Introduction
The word system can be traced to a Greek word that suggests combination of various features or properties (Dixit & Kumar 2007). Based on this a system is thought of as a combination between related functioning components or units with the purpose of achieving a single goal (Shelly & Rosenblatt 2011). A component of a system is single irreducible part that allows for changes to be made in a modular fashion (Dixit & Kumar 2007). Due to this nature of systems changes can be made to the various components with little or no effect on the entire system. In this report, the discussion will involve the considerations that prevail in the design and development of a computerized ordering system.
Agile Systems and Software Development Cycle
As it has been mentioned in the previous section a system is composed of components. The main objective of systems analysis and design is to gain an understanding of how the system works and take steps to improve this system. The process of system analysis and design typically involves six distinct stages namely; preliminary investigation, requirements analysis, design, coding and development, implementation and maintenance (Dixit & Kumar 2007).
For the production of a suitable system these steps can be followed to completion using a variety of methodologies. The traditional approaches to this have been noted to be cumbersome and often hamper the speedy completion of a software project (Dixit & Kumar 2007). For this and other similar reasons this project was undertaken using an alternative approach to software development. This approach which is categorized under Agile methodologies was chosen due to the ability to counter problems inherent in traditional approaches to software design and development (Caine 2011).
The there are three key principles that are used in Agile methodologies that were found suitable for this project. First is the fact that Agile methodologies focus on adaptive rather than predictive procedures (Dixit and Kumar 2007). Traditional methods are especially poor at this due to their sequential nature thus making it difficult to adapt to changes in the requirements. In addition to that Agile methodologies also focus on people rather than roles. This allows for the creation of the most suitable solution for the users. Lastly Agile methodologies focus on self adaptive processes (Dixit & Kumar 2007). Based on these specific traits it was observed that Agile methods were more likely to be useful in achieving the desired objectives.
Software Selection
The decision to utilize an Agile approach to the development of this software was also based on several considerations that were made after the design stage. It should be noted that during the design stage the development team makes decisions on how the new system will operate (Denis, Wixom & Roth 2009). The design stage comes after analysis which involves identification of business needs the software to accomplish. Through the use of various tools during the design stage the development team will create a blue print of the desired system (Denis, Wixom & Roth 2009). Upon completion of the blue print the team then makes a decision on what software to use in the development of the software. (See Appendix A)
One approach that can be adopted to acquiring the relevant software is the purchase of already completed products available in the market. This approach is suitable where there already exists a large market for similar needs. Based on the large ready market it is common to find that there are several available commercial packages that can be purchased to solve the problem. In such cases it would be unwise to spend additional funds in creation of custom software unless the commercial packages available do not cater for a major specific need of the business (Denis, Wixom & Roth 2009). An example of such an instance occurs if the company was in search of payroll software. In addition to saving time wasted in creation of a custom package it should be noted that the company would benefit from expertise already invested in creation of the available packages.
The main problem with this option arises from the fact that the company has to accept the functionality provided by the system. This is sometimes unsuitable as it may not necessarily provide a perfect fit based on business needs (Denis, Wixom & Roth 2009). Though most packaged applications allow for some degree of customization to change system parameters, these must allow for a perfect fit based on the requirements identified. In cases where such a fit is not possible this choice would be considered unwise based on the fact that some of the requirements identified may not be met suggesting an unsatisfactory solution to the problem.
As an alternative to the above problems another solution that may be utilized following completion of design is outsourcing. This involves enlisting the services of an external vendor to create or supply the system based on requirements (Denis, Wixom & Roth 2009). This approach involves giving the task of construction and maintenance of a software system to an external vendor. Though this approach comes with the advantage of getting the perfect fit it also bears inherent disadvantages. Among the disadvantages related to this approach include the issues that arise in formulating suitable agreement in relation to the software and rights.
Based on the vendor in question the agreement for the software may vary considerably. In some cases the vendor may offer a single price for the product. In other cases the vendor may suggest a monthly payment for use of the product. In other cases vendors may sell a product but insist on maintaining ownership rights related to the product (Denis, Wixom & Roth 2009). However, careful consideration and planning are useful in guiding through such negotiations. Given the specific nature of this software project it has been determined that outsourcing is the most suitable option to pursue. This is due to the fact that the requirements identified are very specific to the organization and are not suitable for the available packaged software solutions.
Selection of Software Tools
Based on the strong need for reliable data in relation to this system it has been established that there is a serious need to store relevant data in a database. This arises due to the fact that databases allow for improved management of information (Coronel, Morris & Rob 2009). The improved management of information stored in a database can be attributed to the improved information sharing that is possible with modern database management systems (Coronel, Morris & Rob 2009). In addition to that it has been noted that the use of database management systems leads to improved information security. This is especially crucial since the proposed system may need to keep sensitive information such as credit card information.
In addition to improvements related to security these systems also provide advantages by improving the process of integration (Coronel, Morris & Rob 2009). This is especially useful given that the information stored is likely to be used in various parts of the system and thus may need to be available to these various components. It becomes easier to trace how activities in one sector affect other sectors of business (Coronel, Morris & Rob 2009). In addition to that it has been noted that database management systems are useful in minimizing data inconsistency (Coronel, Morris & Rob 2009). This is very important in that it ensures changes made in various sections within the system can be made without affecting the consistency of data stored on the system.
For the above reasons this project was developed making use of a popular database management system known as MySQL. This software provides most of the features available in commercial high end database servers (Williams & Lane 2004). The main reasons behind the selection of this software can be traced to the fact that it is available free of charge thus reducing the costs associated with the development of the project. In addition to that this particular software is very well suited for web based applications. For this reason it will allow easier transition to a fully web based version that will run across several branches.
In relation to the design of the user interface and the application for the ordering system it was proposed that Microsoft Visual Studio is utilized. This comes in light of the fact that Microsoft has made adjustments to the Visual Studio to support concepts used in Agile system development (Strober & Hansmann 2010). These features have been designed to allow for continuous integration that is primary characteristic of Agile systems. An example of these changes can be seen in the addition of tools such as Simple Design, which is used in creation of technical design documentation (Strober & Hansmann 2010). This provides a big advantage to the development process owing to the fact that the Microsoft tool family is already a consistent part of the Visual Studio system (Strober & Hansmann 2010). In addition to this the choice was influenced by the vast experience in the use of ASP provided in the Visual Studio package.
Based on considerations such as those made in this report it can be seen that the proposed system is likely to be successfully implemented and easily altered in the future. These considerations are thus considered given the fact that they cater both for functionality of the completed system, integration and future needs.
Benefits of Proposed System
The proposed system is intended to solve the problems identified during requirements gathering and it is expected it should improve the following procedures in the restaurant.
- Improve management of orders
- Improve management of Inventory
- Improve bookings, cancelations and allow remote bookings
- Improve the provision of services
- Reduce time spent in processing orders
References
Coronel, C, Morris, S & Rob, P 2009, Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management, 8th edn. Cengage Learning, Boston.
Denis, A, Wixom, BH & Roth, RM 2009, System Analysis and Design, 4th edn. John Wiley & Sons Inc, Hoboken.
Dixit, JB & Kumar R 2007, Structured System Analysis and Design, Laxmi Publications (P) Ltd., New Delhi.
Caine, M & Associates 2011, DSDM Atern Enables More Than Just Agility. DSDM Consortium, Web.
Shelly, GB & Rosenblatt, HJ 2011, Systems Analysis and Design, 9th edn. Cengage Course Technology, Boston.
Strober, T & Hansmann, U 2010, Agile Software Development: Best Practices for Large Software Development Projects, Springer-verlag, Heidelberg.
Williams, HJ & Lane, D 2004, Web database applications with PHP and MySQL, 2nd edn. O’Reilly Media Inc., Sebastopol.
Appendix
Appendix A: ERD Diagram
Appendix B: Use Case Diagrams (Internal View)
