I have done an interview with the user to recognise what is required and notice anymore problems with the current system.
Q. Do you own a registered copy of Microsoft Access?
A.Yes
Q. Do you hold a good enough database that could hold a database?
A. Yes
Q. What are the major problems with the current system you have of restocking the shop?
A. Firstly it is not computer which by today’s standards is a big handicap. The current way of doing the operation is to look around all the shelves and take note of low stock items, I then go to the cash and carry and buy the stock.
Q. What main items of data would you input into the database?
A. I would input what items I sell, also the selling price of the items. Also how items there are in the box when they come from the cash carry. Also a selling rating, high rating items should be restocked frequently, and low rating items can be restock a few days after being finished.
Q. What main out come do you want from the database?
A. I want it to save me time and money. There are times when a certain item totally finishes, and because there are so many items in the shop I forget what was there on the shelf, I want the database to overcome that problem for me.
Q. Are you computer literate?
A. Only a little I do not know how to use programming packages or graphical packages, I do know how to work mainly all word processing packages I should have no major problems with Access.
Q. Do you think there should be any restricted areas on the database?
A. Possibly I may want to hold some customer’s addresses, as they want deliveries, I may hold those addresses on the database, if I decide to, then yes I will need a password system to protect their personal information.
Q. Therefore do you know about the data protection act?
A. Yes, I will need to look into it more as I will need to abide by it.
Q. Do you think that you will be the only one to use the system?
A. Possibly, I will need different access levels to what the other people can access if there are more that one user.
Here is a flowchart that I have produced from the information that I know.
Problem Definition
The main aims is to get the owner putting the whole of the shop on the database, this will save plenty of time in doing searches for certain things, like item price. Also in the database I would like to implement a password system to protect certain information. The database should be simple for the owner to use, and possibly any other users, it should become second nature to the user after a few minutes.
Possible limitations is that the database could be too big, and therefore slow it down and slow the actual computer, Also ways of updating the database when an item is bought is not cheap (laser for bar code).
Main Objectives
- To get a simple and user friendly database up and running on the system available.
- To have a simple manual on how to use the database
- To save the user time and money
- To use Access
- To create a good restriction part of the database
- To take note of all stock
- Make it easy for a beginner to use the database
User’s Interface
The interface at the moment is slow and possibly inaccurate, as there maybe some stock in the shop but the owner has forgotten about it. It works by the owner walking around the shop and looking at the shelves, the problem here is that there maybe some items in the wrong place. The database will overcome this by knowing how many items there were when it was bought from the cash and carry. When items that there are a lack of are come across they are noted in a book then the owner goes to the cash and carry. The database will eliminate this by providing a print out of items that have finished or will be finishing soon, this totally eliminates walking around the shop. An addition to the project will possibly to make the cash and carry receive an email from the database and so all the products are waiting to be paid for and taken away.
The database should have simple theme to it, such as fill in the field about a certain topic, like name, price and quantity when bought. The target audience will be a slightly computer literate user but in case for a new user the database should be simple.