Course Project Objectives Guidelines Part 1 Of 5 Milestone 1

Course Projectobjectives Guidelines Part 1 Of 5 Milestone 1due W

The objective of the Course Project is to define the requirements of a technical solution to a business problem in a particular business. This is a team project, so students will work in teams of 3–5 students. There are five parts to the project, consisting of four milestones and a Final Project Paper. During Weeks 2, 3, 5, and 6, each team will complete one milestone and add it to their Project Paper. Each milestone is worth 50 points. In Week 7, the final Project Paper, worth 150 points, will be completed and submitted, along with a PowerPoint presentation to management, which is worth 50 points.

Your professor will provide the specific business scenario. In this project, you apply systems analysis and design to a business problem. Each team acts as consultants or an IT team within an organization. Your primary source of detailed requirements will be your web research of the specific business scenario. Assume your project teams are presenting incremental requirement deliverables to the system owner or users for final approval of a system proposal.

First, research a specific business scenario on the Internet, such as in the massage industry, to understand how information systems are utilized. Identify typical requirements for a successful business, then define a problem that can be solved with a technological solution involving hardware, software, and a database. For example, helping a massage business become more competitive through an information system to advertise, streamline appointments, and collect payments.

Use Microsoft Visio to create diagrams such as process models (DFDs), data models (ERDs), and object-oriented diagrams (UML). Your first task is to describe how the business works, who is involved, and what they do. Identify business problems like lack of automation, missed appointments, or payment issues. Define business requirements by creating a Context Level Data Flow Diagram, a Use Case List, Use Case Diagram, and Use Case Scenarios.

Paper For Above instruction

Understanding the complexities of a business system is fundamental for developing effective technological solutions. This involves a comprehensive analysis of the business operations, identifying key stakeholders, and understanding the specific problems faced by the organization. In the context of a massage therapy business, for instance, the primary stakeholders include massage therapists, schedulers, accountants, customers, and management. They perform various functions such as service delivery, appointment scheduling, billing, and management oversight. Challenges such as competitive disadvantages due to manual processes, missed or broken appointments, and payment collection issues highlight areas where technology could offer substantial improvements.

To adequately define the business requirements, it is essential to develop visual models that reflect the system's scope and functionality. The context level data flow diagram (DFD) provides a high-level overview of system inputs, processes, and outputs, illustrating how data flows between external entities and the system. A use case list enumerates specific business activities, such as booking appointments, processing payments, and managing customer data, while use case diagrams visually depict these interactions among actors and the system. Narratives for each use case describe step-by-step processes, facilitating a clear understanding of functional requirements.

This structured approach enables teams to clarify the system's scope, identify key processes, and establish a foundation for subsequent detailed modeling. By involving stakeholders in reviewing these diagrams and narratives, teams ensure that the requirements accurately reflect business needs and are aligned with organizational goals. Such detailed preliminary analysis reduces risks during implementation, enhances communication among team members and stakeholders, and ultimately leads to more effective system design and deployment.

Overall, the initial phase establishes a clear understanding of the business environment and articulates the specific problems that the proposed system aims to resolve. This facilitates the development of targeted technological solutions that improve operational efficiency, customer experience, and competitive advantage, thereby supporting the strategic objectives of the organization.

References

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