Software Engineering Processes & Methodologies

A local bank that has been in business for about 3 years is losing customers to banks that have more up to date services. They have been operating on a traditional banking system where all transactions must be done person to person. They realize in order to get customers back and to gain new customers they will have to incorporate online banking. They researched information about this subject so they would be able to understand what online banking is about. The information found included:

The first online banking service in United States was introduced, in October 1994. (K, 2019)

Online banking with conventional banks permits clients perform all every day transactions and some offer online loan and credit card applications. ("What is Online Banking? definition and importance", 2019) This would include balance checks and money transfers just to mention a few possibilities that are available with online banking.

With account information available 24/7 and viewed from pc or smartphone. With the growth of online banking, consumers can look forward to larger development of services offered by various banks and financial institution. These improvements will enhance the operations and efficiency of business transactions, resulting in better customer services. (Alfred, Cathy, Peter & Vivian, 2019)

Also known as requirements gathering, this stage in the requirements development stage involves the collection of system requirements from the stakeholders and will include several techniques to successfully collect the requisite requirements for the project. These will include interviews, brainstorming, and facilitated application specification technique (FAST) among others (Olson, 2014).

The clients would like to develop an online banking platform and as such the meeting will be largely geared towards coming up with requirements that will lead to the development of the product. An online banking solution is one that provides banking customers with the capability to access banking services, information and support from a digital device like a smartphone or a computer.

During the kickoff meeting, the client will outline their basic vision for the project, including what they hope it can accomplish once it is done. For this reason, the team will get prepared to create use case diagrams as well as how to quickly develop a basic prototype for an initial user interface for the online banking solution. The kickoff meeting should establish an initial baseline that should lay the ground for the requirements process.

The requirements elicitation process is a normally fraught process, given how it involves two parties trying to agree on a single thing. While ideally the client’s need to be the primary focus, there are times when the developers will find themselves having to disagree with the client, especially if the client’s vision and suggestions are deemed impractical.

The developers will need to develop great communication skills so as essentially act as the guide to the vision of the client. Whenever situations arise, they find themselves in disagreement, it will be the responsibility of the developer to steer back to the right path.

Some of the software elicitation techniques will need a great deal of teamwork, especially between the developer and the client. Hence, the capabilities and skills of successfully working in a team environment will be necessary. The Facilitated Application Specification Technique (FAST) for example is one requiring a team-oriented approach to coming up with the specifications for the project (Olson, 2014).

After initial interviews and questionnaires, the development team teamed with the client to come up with a requirement outline. The process involved first identifying all the potential stakeholders for the solution, then listing the requirements intended for the product. Next involved sharpening the list by eliminating redundancies and then grouping them according to their importance in the final solution (Olson, 2014).

Among the requirements that were elicited for the online banking solution include the following.

• The ability of a new customer to open an account from the product.

• The capability of a current bank user to access their account and view details on the account like their transaction history, current balance and even receive a bank statement for a specific period.

• The ability for customers of the bank to make transactions from the online solution, including transferring funds to a different account, making deposits to the account, as well as withdrawal from the account to an authorized virtual wallet.

• The customer should be able to receive regular notifications on activities on their account, like receiving money, withdrawals and so forth, to not only promote convenience but also prevent fraud.

The online banking system is being developed to provide convenience for the bank’s customers and partners. As such, the scope of the project will be to develop a solution capable of delivering the highest quality online banking experience, with an easy to use interface, speedy performance and enough features to justify its selection by customers. This paper focuses on the development of the SRS document used in online banking software and what the development process should and should not entail. In line with the guidelines of SRS development, this document is divided into sections for ease of understanding.

Dauda, S. Y., & Lee, J. (2015). Technology adoption: A conjoint analysis of consumers׳ preference in future online banking services. Information Systems, 53, 1-15

.

Highsmith, J. (2014). Adaptive software development: a collaborative approach to managing complex systems. Addison-Wesley.

Hussain Chandio, F., Irani, Z., Zeki, A. M., Shah, A., & Shah, S. C. (2017). Online Banking Information Systems Acceptance: An Empirical Examination of System Characteristics and Web Security.

Krishnan, M. S. (2015). Software development risk aspects and success frequency on spiral and agile model. International Journal of Innovative research in computer and communication

Engineering, (3),

Olson, D. (2014). Information systems project management. Business Expert Press.

Montazemi, A. R., & Qahri-Saremi, H. (2015). Factors affecting the adoption of online banking: A meta-analytic structural equation modeling study. Information & Management, 52(2), 210-226.

Systems Engineering Verification Process. (2018)Retrieved from http://acqnotes.com/acqn/careerfields/verification-process

Wilke, G., & Portmann, E. (2016). Granular computing as a basis of human–data interaction: a cognitive city use case. Granular Computing, 1(3), 181-197.

The bank has been exploring ways it would improve its customer service and make its products and services much more accessible to its customers. With their fast-paced lives, these customers want to be able to access their bank and be readily provided with a wide array of products and services they would have otherwise had to visit the physical branch to access. The online banking services will enable the client to review real-time account activity after client credentials have been approved at sign in for account. The software requirements specification (SRS) gives an in-depth description of how the desired system should work and the process to be followed on the development process. These specifications are modeled based on business requirements also known as the stakeholder requirements. SRS outlines the various functional and non-functional requirements. This approach may also focus on several use cases which extrapolate user interactions that will be employed in the process of software development and the functionalities to be provided. The SRS makes the foundation for an agreement that is to be set between customers of the software product and the contractors mandated to develop the software or the suppliers looked at to deliver the software (Dauda et.al. 2015).

The following requirements will be developed for the system

1. There shall be the capability to log into the system using unique credentials.

• The users shall be capable of changing their credentials

• The users shall be capable of accessing different services and products within the system

2. • Users shall be capable of accessing their personal account information

• Users shall be capable of reviewing and updating their personal information

3. • Users shall be capable of conducting transactions such as transferring funds to and from their accounts

4. • Users shall be capable of applying for loans from the system as well as check for the progress of the application

5. • Users shall be capable of applying for ATM cards from the system

The system will be simple for the client and will ensure a secure and accurate way to check all accounts at their convenience from any device.

4a. Objectives of the system

1. The development of the online banking software (OBS) will enable the bank to improve its services through the facilitation of the banking process and the tracking of transactions.

2. The online banking software will help the bank to schedule maintenance and accounting processes and it will ensure consistency (Wilke et.al. 2016).

3. This system will also allow the management to analyze their revenues on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Also, the bank should realize profits by reducing redundancy of work as this system reduces the manual work done by tellers and clerks.

4b. System Context

This software serves as an improvement to the existing manual input methods. As it uses sophisticated software, the program will be fast and reliable to both the customers and the bank. It is easy to use on computers and can be accessed easily from mobile applications by clients from around the globe (Montazemi et.al. 2015).

The online banking software will give the client a chance to interact with the bank through the easy-to-use, intuitive graphical and attractive mobile interfaces. In this project, technology is set to replace the old-fashioned manual methods that have been in use from time immemorial. The software will be developed using the advanced agile software development techniques that require developers to be attentive at every step of development. This is a simplified approach that aims at producing the best software for use by the bank (Krishnan, 2015). The aim of this approach is to have a system that satisfies customers while still making profits for the stakeholders. Upon application of this software, engineers and developers will analyze the functionalities based on customer feedback with an aim of modifying the features and improving the interface.

The tried and true approach is will be applied to state the details of the development. Any arising issues will be addressed in the subsequent meetings. The non-functional requirements should be given priority to enable the proper user-software interaction. All functions will be stored and retrieved from a central database in the bank’s server. The developers should not use real clients in the test, they should instead create virtual clients and apply the various functions in a separate device. This will prevent alteration of the already concealed customer information.

The usability of the online banking system will be determined by how the design team makes choices regarding how easy it will be for the customers to make use of the system. This will include how fast the system responses to requests. The user should be capable of quickly locating whatever service or product they are looking for without much hassle (Olson, 2014). All new users will be required to register by pressing the ‘register’ button on the bank’s main web page. Upon submission of the relevant personal details and account’s details, a profile will be created for the new users. All other features, saving and banking services can be accessed by the registered users in subsequent times by logging into their accounts.

A feature will be developed where a client can make multiple transactions using the ‘open several windows’ button. The buttons should only be available to validated clients with a history of compliance with loan services. Clients will be able to print out their bank statements remotely. The software will be made in a customer friendly approach with easy-to-use interfaces that combine graphical presentations and available reservations

The mean time between failures (MBTF) is the time that passes between one failure of the system and when the next failure manifests. These metrics indicate how reliable the system is and if it can successfully deliver on functions to its users. To avoid inconveniences to customers who will want to resume access to services as soon as possible, the MTTR will be looked upon to be a maximum of thirty-six hours to accommodate for ample time should it be needed for more complex failures (Highsmith, 2014). The online banking software is a 24 hours service available for the 7 days of the week. All services of the OBS will be provided in real time and information about the state of their account will be rendered when available.

For the system to be useful to the customers, it will need to be capable of high performance, delivering the required speeds to the users of the system. Once a customer has logged into the system, the response time will be about one second from request to fulfilment for navigating the parts of the online banking system to access products and services (Olson, 2014).

The Admin will have unfettered access to the system, capable of monitoring all activities within the system, and intervene whenever they are needed. They will be responsible for purging users from the system whenever the need arises, analyze the transactions conducted on the system and make regular maintenance tasks. The access granted to the Admin will also allow them to install security and management features that will alert them to security threats as well as management requirements throughout the system (Olson, 2014). The OBS shall have the ability to handle high amounts of data. The system will generate a suitable error message for faulty entries but will not crash. The OBS will have a cloud backup for data recovery purposes (Dauda et.al. 2015).

The online banking software will go a long way into improving business for the bank while ensuring customer satisfaction

1. These constraints will largely appear in users shifting between the use of smartphones to tablets and PC. The change in form factors will mean the loss of some features and system capabilities. As it was initially designed, the system should be best accessible without issues on a PC, with the smaller form factor of smartphones representing the other end of the spectrum.

2. These issues will be solved through continuous improvements made to the system over time (Highsmith, 2014). This OBS has been developed for Microsoft users only. The users of IOS may experience some glitches. The support team is working to make the platform more conversant.

The setting up of the online platform requires that the international monetary fund and the World Bank as well as the federal Bureau of Financial Regulations among other security and finance agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations be notified. This is in order to monitor and regulate online financial services (Hussain et.al. 2017). The system will be licensing software from various vendors, allowing to access features and requirements that were either too expensive to implement, or required too much focus and attention without being key to the system in a major way.

Charts, test simulations, and models will be used to discover if the system meets all requirements of the stakeholders and end-users needs. Complete validation must be met before project continues. All customers who wish to subscribe to the online program must be full members of the bank and bearers of a valid account number.

Analysis is the verification of a product or system using models, calculations and testing equipment. Analysis allows someone to make predictive statements about the typical performance of a product or system based on the confirmed test results of a sample set or by combining the outcome of individual tests to conclude something new about the product or system. It is often used to predict the breaking point or failure of a product or system by using nondestructive tests to extrapolate the failure point

This process will allocate all requirements for the system and software. They will then be categorized and given codes to distinguish each requirement for easy reference. The software will be simple to use for both the administrator and the users (customers). All transactions will be controlled through a central server that will enable the bounce back for easy local identification and traceability. Some of the major CSCI requirements will be availability, network, transfer speed, hardware, software, interface, server-updates and validation and process.

Appendix- I will use a casual use case format first and after a fully dressed use case. The casual format is just basic information, while a fully dressed format will address all issues included for this process. Charts and Graphs shall be used to exhibit most of the requirement information, although graphs will be the main source for future references.

Test Specification Development

SRS is often subdivided into two categories, the test script that specifies the circumstances to be tested along with several test circumstances in the test script. Its specifications detail the instances summaries to be tested, in what way they will be tested, besides how many times they will be tested for a specified characteristic as well as the feature. Within this report the SRS for online banking to be accomplished during the integration of online banking software that has the capability of delivering the highest quality online banking experience, with an easy to use interface, speedy performance, and enough features to justify its selection by customers.

Test Script

Test ID:

The test ID is an online banking software users’ accessibility

Test Description (Generic Condition Being Tested):

The bank has been exploring ways it would improve its customer service and make its products and services much more accessible to its customers. With their fast-paced lives, these customers want to be able to access their bank and be readily provided with a wide array of products and services they would have otherwise had to visit the physical branch to access. The online banking services will enable the client to review real-time account activity after client credentials have been approved at sign in for an account. The software requirements specification (SRS) gives an in-depth description of how the desired system should work and the process to be followed on the development process. These specifications are modeled based on business requirements also known as the stakeholder requirements. SRS outlines the various functional and non-functional requirements. Following Dauda and Lee (2015) this approach may also focus on several use cases which extrapolate user interactions that will be employed in the process of software development and the functionalities to be provided. The SRS makes the foundation for an agreement that is to be set between customers of the software product and the contractors mandated to develop the software or the suppliers looked at to deliver the software.

System or Subsystem Being Tested:

The test script shall be testing the online banking software functionality subsystem

Type of Test (Functional, Security, Performance)

The type of test shall be functional that supports the users’ capability to log into the system using unique credentials.

Input Data Sources:

The entire inputs for the online banking software functionality will majorly from the users, whereby the users shall be necessitated to make an input by logging into the system through the online accounts provided to them. These shall be accomplished through the unique passwords provided to them.

Expected Results:

The user should be able to log in successfully and access the accounts details. All the computer software should be able to support disabled persons, besides ensuring that the operations are easy to perform, including keyboard shortcuts, visible options for users, and smooth navigation.

Priority (Mandatory or Critical; Important; Desirable):

Before logging into the online banking account, the user should be able to sign up with the online banking services and be able to provide the required details. The confirmation code received should be secretly utilized by the user to access the account and be able to provide a password that cannot be remembered easily by an unauthorized third-parties. Otherwise, hackers and fraudsters can access the password and be able to access the funds in the account.

Pass/Fail Criteria (Allowable Delta between Degree of Mismatch between Actual and Expected results):

After successfully signing up, the user will receive a unique code as well as a link through the e-mail address provided, in order to confirm the e-mail provided. The codes besides links are unique and will expire with a period lasting twenty-four hours. After twenty-four hours the code besides link shall expire and the account temporarily shall be suspended, and the user shall then be required to provide the details again before being provided with another code besides the link.

Traceability (Ties Back to Functions, Modules, and Data Structures):

Test Case:

Test Case ID and Test Script Number (Which Script this Test Case is Exercising):

This test case is exercising online banking software users’ accessibility test script

Input Test Transaction Data Values:

The input values shall only be the code besides links received by the user upon successful signing up for the online banking services.

Initial Environment and Configuration, Initial System required for this Test:

At the start, the user shall not be required to log into the account without signing up to the online banking account and providing his/her details. Likewise, the system administrators shall ensure that the user only provides the correct details besides providing the correct codes and has used the correct link provided in order for the user to be able to access the account and then goes on to enter a unique password that can only be remembered by the user.

Test Driver ID (If a Real driver is needed):

No, any real test driver ID, since the system shall be self-explanatory and simple to follow and click through.

Expected Results (Output Test Data Values):

The expected results are that subsequent to successfully signing up, the user will receive a unique code as well as a link through the e-mail address provided, in order to confirm the e-mail provided. The codes besides links are unique and will expire with a period lasting twenty-four hours. After twenty-four hours the code besides link shall expire and the account temporarily shall be suspended, and the user shall then be required to provide the details again before being provided with another code besides the link.

Test Script

Test ID:

The test ID is an online banking software performance

Test Description (Generic Condition Being Tested):

Following Olson (2014) for the system to be useful to the customers, it will need to be capable of supporting high performance, delivering the required speeds to the users of the system. Once a customer has logged into the system, the response time will be about one second from request to fulfillment for navigating the parts of the online banking system to access products and services.

System or Subsystem Being Tested:

The test script shall be testing the online banking software performance subsystem

Type of Test (Functional, Security, Performance)

The type of test shall be the performance that supports its capability perform at optimal speeds at which transactions besides processes that are undertaken. Besides its competence of being accessed from different devices, including mobile devices.

Input Data Sources:

The entire inputs for the online banking performance will majorly from the users, whereby the users can be able to transact besides process their undertakings at optimal speeds. Moreover, be able to access online banking software from different devices, including mobile devices.

Expected Results:

The expected results encompass the online baking software being able to support the users’ abilities towards transacting besides processing their undertakings at optimal speeds. Moreover, being able to access it from different devices, including mobile devices. The software processer shall be designed with a competency of managing real-time functionality instigated by the communication medium and the defined users.

Priority (Mandatory or Critical; Important; Desirable):

The user should be able to support the users’ capabilities of transacting besides processing their undertakings at optimal speeds. Furthermore, access the software from various devices, such as mobile devices. Furthermore, the software processer should be able to competently manage real-time functionality instigated by the communication medium and the defined users.

Pass/Fail Criteria (Allowable Delta between Degree of Mismatch between Actual and Expected results):

After successfully logging into their account the users should be able to transact as well as process their undertakings at optimal speeds. Furthermore, they should be able to access the software from various devices, such as mobile devices. Additionally, the software processer should be able to competently manage real-time functionality instigated by the communication medium and the defined users.

Traceability (Ties Back to Functions, Modules, and Data Structures):

Test Case:

Test Case ID and Test Script Number (Which Script this Test Case is Exercising):

This test case is exercising online banking software performance test script

Input Test Transaction Data Values:

The input values shall only be majorly the users’ abilities to transact besides process their undertakings at optimal speeds. Moreover, be able to access online banking software from different devices, including mobile devices.

Initial Environment and Configuration, Initial System required for this Test:

At the start, the online banking software should exist in the online banking database whereby the user shall be required to log into the account whereby the online baking software will be able to support the users’ abilities towards transacting besides processing their undertakings at optimal speeds. Moreover, being able to access it from different devices, including mobile devices.

Test Driver ID (If a Real driver is needed):

No, any real test driver ID, since the system shall be self-explanatory and simple to follow and click through.

Expected Results (Output Test Data Values):

The expected results are that subsequent to the online banking software being available in the online banking database and upon successfully logging into the users’ accounts the online baking software will be able to support the users’ abilities towards transacting besides processing their undertakings at optimal speeds. Moreover, being able to access it from different devices, including mobile devices. Likewise, the software processer should be able to competently manage real-time functionality instigated by the communication medium and the defined users.

Test Script

Test ID:

The test ID is an online banking software functionality

Test Description (Generic Condition Being Tested):

Although having various functions, basically the users shall interact with the online banking site through the login in page. The users shall be able to login into their accounts whereby personalized views will be presented. The user's most recent updates and common searches can be viewed since in the user's database the activities and details shall be updated on each login. Different links including register, home, withdraw, and deposit shall also be available to be accessed directly. For the site validation, the user can also contact the site administrator through this page. Hence, through clicking these links, the users would be able to see the desired pages offered by the online banking services.

System or Subsystem Being Tested:

The test script shall be testing the online banking software login capabilities subsystem

Type of Test (Functional, Security, Performance)

The type of test shall be functional, specifically login capabilities that support the users’ capabilities towards effectively interacting with the online banking site through the login in page.

Input Data Sources:

The entire inputs for the online banking performance will majorly from the users, specifically the username and password.

Expected Results:

The expected results the users’ abilities towards logging in and interacting with the online banking site through the login in the page; whereby personalized views will be presented. Moreover, the user’s capability of viewing the most recent updates and common searches. Furthermore, being able to access directly different links including register, home, withdraw, and deposit links. Hence, through clicking these links, the users should be able to see the desired pages offered by the online banking services, along with validating the site by contacting the site administrator.

Priority (Mandatory or Critical; Important; Desirable):

To be able to log in and interact with the online banking site through the login in page, the user must be a registered client as well as register as a new user.

Pass/Fail Criteria (Allowable Delta between Degree of Mismatch between Actual and Expected results):

Upon successfully logging in with a unique username and password, the user will be able to interact with the online banking site through the login in the page; whereby personalized views will be presented.

Traceability (Ties Back to Functions, Modules, and Data Structures):

Test Case:

Test Case ID and Test Script Number (Which Script this Test Case is Exercising):

This test case is exercising online banking software functional test script

Input Test Transaction Data Values:

The input test transaction data values are basically the registered client’s username and password.

Initial Environment and Configuration, Initial System required for this Test:

Initially, if a user is not registered, the personalized login page shall not be displayed. Therefore, for one to access it, the user should be a registered client and can only access it through entering the required unique username and password for that account.

Test Driver ID (If a Real driver is needed):

No, any real test driver ID, since the system shall be self-explanatory and simple to follow and click through.

Expected Results (Output Test Data Values):

The expected results for the output test data values involves the personalized login page being displayed for a registered customer, who can then enter the personalized username and password to access the login page.

Software Engineering Processes & Methodologies

References:

Alfred, C., Cathy, C., Peter, I., & Vivian, L. (2019). E-Commerce and Online Banking: Transaction Processing. Retrieved from https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/~apidduck/CS330/W04/Seminars/chau.pdf

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Dauda, S. Y., & Lee, J. (2015). Technology adoption: A conjoint analysis of consumers׳ preference on future online banking services. Information Systems, 53, 1-15

Haupert, V., & Müller, T. (2018). On App-based Matrix Code Authentication in Online Banking. In ICISSP (pp. 149-160).

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Olson, D. (2014). Information systems project management. Business Expert Press.

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Aljawarneh, S. A. (2017). Emerging Challenges, Security Issues, and Technologies in Online Banking Systems. Online Banking Security Measures and Data Protection (pp. 90-112). IGI Global.

Dauda, S. Y., & Lee, J. (2015). Technology adoption: A conjoint analysis of consumers׳ preference in future online banking services. Information Systems, 53, 1-15

.

Highsmith, J. (2014). Adaptive software development: a collaborative approach to managing complex systems. Addison-Wesley.

Hussain Chandio, F., Irani, Z., Zeki, A. M., Shah, A., & Shah, S. C. (2017). Online Banking Information Systems Acceptance: An Empirical Examination of System Characteristics and Web Security.

Krishnan, M. S. (2015). Software development risk aspects and success frequency on spiral and agile model. International Journal of Innovative research in computer and communication

Engineering, (3),

Olson, D. (2014). Information systems project management. Business Expert Press.

Montazemi, A. R., & Qahri-Saremi, H. (2015). Factors affecting the adoption of online banking: A meta-analytic structural equation modeling study. Information & Management, 52(2), 210-226.

Systems Engineering Verification Process. (2018).

Retrieved from http://acqnotes.com/acqnote/careerfields/verification-process

Wilke, G., & Portmann, E. (2016). Granular computing as a basis of human–data interaction: a cognitive city use case. Granular Computing, 1(3), 181-197.