BA630 - Systems Analysis & Design Exercise (Team Project) Maximum Word Count: 4000 words The purpose of
Question:
BA630- Systems Analysis & Design Exercise (Team Project) Maximum Word Count: 4000 words The purpose of this project is to pull several ideas together that we have covered throughout the semester and to help prepare you for what may lie ahead of you in future employment. After you graduate, your future employer may ask you to represent your department in meetings with the Information Technology department and their systems analysts. A systems analyst serves in an intermediary role between the business workers (accountants, financial planners, managers, sales managers, etc.) and the programmers. Thus, a systems analyst is familiar with both the business side/terminology and the programming side/terminology. Many of you do not plan on being systems analysis when you graduate. However, you may have to work with them as you represent your departments interests in the systems development and implementation process. (You may also take on project management responsibilities or help define requirements as an end user or help to write the business case.) There is a lot of planning, justification and analysis that goes on behind the scenes before a new system is developed. The goal of this project is fourfold:
- to introduce you to writing a business case;
- to help you to understand the steps involved in the system development process
- to help your future employer align technology with the vision, mission, and goals of the organization
- to help you, as future business managers, save your future employers significant money by carefully analyzing the company's business needs and then buying or building the most appropriate system (if needed) rather than just jumping immediately into the programming process
- Business Case: You have been tasked with developing the documentation to initiate a new system project for the development of the databases. This entails creating a formal request for the system. (Even though our scenario is for a small company, I would like for you to go through this process.)
- Develop the underlying paperwork and structure to develop the system. Use some type of modeling software to create your diagrams such as LucidChart, Visio, or PowerPoint. (LucidChart has a free trial version. I have created a video tutorial linked on the Video Tutorials page and provided links to LucidChart tutorials.)
- Chapter 11 describes the Scrum agile framework. Write a paragraph describing how the scrum framework could be used to develop this system. Dont write in generalities, identify actors from the case who would be involved.
- Create a Requirements Definition portion in which you will want to include the items listed below: (Note: Do not assign this section to one person. This is too much for one person. Consider having each person create one or two diagrams with explanations and then having everyone edit.)
- One swim lane diagram and explanation of the diagram for purchasing inventory from vendors.
- One swim lane diagram and explanation of the diagram for selling inventory to customers.
- One Data Flow Diagram and explanation for the flow of data in the process of purchasing inventory from vendors (top level)
- One Data Flow Diagram and explanation for the flow of data in the process of selling inventory to customers (top level)
- ER-Diagram and explanation for the inventory purchasing database
- ER-Diagram and explanation for the inventory selling database
- Do NOT provide definitions.(For instance, do not explain that arrows in your diagrams represent data flows or squares represent entities.)
- Do NOT describe what the diagram looks like. (For instance, referring to my tutorial video example, do not write something like The Course table is connected to the Schedule table.) Explain what the diagrams mean (e.g., For the student scheduling database tutorial example, you might write: The process begins with a Student inquiring about a class. The request is then checked to see if seats are available in that class. A student can sign up for one class per semester or several)
- In the Construction portion, write for this specific system: (Do not write in generalities and do not provide definitions.)
- Title page
- Business Case Section
- Underlying Design Section
- Requirements Definition
- Construction
- Implementation
- Use headings in your document to facilitate reading and concept finding.
- Please follow the concept order in the homework description to facilitate grading.
- Create a data dictionary/directory (DD/D) for all of the fields for just ONE of the larger tables in your database. (The table should contain at least five fields.)
- Write an introductory paragraph to introduce your DD/D and explain why it is important.
- Do not create one DD/D for each table. One table is sufficient to show that you understand. Providing more than one table is unnecessary work on your part. (An example of a DD/D is in the Basic Design Tools PowerPoint.)
- Include only four properties per field of your table. (Four properties show me that you understand what a DD/D is.)
- Please have one member of your group submit the project to the dropbox. Make sure that all group members' names are listed on the title page of the document.
Part 2: Due in Dropbox - Individual Portion (45 points) Database Using the analysis and design created in the previous exercise, build your databases. Since it will take quite a bit of time to grade the analysis and design portion, you will have to create your databases based upon the ungraded report. When I grade the projects, I realize that you are creating the databases based upon your initial ungraded analysis and design report. (As you start creating your database, you may find that your database design has to change from your original planned design.) Also, I realize that there are templates out there. However, I want you to create the database from scratch (brand new). Do not rework the class tutorial example or submit someone elses work. Individually, create a small scale Access database for the organization. (A list of video links that should cover all of the database features requested can be found linked on the assignment description.) For the database:
- Table: Each person is to create a database that should have at least six tables. (I anticipate 1 table to be suppliers/customers, 1 table to be addresses, and 1 table to be a zipcode table, thus you need at least three more tables. You do not have to have those three tables I have indicated, this is just an example.)
- Each table should have at least 4 records. However, your transaction table(s) (the schedule table in the Access database example) should have at least 3 records per person for a total of at least 12 records. (The transaction table in the student database was the schedule table which linked the students to courses offered by the University. -- Students take courses... that is what links students to the courses --- You could think that this table is probably the purpose of the process being turned into a database e.g., scheduling appointments.) (FYI - I have found that 12 records in the transaction table is about the fewest records that work with getting good query and report results.)
- Use appropriate field names, field descriptions, field sizes, and captions.
- Include a Lookup field in at least one table. (Indicate where this is located in your accompanying database report.)
- Use restricted values where possible, at least three. (e.g., in the video tutorial, we allowed only "M" or "F" to be entered into the gender field.) (Indicate where these are located in your accompanying database report.)
- Relationship report: Use your ER diagram and the relationships report feature in Access to create relationships between your tables. (Be sure to apply referential integrity.)
- View the relationship report. Design > Tools> Relationship Report.
- Once you have viewed the report, save it and close it so that the report will appear in the Navigation window.
- Menu form: Create a menu form or navigation form for your database.
- Two forms: Create forms for two of your larger tables. (Select a table in Navigation window > Create tab > Forms button.)
- Insert a graphic at the top of your forms.
- Use a Combo box control to select a record on each form.
- Adjust thetext controls(labels) so that they are easier to read (spell out label names, apply formatting, insert spaces where needed and increase text control box size as needed).
- Create at least two buttons that perform an action. (e.g., You might have one button close a form.)
- Macros: Create at least two macros. (e.g., you could create one to open your navigation form when the database is opened. You may also want to create one attached to a button described in Step 4 of Form instructions.)
- Four Queries: You will need tocreate at least three join queries and one specialized queryin your database. (A join query means that the query contains multiple tables.) (Do not include duplicate fields in a query. e.g., in the tutorial, we only included StudentID once although it was found in both the Student table and the StudentAddress table.)
- Create a calculated field in at least two of the queries in your database.
- Create a parameter query that asks the user to provide an input. (Here are some nice instructions from Microsoft https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Use-parameters-to-ask-for-input-when-running-a-query-c2806d3d-d500-45a8-8507-ec6af351b6ed )
- One of your queries should be a specialized query (Choose one): CrossTabs OR Find Duplicates OR Find Unmatched
- Three Reports: You will need tocreate three valuable customized reportsin your database for each of your join queries created in the previous instructions.(One for each join query.)
- Report expectations:
- Create at least two appropriate calculated fields in your reports.
- Arrange fields to make the report easier to read and to fit on one page wide. (Make sure that you spell out labels and adjust control sizes so words completely fit on the report.)
- Assume reports will be distributed using envelopes with the plastic transparent windows. Thus, you will gather address information together at the top of the report.
- Short Word Document: Each person is to write a short Microsoft Word document explaining the importance and purpose of each query/report pair. (About a 3 to 4 sentence paragraphs for each query/report pair, enough to explain the importance and purpose of each pair.)
- When you close Access, it automatically saves your database in an .accdb file.
- If you are logging in and working on a remote university computer, be sure to copy your database to your Onedrive.semo.edu account.
- UPLOAD Database and Word file: Make sure your database is closed and upload your database and Word file to the dropbox.
- DO NOT OPEN THE DATABASE IN CANVAS if you are wanting to check your database.
- To Delete a Report or Page Header/Footer:
- Right click in an open area of the report and toggle off the Report & Page Header/Footer.
- To Add a Section Header/Footer for report calculations and address information :
- Right click in an open area of the report
- Select Sorting and Filtering
- Select Add Group and then select the field you wish to group on.
- Click the More> option and make sure With a header section and With a footer section are selected.
- To Access the buttons for creating a label, a calculated field and a page break:
- Select the Design tab.
- The button highlighted in green is used to create textboxes or labels for providing instructions.
- The button highlighted in blue is used to create calculated fields.
- Calculations are placed in the unbound box.
- Report calculations have a format similar to Excel: =function([fieldname])
- The button highlighted in red is used to insert a page break at the spot where inserted.
Tutorial for Access Customized Reports: https://youtu.be/pICR6e3nBWE Envelope example. You would want address content to be gathered to display through the window.
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