The owner is called Craig and he needs an ICT program that will keep accounts of the members and loans taken, and Books or Videos/DVDs which are overdue.

Another way that Book Universe could solve their information handling problems by using a database application on a computer in the Library to store information about member’s details, which books, videos or DVDs have been lent out to which person and to store information about what new has been added.

The advantages of this solution could be that it would be much simpler and faster to find addresses, names and loans. You would be able to create queries and tables and it will be cheaper than to employ staff.

The disadvantage would be that the hardware and software can be very expensive, it would take a while to learn and get used to the new program. It is not as reliable. The system might break down which will take time to fix and will affect the business. The hard drives could crash, which means you, could lose all the information. So you will have to make backup disks, there is also the fact that the computers can be hacked into by people who might delete or steal information.

Another way of solving the problem would be to use a computer to store information about the member’s books and videos. The advantage of that would be that it would be saved in the computer.

Other ways a computer can be used:

1. Use a database program to ‘record’ all the members and the videos that they have taken. This method would cause some problems with the calculations because those would have to be done by hand and the recorded.
2. A spreadsheets program to do all the calculations and put down all the information in. Craig would also solve the problems he had with checking his profits by making instant graphs to show this.

Chosen Solution

The best way to solve the information handling problems of Book Universe will set up a new system using a computer. I have decided to use a computer because:

1. Not a lot of energy is needed to get data, this saves time and is efficient.
2. It is more accurate
3. It is much cheaper to run
4. It takes up less space
5. It has many functions
6. It is long-lasting
7. It will print out what is needed
8. Computers can work continuously 24 hours a day.
9. Less paperwork involved, it is all stored and easily accessible from the computer.
10. Low risk of data being erased as it can be stored on various backups.
11. Data can easily be presented in tables, graphs etc.
12. Changes and corrections can be performed at the touch of a button.
13. Validation check minimizes the chance of any errors.

The most suitable type of application package will be a Microsoft Office 2000 package because:

1. It takes less room than a filing cabinet full of information
2. It can keep information in table or records
3. It does clear and accurate calculations
4. Information can easily be updated (e.g. if a members address or name has changed)
5. The worksheets can easily be accessible using buttons that link up to other worksheets in one file.
6. Can easily generate graphs and charts.

User Requirements

The user needs to specify the following requirements:

1. The system must show averages of the profits/ loses he is making each month.
2. The system should be able to calculate how much money the customer needs to pay.
3. The system should also calculate how many days the book(s)/video or DVD will be taken out for and how many days it has been taken out for.
4. The system should calculate the total amount of money the customer owes if he/she has taken out more than one Books, video or DVDs.
5. The system should not include any additional costs while using it.
6. The system should show how many days left until it is due in.

PART TWO – Analyse

Choice of Software

I have chosen Microsoft Spreadsheets/ Excel because you can make accurate calculation with it and is quite easy to learn how to operate it and to keep records of the members.

Resource requirements

The hardware and software resources that the user will require for the system that I have designed are:

         HARDWARE                                              SOFTWARE                  

1. PC (computer, monitor,                          1. Internet Explorer
2. Keyboard, mouse)                                  2 . Microsoft Office 2002
3. Barcode Scanner                                     3. Window ME
4. modem
5. Hard disk

Data Input, processing and Output

When the input data is collected, the barcodes of the items will be scanned using a laser scanners which read the bar codes and the information is transmitted to a computer for processing, it will be directly entered in a Excel.

This data will be lending price of each video (e.g./ £1.50 for VHS), details of the videos (the price it was bought for, stock number…) Books (50 pence for each book) DVD (£2 for each DVD) and member’s details (name, address, contacts etc…).

The program will be validated so that a customer can only take up to three book, videos or DVDs and can keep them for up to two days without paying extra.

The data output is the reports on which members have books, videos or DVDs withstanding and results of profits or loses.

This data will be the loans report (how many loans per day?), overdue report (how much does the customer owe you?) and members contact details (in case of an overdue).

The processing will be done using a calculator in the spreadsheets that will count up all the loans and the money made.

Data Flow

 

Backup/ Security Strategy

The database will be password protected this way the database is safe from unauthorised people. The computer will be able to make back-up copies of the database on CDs, which can be used to backup vital information.

User Feed Back On Initial Ideas

Craig was amazed by how easy the new system was. He said was less time consuming. Craig definitely liked the idea about searching for the overdue items.

Craig said that he wanted a separate sheet for all the overdue items.

PART THREE – design

User Guide

1. Open Microsoft Access, then create a database it will then come up with this screen.

which will then come up with this screen.

Here you will have to enter the field name and select whether it is text, number, memo, date/time, currency, auto number,  yes/no, OLE object or hyperlink once you have done this you will have to add a primary key, in your case you will have to add one to the ‘Membership Number’ field. After this you will have to save and name the table and finally close it. You then have to click on the table you have just created and this screen will appear

 

 Here you just add the members details

After you have created the Members table you close it. If you want to find out which person has over due items then you click on Queries which is here

Then you click on Create query in Design View then this box will appear and you click on the Members Table and then close it. After this you just add all the fields you need. You will definitely need the fields ‘Returned’ and ‘Date of item due in’

Under the field ‘Date item due in’ first you type in  < then type in the Date. This symbol < tells the computer to search for all the dates before today’s date. You also type ‘NO’ under the field ‘RETURNED’ after you finish that you click on the run button

Then this screen will appear:

This table will show all the overdue items. You can send out letters to those people by simply using mail merging.