Software Design and Development
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Stage 6 Software Design and Development
Case study: Comparing software solutions strategies
| Syllabus outcomes | Learning activity | Employment related skills |
|---|---|---|
| A student: P3.1 identifies the issues relating to the use of software solutions |
Case study |
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Read through the following information and the two scenarios and answer the questions and related activities.
Case study
John is the Customer Services Manager for a large Australian manufacturer of modern furniture. Whilst his company produces quality products, there are inevitably some complaints that customers have, and it is part of his job to ensure that they are followed up effectively to ensure that the customers end up satisfied in the end.
If customers slip through the net, they become angry customers. John decides that the current process, which is based on paper forms and email is ineffective and turns to information technology for a solution.
Consider the context diagram below.
The Development Team consists of several people with different roles and skill sets, as shown by the following organisation chart. Success of the project relies on every person in the team, and also, effective management and coordination of the work that they all do. As you will see, good communication is crucial.
The team consists of the following roles:
- Manager (Narelle): leads the team and interacts with the customer. Helps to provide the business case that will justify spending the money to develop a computer-based solution for John's problems of keeping track of customer complaints.
- Project manager (Liet): plans the project and ensures that the right resources (team members) are available. During the project, Liet will ensure that the outcomes planned for each member are being delivered and that nothing will get in the way of delivering the project on time and on budget.
- Business analyst (Robert): will talk to the Customer Service Department in terms that they understand, then develop a detailed requirements specification which records exactly what the solution needs to do in order to meet the requirements. The solution will be based on this specification.
- Development team leader (Sam): provides the technical design and coordinates the junior developers.
- Junior developers (Raj and Susan): do most of the coding for the application.
- System engineer (Colleen): works out how to deliver the solution to the Customer Service team, what servers it will be installed on and how it will be accessed.
We will now examine the two scenarios of the possible outcomes of this project. The first scenario presents how a project must be completed to provide a solution which meets the overall needs of the project. It is on time, on budget and of good quality and meets the needs of the Customer Service Team. The second scenario illustrates what can go wrong if there is inadequate planning.
As you read each scenario draw a flow chart to keep track of the steps taken. This will help you to answer the questions.
Activities
- Compare and contrast the outcomes of the two scenarios in terms of:
- Return on investment for John, the General Manager and the Company as a whole.
- Impact on the teams: Customer service team, Development Team.
- What will John do next time he has a requirement for an IT solution?
- You are a consultant who has been brought in by the General Manager to find out what went wrong with the project (Scenario 2), and make recommendations how to prevent a reoccurrence in the future. Write a report outlining your discoveries and recommendations.
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