Systems Development Life Cycle for the Bead Bar 1

Systems Development Life Cycle for the Bead Bar 1

Systems Development Life Cycle for the Bead Bar

The Bead Bar is an establishment that permits its consumers to produce their own costume jewelry using gear such as wire, beads and string. Presently, there are three branches of the business composed of one studio, two franchises, and three bead Bars on Board. It has been determined that the current operations at the Bead Bar, a paper-based system, areresulting in inefficiencies. The decision has been made to implement an information technology solution installing network with a mesh topography to facilitate the connection of the existing equipment.The current network consists of 2 notebook computers, 14 printers and 14 personal computers. The new system will facilitate increased efficiencies including order tracking, business management, and inventory management.

When implementing this type of project it is essential that the lifecycle of the project is considered. The effective model is the seven stage model of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) (Post and Anderson, 2006). This lifecycle starts with a project definition, planning, feasibility study and initiation. This step is followed by requirements gathering and system analysis, analysis and design, system build/prototype/pilot, implementation and training, and finally a maintenance stage.

The first stage is that of project definition and a planning and feasibility study. Before a project to implement information technology is started it is essential that sufficient data be gathered to ensure that the project is viable and that the investment is sound (Post and Anderson, 2006). This stage will identify the potential uses in the basic concept for the operation of the system. For the Bead Bar there will be several sets of users, with the management and staff at head office and employees within the shops as the primary users. It is also likely that the company will want their customers to be able to access the system to place online orders.

The current system is inefficient. In order to determine whether the proposed system will add value to the operations rather than complicate the operations, a feasibility study must be conducted (Post and Anderson, 2006). The Bead Bar will need to look at common features from three perspectives in order to determine its feasibility. These perspectives are the economical perspective, the operational perspective and a technical perspective. In this instance the technical perspective, or the technical specifications required to create the type of network the company needs, will be relatively simple to achieve. The operational perspective appears to indicate that as long as the system is functional it will be feasible, and there will be little interference on operations from the installation of the system. A cost-benefit analysis can be done in order to ensure that the system is economically feasible (Blanchard and Fabrycky, 2006).

The second stage is set of requirements gathering. This is the stage where the requirements of the different users are connected together so that the final project goal can be determined. Part of this process will include looking at the existing systems, even if they all paper-based, in order to identify relevant to the areas. It is beneficial to diagram the system so the process can be understood. The new system can be designed around current operations, so it can be easily understood by users (Post and Anderson, 2006). The individual project goals may be broken down into individual processes in order to be analyzed. It is also important that the users are engaged in the process during this stage, it is only by talking to the users with many of the requirements can be gathered, especially concerning aspects such as user interfaces. In many project lifecycles there is a focus on the needs of the system, as in a retail environment where users will be from different backgrounds may have different requirements. Input from the users will be important for the next stage of system design.

Once data has been gathered from the company and other uses regarding the requirements of the system the next stage, system design, can take place. During the system design phase the development team will be referring back to the requirements covering and system analysis stage. The functions that are required for the operations will be described in detail and processes plans with the use of diagrams and screen layouts. System design will also need to take into consideration requirements are identified including issues such as business rules.

A system design stage should result in the design for a system that meets the majority of the requirements needs. It is possible that not all of the desires may be satisfied, however it is likely that the system design would have been revised several times in order to optimize satisfaction for the users. Where revisions are made to design, it is essential that any and all revisions are included in the documentation (Post and Anderson, 2006; Blanchard and Fabrycky, 2006).

A system designed for Bead Bar will need to facilitate usual business functions as well as link in with a retail, e-commerce system to facilitate purchases made by customers. Different levels of access to their systems will befacilitated through modules designed for different purposes and multiple authorization levels as users will need access to the varioussystems. For example, there will need to be part of a system designed specifically for the franchisees, giving access to inventory and ordering information and some aspects of company information, whereas head office staff may need access to a broader range of systems. Included within the system should be facilities to track transactions, the automation of specific functions such as record-keeping as well as planning and forecasting facilities in order to aid with resource planning and scheduling.

A modular design would be advantageous in order to create an efficient design that takes into account the potential for later alterations that may be required as the company grows. This will facilitate changes and upgrades to specific areas, such as the e-commerce site. A participative approach during this stage can yield results, building on the requirements gathering stage (Post and Anderson, 2006). The modular approach would also facilitate potential economic savings with the purchase of some modules off-the-shelf, with some possible alterations, rather than specifically designed for the Bead Bar. If the company had to commission a full system, without utilizing any off-the-shelf solutions, it is quite possible that project would become nonviable due to higher economic costs. Many of the off-the-shelf solutions in today's market have a high potential for customization to meet the company's needs. This is particularly true for standardized areas of business including inventory control, accounts, communications and e-commerce solutions (Post and Anderson, 2006).

The next stage is that of the build, where the system designed in the previous stage is turned into reality. As this system is put together there will be the potential for changes to be made in order to make sure that the system works as expected and is compatible with other modules. Full documentation should be made of any and all changes that are made. While the system is built it is essential that the end users are taken into consideration. As a result the build and the subsequent testing of both the technical and the non-technical features will need to be tested rigorously in addition to the technical aspects.

Testing will be undertaken in several stages. The initial tests will be used to verify aspects of the system that have been implemented and are operating within the system’s set parameters. Testing will also take place against user requirements to ensure that it is operationally effective for users (Blanchard and Fabrycky, 2006). This would be beneficial for the Bead Bar by bringing different users into a trial to test the system to see how intuitive the graphic interfaces are and how robust all the process are in the way in which they are interpreted by the users. The aspects of usability are important to the success of the new system. For example, many problemswill not show up in a system until it is live and a user makes a mistake. This prototype should not be seen as the finished item. It is highly likely that the testing will reveal areas where improvements can be made or adjustments implemented which will add value to the system. These may be technically issues in the way the system is operating and processing data or it may be design of ethical issues on the layout of the system. This needs to take place before there is a full commitment to the system and it is implemented.

All aspects will need to be tested. This will include the general maintenance procedures and the general operating procedures, as well as potential areas of concern which may be relevant for crisis management. This design system should be seen as a prototype rather than a finished product. Areas which need improvement can be identified and rectified, and testing may reveal furtherissues. These problems may be dealt with in terms of documentation and training for the users which may not have been apparent to the developers.

The next stage is that of installation, implementation and training. In any organization there is likely to be some resistance to a new information technology system. There will be benefits, but for the system to be successful those using it need to accept and adopt it willingly (Huczyniski and Buchanan, 2003). For an implementation to be successful it is essential that the employees acceptand utilize the new system. There are a number of models of change which can be usedas part of the training approach. The majority of the models specify the need to win employees over for the need for the change and show them how they will benefit from the change in order to gain the support prior to implementing the change (Huczyniski and Buchanan, 2003).

Following the implementation of the system there will need to be supporting actions, including reassurance and entrenchment of the change. For the transition to be successful, it is essential that the employees know how the system works, feel confident in using system and have sufficient backup in terms of technical support. Technical support might be provided in a number of ways, including a telephone help line, online help files, or suggestions included within the programming encoding. Although this is not a major change for the Bead Bar, it is essential that the company provide training for all the shops that will be using the system and provide the relevant backup. This is especially important to franchisees whomay not have access to the same resources as employees within the company. Training will need to be undertaken on a one-to-one, or one–to-many basis in locations which are easily accessible to employees or franchisees, An informal and friendly setting will facilitate hands-on experience as well. Support may also be provided with an online training course which can be used as a refresher for existing employees and as a training module for new recruits.

The last stage is maintenance. In order for the system to remain efficient, and operating atan optimum level, monitoring and improvements to the system must continue. The employees and the customers will be important for feedback and their comments and suggestions should help guide any further modifications to the system General maintenance will also need to take place, and as changes occur in the environment and technology progresses further updating may be needed.

It is never a simple process to implement a systems change, especially one that changes from a paper-based system to a technology-based system. Following the seven stage model of systems development life cycle and keeping the needs of the users in mind will make the transition process more organized and ultimately more beneficial for all those involved.

References

Blanchard, B. S., Fabrycky, W. J. (2006) Systems engineering and analysis, New Jersey: Prentice Hall

Huczyniski A, Buchanan D, (2003) Organisational Behaviour, London, Prentice Hall

Post, G., Anderson, D., (2006). Management information systems: Solving business problems with information technology, New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin