Creating an IT system for Rileys an American pool and snooker hall.

Disadvantages of a network

• Purchasing the network cabling and file servers can be expensive.
• Managing a network is complicated, requires training and a network manager usually needs to be employed.
• If the file server breaks down all the computers will break down.
• Viruses can spread to other computers throughout a computer network.
• There is a danger of hacking, particularly with wide area networks. Expensive security procedures are needed to prevent such abuse.

The data that I will collect will be the following fields & Categories -

Main Customer input section –

      ∙   Surname

      ∙   Title

      ∙   Forename

      ∙   Date of Birth

      ∙   Telephone (Home)

      ∙   Telephone (Mobile/Work)

      ∙   Email

      ∙   Occupation

      ∙   Address

      ∙   Town

      ∙   County

      ∙   Postcode

      ∙   Signature

      ∙   Date

Student Information section (Students Only) -

      ∙  Course start date.

      ∙  Length Of course.

      ∙  Name of college

Office Use Only Section –

      ∙  Membership Number

      ∙  Membership type

      ∙  Expiry date

      ∙  Unit/location

      ∙  Staff name

      ∙  Amount paid

      ∙  Discount membership comments

There will be a total of 24 fields in which the information will be held the above 3 categories which are main customer input section, students only section and the office use section.

I will make sure that the data is kept correct, and updated. By making the customers when they want to become members write down their personal information in block capitals so it is clear to staff when they are typing it in the database. I will advise the staff to check the data once they have typed it in the data a second time through to overcome any spelling mistake or cross information errors (where other person’s information is put into your data).  

The information will be put into a database using software Pinpoint on the computer which will consist of the above 24 fields of personal information which is necessary for Rileys to have.

The data will be kept secure to public as only the staff and the manager will have access to it and each individual staff member will have a personal password to access the information so if any information is incorrect the manager will know who accessed the database at what day and what time. The member will have a membership card which they will show when entering the club with there photo and main information on it, so it will then be checked up later by a member of staff. Also an if a member want to leave Rileys permanently for a personal reason he has the right in which to tell the staff that he wants his personal information deleted from the mainframe database.

What can we do to keep data safe and secure?

• Make regular back-ups of files.
• Back-up copies should be stored safely in fireproof safes or in another building.
• Protect yourself against viruses by running virus protection software.
• Use a system of passwords so that access to data is restricted.
• Files and data should always be locked away in fireproof and waterproof safes.
• Control entry to computer areas by issuing ID cards and magnetic swipe card entry.
• Only allow authorised staff into certain computer areas.
• Always log off or turn terminals off and if possible lock them.
• Avoid accidentally deleting files by write protecting discs and tapes.
• Use data encryption techniques to code data so that it makes no apparent sense.

What are the key threats to the security of data?

• Data can become damaged (corrupted) by faulty disks or disk drives and power failures.
• Accidentally deleting or overwriting files can lose data.
• Data can be lost or become corrupted by computer viruses.
• Data can be hacked into by unauthorised users and deleted or altered.
• Data can be destroyed by terrorist activities, war, bombs and fire.

Data can be deleted or altered by unpleasant employees wishing to make money or seek revenge on their employers

Specification of Solution –

List of statements, which will say what the system will do to solve the data collection, storage and processing problem: -

 Solve data collection-

∙    Easier for the staff to input data 

∙    Speed up the process of data collection

∙    Tighter security not enabling unauthorized users from accessing the database.

∙    More organised environment preventing missing files

Solve storage/security problems-

∙    The system will store the data in a small and secure area 

∙     Secure storage giving only the staff permission in accessing the data (password)

∙     Look more professional and give a good influence on the business

∙    Make the customers feel that their personal data is in secure place.

∙    Back up data

Solve processing problem

∙    Prevent data input errors (validation and verification)

∙    More effiecent in accessing individual data from the database

∙    Save customers and staff’s time

∙    Via network the data can be accessed on each of the 6 computers

 

     

          

Data Flow Diagram (DFD)

        

              Customer Fills

            Customer    Request Membership     In Membership       

           Form

                                   Correction                 Form returned to staff

               Staff Checks

  Take                                                              Information       

   Picture Of

   Customer

                  Give membership card to customer

        Photocopy membership form

                Produce

          Membership Card 

                                                           

        Prepare members information to be            

        Transferred into database and filling cabinet

       Enter member’s information into database        send original to main company

                                                                                                                   Headquarters to be stored in

                                                                                                                           Filing Cabinet                                                                            

                                                             

                         Database                      Filing Cabinet

                                             

                         Proof read data

  Staff Perform data validation checks-

1. Presence check
2. Character count
3. Range check
4. File lookup
5. Picture check
6. Check digit
7. Spell check

Resources

The software that the business will be requiring:

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Publisher
• Pinpoint
• Windows XP- Professional
• Internet Access

Microsoft Word is software from a range of software package called Microsoft office, it is enhanced word processing software with a variety of options including word art, spell check, designing shapes, producing letters and lot of word processing options and is very user friendly. It is the best solution for Rileys it is needed to produce formal letters to customers about offers and updates about payments options via post. The main features that it has is that is that it is very enhanced and there a lot of options to make different types of documents mainly letters. It also has a wizard which gives the inexperienced staff members a guide how to produce a letter step by step, to develop their I.C.T skills and to become more adapted to the software. There was another word processing software that I had considered which was Lotus and ClarisWorks but I found them to be much less efficient to the staff and they do not have many options and any wizard to help the inexperiered staff to use the software.

Microsoft excel is software from a range of software packages called Microsoft office. It is an advanced spreadsheet software with a variety of options such as producing graphs, managing a businesses finances and organising accounts and many more. It is the best solution as Rileys needs this spreadsheet software to manage its finance, budget, income and profits. It has many features and a wizard as it is quite complicated at the start for inexperienced staff to know how use the features of it. It is all user friendly and does not leave the user with a blank page and a bunch of icons. I didn’t considered other spreadsheets software’s as Microsoft is the best of its type, and it comes with a package with Microsoft word, Microsoft excel, Microsoft publisher and Microsoft outlook, this package is called Microsoft small business, so it is cost efficient as well as good at its job so I choose to use this than any other spreadsheet packages.                                                                                           Microsoft Publisher is software from a range of software packages called Microsoft office. This piece of software is used to design posters and individual leaflets mainly are used in journalism. I feel that this is the best solution as it is needed to produce offers and leaflets to put around the club notifying the members about upcoming tournaments, discounts and opening times. The features that I need is the desktop publishing features how it will be easy to use as it has a wizard to help guide what type of publishing you need to do.

 Microsoft’s Windows xp professional is the world leading operating system and its essential to this business as it has the latest networking functionalities. It is the best solution as it is the world’s latest operating system and is also has excellent function and options so the staff can adapt to the software with all user-friendly environments and functions.  The main features are that its main features listed below:

∙ Reliable

∙ Secure

∙ High performance

∙ Easy to use

∙ Advanced Networking Functionality

I had considered using Windows xp home edition but I didn’t as it did n to have as many features as professional, and it was no compatible with networking which is one of the main solutions needed to connect 3 computers together so they can all access all the same database.                                                                                              Internet access is needed so that Rileys can send and receive e-mails to their customers informing them about offers, updates and payment changes also it is good for the members so if they have any complaints they can contact the business easily via e-mail. I will be good to have Broadband internet as would be more faster to access information through the networking computers and sending and receiving e-mails.

The hardware that the business will be requiring:

 ∙ 6 Computers- basic specifications

• Intel Pentium 3 / 4
• 1 GHZ + / - 200mhz
• 20 GB Hardrive
• 128 MB Memory
• Networking Enabled
• Windows XP Professional
• Modem

  ∙ Printer

  ∙ Scanner

  ∙ Web cam

  ∙ Fax Machine

The business will be requiring 6 computers of the specifications listed above. This is a good choice as the pc’s need to be at a fast speed so data can be accessed more efficiently. There are no limitations as the pc is at a high speed and with the latest software’s al being network enabled.                                                                           The business will need a standard colour printer for printing letters and also printing out members photo and producing membership cards. The limitations are that only A4 and below sized paper can be printed out not A3 or above, also the resolution might not be as good as it can be.                                                                                           The business will be requiring a scanner as they can scan in the original membership forums to be stored in the computer so there will be a copy of the actual forms on the computer.                                                                                                                                   Also a web cam is essential to prevent customer bringing there own photos which will make happy customers, so the business will produce there own photos which will be stored on the computer. The only limitation would be that the Rileys would need to buy an expensive web cam to get better quality pictures and functions.                       A fax machine is vital as it is a good way of communicating with the customers and any contact with the main ware house of riley with supplying good and updates from the headquarters.

                                                                                                                 

Data Collection, data capture and input

To design my data capulation form I will need collect the following information about my customer, which is necessary to store in the database.

Information –

Main Customer input section –

      ∙   Surname

      ∙   Title

      ∙   Forename

      ∙   Date Of Birth

      ∙   Telephone (Home)

      ∙   Telephone (Mobile/Work)

      ∙   Email

      ∙   Occupation

      ∙   Address

      ∙   Town

      ∙   County

      ∙   Postcode

      ∙   Signature

      ∙   Date

Student Information section (Students Only) -

      ∙  Course start date.

      ∙  Length Of course.

      ∙  Name of college

Office Use Only Section –

      ∙  Membership Number

      ∙  Membership type

      ∙  Expiry date

      ∙  Unit/location

      ∙  Staff name

      ∙  Amount paid

      ∙  Discount membership comments

I have designed the form so I can collect the basic information of my customers, to be stored in the database, which will be in use for further reference in future for health and security reasons. As a member of our club it is a rule for use to have their information. And the way that I have designed it is for the ease of the customers to understand and find it easy to fill in the form as it is all set in a simplistic way for all ages, with 1 box per letter/number which also makes it easy for the staff to understand when transferring data onto the database.

My form ensures that the least amount of mistakes occurs and that data is accurate as the following aspects of the form are designed to prevents such mistakes from occurring.

∙  Blocks for per letter/number so data is easily read by staff and written on by     customers

∙  Form has three main sections where data is inputted so the customer has ease accessing it.

∙  Spread out in fairly large font so customers of all ages have ease in reading the data to prevent mistakes

The data will get into the computer after the customer has filled in the form and then in spear time the staff will type in the information into the mainframe computer using the software pinpoint. And to prevent mistakes the employee will perform the validation and verification checks on the information to make the chances of mistakes very low.

Data Verification and Validation

Data collection accuracy is very important aspect as so that the staff has the correct information about each of their customers, and also if you need to get back to each customer via e-mail, post, telephone about e.g. special offers and promotions it is important that you have their correct personal information in the database so that the information gets to the customer.

Other major factor is that if information is typed incorrectly into the data concern the members safety if a member shows act of violence in the club putting the customers and staff at risk, it would be vital to have there correct personal information to report to the police to be prosecuted. But if the data is not accurate enough the offender can get away. Also if you send you member monthly newsletters via, email and post and the name is incorrectly spelt the member will to be pleased or may feel offended and will have to pay a visit to the Rileys for the data to be corrected, which will not please the member and will be a waste of valuable time.

To minimize the possibilities of errors my database will have clearly stated field in which the appropriate data of the member will be entered by the staff, performing the specific data validation and verification checks if necessary.  

          There are a number of validation types that can help check the data that is being entered. They are used in many different ways; here are the ones, which will be used in the Rileys database:

Verification will also be used to make sure that the data is entered correctly; type of verification used by the staff will be proofreading data. This method involves somebody checking what is on the screen is the same as on the input document.  This is time consuming and costly.  The other option that I declined is Double entry (typing the data in twice and comparing the two copies). This can take much more time and means higher wage costs, the staff will prefer proofreading.

Data and program structure

This table below will show the details of each field in the Rileys database by showing the:

∙  Field Name

∙  Field Type

∙  Length

∙  Description

∙  Explanation of how this choice will prevent data entry error.

On all of the field’s validation and verification checks will be performed to prevent data entry errors.

Screen shots of the software need for the business -

Output Format

Screen shot of how the data will look on screen when a member of staff is using Pinpoint –

The above way of the data laid out is good for this particular situation as all the information of all the customers is displayed on one worksheet and can easily be sorted and searched using the icons situated on the toolbar. Also it can be viewed in the view of the capulation form but that is more difficult as only one members information is laid out on one sheet and its is much harder to manually search and sort the data. The other screen shot is attached to this page is that is how the data will look individually for each members data on screen as a data capsulation form which is more easier to input data than as a spreadsheet screen.

Reasons that the above screen shot is good for the staffs situation –

∙  Everything is onscreen

∙  East to understand

∙  Simple instructions to edit database

∙  Organised layout

∙  All members’ data displayed

∙  All field displayed

Other forms of data presentation are on the next pages of how data could look onscreen in a different format.