B) ANALYSIS
- General approach to the solution
We need to introduce the computer to the company and train the staff to use the software. In particular the two people who usually write the newsletter have to be trained in Word and the use of the newsletter template.
The template is designed to give the writer a standard format that contains the newsletter title, logo, company name and address, contact details, etc. The Macros are designed to make the posting of articles, adverts, graphics and pictures easier.
- Information and data sources
B) ANALYSIS
- General approach to the solution
We need to introduce the computer to the company and train the staff to use the software. In particular the two people who usually write the newsletter have to be trained in Word and the use of the newsletter template.
The template is designed to give the writer a standard format that contains the newsletter title, logo, company name and address, contact details, etc. The Macros are designed to make the posting of articles, adverts, graphics and pictures easier.
- Information and data sources
- Examine old newsletter for content and type of text, graphics and pictures produced.
- Discuss problems and possible improvements with company management and staff
- Discuss current newsletter, problems and possible improvements with customers.
- Look at web sites and other newsletters for comparisons and ideas.
- Obtain company logo/identity information from the company.
- Structure
Data is generally text with some graphics and pictures. The text will contain some price information, technical details and specifications of the skateboards and other equipment on offer or being reviewed.
- Type of Data
The newsletter may include charts and diagrams but these will be pasted onto the template having been produced on other software such as for example Excel.
5. Data Flow Chart
6. Problem Solution
We have replaced a semi-manual system with a computerised one that produces documents of a much higher quality. Not only is the text produced better but also the document includes pictures and graphics. The writer’s job is made easy through the use of a newsletter template that contains all the standard information that identifies the newsletter as coming from Illuminate Skateboard Company. Every newsletter is basically the same in terms of format e.g. fonts, headings, logo and general company information.
Mail Merge reduces the company’s workload in distributing the document to subscribers and eliminates errors through manual preparation.
The finished newsletter is professional and improves the customer’s view of the company and its skateboarding products.
C) DESIGN
- User needs
- Improved newsletter at reasonable cost.
- Simple, easy to use system.
- Good quality professional printing of the newsletters.
- The ability to include pictures and graphics in the newsletter.
2. System Design
- Module Design
- Template design – covering letter
Bonglesbury Lane
Boots Town Industrial
Milton Keynes
MK99 PO0
May 2, 2007
«FirstName»«LastName»
«Address1»
«Address2»
«City»
«PostalCode»
(Each of the above entries is a field linked to the subscriber list schedule [subscription 1. doc] and the mail merge programme pulls off the relevant field details for each subscriber to enable a personal letter to be written)
Dear «FirstName»,
Welcome to the first of many monthly issues of the new Illuminate Skateboarding Newsletter. In this issue we will be going through some of last months pro decks.
You will be keen to enter our competition this month, prizes include
One of a choice of decks including Heath Kirchart/ Voodoo 2, Andrew Reynolds/ Under the stairs, Tony Hawk/ Bird man logo2.
We look forward to receiving your comments on the newsletter by fax or E-mail.
Skate safe!
Toby Sander
Editor
-
Template design – template
See Appendix 1
-
Mail Merge – Newsletter subscription records
- Notes
- Subscription data
Customers subscribe to the newsletter having seen adverts in the press or in the newsletters. The accounts department keep records of money received but name and address data has to be input into word under the specified field names to enable covering letters and envelopes to be printed.
Open file called ‘Subscription 1. Doc’
Input fields are as follows:
First name
Last Name
Address Line1
Address Line 2
City
Post Code
b) Templates:
The company will use the Template to produce neat newsletters. Using templates the user can place text in the right place easily and neatly.
c) Mail Merge:
The Company will use Mail Merge to send the newsletters to members throughout the world via the post and even by e-mail. This will also save me a lot of time writing names and addresses every time the newsletter is produced.
d) Macros:
Macros have been used to shortcut routine operations that are carried out each month to update the newsletter for example: Changing the date and changing front cover pictures.
In addition the user can shortcut any piece of recorded text through Macros with a touch of a button. A key point in the implementation of the project will be to train the users to record macros. See appendix 3 for macro set up and appendix 4 for the resultant newsletter cover sheet produced using the macros.
To record a macro the company newsletter writers will need to follow the following instruction:
To record a Macro they will first need to go to tools on the taskbar menu. Then they will need to move the cursor down to Macro and then move along to Record New macro. They will then get to a box like the one below:
They should then name the macro and press ok. You should then get a small box like this:
When the writers have finished recording the macro they should then press stop. Then to play the macro they should go to Tools in the taskbar menu and go to the top macro symbol and select their macro to be played.
- System Testing
Plan to test the system with 2 company employees. The first is a secretary, in fact the one who used to type up the old newsletter on a typewriter, who will input all subscriber details into Word for the mail merge. A test will then be carried out to mail merge the covering letter and address labels.
The second member of staff is the editor of the newsletter who will load the template and write a draft newsletter for December. I will assist him and guide him through the template, particularly in respect of the insertion of pictures.
The company staff are being given some basic computer training by the computer supply company and the local college.
The head of the company will examine the finished newsletter – he is happy with the template design.
D) USE/IMPLEMENTATION
- Diary
- Test Log
Tested Template and mail merge on Saturday, 18th November. There were some problems with mail merge, which were then sorted out. Tested macros on 9th December and successfully produced a first draft cover of the January 2001 newsletter (See Appendix 4).
- User/Other Comments
Mail merge – Very useful and will save lots of time in distributing the newsletter. Staff will spend more time selling than on administration.
Templates – Could be better but principle established and it is much better than the old typed version.
Macros – Really useful but took one of the users some time to understand them. Admin. Staff now using macros for other programmes which is a benefit to the company.
E) EVALUATION
- Comments
The main result of the project is that it has introduced modern computing to the company. As well as producing a newsletter the whole company uses the computer for Word processing, e-mails and the Internet. Plans are in hand to put sales and accounting information onto other new machines.
The company has gone from producing a newsletter (text only) on an electric typewriter that then had to be photocopied for distribution. A covering letter to subscribers consisted of a photocopied master with the address and name written in by hand. We now have a newsletter that contains pictures, graphics and text in colour. Over 50 copies are printed out on the printer for distribution and the quality is considerably better than the old typed photocopies.
The mail merge tool within Word enables a personal covering letter to a high quality in terms of print to be sent automatically to each subscriber. In addition the subscriber records also mean that special promotion letters can be sent in between newsletter issues.
Appendices 2 & 4 illustrate the results of the mail merge run and revision of the design template to produce a draft newsletter cover sheet for January 2001.
Illuminate Skateboard Company Word Processing Project of
