Systems Analysis and Design Scenario
Scenario
You have gained an internship with a consultancy firm which provides organisations with ICT support. This is a part-time internship and is taking place alongside your studies. The consultancy has a client, Petr Vaclav who is the Chief Executive of a cinema chain operating mainly in rural areas in Slovakia. Currently, the various cinemas operate in different ways when booking tickets for their customers. Some cinemas do not take any bookings and in these cases customers queue at the cinema’s kiosk to buy their tickets just before the movie’s viewing time. However, in those cinemas where bookings are taken, the booking is written in a booking diary and there have been some problems with this system. Sometimes too many people had booked tickets and there were not enough seats available at some showings. Alternatively, some movies have had very few customers and the CE believes this is due to the current practice of using billboards to advertise films. The CE has realised that their sales are more likely to grow if the company develops a new cinema booking system and moves their advertising online.
Activity 1
Petr Vaclav, has asked you to attend a meeting with the Directors of the cinema chain. They have expressed a need to be more informed about systems analysis and design and are concerned about the costs associated with the project and the impact on the business. He needs your guidance. In preparation for this meeting produce a report which:
- explains the role of systems analysis and design in systems development
- critically analyses the systems development lifecycle referring to specific examples e.g. Waterfall, V-shape or Spiral;
- explains the systems analysis and design process by clarifying how the following can be influential in the redesign of a system.
- Requirements elicitation
- Stakeholder analysis
- Systems design process
- evaluates different design methods and methodologies that can be used to analyse systems, such as, SSADM, DSDM, Agile and Prototyping.
In order to improve the understanding of the CE and Directors ensure you apply this information, wherever possible, to the particular issues facing the existing cinema booking and advertising system.
LO 1 assessment criteria, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4
Activity 2
Mr Valcav and the Directors were pleased with the report and are more informed. However they are still unsure if developing an online booking system and moving most of their advertising online is really as good as it seems. You have decided to conduct a pilot study using an existing system and an organisation of your choice. This can be your college, where you are employed or another organisation you know well. The organisation must have a specific existing system in place for you to review and you should agree the organisation and system with your tutor. Produce a presentation with speaker notes which:
- clarifies and justifies the methodology you plan to use to analyse the system
- shows how you applied the different information gathering techniques to review the system and the results of these processes
- recommends improvements to the system
LO 2 assessment criteria, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
Activity 3
Based on the work you did for Activity 2
- Present a documented solution to your tutor, who acts as the client for the modelling exercise, justifying the proposed improvements to the existing system. You must check the format that the client requires for this solution.
- Evaluate the feedback you have received from the client and make amendments to your original proposal.
LO 3 assessment criteria, 3.1, 3.2