Posted: November 1st, 2015

Database

Step 1: Pick One of the Projects Below:

• Youhave been asked by a large electronics retailer to design a web-based order fulfillment The system will be capable of integrating suppliers with customers and tracking orders from raw supplies through manufacture to delivery to the customers.

• You have been asked by the CIO to develop a corporate Intranet for your company. The Intranet will allow all employees to collaborate, share information, and communicate. The Intranet will be built on a database so that the content can be managed by the content owners and creators. Key employees in the company will be able to post content to the Intranet for all to see.

Step 2:  Using the tools and techniques we are discussing in class, build a complete set of design specifications for your solution to the challenge you’ve chosen from above.

You must describe your solution and explicitly state all of your assumptions.  Then prepare a logical design specification, User Interface design prototype, and database design.  You are responsible for the following deliverables:

• An MS Word Document: Executive summary of your solution – one page maximum

• A PowerPoint Presentation Containing:
  • List of assumptions that will drive your requirements
  • List of requirements that will drive your design – I should be able to trace your functional decomposition (DFD), database design (ERD), and graphic user interface design directly to these requirements
  • Gantt Chart detailing the activities to complete the project (you can do it in MS Project if you’d like and import the diagram into PowerPoint, or you can just build it using PowerPoint)
  • Logical Design Spec –Data Flow Diagram that shows a functional decomposition of your design based on your assumptions and requirements (at least three levels)
  • An Entity Relationship Diagram showing your Database Design, based on your requirements and assumptions
  • User Interface Mockup – Prototypes of Major UI Screens (At least three screens including your home page)

A final note….  You may be thinking, wow, there is not a lot of detail here.  I’m not exactly sure what the professor wants.  That is by design.  I want you to be creative in your solutions.  I am interested in seeing if you can use the tools we are learning to do the type of work system analysts do every day.   I will also grade you on the quality of your presentations.   This is practical, real-world, activity.  As you pursue careers in the IT field, these tools and techniques will be very valuable to you.  Pace yourself, pretend you are doing the project under contract for a real customer, and have fun!