This document is a software project proposal for developing an IT system called AT Fashions for Dress Heaven, a clothing retailer.
The current paper-based manual system is inefficient. The proposed AT Fashions system aims to increase productivity, monitoring capacity, efficiency and transparency through modules like order processing, inventory management, HR and accounting.
The project will follow standard software development processes including requirements elicitation using joint application design, systems analysis to create models, and object-oriented design and rapid application development for system design.
This document is a software project proposal for developing an IT system called AT Fashions for Dress Heaven, a clothing retailer.
The current paper-based manual system is inefficient. The proposed AT Fashions system aims to increase productivity, monitoring capacity, efficiency and transparency through modules like order processing, inventory management, HR and accounting.
The project will follow standard software development processes including requirements elicitation using joint application design, systems analysis to create models, and object-oriented design and rapid application development for system design.
This document is a software project proposal for developing an IT system called AT Fashions for Dress Heaven, a clothing retailer.
The current paper-based manual system is inefficient. The proposed AT Fashions system aims to increase productivity, monitoring capacity, efficiency and transparency through modules like order processing, inventory management, HR and accounting.
The project will follow standard software development processes including requirements elicitation using joint application design, systems analysis to create models, and object-oriented design and rapid application development for system design.
This document is a software project proposal for developing an IT system called AT Fashions for Dress Heaven, a clothing retailer.
The current paper-based manual system is inefficient. The proposed AT Fashions system aims to increase productivity, monitoring capacity, efficiency and transparency through modules like order processing, inventory management, HR and accounting.
The project will follow standard software development processes including requirements elicitation using joint application design, systems analysis to create models, and object-oriented design and rapid application development for system design.
The Current system that is used by DRESS HEAVEN is a paper based manual system. Information is collected manually through personal contact, mail and faxes from different sections of DRESS HEAVEN. This information is placed into the office record through paper-based system.
When a request for a decision is placed by the management of DRESS HEAVEN the information is obtained with the aid of traditional paper based practices or with some Excel/ Word documents. This information is then formatted into the appropriate form (i.e. monthly sales report). The information required by the management is sometimes of a similar nature to previous requests but not exactly the same. This means that information of a similar nature is being produced and sent along on a regular basis using up large amount of the managements time that could be better utilised to offer excellence in service and increase productivity.
To make AT Fashions more productive, efficient and to increase the fame of DRESS HEAVEN we propose our solution named AT-Fashions.
1.1 Objectives
AT Fashions intends to meet the following objectives:
1) Increase Productivity
2) Increase Monitoring Capacity of the top Management
3) Increase Efficiency and create flexible job environment
4) Create transparency among staff members of DRESS HEAVEN
5) Friendly working environment inside Factory and provide simple, intuitive and user friendly Graphical User Interface for data insertion.
6) Create integrated application module
1.2 Major Functions
AT Fashions in tends to provide the followings:
Effective data management on the LAN application module
Easy monitoring of production and raw materials usage
Flexible reporting and query
Authorisation and processing
AT Fashions Data exchange and export options
Data security and backup
1.3 Proposed Major Modules:
Order Processing and Management
Goods Receive and Stock Monitoring
Sales and Distribution Management
Branch Stock Management
Store and Inventory Management
Discount Voucher Management
Contra (Bank) Management
HR& Payroll Management
Head Office & Branch Correspondence Management
Supplier & Exporter information Management
Account Management
2. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
Software Development Life Cycle plays a critical role in the development of a new system and ATs is planning to incorporate standard procedures to keep track of the project.
2.1 REQUIREMENT ELICITATION
The first life cycle activity is the requirement elicitation that helps DRESS HEAVEN to determine what information and information processing services are needed to support selected objectives and functions of the DRESS HEAVEN. During this process, the requirements gathering team would attempt to discover important information about how different responsibilities are performed at DRESS HEAVEN at the current scenario and how DRESS HEAVEN would need to perform their job in order to meet future business conditions.
2 AT Fashions 2.1.1 Methodology Joint Application Design (JAD) methodology will be used for this project. The Users (the DRESS HEAVEN authorised people, basically the supervisors), Headquarter people and system developers will be brought together within the timeframe of the phase for a series of intensive structured meetings to identify the system requirements and design details for running their daily activities.
JAD sessions will be conducted at DRESS HEAVEN under the direction of JAD session leader. The group engaged from DRESS HEAVEN to take part in the JAD should cover the broad outline of the AT-FASHIONS. The session will be conducted as shown in figure 1.
The JAD group will be formed according to the module of AT Fashions and the group will be interacting from the perspective of the proposed system. The group will be always lead by the session leader and will share ideas and opinions on the requirements of the application module within the system. The identified requirements will be analysed and a draft specification will be prepared. This draft specification will be further reviewed and finalised for the module of the proposed system. During the meeting minutes will be taken by the scribe proposed by either party. This process will be carried out for all the application modules.
Start
Identify Groups for the Module
Share Ideas and Opinions [TOR]
Analyze Requirements
Generate Specification Review the Specs
Draft Specification
Fig-1 Requirements Elicitation Process
3 AT Fashions All the draft specification of different modules will be consolidated and intra-module interaction will be identified by the JAD and final activity model will be drafted.
2.1.2 Resource During this phase, there is involvement of different resources from either party and they are as follows:
Requirement Elicitation team from ATs
DRESS HEAVEN people Meeting arrangements
2.2 SYSTEM ANALYSIS
Analysis phase immediately follows the requirement elicitation phase and starts with the software requirement specification generated from the requirement elicitation phase by ATs. The next process follows are requirements structuring and strategies for the subsequent system design.
2.2.1 Methodology SRS of AT Fashions will be analysed to create important models,
1. Process and Logic Model:
In this model, graphical symbol will be used to represent the functions, or processes, which capture, manipulate, store and distribute data between a system and its environment and between components within a system. During the process and logic- modelling phase, processing elements of AT Fashions will be identified together with the transformation of the data and the processing logic along with the timing of the event and the structure of data within the system.
4 AT Fashions 2. Conceptual Data Model:
Here, graphical representation will be used for the DRESS HEAVEN data requirements. During the data-modelling phase, DRESS HEAVEN functioning rules will be identified along with the inter-relationships among the data for different units of DRESS HEAVEN. The constraints will be identified for intra-module relationships and will be mapped into the data model. Both the methodologies are shown in figure 2 and figure 3.
Identify Source and Sink Indentify Entity
Identify Process Identify Attributes
Identify Data Flow Identify Relationships
Link to Data Store Identify Degree and Constraints
Fig-2 Process and Logic Modelling
Fig-3 Data Modelling
2.2.2 Resource Systems Analyst, Requirement Elicitation Team and Design Team
2.3 SYSTEM DESIGN
System Design phase will use the outcome of the requirements elicitation and analysis phase of the AT-Fashions. This phase will elaborate system design methodology in relation to system analysis.
Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) and Rapid Application Development (RAD) are the popular system design methodologies. Both of them draw on principles fundamental to all systems analysis and design approaches. OOAD truly blends analysis with design through the evolution of techniques but RAD is more of a general strategy of developing information systems.
5 AT Fashions 2.3.1 Methodology Considering the challenging domain requirements, an easy expansion of the future system, increased internal consistency across analysis, design and programming activities, DRESS HEAVENwill use OOAD as the methodology for the AT FASHIONS design and implementation. The methodology is shown in the figure 4. t
* Map Requirements * Use Case Diagram * Use Case Description * Capture Domain Model * Class Diagram * Sequence Diagram
USE CASE MODEL STATIC MODEL DYNAMIC MODEL
Deployment Model Component Model
* Network Diagram
* Package Diagram Fig-4 OOAD based on UML
As shown in figure 4(shown in previous page), the SRS and the activity models will be used to generate Use Case models to comply with the OOAD methodology. Use case modelling will be comprised of Use Case diagram and description of each use case in standard template. The static model will be developed from the use case descriptions along with the data requirements elaboration in E-R model. The static model will be comprised of class diagram. Further iteration will be used for the conformity of the static model with the use cases.
The dynamic model will be developed from the static model to capture business logic requirements associated with the static model. The component model will be realised from the context of the business processing and association of the static model. The deployment model will be developed from the application environment at DRESS HEAVEN.
2.3.2 Designing UI Forms and Reports
Designing UI forms and Reports is a user-focused activity that typically follows a prototyping approach.
System inputs and outputs user interface forms and reports will be identified during requirements structuring in system analysis phase. During analysis phase, prototypes of forms and reports will be developed based on DFD which would comply with the
6 AT Fashions requirement of the data flow to the data store and at the same time with the conceptual framework of the data model, ERD as shown in the figure 5 below.
Data Flow Diagram ERD
Static Model
Prototype UI Forms and
Reports
Failed Usability Test
Review Prototype
Qualified Test
Accepted UI Form and Report
Fig-5 Designing UI Forms and Reports
Prototype of UI forms and reports will be reviewed by DRESS HEAVEN and if changes are needed, construction-evaluate-refinement cycle will be repeated until the design is accepted. All the designs of UI form and report will be verified by DRESS HEAVEN and will be assessed for the usability test based on speed, accuracy and satisfaction. Usability will be measured based on time to learn and speed of performance.
2.3.3 Designing Interface and Dialogues
The designing of interface and dialogue is a user-focused activity. Interface design focuses on how information is provided to and captured from users and Dialogue design focuses on the sequencing of interface displays.
During the design process of the user interface, the interaction method will be chosen carefully to maximise human-computer interaction issues. During the analysis phase of the project, user-activities will be grouped together and will be structured as the standard windows convention to create useful menu interaction. The menu design will guide the end user for specific task. Menu hierarchies will be created not more than one sub-menu options. All the short cuts defined for the menu options will be chosen based on the common windows convention and will be consistent throughout the entire application. The hot-keys will be assigned wherever required using the same convention. Icon graphics will be used for the quick access to task identified during the structuring of the requirements.
7 AT Fashions UI Forms will have all the fields self-explanatory and will follow the natural order of the printed entry forms. The navigation sequence will be according to the printed forms and reports for the efficient keying in of the data. The data entry field will provide sufficient validation of data at the level of forms to reduce data anomalies. The default values along with necessary customisation of the entry field will be finalised during the analysis phase of the project. The navigation procedure will be flexible and consistent throughout the entire system and across the system. Besides providing feedback, status information, prompting cues, providing help, error, and warning messages will be incorporated.
2.3.4 Designing Logical Data Model
Logical data modelling has three purposes. First, in logical data modelling, normalisation process will be used for the desirable property of the data model. The second purpose of the logical data model will be to create a smooth transition from logical to physical database design based on a data model. The final purpose of logical data modelling is to develop a data model that reflects the actual data requirements based on forms and reports of DRESS HEAVEN. The following figure 6 shows the logical data modelling steps:
Compare Both the Model
Develop Logical Data Model for each form and report and create one final using Normalization Principle Logical Data Model
Combine all Normalized user views into One Logical
Translate conceptual ERD Data Model into Normalized Relations (VIEW INTEGRATION)
Fig-6 Designing Data Model
The Relational data model will be used for the logical database design. This phase will identify keys, mapping cardinalities besides the refinement of the conceptual data model.
2.3.5 Designing the Process Model
During this phase, data flow diagrams will be converted into structure charts. Structure charts graphically represent system design. This structure chart will form the basis for the structure of the system.
2.3.6 Resource During this phase, System Analysis and Design team along with the Development team will be partnering in the project.
8 AT Fashions 2.4 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Software Development phases will be co-ordinated with the requirements elicitation and structuring process. This phase will transform the requirements into meaningful abstraction through the data structure, algorithm and coding of the business processes.
2.4.1 Methodology The software development methodology will be evolved around a framework that would support the application architecture. This framework will be developed during the analysis phase, which would be reusable design part of the system represented by a set of abstract classes. This would lead to highest reusability of the design and implementation. The development methodology will be governed by the following for the performance reasons:
Modularity of the design
Reusability of the design Extensibility Inversion of control Process adaptation
2.4.2 Application Architecture
The proposed system for AT Fashions will follow n-tier application architecture for the LAN along with the desktop application needs as shown in figure 9.
The desktop application architecture has different layers and will be based on OOAD. The middle tier application framework communicates to the application layer and the data layer is separated from the application layer for the data independence issues of the application. Both the desktop and LAN application module will share the same data repository for the consistent representation within the organization and throughout the application. The common data security through user validation will be used and authorization will be controlled using desktop modules.
The overall AT Fashions application based on the above architecture is shown in figure 9 below. LAN DESKTOP Modules Modules
WWW Server DB Server
WWW Users ASF Intranet ASMS Data Store
Fig-9 AT Fashions Application Layout
9 AT Fashions Serial. No. Description
1 Order Processing and Management
2 Goods Receive and Stock Monitoring
3 Sales and Distribution Management
4 Branch Stock Management
5 Store and Inventory Management
6 Discount Member Management
7 Contra (Bank Account) Management
8 HR& Payroll Management
9 Head Office & Branch Correspondence Management
10 Account Management
Total Price 80,000
In word: Eighty Thousand Taka Only
I
3. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL
This Agreement is valid only for Head Office and two of the branches of DRESS HEAVEN. For further software installation in other branches DRESS HEAVEN has to pay 15,000/- (Fifteen Thousand) Taka only per branch.
Payment Policy: It is expected that DRESS HEAVEN would pay half of the proposed price on the day of singing the agreement. The rest would be payable after 30(thirty) days of the first payment.
Service Charges: There will be three months free servicing and support services for the installed software. After the servicing period the DRESS HEAVEN would pay according to the service contract.
10 AT Fashions 4. SERVICE CONTRACT
AT Solutions promises to provide lifetime service assurance for AT fashions. All the updates will be provided by AT solutions to their value added customers. We offer services in three different ways.
Package 1: Unlimited* visit in a month. Charges would be 5,000 (Five thousand) Taka only per month.
Package 2: Charges would be made according to the number of visit. Per visit charges 1,000 ( One thousand) Taka only.
Package 3: Services through online or telephone. Charges would be 2,000 (Two thousand) Taka only per month.
Customers have to choose any of the above packages.
* Maximum 7 days in a month.
5. PROJECT SCHEDULE
ATs ensures the compliance with the proposed deadline.
The expected time frame (schedule) associated with the project is indicated in Table 5 below.
Description Duration
Phase 1 System Analysis & Design Done
11 AT Fashions Requirement Elicitation
System Analysis
System Design
Phase 2 Prototype Design Done
Phase 3 Software Customization Done
Phase 4 Testing Done
Phase 5 Installation & Training 15 days
TOTAL 15 **Days
Table 2: Project Schedule
All these days indicate the working days and the Day 1 stands from the day of acceptance of this proposal and issuing of work order.
6. OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Before the installation of AT-Fashions, site preparation will be completed and AT Fashions will be installed in the designated workstations of the DRESS HEAVEN. The necessary hardware and application support software will be provided by DRESS HEAVEN.
7. MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADE
ATs will provide maintenance service as per the contract and all the future upgrade of the desktop module will be under the maintenance agreement of the DRESS HEAVEN.
12 AT Fashions 8. END USER TRAINING
ATs will provide necessary training to the responsible person appointed by the DRESS HEAVEN. The training needs will be identified during the analysis phase of the project. ATs will provide User Manual, which would be used as one of the guideline during the training session.
9. CONCLUSIONS
ATs would like to thank DRESS HEAVEN for the opportunity given to present this proposal for consideration. ATs also hope that the above-mentioned proposal would be acceptable to the DRESS HEAVEN board and look forward for a healthy relationship.
10. AGREEMENT SIGNING
On Behalf of AT Solutions On Behalf of DRESS HEAVEN
