GROUP NAME: CASTRO-GUZMAN DATE: March 9, 2021

NAME OF STUDENTS: 1) Daren Joy M. Castro 2) Ma. Christine C. Guzman

MODULE I. CASE PROBLEMS

Case Problem No. 1: Hoosier Burger

Hoosier Burger as college students in the 1970s, Bob and Thelma Mellankamp often
dreamed of starting their own business. While on their way to an economics class, Bob and
Thelma drove by Myrtle’s Family Restaurant and noticed a “for sale” sign in the window. Bob
and Thelma quickly made arrangements to purchase the business, and Hoosier Burger The
restaurant was born. The restaurant is moderately sized, consisting of a kitchen, dining room,
counter, storage area, and office. Currently, all paperwork is done by hand. Thelma and Bob
have discussed the benefits of purchasing a computer system; however, Bob wants to investigate
alternatives and hire a consultant to help them. Perishable food items, such as beef patties, buns,
and vegetables are delivered daily to the restaurant. Other items, such as napkins, straws, and
cups, are ordered and delivered as needed.

Bob Mellankamp receives deliveries at the restaurant’s back door and then updates a
stock log form. The stock log form helps Bob track inventory items. The stock log form is
updated when deliveries are received and also nightly after daily sales have been tallied.
Customers place their orders at the counter and are called when their orders are ready. The
orders are written on an order ticket, totaled on the cash register, and then passed to the kitchen
where the orders are prepared. The cash register is not capable of capturing point-of-sale
information. Once an order is prepared and delivered, the order ticket is placed in the order
ticket box. Bob reviews these order tickets nightly and makes adjustments to inventory. In the
past several months, Bob has noticed several problems with Hoosier Burger’s current
information systems, especially with inventory control, customer ordering, and management
reporting systems. Because the inventory control and customer ordering systems are paper-
based, errors occur frequently. These errors often affect delivery orders received from suppliers
as well as customer orders. Bob has often wanted to have electronic access to forecasting
information, inventory usage, and basic sales information. This access is impossible because of
the paper-based system.

A. Apply the SDLC approach to Hoosier Burger.

The system development life cycle can be used to analyze, develop, and
support Hoosier Burger’s information system. During systems planning and selection,
Bob, Thelma, and the analyst, recognize the need for improvement in the existing
Hoosier Burger systems. This need will translate itself into several projects, such as new
order-taking, inventory control, and management reporting systems. It need to
prioritized, a scope is identified, and feasibility is assessed.
 During systems analysis, the analyst examines Hoosier Burger to determine
system requirements, structure these requirements, and generate alternative design
strategies. During systems design, both logical and physical designs are prepared.
During logical design, the analyst concentrates on the business aspects of Hoosier
Burger. During physical design, Hoosier Burger’s logical design is translated into
physical design specifications. During systems implementation and operation, the design
specifications for the new Hoosier Burger system become a working system, and
modifications to the new information system are made when warranted.

B. Using the Hoosier Burger scenario, identify an example of each system

characteristic.

Hoosier Burger’s purpose is to generate profit and to provide high quality

products and services and to achieve customers satisfaction. The ordering system is an
example of a component; the order and inventory systems are interrelated components.
The boundary encompasses the ordering system, inventory system, and management
reporting system. Customers, suppliers, funding agencies, and regulatory agencies exist
in Hoosier Burger’s environment. An interface exists between the customer and the
counter. An order serves as input; a sales receipt serves as output. Constraints would
include health regulations.

C. Decompose Hoosier Burger into its major subsystems.

Hoosier Burger has four major subsystems. These systems are order-taking,
food preparation, inventory, and management reporting. Students may classify these
subsystems differently; however, the goal is for students to decompose the Hoosier
Burger system into its primary subsystems.

D. Briefly summarize the approaches to systems development discussed in this chapter.

Which approach do you feel should be used by Hoosier Burger?

The text book discusses several approaches, including systems development

cycle (SLDC) prototyping, computer-aided software engineering (CASE), joint
application design (JAD), rapid application development (RAD), participatory design
(PD), and Agile Methodologies. The SDLC is a series of steps used to mark the phases
of development for an information system. Prototyping involves iteratively designing
and building a scaled- down working model of a desired system. CASE tools provide
automated support for the systems development process. Joint Application Design is a
structured process that brings together end users, managers, and analysts in an effort to
identify system requirements and review system designs. Rapid Application
Development quickly builds systems through user involvement, JAD sessions,
prototyping, integrated CASE tools, and code generators, Participatory design is a
systems development approach that originated in northern Europe in which users and the
improvement in their work-lives is the central focus, Agile Methodologies focus on
adaptive methodologies, people, and a self-adaptive process, Systems development at
 Hoosier Burger will probably use the traditional SDLC However, prototyping can be
used to build working models of the system.

Case Problem No. 2: Pine Valley Furniture

Alex Schuster began Pine Valley Furniture (PVF) as a hobby. Initially, Alex would build custom
furniture in his garage for friends and family. As word spread about his quality craftsmanship,
he began taking orders. The hobby has since evolved into a medium-sized business, employing
more than fifty workers.

Over the years, increased demand has forced Alex to relocate several times, increase his sales
force, expand his product line, and renovate Pine Valley Furniture’s information systems. As the
company began to grow, Alex organized the company into functional areas—manufacturing,
sales, orders, accounting, and purchasing. Originally, manual information systems were used;
however, as the business began to expand rapidly, a minicomputer was installed to automate
applications.

In the beginning, a process-oriented approach was utilized. Each separate application had its
own data files. The applications automated the manual systems on which they were modeled. In
an effort to improve its information systems, PVF recently renovated its information systems,
resulting in a company-wide database and applications that work with this database. Pine Valley
Furniture’s computer-based applications are primarily in the accounting and financial areas. All
applications have been built in-house, and when necessary, new information systems staff is
hired to support Pine Valley Furniture’s expanding information systems.

A. How did PVF go about developing its information systems? Why do you think the
company chose this option? What other options were available?

Pine Valley Furniture developed its system using an in-house built-in methodology.
Because of the company’s rapid growth or expansion of the business, this would have
been the best choice or option. It was most likely needed to meet time constraints as the
in-house methodology are associate to Rapid Application Growth (RAD). Other reasons
may be the company’s cost-effectiveness or budget constraints, since it was simply a
start-up that had just begun to expand or grow. Also, since the system was built in-house
and can be managed within the company, there are no extra costs associated with the user
training. An in-house built-in software suits only the organization’s specific needs,
minimizing confusions and unnecessary functionality which comes with off-the-shelf or
open-source software. Other options for the company included hiring or going to an
information technology services firm to develop the system for them. They could have
purchased a system off-the-shelf or might have used and enterprise-wide system from a
company like SAP. Open-source software could have been obtained. The organization
could have decided to outsource system development and operation instead.
B. One option available to PVF was an enterprise-wide system. What features does an
enterprise-wide system, such as SAP, provide? What is the primary advantage of an
enterprise-wide system?

Enterprise-wide system are large, complex systems that consist of a series of

independent system modules. Developers assemble systems by selecting and
implementing specific modules. Instead of supporting either one or two roles, enterprise-
wide systems usually provide or contain software to support many different tasks in an
organization. For example, an enterprise-wide system may handle all human resources
management, payroll, benefits, and retirement functions within a single, integrated
system. The main advantage of an enterprise information system is the ability to integrate
information around the organization.

C. PVF will be hiring two systems analysts next month. Your task is to develop a job
advertisement for these positions. Locate several Web sites or newspapers that have job
advertisements for systems analysts. What skills are required?

Websites with advertisements for system analysts.

We are currently hiring 2 Senior Information Systems Analysts to be

responsible for assessing or defining business needs and opportunities to ensure effective
completion of solutions that meet the expected business objectives. The Analysts will
identify the documentation of functional and technical requirements that translates
business needs into high-level system design requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Analyze the market scope requirements and opportunities to define detailed
requirements and system specifications. Functional specifications, process designs, user
interface designs and end-user documentation all fall into the category of specifications.
Conduct design and test meetings with project teams to ensure that system design,
developments, and tests are all coordinate to meet the intended objectives.
•Establish and maintain tight communication with affected business functions in order to
ensure a shared schedule of activities.
• Train, coach, and guide project team members and user participants to enhance the
quality and completeness of requirements specifications.
• Provide project requirements to the project manager regarding requirements to create
project estimates and schedules.
• Provide support/assistance for end-user testing, including User Acceptance Testing.
• Work with the application help desk feature to ensure an efficient and effective
transition to support mode at the end of the project.
• Provide project management on small projects and support oversight on large projects.
Skills Required:
• To identify opportunities and challenges, and to analyze and solve problems.
• Ability to see organizations and information system as systems.
 • Must be able to work with programming languages such as C++ and Java Experience
in operating systems like Windows, and computer hardware platforms such as IBM and
Mac.
• Management skills such as project management, resources, risk and change.
• Interpersonal Skills to be able to work with end users as well as with other analysts
and programmers.
• Effective written and oral communication, including the competence to conduct
meetings, interview end users and listen.
Position Requirements:
Education and Experience:
• Education equivalent to Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Business, or
another related discipline, demonstrating the ability to re-engineer processes to make
them more effective for the organization

• Six or more years of experience in Systems Analysis and Requirements Management.

• Four or more years of work experience in application development and testing.
• Four or more years of demonstrated ability to re-engineer processes to make them
more effective for the organization.
• Three or more years of project management experience preferred.
• Targeted experience with financial systems and/or transportation logistics, a plus.

D. What types of information systems are currently utilized at PVF? Provide an example of
each.

Pine Valley Furniture used a process-oriented system or in other words, a transaction

processing system had its own data files at first for each separate application. Then it was
upgraded to database application systems or management information systems.

The Airline Reservation System is an example of a transaction processing system.

A database application system designed or developed for a supermarket to handle its

sales, purchases, inventory, payroll and all is an example of a management information system.