conversations, it is good because the business can have appropriate Telex conferences with connections.
Documentation of Mail Merge
Creating Mail Merge
When creating a mail merge, there should be a ready query created from the database which will be able to extract the appropriate fields to input into the mail merge.
A mail merge wizard can be used.
"Tittle". "First_Name" "Last_Name"
Block "Block", Floor "Floor"
Flat "Flat"
"Building_Name"
"Street_Name", "District"
"Territory"
8th of December 2002
Dear,"Tittle"."First_Name" "Last_Name"
Exercisco Fitness Club is having a special offer, as you may have noticed, the fitness club has been experiencing dramatic changes, one of these changes that the Fitness club is having a special offer, and thus we would like you to participate in this event. Exercisco is celebrating one of the most common seasons, the winter season. Christmas is the event which will be celebrated. As you may know Christmas is the time of giving, Exercisco fitness club would like to present some special offers, these are because you are one of our valued members, hence you have given us a lot and now it is our turn to show our gratitude.
So from now until the end of Christmas we are presenting you a special offer of 50% off on all course and you only have to pay 50% of the membership fee at the end of the month. Christmas is the time of love and happiness, we would be very delighted if you could get your friends or our relatives of join our club, this would help us tremendously and we would be able to sponsor different athletes in the Next Olympic Games.
Yours Sincerely,
Charlie Chan
Chairman
(Example of Mailmerge letter, the sections of the letter which consist of << Indicate that the specific information will be inputted via the database)
Testing
Database
Tables- The test that will be produced for tables is the data validation and input mask test. The user will test the fields which have data validation rules, thus if the user doesn't input the appropriate number or word, a warning will come up saying what must be inputted in the Field, this test will occur for the Title, Gender and Territory fields. For telephone, there should be a different field which restricts the user from typing more than the required number of characters.
Queries- The test that will be performed for queries will be the Number of Members query. The query will obtain the number of members who a part of the membership, thus the test will be that a new member will be added, and the user will open up the Number of Members query; if the query has one more member then it is shown that the query works properly. So for example if the business currently has 5 members, the query should say 5 under number of members, and if the user adds a new member the query should then say 6 under Number of members, if it is working correctly.
Form- The test that will be performed for forms will be the data validation rules and the buttons on the form, also the user can test the appearance of the form and if it is eye catching. The test will be to see if the buttons are working properly, e.g. the Add record, next, previous, and close. The user can also test the data validation rules, for Telephone territory etc. This is quite similar to tables. Also the user will judge the appearance of the form and hence rate it.
Spreadsheet
Monthly Finances- The test that will be performed for the monthly finances is changing figures in the expense and revenue columns. The test will be that the user will change the Total cost of course for one week, and this should change the total revenue, because the revenue is found by the formula of total costs which is the cost of course, membership fees and normal fees. Also if the cost of course in a week is altered the total profit should change because the total profit calculated by a formula of total Costs (course fees + membership fees + normal fees) minus the total expense (wages + costs etc.).
One Year Finance- The test that will be performed for the one year finances is changing figures in the expense and revenues, but this should alter the total cost for the whole year, whilst the total profit. The user when performing the task will change the either the membership fees/course fees/normal fees or all 3, which should, if the spreadsheet is fully functional, change the total revenue and thus change the total profit made in one year.
3 year Forecast- The test that will be performed for the 3 year forecast is very similar to the other year and monthly finances, it will be the normal altering of the costs or even revenue, but these should alter the yearly finances which then should alter the monthly finances because they would be linked.
Macros- If the macros are full functional, the user will be given a letter for each sheet (monthly/yearly/3yearforecast) and then if the user presses that button, a graph should instantly appear showing the profit for either Monthly/Yearly/3year forecast depending on the sheet.
Website
Links- The test that will be performed for the links, will be to see if they are full functional, if the links are working properly then there should be 5 different pages the user can view in the website, including the Homepage, but most importantly the link which lets the user return to the homepage should be working properly because the user might want to view other sites. This narrows down the chance of the user being confused.
Email Link- The email link should be full functional, so that a customer who access a site with queries will have a chance to email the administrator who can reply back, thus the email link is a crucial part of the webpage, so the test that will be run for it, is when the user clicks on the link there should a different window which pops up, already containing the email address of the business then the user would only have to write the subject etc.
But a crucial test would be to see if the user likes the design of the website, and if it doesn't take a fairly long time to load up, because it is said that if a website takes more that 10 seconds to load up the user will close the window and not visit the site. Also the user will see if the website is eye catching and if it portrays the required information.
Poster/Flyer- The poster will be tested for its appearance and if it gives the appropriate information which is required by the viewer. The poster will be printed out and evaluated by the reader to see the color, the use of logo and the use of any clipart. Also the poster will be evaluated for the textual information, if it is persuasive and eye catching.
Mail merge- The mail merge will have to be tested for mostly its textual knowledge, so the type of words used and if they are in a form of a business letter, because it is crucial it is in a business format because it is being sent to the customer via mail, to show the gratitude of the business. But also the letter head has to contain some type of business stationary; it should contain an appropriate logo some where in the letterhead to show the business, and also the signature of a high rank worker e.g. the Chairman. Also the business card can be evaluated to see it if contains the logo and the textual information required for a proper business card.
Questionnaire
Databases
) In the membership info table, does a message come up when you do not type either Hong Kong/Kowloon/New Territories in the territory section?
Yes No
2) In the QRY Number of Members section, if you add a new member from the form section, does it show the new members information under the old members?
Yes No
3) In the Membership Form, try and type more than 8 numbers in the Home Telephone section. What Happens?
Works Doesn't Allow
4) For spreadsheets, in all the 3 finances sheets, if you alter the electricity cost, what happens?
Nothing Total Expenses figure changes
Total profit figure changes both changes occur
5) Access sheet 1 (monthly finances), what happens when you press the key q, and in sheet 2 if you press the key e, and in sheet 3 if you press the key r?
Nothing Happens
A profit made graph appears only on one sheet 1
A "profit made" graph appears on only 2 sheets
A "profit made" graph appears on all 3 sheets
6) Can you navigate freely through the website, using the appropriate hypertext links to reach your destination?
Yes No
7) Does the email link work properly? This meaning that a compose message window appears.
Yes No
8) Please rate the website, according to its appearance and textual knowledge
= Poor 5=Excellent
Appearance Textual Knowledge
Suggestions of way to improve the website __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
9) Please rate the poster/flyer, according to its appearance and textual knowledge
= Poor 5=Excellent
Appearance Textual knowledge
0) When using mail merge, open up the mail merge wizard, and access the database (exercisco.mdb), does the wizard let you surf through 5 different members?
Yes No
1) Is the business format of the letter head appropriate to the normal business letters?
Yes No
Suggestions of ways to improve the letter head
2) Please rate the business letter, according to the use of logo and the textual information and the use of business language.
=Poor 5=Excellent
Use of Logo Textual information and use of language
Thank you for your time, we do appreciate your participation in this questionnaire
Systems that need User Guide
The main focus of user documentation is to create user guides to consist of all the information of operate a full functional
There are specific systems created by information technology which require user guides, to help assist users (Employees of exercisco fitness club) create new information relating to the business and the customers. But also there has to be a operator guide which assist the person who installs the hardware in doing so.
The different functions an:
Operator Requirements
The operator has to install dream weaver so ready made websites can't be accessed or new websites can be created. But one of the main reasons why dream weavers needs to be installed to access the sites are because the sites need to altered, because it is known that a site is dead if it is not changed, even if it might exist without adding new information the site is considered as dead.
The operator has to install Microsoft Access; this is because Databases need to be accessed. Also the user can benefit easily from this because they can add and deleted Membership and Course Information, they can do this by custom made forms and tables which are developed specifically for the company containing suitable information relating to the membership details, and course details.
The operator needs to install Microsoft Word; this is because there are Letter Heads which need to altered and accessed. Also the advantage of this is that mail merge linking to the Database, also from Microsoft word, the letter head can be altered and also the Logo can be inputted as a Water Mark, which creates a more business like effect when the member is viewing the letter.
The operator needs to install Microsoft Excel; this is because they can then access and alter the different financial data about the business. Also Microsoft Excel can be used to create macros which then can lead to easier and faster use of information, by just pressing a little amount of Keys. Also from macros graphs can be viewed from the tables created. Also the graphs will alter if the tables are altered.
The operator has to install Corel Draw 10. This is because the user can view and print out the poster which can be created in Corel Draw 10. Also new effects can be created in Corel Draw 10 which are not present in other designing tool software's like Free Hand.
If the CPU doesn't have the required software the operator should advise his or hers administrator about information of where to purchase the appropriate CD-ROM containing the full installation of the software with wizard thus it can be easy and efficient, to operator and alter the different types of systems.
User Guide
Database
To open up the already created Database, access the CD-ROM that is given with the user guide. This should let you open up a new window with the database. This window should show.
In a database, it is crucial to save all information which is altered, and also a more important factor is that the Data Validation and Input mask must be correctly typed into the field allocated, because if they are not done properly then the tables will not functional properly. This is because Access denies unidentified input fields. Thus it would not let the user add data into that field, because it doesn't fit the correct criteria. Even though field type is right, depending one the right input masks and Data validation rules the data will alter.
Queries
Forms
Spread Sheets
Also the workbook with all the tables has to be open for the macros to be activated, because the macro recordings are saved in the workbook.
In sheet one of the work book there is a graph for the profits made in a month, and a macro has been used to display the graph.
The shortcut key is Ctrl q (hold control key and press q), this will then display the graph.
In sheet two of the work book there is a graph for the profits made in a month, and a macro has been used to display the graph.
The shortcut key is Ctrl e (hold control key and press e), this will then display the graph.
In sheet three of the work book there is a graph for the profits made in a month, and a macro has been used to display the graph.
The shortcut key is Ctrl r (hold control key and press r), this will then display the graph.
Documentation
Creating Mail Merge
When creating a mail merge, there should be a ready query created from the database which will be able to extract the appropriate fields to input into the mail merge.
Websites
When adding the created website, the site needs to be defined, this screen should look something like this.
Allocate the file which contains the website files, all the pictures should be in the same file as the webpage or the pictures will not show up when inputted into the Cell.
Evaluation
Social, Moral and Cultural Issues
A large number of issues come up concerning the social, moral and cultural issues of inputting Information Technology into a work place. Some frequent questions appear. These consist of:
> What type of information is stored? In the case of Exercisco fitness club, this question would be asked by the staff and also the members, who are concerned about their personal detail.
> Who has access to the information? Also in the situation of the Fitness club, the questions are raised mostly by the members who will be give they're HK ID card but might doubt doing so.
> Can the information be accessed by people without permission? The main concern would be hackers, who would access the database and view the personal information without the permission of any official.
The installation of Information technology would raise computer crime. The information stored into the database, can be accessed by elite hackers who would then be able to manipulate the information and use it against the member. For example the members let the Fitness club view they're credit card number which is risky because hackers could obtain this information and use the credit card number of purchase online items under the name of the Club member.
The fact that viruses exist in the cyber world, raises questions of belief in Information Technology usage. Viruses are programs which access other CPU's, launched by a user, which cause deliberate vandalism to the files in the computer, thus in long term damaging to the hard drive. In conclusion this would result in the loose of important information.
Some other problems which may concern the Moral and Social issues of Information Technology installation are:
> The haves and the have-nots- In the consistently developing world, the need for ICT skilled workers is rising, this creates a division between the people with IT skills and the people without. The part of the society who lack IT knowledge and usage do not get a job in the every so growing IT industry. Whilst the majority of the society with the IT knowledge are welcome into Information Technology development.
> Dependence on Information Technology- What would happen to the business if the main computer consisting for the important information breaks down? It has not become clear that the world is so dependent on information technology that it would be fairly difficult if not impossible to survive with it. The fact to consider about this is that businesses go bankrupt because of failure of computer systems. One suggestion for Exercisco would be to obtain a backup computer in the case of the computer failing to respond.
> Lack of privacy- The fact is that there is so much information stored on computers people raise queries on who has access to it? Is it safe? Is it a secret? This is considered because as the world evolves, so does the information industries and people now understand computer "language" and know how to control it to their own will. Unless proper safety precautions are considered when introducing ICT to a business.
> Health and Safety Issues- Computer screens emit radiation. They are bad for the human eye, as well if the computer is not placed in the right position, it make create back strains and affect the user. Also computers ultimately effect the human hand and fingers, which are constantly on the move when function a computer. These must be considered before introducing Information Technology into Exercisco Fitness Club.
Testing Evaluation
From the current results, obtained from the surveys/questionnaires it can be stated that there are a specified number of systems which do not function as they were created to. This may be because of several reasons.
The fact that there are systems which are not working to their proper standards are a concern because these systems must be fixed hence the user or operator can easily access and run the system efficiently and with a low number of trouble shooting. The systems so far that have caused a sense of thought are as follows:
> The use of macros in spreadsheets
> The hypertext links in the website
Solutions
Macros in spreadsheets
The main problem which occurs frequently when using macros in the spreadsheet are the macros do not appear properly an error message occurs when accessing the finances of the company, this occurs when the spreadsheet is accessed from another computer which it was not produced on. Thus a suitable solution would be to access the tools bar on the top of the screen and click on Options and the a screen (show above) will appear and it would be suitable to access the option called Macro Security and change the security level there. This may then let different macro's appear in the spreadsheet and be accessible.
Hypertext links in the website
Apparently the hypertext links located in the website are not functioning. The links do not let the user access the different pages in the website. This is a problem because then the user would not be able to obtain the adequate information, for example the address of the business. Hence a suitable solution would be to check the button or word which has been allocated as the link is properly assigned to the right link by the properties bar in Dream-weaver. Also within the website the site map should be checked to check all the links are connected to the Index or Home page as shown below.
However, other than these problems which may be considered minor by others, the majority of the systems full function properly, which shows some sign of success. These systems include the navigation on the Exercisco Website, the altering of numerical data within the spreadsheets, the extraction of member's personal data to create a suitable mail merge from an already formed template. The accessing of the database and the navigation and adding of the member's personal information and course details, plus the forms work well because they let the user add the information straight into the forms and this can then be viewed from the tables and used in different areas of the database to create queries or reports about the business.
Final Evaluation
Introduction
4
Sudhanshu Mohanty Candidate Number: 3419
Design Brief
Adminstration
Specification
Design of Database
34
Sudhanshu Mohanty Candidate Number: 3419
48
Sudhanshu Mohanty Candidate Number: 3419
Design of Finance Spreadsheets
50
Sudhanshu Mohanty Candidate Number: 3419
Design of Advertising Scheme
53
Sudhanshu Mohanty Candidate Number: 3419
Design of Advertising Scheme
59
Sudhanshu Mohanty Candidate Number: 3419
By: Sudhanshu Mohanty 11 TANG
64
Sudhanshu Mohanty Candidate Number: 3419
Communications
69
Sudhanshu Mohanty Candidate Number: 3419
88
Sudhanshu Mohanty Candidate Number: 3419
Testing
User Documentation
Evaluation and Impact on Business
