To build a successful and user-friendly system, it is very important to know your current business situation as well as study user/business requirements. If the developed system is not properly done, then the users will not be satisfied and need to rework on that again. Now, for it to be worked, the System Analysis phase needs to be taken place. System Analysis is one of the most important phases in system development. The purpose for the system analysis to understand the details of the logical model and build the new system based on it. It helps to decide whether the existing system needs to be improved or whether is it advantageous. And so, system analysis is a process of looking into the system/identifying the problem and using information to encourage improvement to the system.
CUDDLEZ is one of the many webstores in the world to the people who loves to shop online. The company has 2 branches for now; one is located in Singapore and the other, Japan; with 10 hard working staffs. Each country has 1 manager and 4 staffs. However, all the official jobs are handled manually, all of them write down everyone in a record book and the manager from each country checks them daily. The company provides advertisement in the affiliated webstores about any upcoming products and if the customers are interested, they can send an email to the Japan or Singapore Branch for any information they need. The company provides computerized generated receipt and menu for the customers. In today's IT world, some vital problems are bound to encounter this kind of management system. Now, to overcome these problems, a new IT based solution is proposed an official webstore, http://naomi.pokenet.co.uk, this webstore will have online features and facilities, which will be expected to fulfill the customer requirements and to improve the existing system of the company.
In this point, the problems of the existing system/user requirement of the new system need to be identified so as to allow the new system can be developed based on the information given. Fact finding is an appropriate process for gathering this implicit information.
3.1 Fact finding Technique
Fact finding is an information finding/data collecting to decide on a controversy. It is a formal process for collecting information for any system/company and requirement by using some special technique.
There are many types of fact finding such as; interview, questionnaires, and surveys. In this project, all the information is used to gather information and requirements.
3.1.1 Interviews
The interviews were conducted for the staffs from different branches. The main aim of the interview was:
To understand the current system.
To discover the problems they are facing while working with the existing system.
What will be their requirements on the new system.
To do this, the following topics were discussed to get the information we expect:
The problems that occur with the existing system.
The affection on the businesses.
The requirements of the businesses.
The suggestion of the webstore.
Here is some of the interview that was conducted:
Interviewer : Ms. Nao
Interviewee : Mr. Kanzaki (Manager in Japan Branch)
Ms. Nao: What type of problems are you facing with the existing system?
Mr. Kanzaki: The reports are done with the use of a notebook, and it is very difficult to read/understand the handwritings and the calculations. They are not clear at all. My staffs sometime spilled coffee all over the papers too. They are too clumsy.
Ms. Nao: What do you expect from this new system?
Mr. Kanzaki: This new system will be very well received by all kinds of customers, by just sitting at home; they can browse through the catalog. This webstore will be a success to overseas customers about CUDDLEZ and Japan. The business profit will increase too.
Ms. Nao: Do you think this webstore will be the solution?
Mr. Kanzaki: Yes of course.
Ms. Nao: Do you think this webstore will affect your job/life?
Mr. Kanzaki: Of course not, I will continue both my work and my life.
Ms. Nao: What do you prefer? Online or Manual?
Mr. Kanzaki: Of Course its Online, what else?
Mr. Nao: Do you think it will reduce your daily load?
Mr. Kanzaki: Yes.
Interview : Ms. Nao
Interviewee : Mr. Edwin (Manager in Singapore Branch)
Ms. Nao: Do you think this existing system is appropriate for the company?
Mr. Edwin: Yes, nowadays, people are interested to go online to look for cute stuffs.
Ms. Nao: With a webstore like this, do you think you will have any profit?
Mr. Edwin: Yes.
Ms. Nao: Will the system attract more customers?
Mr. Edwin: Yes.
3.1.2 Survey
After the interview, the second fact finding is to be conducted mainly for the customers and company personnel. The main objective of this survey is:
To understand the customer's opinion on current system.
To know the customer/staff's problem with the existing system.
To find out customer/staff's expectation on the new system.
To know the customer/company's outlook about the new system.
The following survey is to get the expected information:
Thoughts on the current system.
The problems and effects of the existing system.
The expectation on the new system.
The questions of the survey are as follows:
How difficult is for the customers, having to get proper detailed information about any new products with the existing system?
Easy
Quite Easy
Difficult
Quite Difficult
Is the current system time consuming/annoying for the customers?
If the customers are patient enough
If the customers have better stuff to do
It is very annoying and time consuming
They wouldn't even be here
Is it possible for the current system to save all the records done so far for further usage?
Possible
Difficult but possible to try
Not Possible in a short while
Impossible
Are you happy with this existing system?
Yes
Maybe
No
No way
How would you rate the current system from scale 1(Bad) - 10(Excellent) ?
1 - 3
4 - 6
7 - 9
10
Do you think that the proposed webstore will be able to solve the key existing problems?
Yes
No
Really hard
Think so
Do you think that webstore will increase its profit?
Yes
Likely
Maybe
No
Do you think this webstore will be efficient/effective enough to help customers?
Yes
Maybe
Likely
No
Analysis of the gathered information
4 people were given the survey. The following section will be shown:
Question 1
How difficult is for the customers, having to get proper detailed information about any new products with the existing system?
Easy
Quite Easy
Difficult
Quite Difficult
Easy - 0%
Quite Easy - 0%
Difficult - 100%
Quite Difficult - 0%
Question 2
Is the current system time consuming/annoying for the customers?
If the customers are patient enough - 75%
If the customers have better stuff to do - 0%
It is very annoying and time consuming - 25%
They wouldn't even be here - 0%
Question 3
Is it possible for the current system to save all the records done so far for further usage?
Possible - 25%
Difficult but possible to try - 25%
Not Possible in a short while - 25%
Impossible - 25%
Question 4
Are you happy with this existing system?
Yes - 0%
Maybe - 0%
No - 100%
No way - 0%
Question 5
How would you rate the current system from scale 1(Bad) - 10(Excellent) ?
1 - 3 - 25%
4 - 6 - 50%
7 - 9 - 25%
10 - 0%
Question 6
Do you think that the proposed webstore will be able to solve the key existing problems?
Yes - 75%
No - 0%
Really hard - 0%
Think so - 25%
Question 7
Do you think that webstore will increase its profit?
Yes - 25%
Likely - 75%
Maybe - 0%
No - 0%
Question 8
Do you think this webstore will be efficient/effective enough to help customers?
Yes - 0%
Maybe - 100%
Likely - 0%
No - 0%
3.1.3 Document Review
Document Review is another type of fact finding. An up to date documentations of the current system was properly reviewed.
The purpose of reviewing the existing documentation is to understand how the current system works. However, these following issues were discovered:
The system is manual and can be annoying to staffs and all customers.
It is difficult to maintain all written records in a book.
3.1.4 Observation
This is another fact finding technique; the 'Observation' of the existing operating procedures was held personally.
The objective of the Observation is:
To have a better understanding the system procedures and requirements.
To verify the statements made at the interviews.
The outcomes that are found from observation:
The information is sincere.
The requirements are clear.
3.1.5 Research
A research was done on many webstore systems. The main objective is to see how the webstore's been set up.
This is the result:
Many webstores' functionalities and features are similar to the proposed system.
We have a better understanding of the webstore and some additional ideas were discovered.
3.2 Use Case Modeling
From the results of the analysis and the system requirements, it is found that the new system have some key functions for the admins and the customers. These are the functions at will be described below by drawing "Use Case Modeling" which is understandable and helps to validate the user requirements.
Customers will be able to view the products once they enter the webstore. Then, they can choose what products they want and they can proceed on with the payment.
Customers' Mainframe
Figure 1
Customers' Ordering and Payment Function
Figure 2
For ordering any products, the customer must find the products they like, then they will have to enter customer details to confirm the payment.
Admin's Main Function
Figure 3
Admin means the staffs of the management could enter into the system and to maintain the customer's records, and they could update the webstores and they are also able to update, add or delete any records for maintaining purpose.
3.3 Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
In this developing system, there are the database design for the shopping cart, and the database for the customers. This is the whole ER Diagram of the system.
PK means Primary Key
FK1 means Foreign Key 1
FK2 means Foreign Key 2
Entities of the System
Category
Product
Cart
Order item
User
Shop config
Currency
Attributes of the above entities
Category
Primary Key ïƒ ID
Foreign Key1 ïƒ parent id, name, description, image
Product
Primary Key ïƒ id
Foreign Key1 ïƒ id, name, description, price, qty, image, thumbnail, date, last update
Cart
Primary Key ïƒ id
Foreign Key1 ïƒ id, session id, qty, date
Order
Primary Key ïƒ id
No Foreign Key ïƒ date, last update, status, memo, shipping first name, shipping last name, shipping address1, shipping phone, shipping state, shipping city, shipping postal code, shipping cost, payment first name, payment last name, payment address1, payment address2, payment city, payment state, payment postal code
Order Item
Foreign Key1 ïƒ od id
Foreign Key2 ïƒ pd id, od qty
user
Primary Key ïƒ id
No Foreign Key ïƒ name, password, regdate, last login
Shop config
No Primary Key ïƒ name, address, phone, email, shipping cost
Foreign Key1 ïƒ currency
3.4 Conclusion
From the analysis of the fact finding, interviews, questionnaires, reviews, researches and observations, the results are obvious enough many customers would want a more efficient and convenient webstore. It is also a scheme to reduce the stress of the staffs, from the studies from the current documentation, it is discovered that not all the documentations are not up to date. Any missing data/records, will lead to the staff's overtimes and sleepless night. With the managers are often busily managing manually recording and reconciliation the data, there is very little patience to explain to the staffs on what duty they have to perform.
With this analysis, http://naomi.pokenet.co.uk would greatly succeed in business opportunities with the little hassles faced manually.
