Part 5 Task 1
A careful cost analysis revealed that it was a complex decision to select between the two software options. Both options had a shared cost of 14,500 based on the fact that the current infrastructure was not opt o part, and would require replacement in order to support the appropriate function of the new system. Bearing in mind, however that this was a shared cost, regardless of the model selected, it was not included in the mathematical cost analysis for the two options for the project.
The total cost of the in house option, when all factors were equally considered was significantly higher than the cost of outsourcing the IT development. The specific cost of building the structure in house was $24,000 in the first year, while buying the prepared software package from the supplier would come with both a far greater level of support from outside IT professionals, but would also have a total cost in the first year of only $16,400.
However, in contrast, the in house option had a much lower ongoing cost, beyond the first year, than the in house option. This was the direct result of the intial contract of the outsourced package requiring the company to sign an ongoing technical support contract at the rate of $2750 per year. Furthermore, it is not clear whether or not that service package would include refresher training, or in house services, like creating material backups. As such, it was ultimately determined that the in-house option provided not only a greater degree of personalization, but also represented a long-term lower cost for the company than the outsourced alternative.
Part B Task 2
The recommendation in this case is for the department to go forward with the purchase of the outsourced software package. During cost analysis, it rapidly became clear that the cost of the package was not only cheaper in the short-term over the course of the first year, but also in the long-term, over the course of the usable life of the product. It should be noted that there are shared costs, in terms of hardware and infrastructural updates, which must be made with the selection of either system, and so hat cost, totaling an approximate $7500 is not included in the short-term cost of either project.
The outsourced project has the advantage of being all-inclusive, so that training and IT support are automatically provided. The cost of upkeep on the in-house model, which totals $5,200 per year is nearly as high as the total cost of the software bundle, which includes technical support to handle the cost, and the hassle of providing support and training. Further, the start-up cost related to the in house model totals more than twice the cost of the package start up which is just $6,000.
There is some concern over the ongoing maintenance charge of $3,750 per year for technical support, but given that the 4 hours a week maintenance is ongoing, and costs $5,000 a year, the cost is actually lower than ongoing maintenance provided in house.
Finally, there was some concern over the delated ability of the company to provide IT support when repair, or on-site support is needed. There is a notable delay of 3-4 days which could cause a major issue in the setting at hand, however, there is little reason why the trained IT people in house could not manage this kind of crisis, and the overall savings were deemed worth the risk on this point. As a result of these total findings, purchase of the outsourced package was recommended.
Part 6 Task 1
There will be two users of interest in the UI design, the manager, and the employee. Only managers will be able to edit the repot, while it will be useful for other, non-managerial team mates to be able to view the report. As such it is key that the reporting be visible to any user, but editing be reserved for managers only, and accessed by passcode.
User stories:
As a manager, I want to be able to log into the system, and edit and generate a report that contains the identified key features, including: Package identification, package date in and out, and package handlers at different points in the process.
As an employee, I want to be able to view pertinent pieces of information about the package, which define my role, and certify the packages handling.
Non-functional requirements are just as important to meeting the needs of the users in the stories as functional requirements. While it is certainly true that the key features should be included, and accessed in the way defined by the user stories, non-requirement features are key to creating and intuitive and user friendly interface. These features include things like cost, maintenance process, usability, reliability, and infrastructure required. These needs should be balanced when designing the software system to ensure a quality and responsive product overall.
Part 6 Task 2
Currently a batch system is being used, in that all cash sales and charges are entered into the Bumblebee accounting software at the end of the day, and batched out in a single group of transactions. There are not currently any online transactions taking place in terms of day to day interactions.
However, the generation of the entire set of reports, which can be processed and delivered online in one hour, could be considered an online system. However, it takes up 70 percent of the CPU, and is not efficient or effective in terms of its interface.
Three non-functional requirements which I would consider of significant important when designing this system include usability, scalability, and expandability. It is extremely important in this case that the interface selected is user friendly and intuitive. The persons using it are not computer savy, or highly technical professionals, in that they are working in a physical rather than technical field. As such, in order for them to get the most out of the program it needs to operate in a very intuitive way. Further, I would want the design to be expandable, because there are a lot of elements that could be managed in a better way, if it were expanded later. For example, adding consumer preferences, history, and other personal information into the system would be a significant expansion that could benefit the business overall. Similarly, the system could be expanded to encourage online transaction over batching. This is especially important with features like banking and charging, to protect the business from financial losses. Finally, scalability will allow the program to grow along with the business size. This increases the longevity of product use and allows the business to meaningfully grow, without out growing its software package.
Part 7 Task 1
For the log-in pickup screen, I would recommend three key features for validation. The use of a user name and password, a Capatche, and a code sent by text, and entered for verification.
Part 7 Task 2
I would include data validation on the report, because it is always in the best interest of the consumer, or student, to protect their privacy through increase validation.
References:
“Week Five” (2016). Power Point.
“Week Six” (2016). Power Point.
“Week Seven” (2016). Power Point.
