all questions in any order but clearly identify each question. [15] A1. Recall the Velorution business case introduced earlier in the course. (the case is at the end of this exam) The project to upgrade the system(s) is underway. The decision was to use a consulting development group and NOT the internal employee and provide the core system as outlined in the case. The lead analyst on the project in your firm has come to you as the web analyst in your consulting company and is asking for your help. The owner is adamant that a web presence is now also critical. The previous aspects of the business did allow for telephone support and the internal employee offered aspects of some kind of web entry. The owner now wants to have a strong reliable web capability for all aspects of the business to give customers as much choice as possible not just a site for showing products. Identify the approach you would be recommending for your colleague on how to proceed? Justify your rationale. [15] A2. Further to Question 1, create an ISD for Velorution. (I recommend hand drawn). Explain your reasoning for your ISD. [10] A3. Further to Question 1, based on your recommendation on how to proceed, prepare a project plan. [20] A4. The following scenario describes an employee hiring approach in a specific company. You must draw at least a context diagram and a level-0 diagram. Draw additional DFDs as needed to represent all of the details. If you see any items that are incomplete, identify and make the necessary assumptions to finalize in your diagrams. Algoma Consulting Inc. is a consulting company with approximately 400 consultants with different types of expertise. The company keeps records on all employee, their skills, assigned projects and the departments they work in. New employee is hired by the HR department based on their applications and evaluations collected by other managers who interview the job applicant. Prospective employees may apply at any time. Department managers inform HR when there is an opening and provides a job description for the job. The HR department assigns a manager who does a comparison with the job description and the pool of available candidates. Interviews are scheduled between the manager with the open position and the top five candidates. After receiving the evaluations on each interview, the HR manager and the department manager make the hiring decision. The successful candidate is notified and the unsuccessful applicants information is kept on file for a year after which time the application is deleted. When hired, the new consultant completes an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) which is filed with the other information about the applicant. [15] A5. For the following situation, you are to draw an appropriate E-R diagram (ERD). Add any needed assumptions and clarifications to the diagram that are not provided in the description below and indicate your reasoning. (that is explain your assumptions and clarifications) A customer will place an order for a product or products. If the product/products is/are not available, it will result in a backorder(s) being created. The order is comprised of products which may also be broken down into components. Components may come from various sources or vendors. [10] A6. For the situation in Question 5, assume that a decision has been made to assign each sales representative to a unique set of customers; some customers can now become members and receive unique benefits. As well, small manufacturing teams will be formed and each will be assigned to the production of small, unique set of products and each purchasing agent will be assigned to a small, unique set of vendors. Make any necessary changes to the E-R diagram. Velorution Bike Shop(VBS) Introduction Herbert owns and manages a bicycle shop called Velorution which is undergoing significant expansion. Since you are a friend of his and run a professional systems consultancy, he has taken the precaution of commissioning a feasibility study from you at a cost of $1,000. You completed the study, and he has agreed to have the work done by your firm, ABC Consulting. A senior analyst, Fred, has been appointed to the project as well as Sonja , an experienced project leader and they have undertaken to implement the core back end systems for VBS using an off the shelf system called Lightspeed Retail POS. In addition to the back end capability, there are add on modules for online sales and service. Two years ago Herbert realized that, due to competition from massive out of town retailers such as Malfords, his business either had to expand or go under. Therefore he has now completed the purchase of the next-door shop, virtually doubling his floor space, using a loan of $200,000 from the bank. The loan was secured partly on the basis of a business plan, the relevant excerpts of which are included as an Appendix. This plan suggested that an improvement was essential in the information system in use in the business for a modest initial investment. Such a (computerized) system was essential to cope with the massive forecast increase in business: Herberts target is to double turnover in 3 years. Ordering and Sales: current system Introduction VBS is a bicycle shop and showroom with a large range, from childrens bikes to large mopeds and a wide range of accessories like child seats, helmets, clothes and tools. They sell these goods off the shelf to customers and also make up custom built bikes to customers requirements. They also make telephone sales, including parts, both to customers and to smaller shops and carry out repairs for customers. The following is a brief description of how this is done. Purchasing/stock control When customers purchase items from the shop, a record is kept in the sales book of the item sold and a receipt is issued to the customer. At the end of the day the manager deducts the items sold from records of stock held on card indexes. It is a source of great frustration to Herbert that the stock cards are not always accurate. He also doesnt know whether staff members are busy or just tired and forget to record sales or whether they are stealing stock. If the stock level for a particular item is very low then the manager will pass this to Jean to re-order this item of stock from a supplier. When the new stock comes in the stock cards are updated, and the list of back orders (see below) is checked. Repairs When customers bring in an item for repair, they are quoted a price which is calculated by Herbert or Vijay, who is the chief repairman, by adding parts + labor + HST. This quote is recorded in the repairs book, and customers are expected to make payment when they collect the item. Sometimes it is necessary to adjust the quote when a repair job has discovered hidden problems! The repair will involve the use of new parts that also involves altering the stock lists/ re-ordering. The procedure for custombuilt bikes is very similar and a record is kept in the custombuilt bikes list. Telephone orders ( modified to be augmented with online orders) Customers (known as Indirect Customers) may make an enquiry by phone, in which case the staff member will consult both the price list (also a manual list) and the stock list. If the price is right and the item is in stock (assuming that the stock list is correct), the customer may place an order. The order is recorded in the telephone orders book. In the morning a designated member of staff (usually Vijay) puts together the appropriate items of stock, if they are available, together with an invoice that is collected and delivered by the company van. If items are in fact unavailable Vijay has to tell Herbert to make re-orders, send a part order, record the part order not completed and phone the customer to apologize. The telephone customer would typically then pay by check. Herbert and Jean (who works in the office) handle the banking. If all or part of an order is out of stock (or is not normally held in stock) then a re-order is sent to the suppliers (if one hasnt already been sent). The order is then filed away in a back orders file that is checked when new stock comes in. A record is kept of customers invoices that is checked monthly. If a customer has failed to pay during the month then a repeat invoice is sent to them. If Jean is too busy/ forgets/ is on holiday/ sick then repeat invoices are delayed. Currently the business is owed approximately $10,000 by other shops and $10,000 by indirect customers. Herbert blames Jeans inefficiency for these debts and for his stomach ulcers! Trade customers Other bike shops may also place orders by phone. The only difference in the way their orders is handled to those of other (indirect) customers is that bike shops get a 15% discount on all purchases. Herbert suspects that there are some customers getting this discount who shouldnt be. Staff at VBS is also entitled to this discount. Unbeknownst to Herbert, Ged has already bought 4 bikes this year! Suppliers invoice Herbert and Jean also handle all suppliers invoices which, when received, are checked against orders. Where there is a discrepancy usually Jean will phone the suppliers; otherwise VBS has a reputation for paying promptly. New System ideas Ged, who works on the shop counter and is only paid $800 per week, took the first year of a computing course at University but left because he ran out of money and failed a couple of modules. He has his own Web site at home and reckons he could easily put together something for the shop. He told Herbert, who is interested, but ignorant about such matters: ... if you invest about $5,000 in two PCs (one for the counter and one for the office) and peripherals such as cable, barcode reader, printers etc which I can hook up together, I can build you a stock control system and a web site in about two months of my own time. You could use the Web to advertise the shop and take orders from customers whore connected. You dont need to worry about software, because I have got the latest kit that will do the job easily. All youd need to do then is pay me an extra $2,500 per year on my salary to develop and manage the system, and an annual fee to an Internet service provider of about $200 per year. Appendix 1: Relevant excerpts of VBS Business plan as presented to the bank Rationale VBS is a bicycle showroom and repair shop. The shop has steadily expanded over the last 10 years and in 2020/21 had a turnover of $400,000. The shop employs 7 staff including the owner and manager Herbert. With the exception of Sally, who is part time and only works Saturdays and occasional other days such as Christmas, all the staff is full time. Two of the staff work full time on repairs... In the current economic climate and considering the ongoing influence of macroeconomic entities the business must consider its position vis a vis out of town developments. It is the view of the directors (in reality Herbert ed.) that the business will either need to significantly expand to a turnover of $800,000 by the year 2025 or collapse. This is the justification for seeking a loan of $200,000 with repayment over a 5-year period. Details of the business plan follow... Name of business: VBS Plus In order to increase revenue, VBS will reposition itself to take advantage of an increased public interest in leisure, fashion and the environment. It will therefore rename itself VBS Plus and seek to significantly increase sales, particularly in cycle clothing. It will introduce its own range of branded designer clothes, manufactured by a third party. By purchasing additional premises it will double floor space devoting one half to clothing. The measures outlined below are expected to increase turnover by 100% in the space of 3 years... Competition and Suppliers VBS is concerned about the massive new out of town development, three miles away, in town, due to open in 1999. Trek, one of Ontarios leading cycle retailers, is planning to open a new cutprice superstore there, which could significantly impact on VBSs trade. VBS is also concerned that they might lose their position as agent for Waleigh. Waleighs rep. has indicated to Herbert that VBS neither generates sufficient revenue for Waleigh to be interested in continuing their current relationship (which involves a special discount on all Waleigh goods), nor does VBS (unlike Malfords) possess the equipment necessary for electronic trading. It should be noted that Waleigh account for approximately one third of VBSs sales. The conclusion drawn by the company is that they must expand significantly in order to retain their area status for Waleigh. VBS currently gets a 10% discount on all Waleigh goods as a result of this status. Costs From a loan of $200,000, $150,000 will be spent on purchase and refurbishment of the new premises. The remainder is allocated to advertising, development of computerized sales and ordering system, development of an Internet site, some advertising additional to the current budget of $7,000 per year, and new stock. An expert member of staff has estimated that an initial investment of around $5,000, together with an annual operating cost of $2,500 should prove adequate for the computer work..Following the refurbishment of the new premises and introduction of the new systems (3-4 months), VBS will commence repayments at the rate of $60,000/yr for 5 years...