Rachels Day Off Swimwear

Rachels Day Off Swimwear is a successful chain of high end swim suit boutiques. Recently, several smaller shops and boutiques were acquired to expand its operations. The new company is much larger than the original company and it has outgrown its accounting software. The original accounting system was a package from Peachtree Software, which initially ran on a stand-alone PC and later on a network. Now, the firm is preparing to install a powerful, scalable accounting package that can support the companys current and future operations. You have been asked to implement the new system.

Tasks

Who should receive training on the new software, and what topics should the training cover?

Students should include training topics for IT staff members, who will be responsible for the system maintenance, managers who will rely on system information and reports, and users who will interact with the system on a daily basis. Students should mention training topics similar to the examples listed in Figure 11-30 on page 447.

Go online and investigate the Sage 50 product to learn whether it can import and upload existing data.

Sage 50 is the successor to Peachtree, which was used by many small businesses. Students can visit Sages site at http://na.sage.com/sage-50-accounting-us/ to review product features and ask questions, or they can visit local software retailers or businesses to learn more.

What changeover strategy would you suggest for the new accounting system? Explain your answer.

Whichever changeover method a student chooses, he or she should be able to back up the choice with supporting facts from the textbook. Each method has pros and cons, and the decision should be based on the specific situation. An accounting system, such as the one proposed by Victorian Creations, probably is modular, with features such as accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and so on. This system might lend itself to a phased changeover. Because accounting data is so critical, however, a parallel operation might be desirable. It is unknown whether there are individual stores or divisions, so it is unclear whether a pilot method might be considered. Of all the methods, the only one that clearly is undesirable is direct cutover, for the reasons stated in the chapter.

When should a post-implementation evaluation be conducted? Explain your answer.

Students should be able to suggest a timeframe based on the concepts discussed in the chapter. Specifically, students should recognize that evaluation should not occur until the system has been in operation for a reasonable period of time soon enough to allow smooth and effective resolution, but late enough to allow system bugs and problems to surface.