ICT



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SALES DEPARTMENT

Submitted By: Maida Basharat

Grade 10

INTRODUCTION

Background Information:-

Baskin Robbins is a chain of ice cream parlors founded by Burt Baskins and Irv Robbins in 1945 in Glendale, California. Each outlet has minimum five workers under the supervision of a manager. Their product variety ranges from coffee in winters to shakes in summers. They not only sell quality ice cream but also have exclusive items like cakes for special festivals such as Birthdays, Weddings and Religious festivals.

The parlor went on really well in the beginning but as I am a regular customer I observed a gradual fall in the quality of food and service. Fortunately my friend’s uncle is the manager of the branch where I often go. I tried having a chat with my uncle about the shop and its performance. At first he hesitated and refused to discuss with me but on my further insistence he told me that the shop was suffering a lot. In the beginning the shop opened three outlets at different places but now it had become difficult to manage the paperwork and a keep a check of purchase and sale costs and so profits were rare. What happened mostly was that it was hard to keep a track of stock level which often resulted in shortages and expiries which adversely affected the food quality and was a threat to the popularity of the outlet among the customers. As profits were hard to come by no facilities were offered to the workers and this reduced their efficiency.

He told that efficient performance is expected from the managers and the workers and if it is accompanied by a computerized system of the shop it would make the work easier. Considering all these points I quickly offered him my services to design an automated system for them.

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What Happens at Present

All the work is done manually which includes most of the paperwork like orders are still noted down on paper even the bill is mentioned on a piece of paper roughly. All the information like supplies, sales, salary and costs is written down in registers and the bulk of information increases the piles of registers while become difficult to maintain and keep safely.

It is also seen that problems arise while tackling with loads of paperwork especially during any changes (if a new worker is hired information needs to be added). Maintenance of these registers is a hectic job as every little piece of information needs to be written down

And needs to be crossed checked and the mistakes are corrected if any, all this makes it a long tiring job. This job being boring the workers just scribble the information in a hurry least bothered about its integrity and as the manager is not aware of the day to day sales any mistakes in the information written down may cause the shop to face losses often.

Moreover it is impossible to keep a record of the stock level manually and so when the manager comes to know that the stock is about to end at high time say public holidays or festival days it may cause panic at the last minute. Also if no record of raw materials and their life is kept it might as well lead to production of low quality product which will ultimately lead to customer’s dissatisfaction. Similarly if no track of how much food was used and how much was leftover is kept then it might affect the net profit.

Last but not the least the workers are the main asset of the shop and if they are not given any bonus, overtime money or rewards for their hard work they might become negligent and not perform efficiently, some of them might as well resign to work with a better management with more facilities.

All these factors contribute to the failure and decline of the company.

Problems from the user’s point of view

• Manpower Requirement – The data is held manually on papers and makes up huge piles. A person is required to maintain this paperwork and this job becomes very hard and consumes long working hours as updating and editing large amount of files is very difficult.

• Billing Problem – As bill is written down manually on a piece of paper and given to the customers it makes processing slower also one person is wanted to note down the bill in the register for the shop’s use which again is a tiring job.

• Unreliability and inaccuracy of data – “To err is human”. When large amount of data is handled manually it becomes hectic and so results in miscalculations and errors even after so much of hard work.

• Sharing of data is impossible – No data or information can be shared between branches as there is no proper network of communication so updating of data becomes impossible.

• No contact in emergency – If the shop runs out of stock(ice cream) at the last moment then its impossible to reorder the new stock due to lack of communication.

• Time consuming paperwork – As discussed many times before lots of paperwork is hard to maintain and takes too much time when updated every day.

• Boring job and very hectic – The person dealing with the stock information needs to do a 24hrs job, he becomes bored and sometimes mentally stressed up.

• Back up is difficult to make – Back up copies are very important and to do this the person handling the department needs to copy the data again on papers which takes up more space, time, power and is not safe.

• Lost cards and files – There are so huge piles of papers that sometimes its almost impossible to find a document and it may get lost also. Any financial record or file if lost is very difficult to retrieve or make a new one.

Problems from the analyst’s point of view

• Dubious to disclose information – Many firms may not want to reveal their personal information and it becomes difficult for the analyst to take in depth analysis and find the solution to the problems.

• Improper response from staff – The employees may hesitate in answering any type of questions due to the fear of disclosing any information and loosing their job. Cooperation is required.

• Complicated to keep bulk of record – There are many disadvantages of loads of paper work (takes up much space, error maybe introduced) which can be reduced if a computerized system is used.

• Backups – back up of each and every bit of paper is very hard to make and will be a weary job. Also the backups are not safe if kept in drawers how much they are if stored on the computer.

• Quick access impossible – When information was required for analysis it took more than ages to find the files which would have been much quicker if a computer was used.

• Network Problem – Searching, updating and ordering becomes impossible especially during emergencies.

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• Automatic Reordering – the system should operate in real time i.e. the system should automatically reorder the products if the stock level decreases.

• Less workload on employees – computerized system offers less manual work so less manpower will be required.

• Error free system – the system must be accurate which saves time also and fewer errors are introduced.

• Organized database – data must be stored in an organized way for quick access and retrieval.

• Data security – files are much safer when saved in the computer.

• Reliable backup facility – backup copies of data held on computer are easier to make as they take less time and space and can be stored on CD s and USB s.

• Restricted access to data – users’ access rights should be limited to keep safe the secret information.

• Customer Satisfaction – an efficient system ensures customer satisfaction e.g. by avoiding any delay in order placement.

• Increased profit and expand business – when there will be an error free system the services will be better the customers will increase as a result profit will increase and business will flourish.

Subtasks to be Accomplished

• Need to reduce manual operation - by introducing a computerized system it will be easier to enter, update, edit and process the data rather having piles of files to be maintained which is a hectic and time consuming job especially to maintain the supplier information such as transactions.

• Avoid miscalculations and errors – work done by the computer is more reliable and accurate and for checking data integrity in this way a record of food life can be kept to avoid any kind of expiries or delayed usage.

• Immediate access to data and quick feedback – this is very important for any function to carry on and in this case it will be helpful in dealing with the stock level i.e. the stock level can easily be checked and if anything needs reordering it is immediately done.

• Back up of files and security of data – large amount of data can be stored in one single computer and is easily kept safe so the problem of data being lost no more exists.

• Quick printout of receipts and forms – this includes the printing of an itemized bill one will be given to the customer and its copy will be kept by the shop.

• Creating a database and keeping files in an organized way – this will help to gather the data in one place and to check the items in stock and in use. Keeping files in order will help in quick reference.

• Data sharing facilities needed to provide on web – the data can be exchanged between different outlets and other branches can be contacted in case of emergencies also an access to the internet will allow the manager to collect information about how to make the business prosperous.

• To save the efforts and power of the employees – If work load is reduced on the manager and the workers they can produce efficient and quality services. On the whole they can ensure the prosperity of the shop.

Criteria for Success

• Management’s Cooperation – Management should be willing and able to spend some money for the maintenance of computerized system.

• Trained employees– only the skilled users with special training should be allowed to use the system for positive results.

• Users’ will- employees and users must be ready and intending to learn about the new system so that they understand and cope with the new system.

• Security measures-Backups must be taken at regular intervals and access rights should be assigned to every user to avoid any kind of un authorized access to the personal data of the firm.

• User friendly interface to be used- for the ease and satisfaction of the user a user friendly interface should be used so that users don’t find it hard to use the system and eventually do not give up.

• Software selection- the software to be selected must be in accordance to the company’s needs like in this case not very high level of automation is required but only for the collection, storage and processing of data.

The accomplishment of the subtasks is the main criteria of success.

INPUTS

The following information is held on the system:-

• Company’s history - its establishment, rise, downfall and achievements.

• Financial record – financial statements, monitory figures and information about all its recent finance, loss and profit.

• Employee and customer details.

• Recent changes – introduction of new policies or some new offers or changes in charges and services.

Outputs

The following are the outputs from the system:-

• Updated database with complete information.

• Profit and loss statements in the form of queries.

• Reports to manager about business development.

• Receipts and bills for the customer and cards for both employees and the customers e.g. (ID cards and membership cards)

• Invoices as a hard copy.

• Backups of the data in flash drives, CD s or printouts.

• A screen display so that we can find out if a particular item is in stock.

• Records and statistics of the business profit in the form of

Possible solutions to the problem

• The data must be organized according to alphabetical order or the other way as required and related files must be kept together and an employee to solely maintain the paperwork must be appointed.

• There must be record transactions between headquarters and other outlets so that information can be shared like stock level, quantity of product sold quantity to be ordered, quantity left etc.

• Different branches of the shop must be able to communicate in order to share information and incase of emergencies there is a shortage of any product.

• Past records must be kept safely; backups must be made so that they can be used incase of data loss and planning for future like growth of company, increasing profit etc is made easier and quicker.

• The ultimate and most effective solution is automation as it covers all the control work automatically which is quick easy and successful.

User’s Specification for Software Package

There a wide range of software packages to choose from but it is always wiser to know the users’ specifications for the software package so that it is easier to decide which software to choose and which one will be feasible. Following are some of the specifications:-

• Software must be user friendly and cost effective i.e. it must be easy for the user to use and cope with the software and it must be affordable not too expensive.

• Data needs to be converted from one version to another so the package must support this facility and upgrading must be easy for e.g. converting MS Access 2003 to 2008 without harming the data.

• Data needs to be stored in different forms such as forms, queries and tables, the software must be able to facilitate this requirement.

• Several printouts maybe required like printing of the bill or the repot to be sent to the manager etc so the software must allow printing of data in the desired layout.

• The software must be fast and it should be easy to access data i.e. the software must not slow down due to the storage of extreme data and files.

Types of Software Packages

WORDPROCESSOR:- A word processor (more formally known as document preparation system) is used for the production (including composition, editing, formatting, and possibly printing) of any sort of printable material.

DATABASE:- A database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system so that it can easily be accessed, managed, and updated. It is one of the best packages to maintain the data.

SPEADSHEET:- A spreadsheet is an accounting or bookkeeping program that displays data in row and columns on a screen. Spreadsheets consist of a grid of cells into which maybe placed text, numbers or formulae. Spreadsheets are useful for ‘what if’ calculations.

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE:- A programming language is a machine-readable artificial language designed to express computations that can be performed by a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that specify the behavior of a machine, to express algorithms precisely, or as a mode of human communication.

WEBSITES:- A Web site (or "website") is a collection of related Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are hosted on one Web server, usually accessible via the Internet. Basically a website allows communication between the organization and the outside world.

DESKTOP PUBLISHING:- It can be used to produce pages that combine texts and graphics for books, magazines, posters and leaflets. Different typefaces (fonts) can be used to add interest and diagrams can be added.

Comparison of chosen software with other available packages

Fox Pro vs. MS Access:-

• In Fox Pro passwords can easily be hacked whereas MS Access has a very strong security feature.

• Fox Pro is outdated so it cannot be used with new systems whereas MS Access can be used with almost all systems.

• Fox Pro is relatively expensive whereas MS Access is cheap and reliable.

• Compared to MS Access Fox Pro offers limited no. of features.

Oracle vs. MS Access:-

• Oracle is complicated software and is quite difficult to use whereas MS Access can easily be used by a person who has a little skill to operate a computer.

• Oracle is very expensive for the shop to opt for as compared to MS Access.

• Oracle is complex whereas MS Access is easy.

Advantages of MS Access over Database:-

• MS Access is more compatible and comprehensive than database

• Unlike MS Access Database is expensive and does not provide reliable security facilities.

• Better online search facilities which save time and effort.

• Provides backup facility.

• Reports can be made more attractive by various options.

• Easy transfer of files from MS Access to all Microsoft packages as they are all compatible.

• Sharing of network and resources is also involved.

• Data security is maintained at all levels.

Declaration and Justification of the chosen software package

After a general meeting with the administration it was unanimously decided to go on choosing MS Access due to the following reasons :-

✓ MS Access is a user friendly software as the commands are displayed on the screen either in the form of command buttons or jus one click away in a pop down menu and has no ‘hidden options’

✓ MS Access is very popular among many users worldwide as it is not complex and difficult to use so people are encouraged using this software.

✓ MS Access has a higher compatibility rate and the data can be shared easily.

✓ MS Access has a no. of ways available to manage data such as forms, tables, reports and queries

✓ .Query is one of the most helpful option as it makes searching a ‘needle in a haystack’ much easier for e.g. searching for a particular record in a no. of files.

✓ Online help option is available for e.g. to learn how to use the software or how to solve any problem encountered. New updated versions of the software are also available on the internet.

✓ ‘Grammar Checker’ and ‘Spell Checker’ are some of the most useful features as they make the error made by the user to be made known to the user and so mistakes are avoided.

✓ Addition and deletion of records and fields is no problem it is done quickly without encountering any problem.

All the facilities required to manage the data are available and are very easy to use so the users of the shop will enjoy working with this software and will ultimately produce positive results which will be a good sign for the prosperity of the shop.

Hardware and Software Requirement imposed by the

Package

As we have already chosen which software is suitable for our scenario now let us have a look at the hardware compatible with the software package chosen.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENT:-

• Personal or multimedia computer with Pentium II or higher processor

• Microsoft Windows 98/2000/XP.

For Windows 98:-

• 32 MB memory required

For Windows XP:-

• 64MB memory required and to run additional application more memory required which is upgradeable.

Professional Edition:-

• 10GB hard disk space is required.

• 2-3GB is required for typical installation of the software depending on the configuration.

Standard Edition:-

• 1-2GB hard disk space required.

• 700MB is required for typical installation of the software depending on the configuration.

CD ROM:-Includes additional items and programs.

VGA Card:-With higher resolution.

RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENT:-

• Computer and processor:-500MHz processor or higher

• Memory:-256MB RAM or higher

• Hard disk:-1.5GB

• Drive:-CD ROM or DVD ROM

• Display:-1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor

• Operating System:-Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack (SP) 2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later operating system.

• Internet cable & Dot Matrix Printer.

After having a cost effective analysis it was unanimously decided by the administration and I that the actual specifications should be bought.

Data Capture Methods

Before proceeding further we need to find out how things are done at the moment and there are four main ways of finding out about existing systems, these are:-

Questionnaires & Interviews:-

The employees can be asked to fill in carefully designed questionnaires and forms so that I can get the previous information as well as their opinions. I can also interview the employees individually and ask certain questions related to the information required.

Brainstorming:-

I can sit with the employees and discuss with them their problems and learn about the present system.

Old reports and records:-

I can study previous bits and papers of the company which maybe hectic but a source of information.

Self Observation:-

I can look at the way the problems are dealt with at present system and can also observe how the transactions are done.

Data Dictionary

Following are some of the main tasks we need the system to perform:-

• To produce an itemized bill when data is entered in the computer.

• To keep the stock level updated and display the information on screen.

• To hold the information about the products of the shop in the form of databases.

• To keep a record of the financial status of the shop(transactions, financial statements and profit).

Following are the tables that will be held by the database:-

Menus

|Field Name |Data Type | Description |

|Item ID |Text |ID of the food item. |

|Item name |Text |Name of the food item. |

|Menu |Text |In which food item is the particular item. |

|Cost Price |Currency |What does the item cost to the restaurant. |

|Sales Price |Currency |The price at which the item is sold. |

Kitchen Utensils

|Field Name |Data Type | Description |

|Item ID |Text |ID of the item. |

|Item name |Text |Name of the item. |

|Manufacturing Company |Text |Name of the manufacturing company. |

|Size |Text |Size of the item(large, medium, small) |

|Made In |Text |Name of the country in which it was manufactured. |

|Unit Price |Currency |The price of the item |

|Number of items in use |Number |No. of items in use of the shop |

|Remarks |Text |Any remarks about the item |

Food Stock (life)

|Field Name |Data Type | Description |

|Item ID |Text |ID of the item |

|Item name |Text |Name of the item |

|Supplier ID |Text |Name of the supplier |

|Items in stock |Text |Amount of items in stock |

|Received on |Date/Time |The date on which the item was received |

|Expires on |Date/Time |The date on which the item would expire |

|Expires before use |Yes/No |Did the item expire before use? |

Serving Ware

|Field Name |Data Type | Description |

|Item ID |Text |ID of the item |

|Item no |Number |Name of the item |

|Item name |Text |Serial number of the item |

|Manufacturing Company |Text |Name of the manufacturing company |

|Size |Text |Size of the item (large, medium, small) |

|Made In |Text |Name of the country where it was manufactured |

|Unit Price |Currency |Price of the item |

|Number of Items in use |Number |No. of items in use of the shop |

|Description |Text |Any information about the item |

|Remarks |Text |Any remarks about the item |

Sales Receipt

|Field Name |Data Type | Description |

|Attendant ID |Text |ID of the attendant who served the customers. |

|Attendant name |Text |Name of the attendant. |

|Date |Date/Time |Date on which the customers came. |

|Time |Date/Time |Time at which the customers were served. |

|Item(1)ID |Text |ID of the item. |

|Menu(Item(1)ID) |Text |Menu in which Item(1) is present. |

|Item(2)ID |Text |ID of the item. |

|Menu(Item(2)ID) |Text |Menu in which Item(2) is present. |

|Item(3)ID |Text |ID of the item. |

|Menu(Item(3)ID) |Text |Menu in which Item(3) is present. |

|Sales Description |Text |Any other information. |

Suppliers

|Field Name |Data Type | Description |

|Supplier ID |Text |ID of the Supplier Company |

|Supplying Company |Text |Name of the Supplier Company |

|Item ID |Text |ID of the item |

|Amount Supplied |Text |Amount of items in this particular transaction |

|Number of Supplies |Number |No. of Supplies received till now |

|Representative's Name |Text |Name of the person who deals with our shop on behalf of the Company |

|Representative's Contact |Text |Contact details of the representative |

|Address of Company |Text |Address of the main office of Supplier Company |

|Phone Number of Company |Number |Phone no. of main office |

|Date of last transaction |Date/Time |Date at which the last transaction took place |

|Amount of last transaction |Currency |Total amount of money to be paid for the last transaction. |

|Amount Paid |Currency |Amount paid for the last transaction. |

Relationships

Relationships are made between these tables to interlink them to one another and to bring together the information.

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Validation Checks

Validation Checks are applied to the data to verify its accuracy. I would like to apply the following validation checks in order to ensure that the data is error free.

Presence Check – It makes sure that a critical field cannot be left blank, it must be filled in. In this case the shop will want to know the emergency contact no. of supplier’s company.

For e.g. the requirement of the field: phone no. of company was set to yes so when it was left blank an error message popped on the screen asking the user to fill in the field before proceeding further.

Type Check- It ensures that the correct type of data is entered in the field.

For e.g. the data type that can be entered in the field: name of the item is only alphabets so when any numeral is entered mistakenly or purposely an error message is displayed on the screen that the data type is invalid and should be changed.

Range Check- It ensures that the data entered is within the given range.

For e.g. the shop only sells product ranging from DH0.75 to DH300 so the validation rule for the field: item name is set to “>=0.75 or =”A” ................
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