Q .What disadvantages do you find with this system?
Everything is unorganized. It is all on paper, orders get lost, and it’s hard to keep track of client’s orders. Orders get mixed up and end up at wrong houses. It just looks very unprofessionally.
Q. How do you calculate your costs?
We are currently using an ordinary calculator to add up the total cost
Q. How do you keep records of your members?
We keep records of orders and members on a hand written document. The members’ details are kept on cards and sometimes lost.
Q. Is the current system cheap and easy to run?
It is cheap, but it is easy to lose files and when a member has changed their details then a new record has to be made.
Q. Is there a computer currently in the store?
Yes, but is not used.
Q. Is there any money available to spend on a new computer system?
Yes, there is money available for a new computer system.
Q. How good are your and the staff’s computing skills?
I have a good understanding of ICT and computers as I did an A-level course on ICT. However, 2 of my employees have little or no experience with computers or ICT and would possibly need training to use the system. So I would need the system to be as simple as possible!”
Q. Why do you want a new system?
I need a new system because the amount of space the current paper system is taking up is growing as the company grows. A computerized system would only take up a set amount of space. Also, having a computerized system would be easier to use as updating information on goods, stock levels and customers would be as easy as the click of a button.
Q. What would you expect from the new system?
Save order details
Link up order details and order form
Allow me to create an invoice for the customer, save and work out the price.
Print out daily sales details
Q. What improvements would you be looking for in the implementation of a new system?
User friendly, quick, efficient, beneficial, easy to maintain, reliable, well presented, to be able to deal with a large amount of orders and as automated as possible.
Q. Do you think a new computer system will benefit the store in terms of bringing in more customers?
Yes, currently the slow system has meant customer numbers have decreased.
Q. Finally, would you be prepared to undergo any necessary training to familiarize yourself with the new system? I.e. training that will help you get to grips with any new software or hardware that you have not encountered before?
Yes I would.
Description of current system:
The current system has a big book which is known as the product/price book. This book holds the data of all products and the prices of the products. The products are written in a blue color while the prices are written in green. When a customer phones to order food the product information is looked up in the product/prices book and the order is then written on a piece of paper known as the order form. The order form contains the name of the customer, there address, telephone number, what they ordered, the size, the price, the quantity they ordered and the total amount of the order. By using a calculator the staff multiplies the quantity with the product price and then they add all the prices of each individual product together to gain an overall price. The order form is then given to the chef to be prepared. Once the order has been prepared the order form is then put into a filling cabinet where it is kept safe. A receipt is then written by hand on A4 paper. The product order, the total price and the customer details are all written on the receipt. The order and receipt is then delivered to the customer.
The company Sapori supplies there staff with paper to write down order forms. The customer details are also stored on these order forms. Information contained is the customers address, name and there telephone number. This information along with the order is then filed.
To ensure accuracy Mr. Kabir daily checks each order form. He checks that all prices have been totaled correctly. He does this manually by using a calculator. This way he doesn’t lose business. Kabir also checks that the staff members have wrote down the correct prices of the product. He does this by visually checking the price of the product ordered on the order form and the price of the same product in the product book. He checks if they are the same.
Evidence of current system: (receipt)
Evidence of current system (order form)
Evidence of the current system (product/price book)
User Requirements
I want the system to be less time consuming
I want the new system to be capable of completing its task within a smaller amount of time compared to the time that was wasted on the paper-based system. It should be quick, so that orders and receipts can be typed and printed out immediately.
I would like the system to be user friendly
I want all type of users e.g. Users with limited knowledge of ICT or novice user to be able to use the system. The system should have an attractive interface, which is easy to operate and use. The system must be presented well so that it is clear and easy to understand. The system should allow the user to access or view member information, product information, or an invoice simply. I also want the system to validate data as it is inputted i.e. entering text when the cell should only contain numbers.
The system should be efficient
I want it to be better then the system I currently use. The system must use a more productive method than the previously used method, e.g. must allow more work to be completed in a short time even with an increased customer base. Is should be quick, so that orders, and receipts can be typed and printed out immediately. The system should run smoothly and should be able to cope with the amount of work being done on it, on a daily basis. To make an overall better system to work with, making adding new member information, product information, and creating invoices a simple a fast procedure.
I want the calculations to be done automatically
Calculations should be done automatically and accurately. I want it to minimize human error. The calculations done automatically should waste less time compared to the current system which presently manually calculate orders cost by using a calculator. It must improve the accuracy of the order forms and should try to prevent any damage to the relationship between the customer and the business.
I want each individual customer to have their own sheet for their own personal details.
Currently customer details are placed on the order forms. In the new system I would like them to be placed in a separate place where they can be easily accessed to. All customer details should be located on the sheet, such as name and address.
When the user enters the product name the details of the product should automatically come up.
I want the system to automatically locate product details. Once a user types in the product wanted by the customer on the order form, the rest of the details of the product such as price and description should automatically appear in the column besides the product name.
I want my company logo on each page.
My company logo (Sapori) should be on each sheet on the system. It should be placed on top of each page in the centre. I would like it to be in the colours red and black. The letter S should stand out to the rest of the letters. I would like the size of the writing to be in 20, and the font should be “Bradley Hand ITC”. A small design may also be around the company name.
Date: …………… Signed: ...………..
Problems with the current system
1. Calculations are done manually
As the totals are all calculated with a calculator, sometimes mistakes can occur due to human error which can lead to loss of business and is inconvenience to customers. Mr. Kabir has often made mistakes; he has either over charged someone or sold products for cheaper price.
2. Misreading Handwriting
As the orders are rushed due to the time limit of orders, the writing is messy and sometimes uneasy to read. This could lead to the wrong people getting orders as the names could be misread. This can be frustrating for the customer, as they have to wait longer for their order. This results in losing customers.
3. Paperwork is time consuming
Mr. Kabir has to fill in a numerous amount of order forms by hand everyday. If Mr. Kabir had no paperwork he would have more time to focus on how to expand his business.
4. Problems with filing
Mr. Kabir operates on the manual file based system; therefore he finds it very difficult to keep his customer’s details. He finds it hard to make a quick reference to his customer’s details. Sometimes he misplaces her customer files or she forgets where she keeps them due to the large amount of work involved in her business. The order form contains a mixture of information and data which can cause confusions and wastage of time when trying to find relevant information.
5. Insecurity of Data
There is also the problem of insecurity of her documents. Someone might just go into his premises and start checking his records and files, which is not good.
6. Problems with receipts
Based on his manual file-based system of operation, he does his invoicing and receipts himself. This result in inaccuracy in his records, because there might be an error in the calculation, therefore an incorrect invoice would be served out to his customers.
Input, Process and Output
Order form:
Customer Table:
Product Table:
Monthly sale:
Annual sale:
Evaluation Criteria:
Qualitative:
It must be less time consuming
The system will allow fast and quick input. It will be achieved by the use of automatic look ups. This reduces the amount of data inputted by the user, which results in less time consumed and a reduction in the chances of typing mistakes. The use of automatic look ups should take a time scale of 5 minutes to create the look ups but only a few seconds to transfer the data. Saving and printing of documents won’t be time consuming because macros will be created in order to cut down the amount of time used when orders are needed to be printed or saved and even created.
Calculations should be done automatically
The system should automatically perform calculations as the user inputs the data. The calculations needed will only be the total sum of the order. This would be aid in improving the accuracy of the invoices and prevent damage to the relationship between the business and the customers. The calculations should be performed within 5 seconds to make the creating of invoices a quick process.
Easy to manage and maintain
The system will be very easy to manage or maintain, he can update this system whenever he likes. He would use the system regularly, he can easily add or delete a record, and he can easily edit and read details of his customers and their orders. Orders can be entered daily as soon as they are been made. The database will give the orders automatic order number, therefore making the management task easier. Moreover printing orders and receipt should be done quickly it should take less than 10 seconds
Expandable
Another important feature of this system is that it can be expanded to any length that Mr. Kabir wants to. He would be able to enter new data and new customer details in less then 20 seconds. He can update/ add new products to the database. Since this system is been developed because Sapori is increasing the system will be useless in future if it can not be expanded or updated.
Creating Invoice
An invoice for an order should be completed in 25 seconds, because data entry is minimized to reduce errors. Automatic look ups will be used to transfer data from individual sheets onto the order forms. This also reduces time costs and it should have access to instant printing
Update customer, product, and order details
With a computerised system the customer details will be placed on individual pages. And this will allow the users to easily change or update data. Adding a new product/member should take no longer than 50 seconds depending on the details that are needed to be added. Furthermore if the user will need to clear the invoice is should be dome instantly.
The system should be user friendly
It will be clearer to understand. This is because the font is consistent throughout the document which allows it to be read easily. This has no time scale but is implemented immediately as the user enters the data unless the user changes the font of the entire document at the end of producing it. This would take a maximum of 2 seconds depending on the computer configuration.
Quantitative:
The company logo on each page of the system
By the addition of a logo on each individual page it will give his computerized system a unique identity for his company. It will be on the receipts for customers so that it looks professional and it will also give recognition to the company.
I want each individual customer to have their own sheet for their own personal details
Currently customer details are stored on the order forms. With a separate sheet for the customer details the users can easily see what items they have ordered, there address and telephone numbers. With the details being on separate sheets it will allow users to obtain customer details immediately when they have an enquiry or in an emergency.
The language used must be easy to understand
The data that is inputted will mainly be given by the customer. Each detail the customer gives the user will have to put in specific columns such as, name , address, order etc. the headings will already be on the system, so all the user has to do is add the information under the correct heading. the headings will be in full words and in bold font so the user can easily read them. This makes the system easy to understand.
The system should look professional
The font for the system will be plain and simple, so that it is easy to read. The headings will be in the color red so that it stands out. This will make it simple for the user to input the data. The new system will also contain a logo on each page giving it a more professional look. There will be no messy or illegible handwriting so data will be easy to read. Furthermore the system will be more organized and up to date. So the business is less likely to disappoint customers.
The system should be kept safe from external threats
This will be done by keeping the system password protected. Only the users should be allowed to know the password. This will prevent fraud and the system will be less venerable.