Information technology - Shop systems.

Statement of Problem:

The old system was a very basic and simple system where the person on the counter would write in a book the name, format and amount of the video and then he would write the member name and member number of the person renting the video. The customer would then sign the book. However on more than one occasion the book got lost and the store lost thousands of pounds in lost videos and faced a very big battle with the IRS over tax and audits. The video store had no way of making a complete backup of the book as it was always being updated but with a computerised system it is possible to replace an older file on a CD with the corresponding updated one.

However with the new system, none of these problems exist. The new system would be fully computerized and would allow the store to make backup copies very easily. The rental records could be easily checked as they could be viewed in alphabetical order, in date due order or in membership number order … this makes it easier for the store to see the same data in several different perspectives. This can be done by sorting the data in excel. There would be no need to record data in a book as by recording the data in excel you would be able to create a system where the data is updated when you a video in returned and therefore it means there is always an up to date list which can be viewed by the managers or staff on duty which would give them an up to date account of the videos late or required rental.

Summary to the interview:

I went to the manager and conducted an interview with him. I asked him several question as to what he wanted when the system was completed and he gave me a unique insight into what he wanted the system to have the ability to achieve when it was finished. A summary of what he wanted is listed below.

The manager wanted the system end user to have the ability to complete the following tasks:

• The system had to be able to create, view and modify accounts in very little time plus it must have the ability to be able to create backup copies of accounts in virtually no time. This means that I would have to create a system based mainly on excel. It would have to have a very fast processor hence providing the speed the manager required and it would also have to have a CD-RW if not a DVD-RW hence providing the ability for the system to create backup copies of accounts.

• The manager said that the end user had to be able to input rental data, easily and efficiently and had to be able to modify, and save this data which extreme efficiency and easy. The same would have to apply for all kinds of data. This means the manager didn’t want the end user to have to work too hard in order to create, modify and save rental data. In order to achieve this task the system would have to have the ability to input data with ease and in little time. The way I would use to achieve this task would be to use a form reader that would automatically read the data and register it in the list of rental data.

The new system objectives will be as follows:

• Allow accountancy changes to be made easily, looked up and stored, quickly, efficiently. This would mean that if the system could do these tasks then the end users would need very little training in how to use the system.

• Allow video information to be inputted, edited, looked up and stored efficiently, quickly and without difficulty. This would mean that at a glance the end user would be able to check the availability of certain videos etc. with very little time meaning that customers would not have to wait for long periods of time whilst the details for a certain video are checked.