Inappropriate hardware identified
Speakers will not be needed as there is no sound embedded in the system and this will just be a waste of money and electricity.
Microphones will not be needed as the information is going to be keyed in there so there is no need for a microphone. Moreover, by using a microphone to enter in the information may be inaccurate and frustrating, as the microphone may not understand what the person has said. This is wasting the customer’s time as well as the employees.
Touch screen VDU will also not be needed as it is very expensive, delicate to touch e.g it may take you to the wrong page. The repairs will also cost a lot of and this will be a massive disadvantage towards the business if Mr. Bob will keep having to pay for repairs.
User navigation
The website navigation will be achieved via the use of a navigation bar. This is a bar that contains many links to each page of the website, and every page will contain a navigation bar, allowing easy navigation throughout the website. This is how the website will be laid out:
- Home page
- Merchanise page
- Auction House page
- Order Online page
- Contact page
Data collection
Most of the data used for the Central Perk website can be obtained from Mr. Bob himself; prices for each product can be taken from an in-store list, and pictures of the products can be taken and scanned (or digitally transferred) into a computer for use on the website. The rest of the needed information (any server-side information, for example) can be obtained from the internet, since Mr. Bob can easily access and update this information accordingly.
Data input
Since a majority of information will be entered into the system, it is crucial the information that is entered will be checked and verified to minimise mistakes. The information that will be entered will be in the tables after the system is implemented.
Below is a list of the computer input and how it will be verified.
When the customers, or staff wants information on an item sold by the store, a member of staff will use there computer to search for the information give to them (e.g. the item name). Once the information is found, all of it will be displayed to the member of staff that requested its; pricing, stock, quantity .etc. The information collected will be typed into the tables and a copy will be printed. By looking through the information the mistakes will circle in red/green pen. After the copies have been looked over, the stakes in the table will be changed. The database will need a password, when the password is first typed in the computer will ask me to verify it so the password, which has been typed, is correct. This process is very fast and reliable and user friendly.
Customer enquiries
When a customer wants to know information on a product, a member of staff will search the spreadsheet for the products information.
Output methods
If a customer visits the website, then only a monitor would be necessary, as only the customer needs to see the website. If a projector would be used, it would display everything that the customer sees. Some information is private, so this isn't a good idea, and it would just cost more, unless the customer is presenting the website to a larger audience.
Output method justification
The information, which has been processed by the database, can be displayed to the user in a number of ways. Below are a number of possibilities of outputs and their advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
- Cheaper to buy
- Offering black and white or colour printing
- Reduced levels of quality and speed.
Disadvantages:
The advantages/disadvantages of an inkjet printer:
The advantages/disadvantages of a Laser Printer
Advantages:
- High quality output
- Very quiet
- Very fast
Disadvantages:
- Expensive to repair and maintain
- Ink Cartridge very expensive
The advantages/disadvantage of a monitor:
Advantages:
- No need to use a mouse.
- Keyboard doesn’t get dirty.
- Takes up little space
Disadvantages:
The chosen output will be via a monitor, because only the member of staff who is using the computer needs to view their actions on-screen. A keyboard may also be attached if needed incase the barcode scanner fails to recognize the item then it will just be typed in, although this will rarely happen.
Backup and security
The data from the computer will be backed up onto several other machines, which will be locked, so nobody can view them without the master password. This will greatly reduce the chances of the file being lost, or stolen, since there are multiple copies. Also, the files will be set to read-only so, without the password, they cannot be altered. Mr. Bob will keep a copy on a USB memory stick, which he keeps safely locked up in his house.
The only person that can alter the file, since it will be password protected, will be Mr. Bob. If somebody tries to edit the spreadsheet, then they will get an error, and a password will be asked for. The password will have to be very secure, and something that Mr. Bob can memorise as to not write down. Also, the files will be “Read Only” (or 644CHMOD), and only a computer admin can alter the permissions of the website. This means that you cannot make changes to the files without consent of the computer (or server) admin.