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Business Report

INTRODUCTION (Milestone One) Comment by Author: Milestone One is due in Module Two.

The business owner of Sharpe style wants me an IT business analyst intern in the company to research on various options of information technology that will help in improving the business performance. The business owner intends to expand his retail business into online sales business and thereby needs intelligent systems as well as a website put in place. As an IT business analyst intern at Sharpe style, I am expected to create a report that analyzes sharp style business regarding the anticipated technology and the requirements of the information system. The business owner also expects to know the various technologies that are available that would support the expansion of the business.

The task given is crucial and relevant given the role of Information technology in business management. Sharpe style wants to expand the retail business into online sales business. My role includes providing a solution in accordance with the business goals. The task is relevant as the business owner want to use information systems to improve the performance of his business. Information technology will help the company access more customers especially those that are connected and are always online. Through information systems, the sales will also increase as the platforms for sale have also been expanded. My role will be to determine the most efficient and cost saving intelligent systems, as well as the best, deigns for a website to ensure that the business gives the positive customer experience it desires. For example, Apple Inc. has been using information technology to market its products. The company specializes in using email marketing that is quite affordable so as to help in reaching many customers and for the realization of the company’s profits (Brennan, 2014).

The system development life cycle was created to make sure that the solutions that are observed meet user requirements as well as the business goals of a company. The SDLC also gives a comprehensive guide that aims at assisting program managers with every aspect of IT system development. The SDLC also provides a checklist of rules and regulation that governs IT systems and also ensures that system developers comply with government regulations. The SDLC has a certain checklist as well as a systematic progression that is vital in the development of an IT system from conception to disposition. The first phase is the conceptual planning that involves the process of developing a need, feasibility, costs, risks and many other factors surrounding the system.

The other phase is the planning and requirements definition that involves the collecting, defining and other. It also involves project management, project planning and other. The other phase is a design that involves translating functional, support as well as training requirements into preliminary and detailed designs. Development and testing are the pother phase that involves developing systems or acquiring depending on design specifications. The other phase is the implementation that involves the installation of the new system or the one that has been enhanced to the production environment. The implementation phase also involves the training of users converting data, evaluating business processes and many other activities. The other phase is the operations and maintenance where the system is proven to be operational and is a phase that ensure that the needs of the sponsor are met the last phase is the disposition that is the end of the life cycle of the system.

The SDLC is a system that can help in documenting and inform IT decisions in the case of Sharpe Style. The SDLC can help in creating a guideline that can help in creating a good procedure of how the online sales system would be implemented. It also helps in ensuring that better decisions since every process will be followed ensuring that a good IT system is created which suits the goals of the company. (Reynolds, 2010)

NEEDS AND OPTIONS: DATABASE (Milestone Two) Comment by Author: Milestone Two is due in Module Three. Delete instructions after you have completed your milestone.

Sharpe style has a need for the database technology that will help the company to maintain records regarding inventory. It also needs a database that can help in ensuring that the new online services carry on as the owner intends it to be. The company also has a need for intelligent systems that will help in ensuring that the new online services are ensuring a positive customer experience. Since Mary does not have knowledge of information technology, then she needs a simple database for her to understand so has to be useful to her and her customers. Since the company is beginning on this project, it needs a cheap database that will be affordable.

There are various databases that Sharpe style can use in support of its new online services. The company can use a database technology such as MYSQL, which is a very popular database platform that is used by many developers especially with new people starting to use database technology. This database has a free community version. It also has an extended variety of tutorials, blogs that are meant for the sole development if the MySQL. This database also supports forums. This database technology can help support the new online business as it is applicable for large-scale as well as small-scale businesses. The MySQL is a system that is especially useful for beginners like Mary Sharpe. This database technology has a GIU interface as well as syntax protection materials that can also be downloaded. MySQL can run on Windows Linux or any other platforms. The disadvantage of this database is that it is expensive.

Another database technology that can be used is the Google Cloud SQL, which is a fully managed which is related to the MySQL database via Google’s cloud service. This database is reliable as it store data of high volumes. The advantage of this system is that it the user can access the data when she needs it. Google also manages backups for the user. The limitation of this database is that it needs the user to stay online for proper services.

A real-world example is a Proctor & Gamble which has once used the Google Cloud SQL as a database technology when it was still young in the industry, and the company has succeeded to this far. This example has helped me to suggest this option to Sharpe Style since if it uses the database well, then it can succeed like Procter & Gamble. I would like that the company succeeds, and a real life example helps in convincing the company that it is possible to succeed when it implements this database technology. This company has the possibility of becoming victorious in its undertakings if it follows this example (Van, 2011).

NEEDS AND OPTIONS: WEBSITE (Milestone Three) Comment by Author: Milestone Three is due in Module Four. Delete instructions after you have completed your milestone.

[For Milestone Three, you will be focusing on the website for Sharpe Style based on what you have learned in Module Four. Your response must address three different aspects of the website: features, mobile computing, and security challenges. Remember that Sharpe Style has a website that directs customers to the retail location, advertises sales events, and provides coupons that customers can print. The main guiding question to consider is, what will the company’s website need in order to accommodate online sales? You will be using the Milestone Three section of the template to complete this assignment. Refer to the Sharpe Style scenario for details on the current state of the company and the business owner’s goals.

For each one of these aspects, assess what the company needs and research two options to propose to Mary the business owner.

1. Features: What features might the business owner want the new website to include? Think about what features an online shopper would need to see on a website. Also think about Mary’s goal to implement intelligent marketing. Support your answer with examples of what other consumer companies are doing. Remember to cite your sources appropriately. Comment by Author: Features items to consider: Should the owner consider incorporating intelligent features such as links to product descriptions, product availability, or complementary items for purchase? Should the system automatically post new products to social media? What do other businesses do?

2. Mobile Computing: What challenges and needs might the owner face in terms of supporting mobile computing? As you assess these challenges, fill out the Requirements Document in Appendix A of the Final Project Template. Comment by Author: Mobile Computing items to consider: Does the company need different solutions to accommodate mobile devices vs. a desktop? Comment by Author: Appendix A is a template of a requirements document. Completing the template is part of your Milestone Three assignment and will be graded along with your submission in the NEEDS AND OPTIONS: WEBSITE section of your Final Project Template.

3. Security: Analyze the security challenges arising from adding e-commerce to the website including both internal and external security concerns. Identify a minimum of two options for the business owner to consider. Compare and contrast these available IT security solutions to address the needs you identified. What are the advantages and disadvantages to each? To illustrate your point(s), research examples of what has or has not worked for other companies.] Comment by Author: Security items to consider: What types of systems will the company need to ensure that customer data is secure and that the site is not abused? Explain considerations regarding the security of both data transmission and storage.

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE (Milestone Four) Comment by Author: Milestone Four is due in Module Five. Please use this template to complete your milestone. Remember to incorporate any instructor feedback for your final submission.

[So far throughout this course, you have been looking at different facets of the company from database needs and options to website needs and options. For your Milestone Four assignment, you will be looking at hardware and software needs and hardware and software options. Refer to the Sharpe Style scenario for details on the current state of the company and the business owner’s goals.

Begin your response by explaining why it is important to consider the current IT infrastructure when integrating new e-commerce features to a website (the specifics of which you looked at in Module Four). Discuss how the business’s current IT affects the costs of data storage and processing. You should also discuss how the current business’s current IT affects customer satisfaction with the purchasing experience. Comment by Author: Hints: Start to think about this from a high level. How will the costs of storage now vs. 5 or 10 years ago affect what kind of options are available to your business owner who is looking for a cost effective solution? How does this affect how she reaches her goal? How will reaching her goal affect her customer experience?

Next, explain the hardware and software infrastructure currently in place at Sharpe Style. Refer to Appendix B for an IT flowchart depicting the hardware and software in place. Use the flowchart to describe what the company has and state what it is the company lacks. Draw conclusions for how the current state is negatively impacting business processes.

Now that you have systematically gone through and identified needs and options to present Mary Sharpe to help her migrate into online sales, complete the Matrix of Options in Appendix C of the Final Project Template to help organize the research you have done to persuasively communicate your ideas. See prompt in the appendix. Comment by Author: Part of your Milestone Four assignment is completing Appendix C of this template, the Matrix of Options. You will be assessed on Appendix C as well as this section of the template for your Milestone Four assignment.

After completing your matrix of options, you can now address some additional considerations. For example, what compatibility issues exist with the different options? Explain your response in terms of how these issues affect the business process.

In proposing solutions to these conclusions, what factors should the business owner consider when deciding whether to use in-house or external IT resources and services such as cloud computing or companies that specialize in hosting online stores? What are the short-term and long-term trade-offs?

Use the Milestone Four section of the template as well as Appendix C, and submit the template to your instructor for feedback. Remember to incorporate instructor feedback before your final submission in Module Seven.]

CONCLUSION (Due for Final Submission in Module Seven) Comment by Author: Start to craft in Module Six. Note: Module Six would be the time to revisit Milestone One to answer the one outstanding question, “How did you go about identifying solutions that address the business owner’s concerns?”

[Conclusion: Craft a one-paragraph response suggesting potential next steps for the business in light of your findings. Remember you audience (the business owner) and make sure you justify your response.] Comment by Author: Delete prompt as you craft your paragraphs.

IT 210 Business Systems Analysis and Design Final Project Template

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Appendix A Comment by Author: This section of the template is covered in Milestone Three in Module Four. Prompt: Online and mobile computing has requirements and limitations that must be understood to avoid creating a security risk to the business and customers. In a retail store, the information collected is maintained within the store, and sales transactions are processed locally. With online and mobile computing sales, transactions start from the user’s mobile device or computer using a browser or mobile application. When considering the challenges and needs owners face in terms of supporting mobile computing, one must understand the requirements and limitations of mobile computing. Make sure to cite your sources appropriately.

Requirements Document

Fill in the sections in red with your information from the research you have completed on the requirements and limitations of online and mobile computing. Once you have replaced the red text with your own, make sure all the text in your document has been changed to black.

Online and Mobile Computing: Requirements Document (Version 1.0)

Project: Expanding Business to Online and Mobile Computing

Date(s): Fill in the due date for the assignment.

Prepared by: Jon Collins

1. Introduction

This document contains the system requirements and limitations for expanding the business to online and mobile computing. These requirements have been derived from several sources, noted in the reference section of the requirements document.

2. Purpose of This Document

We expect business executives to understand the requirements and limitations of online and mobile computing through the use of this document.

3. Requirements

This section will give the reader an overview of the requirements for expanding a business to online and mobile computing.

In this section, list any assumptions you made about the project. For example, did you assume the finished product would require a migration of data to a cloud-based solution? If your requirement depends on any particular technical infrastructure or requires administrators or others with specific skills, note that here.

3.1. User Requirements

List user requirements here.

3.2. System Requirements

List detailed system requirements here. If your system is large, you may wish to break this down into several subsections.

3.3. Interface Requirements

List interface requirements here; these could include device or browser requirements.

4. Limitations

This section will give the reader information on known limitations for expanding a business to online and mobile computing.

In this section, list any limitations that must be considered when expanding a business online.

5. References Comment by Author: For your final submission, make sure that you move this content to the reference page.

In this section, list any references that you used in the requirements document. Use APA format. For example, this is how the source that was used to create this template would look:

Center for Distributed Learning (CDL). (2015). Writing a requirements document: Workshop materials. Retrieved from http://www.cdl.edu/cdl_resources/writing-requirements

Appendix B

Flowchart Comment by Author: You will use this flowchart to inform your response to Milestone Four.

Appendix C

Options Matrix Comment by Author: You will create your options matrix in Module Five as you work on your Milestone Four submission.

IT 210 Matrix of Options Comment by Author: Set up as a table to present your thoughts clearly to Mary Sharpe.

[For this assignment, based on all of the research you have conducted for Mary Sharpe to help her reach her goals, create a table to organize all of your business recommendations. Your table should summarize your findings and be easy to read. It should clearly and professionally present the company’s needs and your recommendations to meet those needs.]

References

Brennan, L. L. (2014). Social, ethical and policy implications of information technology. Hershey, Pa: Information Science Publ.

Reynolds, G. W. (2010). Information technology for managers. Boston, MA: Course Technology, Cengage Learning.