Understand different systems life cycles.

Pearson BTEC Level 4

HNC/D Diploma in Computing

and Systems Development

Systems Analysis and Design

Assessment
Bulbus Electrical

Date for Submission: 12th May 2016
(The submission portal will close at 13:59 BST)

Set by: Steve Presland

Assignment Brief

As part of the formal assessment for the HNC/D programme you are required to submit an assignment for each module. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments.

After completing the module you should be able to:

LO1. Understand different systems life cycles

LO2. Understand the importance of a feasibility study.
LO3. Perform a system investigation

SCENARIO

You are part of an IT company specialising in the design and development of computerised business systems. Your consultancy has won a contract from a client. They are looking to replace the old manual system they have had for the last 5 years with a new computerised system.

You have been provided with a description of the client company below.

Client Information

Bulbus Electrical is an electrical wholesaler based in Manchester. It supplies electrical goods which include such products as: cables, plugs and sockets, light bulbs, fire alarms, security alarms and CCTV equipment to retailers. These goods are produced by many different manufacturers, and often Bulbus will have different manufacturers’ versions of the same item. Details of the stock held by the wholesaler are kept in a stock book.

To purchase electrical items, a retailer must first register with Bulbus Electrical. Registered retailers order electrical goods by post or telephone each day and the Bulbus staff try to fulfill orders from the stock on hand. Each order is verified by checking the customer file to establish credit worthiness. The Bulbus catalogue is used to check the description and availability of electrical items. If credit is exhausted or the order is incorrect, an order reject letter is prepared for the amount. If the order is satisfactory, the availability of stock is determined from the stock book. If an order can be fulfilled, the stock book is adjusted and a dispatch note is prepared and sent to the retailer with the electrical goods. A copy of the dispatch note is kept in the dispatch history ring binder. If an order cannot be fulfilled, it is placed in the pending orders tray.

At the end of each week, the Purchasing Department buys new stock by working through the order pending tray and raising purchase orders which are dispatched to the appropriate manufacturers. Purchasing staff use proforma worksheets in preparing the purchase order for the electrical goods manufacturers. There is a proforma for each showing all the products available. The purchasing team work through the pending orders tray, writing quantities of electrical goods to be ordered on the appropriate worksheets. Using manufacturers’ catalogues, they then add purchasing details to the worksheets, e.g. product reference, price etc. From the completed worksheets, they type purchase orders and place a copy in the ring binder together with the worksheets.

If the electrical goods quantity total on the worksheet is less than the quantity that can be purchased from the manufacturer, the Purchasing Department either purchases the minimum purchase amount or waits for more orders for the item to arrive. In the latter case, a note is made in a pending purchases book of the item and quantity outstanding and the item is marked as pending on the original order. The pending purchases are taken into account when preparing the worksheets.

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When items cannot be supplied immediately by the manufacturer, the Purchasing Department is informed. The purchase order copy is marked as unavailable and the customer is written to accordingly using details from the original order.

When electrical goods are received from manufacturers, the Goods Inward Department checks the consignment and marks the purchase order copy as received.

Pending orders that can be fulfilled are now removed from the order pending tray and processed in the normal way. The new stock, after allowing for pending orders, is entered in the stock book.

Sometimes customers enquire about orders and this involves looking at the dispatch history or pending orders to respond.

Note: This business is fictitious but is representative of similar businesses throughout the world. On the Internet there are links to many websites that you can use as information sources, but not implementation, sources.

Please DO NOT try to contact any businesses directly about this assignment. They are much more interested in operating their business than student assignments.

Assignment Task

Using the details given in the scenario, you are required to address the following individual assignment tasks so that you can prepare a single final report for the client.

Task 1 – (equivalent to approx. 1500 words)

FORMATIVE FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITY: In order to receive formative feedback on your work you are strongly recommended to submit a draft of your answer to this task by email to your module tutor

a) Discuss the importance of following a procedural/staged lifecycle in a systems investigation.

b) Briefly evaluate the system lifecycle models that could be used in this project. Decide on one of these system lifecycle models that would be suitable to follow for this project and provide a brief justification for your choice. Remember to relate your reasons to the actual problem. Name and briefly outline each of the main steps that this lifecycle uses to solve a problem.

c) To undertake a systems investigation to meet a business need you need to identify the business needs for the proposed system. To do this you will need to create a set of survey questions that you can give to the relevant stakeholders (users) – this will be used as evidence, that this is a worthwhile problem worth solving.

i) Write six (6) open type questions.

ii) Write six (6) closed type questions.

(This task allows you to demonstrate Learning Outcome 1.1, 1.2 and 3.1)

Task 2 – (equivalent to approx. 1000 words)

a) The main feasibility criteria for a new proposed system need to include the following types:

• Technical Feasibility.

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• Organisational Feasibility.

• Schedule Feasibility.

• Economic Feasibility.

Discuss why each of these components is important in the development of a new system.

b) Using a spreadsheet program and the sample spreadsheet shown, create a Profit/Loss spreadsheet. You should include the revenue (income generated) and also costs. In subsequent columns enter the Years (i.e. Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3). You should have at least 6 tangible costs. New Sales should increase by £40,000 each year: beginning with £40,000 in Year 1. You should be looking to achieve profitability after 2 Years!

i) Create, and enter into the spreadsheet, a set of fictitious values that will suggest a return on investment for the new system within the next two years.

ii) The completed table and the line graph should be copied and pasted into your final assignment document.

iii) Assess the economic feasibility of the proposed system by discussing what the table and final result means.

Sample Spreadsheet

Profit / Loss Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Revenue
Projected Increased Sales ?? ?? ??

Total Revenue
Cumulative Revenue
Costs
Programming Cost ??
Design Cost ??
??
Support Cost ?? ?? ??

Total Costs
Cumulative Cost

Net Return

(This task allows you to demonstrate Learning Outcomes 2.1 and 2.2)

Task 3 – (equivalent to approx. 1500 words)

a) Use the various systems analysis techniques, as explained in Unit 3 of the online materials, to create the following set of diagrams that describe the specified system:

i) A Context Level Diagram and a Level 1 Dataflow diagram.

ii) An Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD).

iii) An Entity Life History Diagram (ELH) (for this part only, map the part of the case study that deals with “Retailers”).

b) Evaluate your final design discussing how the user and systems requirements have been addressed. You should make mention of any extensions that may be needed in future.

(This sub-task allows you to demonstrate Learning Outcomes 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4)

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Student Guidelines

1. You should write this assignment in report style, although a formal report structure will not be required. The report should contain your solutions to each of the three tasks specified above. You should write each task of this assignment as detailed above, in coherent and appropriate English.

2. You must ensure that the submitted assignment is all your own work and that all sources used are correctly attributed. Penalties apply to assignments which show evidence of academic unfair practice. (See the Student Handbook which is in the Induction Area). Please also refer to the ‘Guide to Unfair Practice in Assessment’ on the module page on ilearn.

3. You MUST underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with appropriate and wide ranging academic research and ensure this is referenced using the Bournemouth University (BU) Harvard system.

The ‘My Study Skills’ area contains the following useful resources; Study Skills Guide (containing a BU

Harvard Referencing section) and a BU Harvard Referencing Interactive Tutorial. You must use the BU Harvard Referencing method in your assignment.

4. You should use diagrams and tables of figures where appropriate ensuring to reference their source using the BU Harvard Referencing method.

5. You are required to write your assignment within 4,000 words in order for your research and summarising skills to be developed, and for effective time management. You are required to ensure that the assignment addresses all of the assessment tasks. In the interests of good academic practice, an assignment submitted with excessive word counts (i.e. more than 10% in excess of the limit) will be returned to you. You will be given a maximum of 48 hours to edit the work to reduce the word count to the permitted maximum. In the event that the submission is still regarded as excessively long then, in line with advice received from Pearson, we will be unable to accept it for marking and you will receive a Refer grade for Non-Submission.

The word count excludes the title page, reference list and appendices. Where assessment questions have been reprinted from the assessment brief these will also be excluded from the word count. ALL other printed words ARE included in the word count. Printed words include those contained within charts and tables.

6. Your assignment should be submitted as a single document. For more information please see the “Guide to Submitting an Assignment” document available on the module page on iLearn.

7. As well as submitting a draft of task 1 early in the module for feedback, you are also advised to submit a full draft of the complete assignment to the tutor via e-mail (with your full name, student id and the module name) for comments and feedback prior to submission. This full draft should be sent at least a week before the submission deadline so that you have time to make any suggested changes.

Any drafts received (i.e. time stamped in the tutor’s in box) after 09:00 BST on 09/05/16 will not be reviewed as you will not have time to take action.

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Recommended Additional Resources

Textbooks

Dennis, A., Haley Wixom, B. & Roth, R., 2012. Systems Analysis and Design. 5th edition. John Wiley. Kendall, K.E. & Kendall, J.E., 2013. Systems Analysis and Design, 9th edition. Pearson.

Whitten, J.L. & Bentley, L.D., 2006. Systems Analysis and Design Methods. 7th edition. McGraw-Hill. Yeates, D. & Wakefield, T., 2003. Systems Analysis and Design, 2nd edition. Pearson.

EBSCO Business Source Complete – Online ‘library’ resource available via ilearn

Magazines, journals and newspapers

Academic publications from credible sources such as:

• The British Computer Society, http://www1.bcs.org.uk/

• The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), http://www.iee.org.uk

• The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society, http://www.computer.org

• The Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), http://www.acm.org

Websites

Internet based sources and search engines.

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Assessment Criteria for Pass Learning Criteria Met
To achieve a pass you must meet all of the assessment criteria as stated Outcomes/ For tutor use

below. Failure to cover all of the assessment criteria will result in a referral Assessment

grade and you will be required to re-submit your assignment. Criteria (you may wish to

Further guidance on completion of your assignment can be found in the use this in your
preparation for
guidance notes which are posted on the group learning space by your
your assignment
module tutor. For additional support please post questions onto the group
submission)
learning space, or email spresland@arden.ac.uk

LO1 Understanding different systems life cycles

1.1. Discuss the importance of following a procedural/staged lifecycle in a Task 1a)
systems investigation.

1.2. Evaluate different systems lifecycle models. Task 1b)

LO2 Understanding the importance of a feasibility study

2.1. Discuss the components of a feasibility report. Task 2a)

2.2. Assess the impact of different feasibility criteria on a systems Task 2b)
investigation.

LO3 Being able to perform a system investigation

3.1. Undertake a systems investigation to meet a business need. Task 1c)

3.2. Use appropriate systems analysis tools and techniques to carry out a Task 3a)
systems investigation.

3.3. Create documentation to support a systems investigation. Task 3a)

3.4. Evaluate how user and systems requirements have been addressed. Task 3b)

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Assessment Criteria for Merit
To achieve a Merit all of the Pass criteria need to be met, then the tutor will
assess whether you have met the Merit Criteria. Each of the Merit criteria
must have been met at least once within the assignment.
The following statements are examples of how a merit may be achieved, if
you do meet the Merit Criteria by showing you have reached this level in
other ways then credit will be awarded for this. You will need to meet M1, M2
and M3 at least once.

1.1. Independent research, outside that provided in class, has been utilised
to prepare the work M1
1.2. Use of appropriate referencing throughout

2.1. Material presented is clearly and directly related to the scenario
2.2. Effective judgements have been made when deciding on the project M2
methodology and strategy

3.1. Material is presented in a logical and accurate manner matching the

stated requirements for each task. M3
3.2. Appropriate levels of material are presented, taking into account the

target audience.

Assessment Criteria for Distinction
To achieve a Distinction you have met all of the Pass and the Merit criteria.
Each of the Distinction criteria must be met at least once within the
assignment.
The following statements are examples of how a Distinction may be
achieved, if you do meet the Distinction Criteria by showing you have
reached this level in other ways then credit will be awarded for this. You will
need to meet D1,D2,D3 at least once.

1.3. Proposals offer clearly justified matches to the requirements, with alternatives being discussed.

1.4. The work demonstrates a clear understanding of the overall D1

requirements of the system as well as the individual system
requirements.

2.1. A range of credible sources of information have been used to identify
appropriate products and solutions D2
2.2. Assignment is completed fully to deadline

3.1. Solutions presented show an innovative approach to systems analysis
and design based on attested theory and strategies. D3

3.2. A thorough understanding and application systems development is demonstrated.

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