Stage 3 System Design Specification

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Stage 1 – Preliminary Investigation Report

UMGC

I. Introduction

Precision Electronics Parts, Inc. has identified a need to replace the current customer billing and payment system and re-engineer the associated processes. The purpose of this preliminary investigation report is to document the planning phase of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) for this project. The report will identify the problem or opportunity presented, analyze various feasibility aspects of implementing a system, and provide a recommendation for further action with estimated costs and schedule.

II. Problem to be solved

The current customer billing and payment system at Precision Electronics Parts, Inc. needs to be updated and meet the organization's needs. The system is causing delays in billing and payments, resulting in lost revenue and dissatisfied customers. The manual process for handling billing and payments is time-consuming and error-prone, leading to inefficiency and errors. The main problems with the current system are delays in billing and payments, resulting in lost revenue and dissatisfied customers; inefficiency, errors in the manual process, leading to incorrect billing and payments; and high operational costs.

III. Findings

a. Scope of Proposed System

The proposed system will automate the billing and payment process and integrate with the company's existing inventory management system. The system will include automatic billing generation, electronic payment processing, and real-time billing and payment status reporting. The system will also include a customer self-service portal for viewing and paying bills. The system will cover all aspects of the billing and payment process and will be implemented across all departments within the organization.

b. Constraints

Several constraints have been identified for the proposed system. These include:

· Limited budget for the implementation of the system

· Inadequate IT resources within the organization

· Limited time for implementation and testing of the system

· Less training resources available for employees

c. Fact Finding

The fact-finding process revealed that the current manual billing and payment process is causing delays in billing and payments, resulting in lost revenue and dissatisfied customers. The process is also error-prone, leading to incorrect billing and payments. Additionally, the manual process is time-consuming and leads to high operational costs.

d. Current Costs

The current cost of the manual billing and payment process includes labor costs associated with manual data entry and errors, as well as the cost of delays in billing and payments. The exact cost of the current system needs to be specified in the case study. Still, the organization is losing revenue and incurring additional costs due to the manual process inefficiencies.

IV. Feasibility Analysis

a. Technical Feasibility

The technical feasibility of the proposed system has been determined by assessing the availability of the necessary hardware and software resources to implement the proposed system. This includes evaluating the compatibility of the proposed system with the existing hardware and software infrastructure and the availability of the necessary technical skills within the organization. The proposed system is technically feasible, as the necessary resources and skills are available within the organization.

b. Financial Feasibility

The financial feasibility of the proposed system has been determined by evaluating the costs and benefits of the proposed system. This includes a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed system, which estimates the costs of implementing it and compares them to the expected benefits (Mall, 2018). The costs include the expenses related to the development, implementation, and maintenance of the system, while the benefits include improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction. The proposed system is financially feasible, as the benefits outweigh the costs.

c. Organizational/Behavioral Feasibility

The organizational and behavioral feasibility of the proposed system has been determined by assessing the organization's ability to implement and maintain the proposed system (Shylesh, 2017). This includes evaluating the organizational resources, such as personnel and budget, that will be required to implement the system and assess the organizational readiness and willingness to adopt the proposed system. The proposed system is organizationally and behaviorally feasible, as the necessary resources and support are available within the organization.

IV . Recommendation

After conducting a thorough analysis of the current situation and the proposed system, it is suggested that Precision Electronics Parts, Inc. proceed with the implementation of the proposed system. The system's benefits outweigh the costs, and the organization has the necessary resources to implement and maintain the system.

A comprehensive evaluation of the system requirements and a specific solution proposal is proposed to be developed in the next phase of the SDLC. This will comprise a more in-depth examination of the proposed system's technical, economic, and operational feasibility, as well as the development of a project plan that includes a schedule and budget for implementation.

It is also advisable that the organization forms a project team to oversee the implementation of the proposed system. This team should include members from various departments within the organization, such as IT, finance, and operations. The project team will ensure that the proposed system is implemented on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

Moreover, it is also suggested that the organization conducts thorough testing and training of the system before it is deployed to production. This will ensure that the system works as intended and that the employees are properly trained to use the system.

Finally, it is recommended that the organization establishes a plan for ongoing maintenance and support of the system. This will ensure that the system operates efficiently and effectively over the long term.

V. Conclusion

The proposed system for automating the billing and payment process at Precision Electronics Parts, Inc. has been thoroughly evaluated for feasibility and potential benefits. The analysis results in support the recommendation to proceed with implementing the system. The proposed system will automate the billing and payment process and integrate with the company's existing inventory management system, leading to increased efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction, reduced operational costs, improved inventory management, and improved data analysis and reporting.

References

Shylesh, S. (2017). A study of software development life cycle process models. In  National Conference on Reinventing Opportunities in Management, IT, and Social Sciences (pp. 534-541).

Mall, R. (2018).  Fundamentals of software engineering. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..