The company that would like to modify their business organisation is called Tempest Records, and specialises in buying and selling new and old compact discs (or cds) to the public. Setting up a new system.

containing –

• The cd/’s of choice
• Their membership number – which they attained when they signed up to the company
• Their credit card details – to be able to buy the cds the company needs their credit card numbers (the credit card number is given when members sign up so that the people at the company can use it to check that the person who is ordering the cd is the person on the database)
• Their name and address and postcode – to verify that the customer’s identity

The company then finds the customer in the filing cabinet to check that the address and credit card numbers are correct as a security factor; and then they send them the cd. They have no record of purchasing on the form.

However, if a customer calls the company and asks for a cd the staff find the cd and then send it to the customer – there is no record that the cd was brought and who brought it.

The Problem

I soon found that the main problem with the current system is that the details are stored on paper in the office in a manual system. Also, letters which are sent out to customers containing information on the latest cd’s that they can buy from the business, take a long time to write as there are normally many customers to write to, and are written as a standard letter, but then the staff have to change the address for each one – this is a problem because only some people are interested in particular genres of music, and when the company writes to people, they write the same thing to everyone, and therefore some people receive information about music that they are not interested in.

The fact that the system is a manual system is a problem because –

• The data of the members can be easily lost – when a file is being taken out the filing cabinet another file could accidentally be taken with it and then lost – this isn’t good because when that customer wants to buy a cd they can’t because the company doesn’t have them in their system. They can join again, which is a hassle because they have to learn a new membership number, and it doesn’t look good for the company
• The files are stored by membership number ad if a customer forgets their membership number, it takes a long time to find them because the way the files are stored
• Mistakes can be made
• Keeping up to date is hard – people could have passed on, or moved house and if the company was aware of this fact they would have to sort through all the files to be able to find the correct one to change
• Only one person could look at a file at any one time; people would have to walk to the room where the filing cabinet is kept and it is much more difficult and slower to search or sort files in a filing cabinet than it is on a computer
• Analysing of the number of sales is difficult as there is no record of what cds have been ordered and sent.

The system needs to be updated and modernised so that it benefits the company. It will assist the company because it could expand and make a profit. I am going to do this by computerizing the system, and transferring all the data of the existing customers on to a computer (this just needs to happen once) and then new members can be added easily after that.

A Simple Outline Solution

I have decided to set up a computerized system for the company. A computer system, or a selection of computers, would be more accurate, cheaper and faster than a manual system.

When this computer system is compared to the traditional manual method of filing it is more successful as it is be quicker and easier to perform certain tasks, e.g. finding a particular customer if they have forgotten their membership number.

I have decided to set up a database on the computer that contains all the details about the customer so that they can be sent a mail merge letter (produced on the computer) every month to tell them about the offers for that month – the letter will be different for the different kinds of music that people prefer.

I am going to create a table in the database containing all the information about the individual customers. I will mail merge this information into a letter that will be sent out every month to each member to make it appear personal to each of them.

This new database will also allow new members to be added, old members to be deleted and member’s information to be edited very easily.

The company will benefit from a membership scheme on a database as each time a customer orders from the company they can be found on the database quickly and efficiently. They will look more professional and efficient to new customers.

I will also create an order form, so that the company can tell what customer has brought what cd and when.