Facilities
Computers To Be Used:
Quantity: 4
Specifications:
- 120gb storage (to store large databases, accounts, other use).
- Intel Pentium 4 processor (to make use of high speed processing)
- DVD/CD-RW, floppy and hard disk drives (used for storage, transferring and storing data outside the computer).
- Pentium operating system (as it gives higher restriction and access levels, and it gives the server option across many computers).
- 17” TFT screen (gives clear visibility to those with poor eyesight).
- An ADSL modem with broadband Internet (to connect and communicate with other companies and suppliers at high speeds.
EPoS To Be Used:
Quantity: 3
Specification:
- Top range Cash register (maximum capabilities with cheap ink cartridges).
- Hands Free High Speed Argus Scanner (easy to use barcode scanner, completing the EPoS system).
- Bleep 2000 stock control system (automated stock control used through the in-store computers and EPoS machinery).
Software
- Windows 2003 Server operating system (fastest operating system that can run in a server, as well as offering varied access rights)
- Microsoft Access (database creation program)
- Norton Anti-virus (virus protection program)
- Firewall software (to protect data from being hacked and/or tampered with)
- Microsoft word (to create diagrams)
Analysis
The cost of all the hardware is just below £3500, as the computers and EPoS are all second hand equipment. The cost of the software totalled to around £600, bringing the grand total of the facilities to £4100. This was slightly over the budget that 3G had hoped for, but they can afford it. The task was well worth investing in as their old system is not good enough to develop their current income, and so this new system should be able to be more time and money efficient.
For the proposed system, the users will need to know how to input and save data into the system using the keyboard, and to navigate the system as a whole. They will also need to know how to check the system for viruses and errors. In terms of stock ordering, they will need to know how to use the Internet to order stock from the supplying company. Such training is not expensive – in fact, if they were to get training from a student, it would cost next to nothing, so the company can definitely afford it. The current users are all young with no health problems, so they should be easy to train. They can get private training in the office, which if they can get a student to do, will be very cheap. Many websites and books can be used to help the student out. is one such site, and a book designed for training a person in the Internet is “The Internet for Dummies” by . For more information, the user can type “I.C.T for beginners” in a search engine and find the information/book they are looking for.
Functions of the Systems Administrator
Security and Backup
Security is a major issue, especially for the retail store as theft can always occur, and in some cases, it is an employee who commits theft. That is why precautions must be taken to make sure the correct amount of stock is in the store and access rights must be put into place, so that no regular employees are able to edit the data found in the database.
There are 2 main types of security:
Logical Security: This involves things such as the user id and password and general access rights. It is the security within the computer (to the software). These will be installed into this system using the operating system. In addition, a password can be activated on the database in Microsoft access (check implementation).
Physical Security: This involves things such as locking the computer down, or using pass cards or number locks on doors. This is to do with the security outside the computer (to the hardware). This can be put into place later on by applying locks to the work stations, keeping them on the desk where it will be positioned at all times.
All of this security can be supplied to the store easily, as it is available from many places, and some with cheap deals. Backup will be carried out at least once every week. The reason for this being that backing-up data is not long to do, is very cheap to perform but can still save the store lots of time and money if ever their system goes down, or their data is tampered with. In order to back up the files, I will be copying the data from the hard drive onto a DVD/CD data disk, as CD’s and DVD’s can store much more data than a floppy disk, and if looked after properly can last a very long time. There will be 2 copies of each DVD/CD, where one will be kept in a safe, and one with the manager, in case one DVD/CD does get tampered with. The DVD/CD will then be kept for a maximum of 2 months before being erased and re-written over. There is a DVD/CD rewriter in the computer workstations, allowing us to be able to write a DVD/CD. This is because 2 months is a long enough time to realise if there was a fault in the system earlier on. If or when data needs to be recovered, the disk can be reinserted into the computer and the data can be retrieved and shown on the screen straight from the disk.
The Proposed System
The proposed system can help the end-user in many different ways. It can help the employee by making it easier to check prices of products, enter data of an item being taken out of stock and also helping queues in the shop become much less, raising profit for the store. It will also benefit the customer by having less time spent purchasing the item of their choice, and being able to have a clearly typed valid receipt for future reference. It will, of course, greatly help the manager and future of the store by increasing its profits and increasing their production type by a great quantity. This could help the store to become a chain of stores in the future.
The Database
Within the database, there are 5 entities; Employees, Products, Product Type, Supplier and Sales.
ERD – Entity Relationship Diagram
The entity relationship diagram is a logical way of showing the relationships between different entities using numbers or symbols. The diagram can show the relationship to be one to one, one to many or many to many. In a one to one relationship, one entity is represented by the presence of another entity, like 1 person having 1 passport. In a one to many relationship, one entity represents many of another, like a teacher having many classes. In a many to many relationship, many occurrences of one entity relates to many occurrences of another. In all of these entities, a single line branching off into 3 lines can represent ‘many’, and a single line can represent ‘one.’ In order to make one, all that is needed to lines and boxes, with the keyboard and mouse as input.
DFD - Data Flow Diagram
The DFD L0 shows the divisions within a system (entities). The DFD diagram only shows what entities are present in the system. The higher level DFD shows a more detailed version of the DFD, showing the processes etc. The following is a key to the DFD L0:
And the following is the key to a DFD L1:
Implementation
How to start a database
Creating a Database
Menu
Tables
Lookup Wizard
The lookup wizard allows you to check on any attribute(s) from an entity on another entities table.
Forms
Queries
Queries are an essential part of the database. You can begin the queries wizard by entering the menu and clicking on the queries header on left hand side (found underneath objects). Then click on “create query in design view.”
Reports
You can access reports in the database menuy by clicking the reports title on the left hand side under the ‘objects’ header. Once you have clicked on it, click the “create report by using wizard” object.
Modifying forms/reports: Adding a button
Evaluation
As I approach the end of this topic, I can see that all the areas that I need to have fixed for the system I have either done successfully or to the fullest of my extent. In this topic, there have been many problems, such as having the wrong amount of spaces in the input mask, typing in incorrect data, not supplying enough data and having a smaller data size for a field which should be higher.
In order to overcome these problems, I had to change a few things in the tables area. I had to increase the field size, change the type of data to be input, and change the validation for the fields that needed to be changed.
The new system was very cost effective, as after it had been put in there was a dramatic increase in time saving and money gaining. The shop had almost quadrupled their productivity within the following month, giving them back what they earned with lots of interest.
The new system was installed within the 3-month time limit, so most of the work was completed quicker than expected. Each task was organised with a deadline and I met those deadlines before date, completing each effectively and efficiently.
User Documentation
Installing Software
Training
- Private tutoring within the store – having somebody come into the store for an hour or two per week and tutor the whole staff.
- Take classes – enrol into a adult education ICT course where you can learn most of the basics and interact with others.
- SELECTED OPTION: Home training course – Many companies and websites offer a home training course, allowing the user to take home tutoring CD’s for them to learn themselves at their own pace (e.g. www.discoveryvip.com)
Making a back-up of the database
User Creation
Users
Users of this system must have prior knowledge to windows and microsoft access. They must undergo the same training types of training as the administrators (e.g. personal CD tutoring) but they can learn less compared to the administrators. They need to be on training for between 2-3 weeks, and if they need more time then the maximum is a month. To obtain data on where to get these CD’s, go to www.discoveryvip.com. Or on how to use microsoft access and other such applications, go to . It is a site containing many useful web sites which give good guides to I.C.T for beginners.
Conclusion
Throughout the course of this study, I have learnt many new things; how a business is run, how a business can improve with the right system & equipment and how I can now put together a system strong enough for a store to produce profit from. If I were to carry out the project again, I would probably try to support a store which already has a system with good equipment and software, as then there would be much less costs needed to boost their system but still with the same effect.