Case Study: Frequent Shopper Program For Kudler Fine Foods
Frequent Shopper Program for Kudler Fine Foods
Michael Foy, Phillip Schepok, Joshua Summers, Gregory Trebian
BSA/375
November 23, 2014
Bill Schuyler
Frequent Shopper Program for Kudler Fine Foods
As companies grow that they play a larger part in their market, they will have the need to grow their technology ability to stay competitive. This can be done by bringing in new devices that allow users to be more efficient in their positions or by providing new software that will allow the company to change their business practices to stay ahead of their competitors. Kudler Fine Foods have identified a need in their business process to bring in new technology to help strengthen customer awareness and sales. As per service request SR-KF-013, the Manager of Kudler Fine Foods has requested an information system for a frequent shopper program that will give them the ability to track customer’s purchases and give the customer loyalty points that they can use to redeem gifts, services, or other products. This will be a change to the company’s business practices and a benefit to the company as well. To complete this project there are many different steps that need to be accomplished to complete the new information system for Kudler.
The first step is to determine what measures are needed to determent if the project is a success. Part of the new system will …show more content…
consist of newly designed state of the art hardware and software components that will not only assist in solving problems and promoting increased growth for Kudler Fine Foods, but also achieve customer loyalty, and better reaction to customer 's buying demands. Measurements explained in dollars will assist with the details of what Kudler Fine Foods executives will receive when the project is finished (Apollo Group, 2011). For example, how much and how often a customer makes purchases to the number of customers that shop at the retail stores will serve as a tool for measuring success. Successful implementation of the Frequent Shopper Program should at some point augment a flood of revenue over time simply by gaining and retaining customer loyalty, meeting their needs, exceeding customer satisfaction, and decrease product costs by re-evaluating inventory procedures.
Once the measurements have been identified a feasibility study can begin. Conducting a feasibility of the Frequent Shopper Program is a very essential step for the company to assist members in determining the any level of success for the new project. “A feasibility study focuses on helping answer the essential question of should we proceed with the proposed project idea” (Hofstrand & Holz-Clause, 2009). From an operational viewpoint, the program should carry over right into the already existing organizational workflow without any major interruptions or become problematic to operations. In regard to project functionality, the Frequent Shopper Program will at best require minimal user training but also involve a better level of customer interaction. Even though the design of the current network infrastructure is dated, having the newly added program will have minimum to no major impact in regards to existing capabilities. With all associated risks involved in the development of the program identified, team members should have an easy task of designing a successful program. With that, team members see the incorporation of the program as an enhancement to their current point of sale (POS) system which is easily integrated with existing key components.
Team members were thorough in their analysis and identified the total expenses of the program via available resources as well as estimated developmental cost. In the end, it was decided that if development and implementation of the program was successful that the company may yield a return on its investment of 16% or more. Example of costs and savings below:
Expense Amount
Project Team Salaries $50,000
Training $4,000
Support $10,000
Implementation $5,000
Total Cost $69,000
Benefit/Cost Saving Amount
Increased Customer Loyalty $75,000
Efficiency in Inventory Controls (Reporting) $5,000
Total Benefits and Savings $80,000
Another step in the long line of items that need to be completed is to develop a data-flow diagram of current business process.
According to Valacich, George, & Hoffer, (2012), "A data-flow diagram is a tool analyst used to show the flow of data in an information system. It allows a model to show how data flows through the information system, the relationships among data flows, and how data come to be stored at specific locations." Data flow diagrams are one of many techniques used to increase software development and productivity which ultimately has an enormous impact on the quality of the system development
process.
A mapped out and proposed system requirement list has been taken into careful consideration by the team members at Kudler Fine Foods. Hardware is directly associated with system development such as CD-ROM, monitor, and printer whereas software is inclusive of computer programs, procedures, and documentation that perform various tasks on the computer system. Software components are also responsible for tracking and the information database. Described below are some of the essential requirements and components to implement the Frequent Shopper Program. A centralized data management system and its hardware is a very important requirement in the system design regarding the Frequent Shopper Program which helps in areas such as uploading to even verification of data for all of the stores within the company. This type of management system will help to integrate and facilitate the data of customers as well as allow managers with updating any data in accordance to changes in customer requirements further eliminating the duplication of many activities. Content servers can be used by many users and responsible for things such as storing information and data backup. “Front end web server- There is also a need of the front end web server, as it will help the customers to redeem their earned points. It will enhance the effectiveness of the point system” (Reynolds, 2004). Store server (internal) will be responsible for the transferring data to downloading of customer’s information between stores. Frequent Shopper Loyalty card with bar code will assist in tracking the customer information such as purchases and points.
Kudler Fine Foods has also decided to company necessitate some key software in hopes of further increasing overall program effectiveness. Software like that of state of the art tracking software and data responsible for storage will elevate efficiency all together. Inclusion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has will be a major component as it helps with increasing sales and the profits for Kudler. This software will also assist in areas such as reducing costs of direct mail marketing while increasing profits or revenue potential for the company. Customers are easily can identified when using this software whereby increasing the profit margin. “It will also help to increase customer retention. The security software will help to protect the firm from the hacking of information, of the clientele” (Tipton & Krause, 2006). With this type of software in place, Kudler has positioned itself with a program that is much more effective and efficient to not only the company itself but the customers as well.
Determination of Requirements is an essential part of developing and/or purchasing a new system for Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program and due to this, it is one of the steps in the project. There are methods involved used to make these requirements. Such methods include observing, interviewing employees and managers, reviewing existing procedures, reviewing all documentations, and more effective methods such as joint application design (JAD) or prototyping. Each method involved has its strengths and weaknesses. There are three primary methods and they are traditional, modern, and prototyping.
Traditional methods of gathering the requirements are in the forms of interviewing, observing, and reviewing business documentations. Observing the employees will allow our team to gather the data needed and allow us to determine the needs of the project based on how the data is used from the employees. Interviewing the employees of Kudler Foods will “inform about the operation and issues of the current system and needs for systems in future organizational activities” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). Reviewing the business documentations will allow the team to “discover reported issues, policies, rules, and directions, as well as, concrete examples of the use of data and information in the organization” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012).
Modern methods of gathering information quickly will be in the form of joint application design (JAD), and prototyping. “These techniques can support effective information collection and structuring while reducing the amount of time required for analysis” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). JAD is “a means to bring together the key users, managers, and system analyst involved in an analysis of the current system” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). JAD meetings will take place at a location away from work and can last for several weeks but is essential to the project to allow for suggestions and concerns among all the people involved. “The end result of a completed JAD is a set of documents that detail the workings of the current system and the features of a replacement system. Depending on the exact purpose of the JAD, analysts may gain detailed information on what is desired of the replacement system” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). “Prototyping is a repetitive process in which analysts and users build a rudimentary version of an information system based on user feedback” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). Prototyping still involves the use of interviews, observations, and documentations, but it allows converting the requirements into a working version of the system. This prototype is turned over to the users for feedback. The users will provide their concerns and feedback and the prototype is then updated to their satisfaction. Just like with all information, prototype has its pros and cons.
Once the analyst is being conducted, a list of approved or confirmed can be created. This list will be a guide for when the system is being designed and coded. There are two categorizes that this list can contain. The first is the mandatory items that need to be in the system. For the proposed system the identified mandatory items are the ability to track purchase and loyalty points, allow customers to redeem points, the system needs the ability to make upgrades to the internal and external sides, and all data in the system needs to be confidential and secure. The second is the optional requirement. There has been two items that were identified and they are the ability to view the loyalty points on the point-of-sale system and to add a call in feature for the customer to call an automated phone system to hear how many points they have.
Another step in the process is to create a functional allocating model. This type of model is where each of the functions are reviewed to determan if the function will be handled by either hardware, software, and/or human-computer interface (HCI). Below is the functional allocating model of the proposed system.
Once the analysts have been completed the next step is to start to layout the proposed system. A logical model of the proposed system has been developed to high level view of the data that will flow through the system. This diagram will help with laying out the requirements for the coders and also for developing the equipment that will be needed for the end user as well as for network needs (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). The diagram below is the logical model for the proposed system for Kudler. It starts at the input of the sales transaction and ends with the warehouse sending the item out to the customer. In between are all the data transactions and how they relate to each other.
Now that the logical system model has been laid out the next step can begin. This is where the proposed system process model is created and also this can include the preliminary design of the system. The new program is begun by customer being asked of possible enrollment into the program. In the event the customer decides to or not to participate nor enroll, he or she has a choice of either of signing up and obtain a card immediately at the point of sale or later if they choose. If the customer is present, swiping of the new rewards card into the system will result in the retrieval of Frequent Shopper points. After the transaction has taken place, the customer is given a printed receipt with updated information regarding Frequent Shopper points. At that time the transaction history and its associated information will be placed in a point of sale (POS) server database; will contain detailed reports used to assist in determining new rewards and point eligibility based upon customer spending or purchasing habits. The process is further described in the logical/preliminary diagram below.
As the previous steps are completed the proposed system is starting to get closer its creation the next step is to take into consideration the design trade-off. The trade-off design is where key aspects of a project are takin into account based on cost per gain. The three main aspects that need to be considered for the proposed system are the monetary cost, schedule length, and system performance. Cost is the most common aspect of any project and it can play a large part in the design and approval of the project. If the costs are too high there can be no return in the investment in to the system or the cost to maintain the system is too high. If a company decides to cut the cost of the program to low then there is a risk for the program to underdeveloped, not expandable or not have the required features in the program, and the performance can be poor. When it comes to the schedule of the project, a company is looking into the time that the project needs to be developed in. If it is too short, the system many not be fully developed causing little to no testing, increase the change of errors, or rush the deployment causing the company to not be ready for its use. Performance is the last aspect to look at. This will greatly affect the end users experience with the program. If the program was designed for the minimal performance that it needs, there can be slow read/write speeds causing long data exports and user frustration. On the high end the system can drive up the cost of the program and increase the maintainability cost of the system.
Now that a few key high level designs have been create the next step is to create a detailed design of the process and specification of the system. The Kudler Fine Foods frequent shoppers program will take into account all human interfaces and incorporate them into the support of networking, software, and hardware design to create a system that will bring satisfaction to the customers. The analyst will also take into account the logical and physical design elements in the system design phase to help carry out and implement this process.
The Kudler Food Shopper Program will be using networking to provide and process information, it is recommended that it is a well-balanced and safe working system. For this system a team will implement the system for virtualization and cloud computing. Virtualization and cloud computing are not the same thing. Virtualization is “used more broadly to pool infrastructure resources, virtualization can also provide the basic building blocks for your cloud environment to enhance agility and flexibility (Virtualization and Cloud Computing, 2013). “With a cloud strategy, you now have an overarching approach to cloud computing across the organization. It gives you the tools to deepen relationships with line-of-business managers, generate some excitement for your project, and manage expectations for each phase of implementation” (Virtualization and Cloud Computing, 2013).
With the implementation of the Linux OS, this system will help the end user with quick browsing and faster emailing in the system. “This environment will have Internet connectivity tools such as a web browser and an e-mail client, allowing users to work on the Internet without having to boot all the way into their device 's primary operating system--even if that operating system is Windows” (What Is Linux: An Overview Of The Linux Operating System, 2012). Network Operating System (NOS) will be implemented to allow the employees and management team keeps track of the clients, sales, purchases, and the store associate that up-sells a shopper program.
The future is forever changing with new data, faster processing, and will also need to implement or upgrade the system to be compatible with these changes. Adding or upgrading the hardware will be sure to keep the shopper program at a speed which can boost its overall performance. Upgrading to a larger hard drive will allow for more space for data for the future of the system. Implementing a point-of-sale system will definitely be of big help. “The right POS system can enhance a business’s ability to both gather and leverage business intelligence—the solid foundation for effective communication—in real time, reflecting the end-users’ needs and relayed to meet communication preferences” (Enhancing Communication Via Point of Sale Technology Improvements, 2013).
To help the designers and coders of the new system there is a step to create an information architect diagram. This diagram shows how the system will look from the database to the outputs/input screens. To the right is the recommended design for the new system.
As the system is being coded, the testing stage of the project can begin. There are seven types of tests. These tests are; inspections, walkthroughs, desk checks, syntax checking, unit, integration, system, and stub testing. Inspections are where a group of programmers get together and look through the program coding for anything that may be or may cause any errors. Walkthroughs are used to find and point out coding errors; it is up to the programmer to fix those errors. Basically they use the program as if they are the user and “walkthrough” the program to find the errors. Desk checking is where someone that is familiar with the logic of that program will test every input and output functionality of the program on paper to make sure that the program will do what it is supposed to do. Unit testing is where the program is broken down into modules and each module if the program is tested individually to check for errors. Integration testing is where the programmer or user test how the modules work together as they put them together instead of separate testing. The testing is one at a time until the program as a whole is completely tested and functioning like it should. System testing is similar to the integrated but in this step the programmers bring programs into the system to test the module instead of pulling the module and testing them in a separate program. Stub testing is used when the remaining of the program isn’t written yet. It acts as a stand-in for the un-coded modules and redirects to the main module.
As the new system is in the coding process, it is recommended to do a unit test to check each module’s functionality and use stub testing if the data has to pass through one module to another module. Then the stubs can be removed when it is time to join modules and run the integration testing. Once that is complete and the program is coded then the walkthrough should be done. Also during the testing it is recommended to monitor the system resources that the program will use.
Once the coding and the tests are complete it is time to start the next step and pack up the program to get it installed on the user’s computers for training. The installation method should be compatible with Windows Vista to Windows 8.1 and Mac OSX Lion and Snow Leopard, as well as the ability to install on Linux. From the time the program is released Kudler can expect a combination of two weeks for the program to be installed on the computers and to get the users fully trained on the new system. If the program is networked based the installation of the program should be significantly less because the core of the program is installed on the server then all of the computers will access the program through each terminal. If the database is stored on the server but the program is installed on each terminal then the installation process will take longer. One was to help this route is to have a copy of the program bootable from a USB memory stick that way the installation files can be ran without the need for CD ROMs. Also using the USB install method the data transfer rate is higher than using a CD ROM so that the installation files can be transferred to the terminal then ran directly on the computer while the next terminal gets set up and so on using a daisy chain method for installation purposes. For the training it would be best if the program was broken down by job title to train each department, from there it would be best to train all of the manager and supervisors on the module or modules that they will need for their department. Then the staff can be trained by the supervisors with the help of the manager if needed. A module walkthrough would benefit the employees as a basis of a standard operating procedure on the new program. This could consist of what each option does and what input will cause what output. This walkthrough should come with troubleshooting tips for any possible issues or error codes that the user may run into.
During the past few steps time is its own enemy in the overall process. It is the “Quality over Quantity or Quantity over Quality” battle. If given enough time the program can be designed, tested and launched with minimal errors. If the time is on a crunch then the program has a higher rate of being buggy. If the program is prematurely launched there could be many compatibility issues that may require patches as well as the new program may not function with the current program. In all reality it is best if the time is on the programmer’s side because in the end system support and maintenance is crucial instead of having to use that time to rebuild modules because of bugs in the coding.
To help sustain the proposed system once it is developed, documentation can be created to help train users and to provide guides to the IT/IS department. There are two types of documentation. The first is user documentation. This type of writing it geared towards the end user and it can explain how the system works. This can be done by written guides, visuals, and reference cards. For Kudler’s proposed system, there will be two types of user guides. One would be for the employees to use. In this documentation can be an explanation of features and/or instructions for each of the different screens of modules. The other guides would be geared towards the customers. This would help them on the interfaces that they see and it can also contain a high level view as to how the system works. The second type of documentation for the proposed system will be technical documentation. This would be geared towards the IT/IS department or users with administrator rights. These guides would cover items such as installation/setup, trouble shooting diagrams, list of databases and their tables, upgrade/update guides, and a list of common issues that an end user might experience. By having these references, support can be handled in a more timely matter until personal are more familiar with the system.
Support is crucial to the final stages of the implementation process and the last step in this process. The transition from the existing system to the new system is not an easy road to follow. Employees have learned and trained hard to work on the older system and have mastered the arts of maneuvering around it. Time is money! It will take time to train and teach each and every employee the new ways of the new implemented system. That is why we have a support plan. This plan will be a guideline to get the employees and associates into the system and be on their way to working with the future. Within this system, support plans will be used to create a frequently asked questions database, online/phone technical support, remote support, and a help desk.
The support team will be trained as well to take accurate notes of each and every down time that has occurred. This action will help keep documentation of every error, bug, and fix to keep a record for future occurrences. Maintenance is critical because of future expansion of technology. Kudler’s maintenance team will provide and document each and every fixed error, updates, and upgrades. Some maintenance activities within the plan summary will include obtaining maintenance requests, transforming them into changes, design/coding, implementation any changes, and updating any documentation.
As anyone can see, there are many different steps that need to be done to analyze, design, and support Kudler’s new frequent shopper program. As long as all the steps are completed correctly, their new system will greatly assist Kudlers ability to stay comparative advantage in their market and maintain their cliental. Also by having the correct system for the company, users will in brace the new business practices that we be developed around this system and this will lead to a system that will last for many years to come.
References
Apollo Group. (2011). Kudler Fine Foods. Retrieved November 21, 2014 from Virtual Organization Portal: http://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Kudler2/interface/index
Enhancing Communication Via Point of Sale Technology Improvements. (2013, January). Franchising World, (), . Retrieved from http://www.franchise.org/Franchise-Industry-News-Detail.aspx?id=59209
Hofstrand, D. & Holz-Clause, M. (2009, October). What is a Feasibility Study? Retrieved January 17, 2009, from http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/html/c5-65.html
Reynolds, J. (2004). The complete E-Commerce Book: Design, Build & Maintain a Successful Web-Based Business (2nd Ed.). Focal Press.
Tipton, H.F. & Krause, M. (2006). Information Security Management Handbook. CRC Press.
Valacich, J. S., George, J. F., & Hoffer, J. A. (2012). Essentials of systems analysis and design (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education
Virtualization and Cloud Computing. (2013, August). Intel IT Center. Retrieved from http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/guides/cloud-computing-virtualization-building-private-iaas-guide.pdf
What is Linux: An overview of the Linux Operating System. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.linux.com/learn/new-user-guides/376?start=1
Michael Foy, Phillip Schepok, Joshua Summers, Gregory Trebian
BSA/375
November 23, 2014
Bill Schuyler
Frequent Shopper Program for Kudler Fine Foods
As companies grow that they play a larger part in their market, they will have the need to grow their technology ability to stay competitive. This can be done by bringing in new devices that allow users to be more efficient in their positions or by providing new software that will allow the company to change their business practices to stay ahead of their competitors. Kudler Fine Foods have identified a need in their business process to bring in new technology to help strengthen customer awareness and sales. As per service request SR-KF-013, the Manager of Kudler Fine Foods has requested an information system for a frequent shopper program that will give them the ability to track customer’s purchases and give the customer loyalty points that they can use to redeem gifts, services, or other products. This will be a change to the company’s business practices and a benefit to the company as well. To complete this project there are many different steps that need to be accomplished to complete the new information system for Kudler.
The first step is to determine what measures are needed to determent if the project is a success. Part of the new system will …show more content…
consist of newly designed state of the art hardware and software components that will not only assist in solving problems and promoting increased growth for Kudler Fine Foods, but also achieve customer loyalty, and better reaction to customer 's buying demands. Measurements explained in dollars will assist with the details of what Kudler Fine Foods executives will receive when the project is finished (Apollo Group, 2011). For example, how much and how often a customer makes purchases to the number of customers that shop at the retail stores will serve as a tool for measuring success. Successful implementation of the Frequent Shopper Program should at some point augment a flood of revenue over time simply by gaining and retaining customer loyalty, meeting their needs, exceeding customer satisfaction, and decrease product costs by re-evaluating inventory procedures.
Once the measurements have been identified a feasibility study can begin. Conducting a feasibility of the Frequent Shopper Program is a very essential step for the company to assist members in determining the any level of success for the new project. “A feasibility study focuses on helping answer the essential question of should we proceed with the proposed project idea” (Hofstrand & Holz-Clause, 2009). From an operational viewpoint, the program should carry over right into the already existing organizational workflow without any major interruptions or become problematic to operations. In regard to project functionality, the Frequent Shopper Program will at best require minimal user training but also involve a better level of customer interaction. Even though the design of the current network infrastructure is dated, having the newly added program will have minimum to no major impact in regards to existing capabilities. With all associated risks involved in the development of the program identified, team members should have an easy task of designing a successful program. With that, team members see the incorporation of the program as an enhancement to their current point of sale (POS) system which is easily integrated with existing key components.
Team members were thorough in their analysis and identified the total expenses of the program via available resources as well as estimated developmental cost. In the end, it was decided that if development and implementation of the program was successful that the company may yield a return on its investment of 16% or more. Example of costs and savings below:
Expense Amount
Project Team Salaries $50,000
Training $4,000
Support $10,000
Implementation $5,000
Total Cost $69,000
Benefit/Cost Saving Amount
Increased Customer Loyalty $75,000
Efficiency in Inventory Controls (Reporting) $5,000
Total Benefits and Savings $80,000
Another step in the long line of items that need to be completed is to develop a data-flow diagram of current business process.
According to Valacich, George, & Hoffer, (2012), "A data-flow diagram is a tool analyst used to show the flow of data in an information system. It allows a model to show how data flows through the information system, the relationships among data flows, and how data come to be stored at specific locations." Data flow diagrams are one of many techniques used to increase software development and productivity which ultimately has an enormous impact on the quality of the system development
process.
A mapped out and proposed system requirement list has been taken into careful consideration by the team members at Kudler Fine Foods. Hardware is directly associated with system development such as CD-ROM, monitor, and printer whereas software is inclusive of computer programs, procedures, and documentation that perform various tasks on the computer system. Software components are also responsible for tracking and the information database. Described below are some of the essential requirements and components to implement the Frequent Shopper Program. A centralized data management system and its hardware is a very important requirement in the system design regarding the Frequent Shopper Program which helps in areas such as uploading to even verification of data for all of the stores within the company. This type of management system will help to integrate and facilitate the data of customers as well as allow managers with updating any data in accordance to changes in customer requirements further eliminating the duplication of many activities. Content servers can be used by many users and responsible for things such as storing information and data backup. “Front end web server- There is also a need of the front end web server, as it will help the customers to redeem their earned points. It will enhance the effectiveness of the point system” (Reynolds, 2004). Store server (internal) will be responsible for the transferring data to downloading of customer’s information between stores. Frequent Shopper Loyalty card with bar code will assist in tracking the customer information such as purchases and points.
Kudler Fine Foods has also decided to company necessitate some key software in hopes of further increasing overall program effectiveness. Software like that of state of the art tracking software and data responsible for storage will elevate efficiency all together. Inclusion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has will be a major component as it helps with increasing sales and the profits for Kudler. This software will also assist in areas such as reducing costs of direct mail marketing while increasing profits or revenue potential for the company. Customers are easily can identified when using this software whereby increasing the profit margin. “It will also help to increase customer retention. The security software will help to protect the firm from the hacking of information, of the clientele” (Tipton & Krause, 2006). With this type of software in place, Kudler has positioned itself with a program that is much more effective and efficient to not only the company itself but the customers as well.
Determination of Requirements is an essential part of developing and/or purchasing a new system for Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program and due to this, it is one of the steps in the project. There are methods involved used to make these requirements. Such methods include observing, interviewing employees and managers, reviewing existing procedures, reviewing all documentations, and more effective methods such as joint application design (JAD) or prototyping. Each method involved has its strengths and weaknesses. There are three primary methods and they are traditional, modern, and prototyping.
Traditional methods of gathering the requirements are in the forms of interviewing, observing, and reviewing business documentations. Observing the employees will allow our team to gather the data needed and allow us to determine the needs of the project based on how the data is used from the employees. Interviewing the employees of Kudler Foods will “inform about the operation and issues of the current system and needs for systems in future organizational activities” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). Reviewing the business documentations will allow the team to “discover reported issues, policies, rules, and directions, as well as, concrete examples of the use of data and information in the organization” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012).
Modern methods of gathering information quickly will be in the form of joint application design (JAD), and prototyping. “These techniques can support effective information collection and structuring while reducing the amount of time required for analysis” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). JAD is “a means to bring together the key users, managers, and system analyst involved in an analysis of the current system” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). JAD meetings will take place at a location away from work and can last for several weeks but is essential to the project to allow for suggestions and concerns among all the people involved. “The end result of a completed JAD is a set of documents that detail the workings of the current system and the features of a replacement system. Depending on the exact purpose of the JAD, analysts may gain detailed information on what is desired of the replacement system” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). “Prototyping is a repetitive process in which analysts and users build a rudimentary version of an information system based on user feedback” (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). Prototyping still involves the use of interviews, observations, and documentations, but it allows converting the requirements into a working version of the system. This prototype is turned over to the users for feedback. The users will provide their concerns and feedback and the prototype is then updated to their satisfaction. Just like with all information, prototype has its pros and cons.
Once the analyst is being conducted, a list of approved or confirmed can be created. This list will be a guide for when the system is being designed and coded. There are two categorizes that this list can contain. The first is the mandatory items that need to be in the system. For the proposed system the identified mandatory items are the ability to track purchase and loyalty points, allow customers to redeem points, the system needs the ability to make upgrades to the internal and external sides, and all data in the system needs to be confidential and secure. The second is the optional requirement. There has been two items that were identified and they are the ability to view the loyalty points on the point-of-sale system and to add a call in feature for the customer to call an automated phone system to hear how many points they have.
Another step in the process is to create a functional allocating model. This type of model is where each of the functions are reviewed to determan if the function will be handled by either hardware, software, and/or human-computer interface (HCI). Below is the functional allocating model of the proposed system.
Once the analysts have been completed the next step is to start to layout the proposed system. A logical model of the proposed system has been developed to high level view of the data that will flow through the system. This diagram will help with laying out the requirements for the coders and also for developing the equipment that will be needed for the end user as well as for network needs (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2012). The diagram below is the logical model for the proposed system for Kudler. It starts at the input of the sales transaction and ends with the warehouse sending the item out to the customer. In between are all the data transactions and how they relate to each other.
Now that the logical system model has been laid out the next step can begin. This is where the proposed system process model is created and also this can include the preliminary design of the system. The new program is begun by customer being asked of possible enrollment into the program. In the event the customer decides to or not to participate nor enroll, he or she has a choice of either of signing up and obtain a card immediately at the point of sale or later if they choose. If the customer is present, swiping of the new rewards card into the system will result in the retrieval of Frequent Shopper points. After the transaction has taken place, the customer is given a printed receipt with updated information regarding Frequent Shopper points. At that time the transaction history and its associated information will be placed in a point of sale (POS) server database; will contain detailed reports used to assist in determining new rewards and point eligibility based upon customer spending or purchasing habits. The process is further described in the logical/preliminary diagram below.
As the previous steps are completed the proposed system is starting to get closer its creation the next step is to take into consideration the design trade-off. The trade-off design is where key aspects of a project are takin into account based on cost per gain. The three main aspects that need to be considered for the proposed system are the monetary cost, schedule length, and system performance. Cost is the most common aspect of any project and it can play a large part in the design and approval of the project. If the costs are too high there can be no return in the investment in to the system or the cost to maintain the system is too high. If a company decides to cut the cost of the program to low then there is a risk for the program to underdeveloped, not expandable or not have the required features in the program, and the performance can be poor. When it comes to the schedule of the project, a company is looking into the time that the project needs to be developed in. If it is too short, the system many not be fully developed causing little to no testing, increase the change of errors, or rush the deployment causing the company to not be ready for its use. Performance is the last aspect to look at. This will greatly affect the end users experience with the program. If the program was designed for the minimal performance that it needs, there can be slow read/write speeds causing long data exports and user frustration. On the high end the system can drive up the cost of the program and increase the maintainability cost of the system.
Now that a few key high level designs have been create the next step is to create a detailed design of the process and specification of the system. The Kudler Fine Foods frequent shoppers program will take into account all human interfaces and incorporate them into the support of networking, software, and hardware design to create a system that will bring satisfaction to the customers. The analyst will also take into account the logical and physical design elements in the system design phase to help carry out and implement this process.
The Kudler Food Shopper Program will be using networking to provide and process information, it is recommended that it is a well-balanced and safe working system. For this system a team will implement the system for virtualization and cloud computing. Virtualization and cloud computing are not the same thing. Virtualization is “used more broadly to pool infrastructure resources, virtualization can also provide the basic building blocks for your cloud environment to enhance agility and flexibility (Virtualization and Cloud Computing, 2013). “With a cloud strategy, you now have an overarching approach to cloud computing across the organization. It gives you the tools to deepen relationships with line-of-business managers, generate some excitement for your project, and manage expectations for each phase of implementation” (Virtualization and Cloud Computing, 2013).
With the implementation of the Linux OS, this system will help the end user with quick browsing and faster emailing in the system. “This environment will have Internet connectivity tools such as a web browser and an e-mail client, allowing users to work on the Internet without having to boot all the way into their device 's primary operating system--even if that operating system is Windows” (What Is Linux: An Overview Of The Linux Operating System, 2012). Network Operating System (NOS) will be implemented to allow the employees and management team keeps track of the clients, sales, purchases, and the store associate that up-sells a shopper program.
The future is forever changing with new data, faster processing, and will also need to implement or upgrade the system to be compatible with these changes. Adding or upgrading the hardware will be sure to keep the shopper program at a speed which can boost its overall performance. Upgrading to a larger hard drive will allow for more space for data for the future of the system. Implementing a point-of-sale system will definitely be of big help. “The right POS system can enhance a business’s ability to both gather and leverage business intelligence—the solid foundation for effective communication—in real time, reflecting the end-users’ needs and relayed to meet communication preferences” (Enhancing Communication Via Point of Sale Technology Improvements, 2013).
To help the designers and coders of the new system there is a step to create an information architect diagram. This diagram shows how the system will look from the database to the outputs/input screens. To the right is the recommended design for the new system.
As the system is being coded, the testing stage of the project can begin. There are seven types of tests. These tests are; inspections, walkthroughs, desk checks, syntax checking, unit, integration, system, and stub testing. Inspections are where a group of programmers get together and look through the program coding for anything that may be or may cause any errors. Walkthroughs are used to find and point out coding errors; it is up to the programmer to fix those errors. Basically they use the program as if they are the user and “walkthrough” the program to find the errors. Desk checking is where someone that is familiar with the logic of that program will test every input and output functionality of the program on paper to make sure that the program will do what it is supposed to do. Unit testing is where the program is broken down into modules and each module if the program is tested individually to check for errors. Integration testing is where the programmer or user test how the modules work together as they put them together instead of separate testing. The testing is one at a time until the program as a whole is completely tested and functioning like it should. System testing is similar to the integrated but in this step the programmers bring programs into the system to test the module instead of pulling the module and testing them in a separate program. Stub testing is used when the remaining of the program isn’t written yet. It acts as a stand-in for the un-coded modules and redirects to the main module.
As the new system is in the coding process, it is recommended to do a unit test to check each module’s functionality and use stub testing if the data has to pass through one module to another module. Then the stubs can be removed when it is time to join modules and run the integration testing. Once that is complete and the program is coded then the walkthrough should be done. Also during the testing it is recommended to monitor the system resources that the program will use.
Once the coding and the tests are complete it is time to start the next step and pack up the program to get it installed on the user’s computers for training. The installation method should be compatible with Windows Vista to Windows 8.1 and Mac OSX Lion and Snow Leopard, as well as the ability to install on Linux. From the time the program is released Kudler can expect a combination of two weeks for the program to be installed on the computers and to get the users fully trained on the new system. If the program is networked based the installation of the program should be significantly less because the core of the program is installed on the server then all of the computers will access the program through each terminal. If the database is stored on the server but the program is installed on each terminal then the installation process will take longer. One was to help this route is to have a copy of the program bootable from a USB memory stick that way the installation files can be ran without the need for CD ROMs. Also using the USB install method the data transfer rate is higher than using a CD ROM so that the installation files can be transferred to the terminal then ran directly on the computer while the next terminal gets set up and so on using a daisy chain method for installation purposes. For the training it would be best if the program was broken down by job title to train each department, from there it would be best to train all of the manager and supervisors on the module or modules that they will need for their department. Then the staff can be trained by the supervisors with the help of the manager if needed. A module walkthrough would benefit the employees as a basis of a standard operating procedure on the new program. This could consist of what each option does and what input will cause what output. This walkthrough should come with troubleshooting tips for any possible issues or error codes that the user may run into.
During the past few steps time is its own enemy in the overall process. It is the “Quality over Quantity or Quantity over Quality” battle. If given enough time the program can be designed, tested and launched with minimal errors. If the time is on a crunch then the program has a higher rate of being buggy. If the program is prematurely launched there could be many compatibility issues that may require patches as well as the new program may not function with the current program. In all reality it is best if the time is on the programmer’s side because in the end system support and maintenance is crucial instead of having to use that time to rebuild modules because of bugs in the coding.
To help sustain the proposed system once it is developed, documentation can be created to help train users and to provide guides to the IT/IS department. There are two types of documentation. The first is user documentation. This type of writing it geared towards the end user and it can explain how the system works. This can be done by written guides, visuals, and reference cards. For Kudler’s proposed system, there will be two types of user guides. One would be for the employees to use. In this documentation can be an explanation of features and/or instructions for each of the different screens of modules. The other guides would be geared towards the customers. This would help them on the interfaces that they see and it can also contain a high level view as to how the system works. The second type of documentation for the proposed system will be technical documentation. This would be geared towards the IT/IS department or users with administrator rights. These guides would cover items such as installation/setup, trouble shooting diagrams, list of databases and their tables, upgrade/update guides, and a list of common issues that an end user might experience. By having these references, support can be handled in a more timely matter until personal are more familiar with the system.
Support is crucial to the final stages of the implementation process and the last step in this process. The transition from the existing system to the new system is not an easy road to follow. Employees have learned and trained hard to work on the older system and have mastered the arts of maneuvering around it. Time is money! It will take time to train and teach each and every employee the new ways of the new implemented system. That is why we have a support plan. This plan will be a guideline to get the employees and associates into the system and be on their way to working with the future. Within this system, support plans will be used to create a frequently asked questions database, online/phone technical support, remote support, and a help desk.
The support team will be trained as well to take accurate notes of each and every down time that has occurred. This action will help keep documentation of every error, bug, and fix to keep a record for future occurrences. Maintenance is critical because of future expansion of technology. Kudler’s maintenance team will provide and document each and every fixed error, updates, and upgrades. Some maintenance activities within the plan summary will include obtaining maintenance requests, transforming them into changes, design/coding, implementation any changes, and updating any documentation.
As anyone can see, there are many different steps that need to be done to analyze, design, and support Kudler’s new frequent shopper program. As long as all the steps are completed correctly, their new system will greatly assist Kudlers ability to stay comparative advantage in their market and maintain their cliental. Also by having the correct system for the company, users will in brace the new business practices that we be developed around this system and this will lead to a system that will last for many years to come.
References
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