The main task that I intend to solve
By creating a system for this zoo, I intend to make the zoo more organized, which will prevent harm to the animals. It will hopefully eliminate any confusion about feeding times and dietary needs of the animals. Overall, it will reduce or get rid of mistakes that might bring harm or discomfort to the animals. The system will also allow records of the animals to be kept and updated easily, and will decrease the difficulty of searching for records. The system will allow details and lists of feeding times and dietary needs of the animals to be printed out. It allows animal details to be looked up and displayed on screen or printed out. A list of all the meal times may also be displayed or printed out. Zoo staff will be able to get a print out or screen display of a list for any individual animal or species showing the animal’s food and the time at which they receive it.
Details about the current system
Currently, details about the feeding times and dietary needs are written and kept on paper files and the zoo staff either have to learn these details or look them up when necessary. When the files need to be updated or changed, one of the zoo staff will find the correct file and either change the detail(s) on the file or make a new file for that particular animal, for example. When a member of staff wants or needs to look up, change, add or update some details or meal details of a particular animal he/she would:
- Go to all of the records and files of all the animals in the zoo.
- Look up the details of the particular animal by name of species as they are all in alphabetical order.
- Look through the details of that particular animal for the relevant details.
- Alter or add details on the file if necessary.
- Return the file to the correct place.
This is a lengthy and time consuming process and can easily be simplified by using a database system. Also, files may accidentally be returned to the wrong place or lost as they are only written on paper and there is a margin of human error when writing anything on the files. When members of zoo staff are preparing meals, they look up the details of the meals by finding the file of the relevant animal. They use these details to help them prepare the meals and then they return the file. However, they may accidentally choose the wrong file and consequently give an animal the wrong meal, or return the file to the wrong location.
What the new system will do
The new system will hold details about the animals (species, type, name, location, date of birth, date of acquisition, origin, gender, care instructions and whether they are nocturnal), about the animals’ meals (time, frequency, start date, finish date and special instructions) and about the meal items (meal item description, quantity type, quantity, whether they need vitamin supplements and whether they are fresh).
The system will produce outputs – either print outs or screen displays – such as a list showing the details of a particular animal. These will help to improve the zoo’s organization and will help the zoo staff in the looking after the animals.
If a new animal arrives or is born at the zoo:
- A member of the zoo staff will enter the details of the animal into the animals form.
- A member of the zoo staff will enter the details of the meals of the animal into the meals form.
- A member of the zoo staff will enter the details of the meals’ items into the meal items sub-form.
If a member of staff wants to look up, change, add or update details of a particular animal he/she would:
- Open the animals form.
- Click in any field in the animals form.
- Enter the data known about the animal in the field.
- Click on the search button on the side of the form.
- (The details of the animal will appear)
- Look at, alter or add details on the form if necessary.
- Close the animals form or open the meals form by clicking on the ‘open meals form’ button.
Inputs, Processes and Outputs
Inputs
Outputs
Processes
End user requirements
These are the requirements of Dean Thunder:
“I want to able to store details of all the animals in the zoo on the system, their feeding times and their meals.”
“I want to be able to look up the details of a particular animal easily and quickly.”
“I want a system that is easy to use so my staff don’t need much training.”
“I want to be able to change the diet of an animal when it is necessary.”
“I want to be able to create lists of all the meal times, all the meals that are to be prepared at a particular time, etc.”
“I want to be able to print out many copies of lists that are created.”
Objectives
- To create a system that stores all the relevant details about all the animals.
- To create a system that allows me to search for the details of an animal whenever it is required.
- To create a switchboard for the system to make a user-friendly interface and to increase simplicity.
- To create a system that allows details of animals and meals to be edited.
- To create a list of all the details about a particular animal.
- To create a list of all the meal times.
- To create a list for any individual animal or species showing the details of the animal’s meals.
- To create a list for any individual animal showing the times at which it receives its meals.
- To create a list of all the meals to be prepared at a particular time with details of the meal items.
Resources
Hardware
- The computers that I advise Dean Thunder to buy are 5 Mesh Elite² Essential’s. This particular model has a dual core 2.66GHz HT processor and 512 MB of DDR2 RAM. It is modestly priced at £389.99 and has reasonable specifications. It should easily meet Dean Thunder’s staff’s requirements.
- Dean will need a Local Area Network (LAN) to link the 5 computers. The server will be in the main office and it will be a wireless network. Therefore, all of the computers will need the software and required hardware to connect them to the wireless network.
- Dean will need one black-and-white laser-jet printer, which will be placed next to the main computer. This will provide Dean and his staff with very fast printing capabilities to avoid unnecessary waiting. It does not need to be colour because the only thing that will be printed out is text.
Software
- Dean will need the operating system Windows XP.
- The system requires a database management system. The application I have chosen is Microsoft Access 2000.
- Dean should purchase some virus protection software to protect against viruses and hackers. He should also buy some backing-up software to prevent data loss.
The zoo already has Microsoft Access with a network license so there is no need for Dean to purchase it. It is acceptable and possible to use what they already have.
Staffing
- The staff are capable of using a computer but are not very familiar with using Access.
- This will not affect my design very much but I will try to make it as simple and as easy to use as possible. I will increase the simplicity of the interface by creating a switchboard.
- They are not likely to need a lot of training but will need some to help them use Microsoft Access and to help them use the system when it has been created. They will probably need about 2 hours training. I will make a user documentation which are instructions on how to use the system, so the staff can use that to help them use the system.
DESIGN
Things to be designed
- Entities and relationships
- Tables
- Input forms
- Reports
- Queries
- Macros/buttons
- Human Computer Interface (eg. Switchboard etc.)
- Testing schedule
Entity Diagram
Relationships Diagram
Macros/buttons
Animal Form
On the animal form, there will be 3 buttons:
- There will be a macro to allow the user to save the animal details, which needs to be done if the user wants to open the meals form to enter the animal’s meals.
- There will be a macro to search for animal details on any field. The user will have to click in the field on which they want to search and then click the button, and the animal details should appear.
- There will be a macro to take the user to the meals form instantly. The process will be opening the meals form.
Meals Form
On the meals form there will only be one button:
- There will be a macro to allow the user to save the meal details; this will reduce the loss of unsaved data.
Human/Computer Interface (HCI)
TEST STRATEGY
Validation Checks Testing Schedule
Animals Table
Meals Table
There are no validation checks to be done within the meals table.
Meal Items Table
Testing Schedule
Testing the Animals Form
Testing the Meals Form