IT Business Applications

1
IT Business Applications

• The Project
• Introduction

2
Session Objectives

• The purpose of this session is to
• Ensure that you understand what is required
• Discuss the project timescale, and indicate some
  of the milestones
• Offer some examples of what might be the
  end-product
• Explore some of the methods by which you might
  investigate the context.

3
The Project Brief

• Within a realistic context of application,
  identify a range of sources and targets of data
  both external and internal to the context, which
  are generated or supplied as part of the normal
  business working
• Formulate a range of spreadsheet models and
  applications which can be used to work with the
  data.
• Evaluate the usefulness of these models and
  applications.

4
Breakdown of the task

• The task has five parts
• Forming a Team
• Developing a Proposal
• Presentation of proposals
• Development Work
• Creation and Submission of a report

5
The Timescale

• Week 10
• Form Teams find context, collect data, create
  draft systems analysis
• Week 11
• Attend Formative Tutorial and discuss context
• Week 12
• Create present project outline proposals
• Weeks13
• Develop Applications Package
• Week 14
• Conduct a Walkthrough of the Applications Package
• Week 15
• Submit a Written Report on the Application

6
Team Working Project

• This document is available in this weeks
  resources on the website, and is the second
  instalment. This part takes you through
  step-by-step until the end of this semester.
• You should download this follow this carefully,
  in a week-by week fashion.

Please Note This document is extremely lengthy
(well over 100 pages), but provides very detailed
instructions on every part of the project.
7
The Formative Tutorial T0

• In Week 11 you will attend a team formative
  tutorial.
• Before this you will have submitted an Tutorial
  Briefing Paper with details of your context and
  what you have been doing

• Attendance at the tutorial is compulsory but
  carries no marks

8
The Formative Tutorial T0

• The purpose of the tutorial is to ensure that you
  are going along the right lines,
• and that
• you have found a suitable context
• your data is suitable
• your analysis is effective
• you have good ideas

9
The Presentation T1

• In week 12 your team will make a presentation.
• In this presentation you will describe the
  context and outline your proposals.
• You will be marked on the quality of the
  proposals, the level detail of the analysis,the
  quality of the presentation and the teamwork.

• The Presentation should be designed to last about
  10 minutes, use PowerPoint and is worth 10

10
The Presentation T1

• The purpose of the presentation is to cause you
  to focus and summarise your ideas.
• Within the presentation you should present
  spreadsheet models, produce story boards and
  mock-ups.
• In doing this, you will receive suggestions as to
  how you might improve, or what else you could do.

11
Development Work

• This is the hard graft of the project.
• You will need to work as a team to split the
  project between you. Different people should work
  on different aspects of the project.
• One person for example, might work on a website
  another might produce a set of accounting
  templates, while another might produce an
  interface.

12
The Walkthrough T2

• In week 14 you will undertake a walkthrough of
  the applications package that you have created.
• This means that you will demonstrate it,
  outlining all the features in a well-thought
  through, structured manner.

• The Walkthrough should last about 15 minutes and
  will be worth 20

13
The Final Report T3

• The report consists of a number of sections, and
  will include full descriptions of the proposed
  applications
• The report will be highly structured, and will
  include analysis and justification, together with
  sources, Bibliography etc.
• There will be appendices consisting of user
  guides, technical specifications etc.

14
In this session

• We now consider the project brief, and some of
  the issues which you should be addressing over
  the next few weeks.

15
Finding and Investigating a Context
16
What do we mean by a context of application ?

• Any organisation or situation which deals with
  money or information.

17
Some Possible Contexts

• The context would normally be a small business
  enterprise, or a similar set-up which involves
  data and/or financial matters.
• One of the criteria here is that you should be
  thoroughly familiar with the context by the time
  you come to create the applications.

18
Possibilities

• A small retail outlet
• a newsagents
• a greengrocer
• a charity shop
• or possibly
• a single small outlet of a large retail chain

19
Possibilities

• A small organisation offering a service
• a doctors or dentists surgery
• a travel or estate agent
• a branch of a building society or bank
• a hairdresser
• A Citizens Advice Bureau

20
Possibilities

• Trades people
• a window cleaning firm
• a small builder
• a decorating firm
• an electrical contractor

21
Possibilities

• Other organisations
• A Club
• A school
• A Charity
• A local action group

22
Criteria for selecting the context

• You will be assessed on the quality of your
  applications and on the relevance and fit of
  the product to the context.
• This means that you must have a thorough insight
  into the context, for example if you have worked
  there, or you have a friend or relative who has
  worked there.
• In addition, the context must provide a variety
  of different types of problem, and you need to
  have insights into the way things are currently
  done.

23
Sharing Ideas

• We will spend a few minutes in buzz groups,
  thinking aloud
• Each person will describe a context they think
  they may be able to use.

24
Your Own Ideas

• Spend 2 minutes now, jotting down your ideas of
  some of the contexts you might use.
• Then spend 5 minutes discussing this with your
  team later.

25
Using Spreadsheets

• It is crucial that you develop spreadsheet
  solutions as the major element in your project.
• This means carefully selecting those elements
  from the context where spreadsheet solutions are
  relevant and applicable.
• You do not have to cover everything!

26
Investigating the Business Context

• The project models a scenario in which you are a
  consultant brought in to suggest improvements

27
The Scenario

• Ideally this should
• improve service to customers
• improve the flow of data
• improve the presentation of data
• improve ways of using the data
• improve ways of managing data

• You are an employee of CSTSB Computer Solutions
  for Todays Small Business
• Your brief is to provide the manager of your
  context with computer solutions to their problems

28
Sharing Ideas

• We will spend a few minutes in buzz groups,
  thinking aloud
• Each person will describe a context they think
  they may be able to use.

29
Your Own Ideas

• Spend 2 minutes now, jotting down your ideas of
  some of the contexts you might use.
• You will be able to discuss these with your team
  later.

30
What sort of things am I looking to do in the
project?

• These might cover a whole range of activities but
  which offer potential for using a spreadsheet.

31
Be Selective

• The scenario is deliberately open.
• This means you are able to choose any aspect
  which has potential for improvement .

32
Using Spreadsheets

• It is crucial that you develop spreadsheet
  solutions as the major element in your project.
• This means carefully selecting those elements
  from the context where spreadsheet solutions are
  relevant and applicable.
• You do not have to cover everything!

33
Ideas and Examples
34
Keeping Accounts

• An accounting system for a charity
• Subscriptions
• Expenses
• Purchases
• Cash Ledger
• Bank Account
• Transactions

35
Annual Budget for a Small Business

• This might consist of
• Opening Balance Sheet
• Profit Loss Account
• Cash Flow Statement
• Closing Balance Sheet

36
Annual Budget for a Small Business
Opening Balance Sheet (last year)

• This might consist of

Profit Loss Account (current year)
Summary List of transactions for current year
Cash Flow Statement (current year)
Closing Balance Sheet (current year)
Predicted List of transactions for next year
Profit Loss Account (next year)
Cash Flow Statement (next year)
Closing Balance Sheet (current year)
37
Expenses Claims and Records

• Travel Claims System to include
• Journey details
• Tables to summarise data
• Claims tracking
• Summaries, e.g. claims per employee, totals,
  averages
• Charts and comparisons

38
Expenses Claims and Records
Data entry form employee travel details
Employee Summary Reports
Database of Journey details
Analysis and Journey reports
Monthly Totals for salary amendments
39
Making Predictions

• Looking at Sales Figures and/or profitability of
  investments
• Measures of profitability
• Forecasting using a range of statistical and
  graphical techniques

40
Making Predictions
Invoices
Receipts
Requisitions
Goods In
Purchases Log
Sales Record
Time Series Charts
Profitability Ratio Analysis
Break Even Analysis
What If Analysis
Automated Reports
41
Automating Tasks

• A range of tasks, including
• Standard Invoices and Receipts at billing and
  payment
• Month-end summaries
• Customer information updates
• Automated reports

42
Automating Tasks

• Macros in Office Software can allow tasks to be
  carried out automatically
• For instance
• saving a copy of an invoice will allow a database
  entry to be updated.
• Data entered into spreadsheets can automatically
  create summaries, charts and other reporting
  tools
• Searches can be carried out which will allow
  batch processing of items such as reminder
  letters.

43
Marketing Sales

• Customer database for use as a marketing tool
• Customer data
• Questionnaires
• Communications to customers

44
In-store Customer Survey
Web Page (Context)
System Interface (Questionnaire)
Responses Database
Daily statistics on customer responses
Printed Customer Summaries discount vouchers
45
Providing a Quotation or an Estimate

• Production of a quotation using standard forms
• Job details sheet
• Calculation of costings
• Printed quotation

46
Quotation and Billing System
Web-Pages for advertising Marketing
Initial Query Form
Customer Database
Quotation Brief
Completed Quotation
Schedule of Jobs Costings
Bill for work carried out
Payment Records
Receipts
47
Stock Control

• Stock Management System, including
• Records of stock purchased sold
• Summary sales current stock figures
• Stock turnover summaries
• Automatic re-ordering, including lists

48
The Scope of the Project

• As you can see, some of these are major
  undertakings, taking many hours and you will
  probably only be able to develop one or possibly
  two of these
• Some are one off sheets which could take you a
  few minutes to do.

49
Your Suggestions

• As you can see each one has several different
  components which interlink in various ways.
• You must create something which has this level of
  complexity, but is relevant to your chosen
  context
• You must incorporate two things- a spreadsheet
  and some automation.

50
What should you do now?

• Spend some time now thinking about what you might
  do.

• For each of the possible contexts you identified
  earlier, note down
• A short list of potential data sources there
• Financial data
• Other data
• You should complete this after the session, and
  discuss this with the your team during this week.

51
What will I do in the context?

• You should observe, interview and interact with
  the people, systems and documents

52
Observing

• Watch what happens
• See what people do
• See how people react

53
Participating

• It is not strictly necessary that you involve
  yourself in the day-to-day organisation
• However, this may help to give you insights, and
  to find out how systems work

54
Interviewing

• Find out about systems, policies , procedures
• Find out what is important
• Find out what people would like
• Use multiple perspectives

55
Looking at Documents

• It will be very helpful to obtain access to
  current files, in both paper-based and electronic
  forms.
• If you are not allowed to do this, perhaps you
  could get them described to you.

56
Resources

• In Appendix C of Team Working Project you will
  find a document called Investigating Your
  Context.
• This document offers detailed suggestions as to
  how to carry out investigations.

57
What sort of data is required?

• Any kind of data (financial or other) which is
  collected, used, transmitted or stored by the
  organisation.

58
The Data

• The data you use in your application does not
  have to be real, but it does have to be
  realistic.
• One consequence of this is that you should know
  how the data is produced, who it is for, what
  happens to it, and how it is used within the
  system.
• The formats of the data that you use for your
  project should have all the features of the real
  thing.

59
The Flow of Data

• It is important that you model the whole flow of
  data, and include processes as well as produce
  products.
• You need to consider all the aspects of the Input
  Process- Output chain
• Also, consider whether there is any feedback from
  the output back to input which helps to modify
  the process

60
Data Sources

• Who or what generates the data?
• How is it generated?
• What form does it take?
• How often?

61
Processes

• What happens to the data along the way?
• Is it summarised, averaged, filtered or
  consolidated?
• Is it used in scenarios, what if situations or
  other forecasting tools?

62
Data Destinations

• Who is the data for?
• What form does the final data take?
• What use will it be put to?

63
The Feedback Loop

• Does the person or organisation receiving the
  data inform the person producing it or modifying
  it whether the data is of sufficient quality or
  value?

64
Data Flow Diagrams

• As part of the project, you will need to
  construct diagrams which describe the current
  data flow, and your proposed amendments to it.
• These diagrams should give an overview of the
  sources and destinations of data.

65
Data Flow Diagrams
Sales Representative
Data Flow Diagrams will be crucial in helping you
understand and explain the systems
You will need to use these diagrams to explain
both the current systems and your proposals
Invoice Clerk
Customer
This is a figurative example of a data flow we
have already discussed standard methods for
constructing Data Flow Diagrams
66
What sort of things should we be looking to
create for the project?

• These might cover a whole range of activities but
  which offer potential for using a spreadsheet.

67
What sorts of applications are we expected to
produce?

• The main criterion is that the applications you
  produce are of good quality, fit for purpose,
  and relevant to the context.
• For the moment, the type of application, and what
  the end-product will look like are far less
  important that the requirements of the business
  context.

68
Warning

• Do not start off with a solution in mind.
• The ideas for application should emerge evolve
  during your discussions, as you find out more and
  more, and encounter different aspects of the
  work.
• This is an iterative process, and you should
  expect what you finally produce to be very
  different from your initial ideas.

69
Using Spreadsheets

• It is crucial that you develop spreadsheet
  solutions as the major element in your project.
• This means carefully selecting those elements
  from the context where spreadsheet solutions are
  relevant and applicable.
• You do not have to cover everything!

70
More Ideas and Examples
71
Gweli A Brecwast

• Task A at the end of the first block (week 10)
  asks you to create office stationery which
  automatically writes to a database, and create a
  spreadsheet which analyses costs prices
• The project asks you to do the same sorts of
  things, but for a real company.
• Here are some other examples

72
An ExampleLolo Trading Company

• A good example of what can be produces is a
  spreadsheet produced for Lolo Trading Company, a
  wholesalers supplying small retail traders.
• You can find this in this weeks materials on the
  website.
• This was produced by a student on a previous
  version of this module

73
The Scope of the Project

• As you can see, the projects are major
  undertakings, taking many hours and you cannot
  possibly do this individually.
• The whole point is that each person will need to
  work on an individual element, but the whole
  package will need to work in unison, and will
  need to have the same look and feel

74
Be Selective

• The scenario is deliberately open.
• This means you are able to choose any aspect
  which has potential for improvement .

75
What should you do now?

• During this week, you will be asked to form
  teams, and then decide on the context to use for
  the project

• Time is very short by the end of this week
• you will need to have sorted out
• A set of possible contexts
• Some idea of the potential data sources there
• Financial data
• Other data
• You should discuss ideas with the tutor before
  the end of the seminar session, to ensure that
  you have got sufficient breadth and depth.

76
Then What?

• Next Week

You will undertake a Project Tutorial You will
need to complete a Tutorial Briefing Paper. This
defines what project you will be undertaking and
your context. Following on from this, you will
begin working towards the next milestone, The
Project Proposal T1 in Week 13.