Maintenance-
The maintenance involves making changes to hardware, software to support its operational effectiveness
- Variations of Software Development Life Cycle
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Waterfall- The waterfall model is software development model in which development is seen as flowing downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases of requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing.
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Spiral- The spiral model is a software development process combining elements of both design and prototyping in stages.
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Prototype- Creating a sample of a new system so that users can get an idea of what the system will offer and provide feedback on the system required.
Methods used for systems analysis
The waterfall model is a software development process. The waterfall model stages of software development process drop down like waterfall so it is called waterfall model
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Spiral model
The spiral model is a software development process. This model has combination of waterfall model and the prototyping model. Spiral model is also know as the spiral lifecycle model
Prototyping method
Prototyping method is a software development process. It is sometimes known as evolutionary development. This model is more effective than the other models.
I have selected Prototyping model
Relate the stages of a selected systems development cycle to the scenario, to show a detailed knowledge of the stages and of the methods used to undertake a systems investigation. M1
Prototype:
A prototype is an original, full-scale, and usually working model of a new system or new version of an existing system. A prototype is to show the client your new system, and the different between the new and old system
Brief introduction:
In the task I have been ask to relate the stages of a selected systems development cycle to the scenario (Southall Illustrations Company) and indicate what procedure would I use in each stage
Feasibility study
Introducing accounting system include sales invoicing so that when Southall Illustrations customer buy goods, a sale invoice sent from Southall Illustrations to request payment from the buyer
So in order to build the system the development team visits the customer and studies their system. They investigate the need for possible software automation in the given system. By the end of the feasibility study, the teams provide a document that holds the different specific recommendations for the system. It also includes the personnel assignments, costs, project schedule, and target dates
Analysis
The systems analyst will investigate all aspects of the current system:
Southall Illustrations at this time have three machines that are used by the administrative staff for producing letters and by the graphics team for some of the graphics work. What is lacking in the system that the rest of their systems are currently carried out manually such as; producing invoices, tracking customer’s orders, and all financial information, the system can be improved by installing a new accounting system that deal with all the manual tasks.
I will need to gather the information by using different method in order to find the need and to define the problem that needs to be solved when they build the new technology in Southall illustration such as interview and questionnaire when I collect the information of many people in the organization because it is useful and easy method, although people are notoriously bad at returning questionnaire
Design
I'm facing the task of trying to design accounting system (sales invoice) a system where input by the user will involve the customers (name & address), amount to be paid, and
any references, and the outputs from the system will be as reports, bills and statements .It is not going to be something that will be used by many people only the administration department, so I decide doing it in Access. This database should allow the user to open up a form, select from a list of pre-entered customer names (I've made a form that allow the user to manually add/edit the customer table), once it is chosen, the next form
should have the customer information filled in according to the selection, a
worksheet at the bottom will allow user to enter an invoice number, the total
invoice amount, and sum up the amounts. A report is produce and printed on. The user should also be able to go back and track how much is paid by a particular customer. I have created 3 tables. Customer table (name, address, city, postcode)
Customer number table (customer Number will be primary key, total amount)
Invoice table. Southall illustration will have to design and planning the software by diagram flow chart according to the customer needs. Analysis and Design are very important in the whole development cycle. Any problem in the design stage could be very expensive to solve in the later stage of the software development. Much care is taken during this stage.
Testing
Once I finish create software I will have to test the interface to make sure the system work as intended and it does what customer they requires
Implementation
In this stage, the system designers will put in the new system, installing and setting up software, creating data files and training people to use the system. I will have to show the sample design to the customer and if the customer accepted the design the job could be completed and ready to allocate to another department and if the customer are not satisfy for the design they will have to send back again for the design team to be design again according to the customer needs. Final the work will be completed and ready for printing.
Write a detailed problem definition for the specified scenario. M2
Current system
Southall Illustrations is company that specialist in a graphic design and printing placed in Southall. The company now facing a major problem concerning another competitor company that opens similar business and Southall Illustrations have become conscious of that some of their customers are moving to their competitor and profits have suffered
Southall Illustrations now have three machines that are used by the administrative staff for creating letters and by the graphics ream. The rest of their systems are currently carried out manually.
In Southall Illustration the problems are:
- Paper based system
- Do not have new technology
- Only three stand alone machines
- Company is not modernise
- Image of the company is not very good.
Producing invoices, tracking customer’s orders, and all financial information manually will affect the current business in much way such as;
- Users can’t manage their time.
- Increase memo and business letter costs.
- Slower order entry, service response, etc.
- Reduce customer service and satisfaction.
The problem of Southall Illustrations is that they have paper based system, so all the work they are currently doing is done manually here are some examples what they are doing:
- Producing invoices, tracking customer’s orders, and all financial information. It takes a lot of time to get the work done.
- The system of Southall Illustrations is very slow because all the work at the moment is carried out manually and doesn’t have any new technology yet and because it very slow many of customers are not happy with the service and they are moving to their competitor.
- The business of Southall Illustrations is not very good at the moment and they don’t make profit. They keep losing their customers, so they have decided to bring in new technology and new systems.
Record the findings of the analysis in a logical way. _ P4
(ii) Prepare a data flow diagram of the current system at level 1.
Context Diagrams – Southall Illustrations
Enquiry
Customer details
Order details
Payments (Money)
Invoice
Feedback
Order delivered
Design
Record the findings of the analysis in a logical way. P4
(i) Undertake a feasibility study and produce a feasibility study report.
Feasibility study report
Introducing accounting system include sales invoicing so that when Southall Illustrations customer buy goods, a sale invoice sent from Southall Illustrations to request payment from the buyer.
The purpose of the system
- Keep record of customer’s invoices.
- Receive Payments from customers.
- Send customers Statements, Payment Receipts, Current Balance, and Sales Summary.
System equipment
- Needs to run on existing PC.
Lack of the current system
- Work carried out manually, it is a paper based system. So it takes time.
- To do all the work it takes more time.
- Mistakes are not easily identified.
- Details of payments made have to be manually entered.
- Currently have three stand alone machines
- Producing invoices, tracking customer’s orders and all financial information is all done manually
User requirements
- System should be able to produce designs and reports
- Improved accuracy
- System should be able to Deal with payments
- Improved details on customers statement
- System should have new technology
- Faster processing
- System should be able to store customers details on database
Cost benefits/limitations
Cost
The cost of the new system is very expensive because they have done so many improvements. For the quick calculation it had cost them near 30,000. This amount it is very expensive than the before system which was manual which had only three computer system and all other task has be done manually which was taking a lot of time.
Time
The analyst has given one three month. The analysts were investigating the current system problem and finding the solution of it. Implementation were taking long time to find the suitable software for the new system so analyst request more time from Southall illustration in order to complete implementation, the company were accept the request from analyst and decide to give them two month .
Conclusions and recommendations
A new accounting system (sales invoice) can be developed using the existing PC in the Administration department.
Level1 Diagrams – Southall Illustrations( Current System)
1
Customer details
Enquires
Order details
Final work is arranged to customer
Level1 Diagrams – Southall Illustrations( New System)
Undertake the systems analysis of the problem using an appropriate technique for requirements gathering purpose -- such as an interview, survey, observation or a questionnaire.
Prepare a suitable list of questions for an interview with your tutor. Carry out the interview and include your notes in the Appendix of the report. P3
There are five main methods, which can be used to gather information in Systems analysts such as;
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Interviewing- can be gathered directly from the person who have experience of the system under investigation
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Questionnaires- Questionnaires are useful when only a small amount of information is required from a large number of people. To provide accurate responses, questions need to be clear and accurate
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Examination of records and procedure manuals- The examination of records can be a useful method of discovering what procedures are carried out.
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Examination of documents - The analyst should examine all documents used in a system, to ensure that each fulfils some purpose, also clear and satisfies its purpose.
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Observation- Record of the facts and information often the observation will be carried out in an informal way, Observation should always be carried out with skill and staff under observation should be made fully aware of its purpose.
I have decided to choose questionnaires method to gather information in Systems analysts, because it useful when only a small amount of information is required from a large number of people
Summaries the key finding of the interview about the current system and how would you improve it
What is lacking in the system that systems are currently carried out manually such as; producing invoices, tracking customer’s orders, and all financial information, the system can be improved by installing a new accounting system that deal with all the manual tasks.
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