Assignment 2

Assignment 2

Student’s Name

Professor’s Name

Course Title

Submission Date

Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Journal PAGEREF _Toc484000994 h 3Task 2.01 Applications Architecture Diagram Portraying the Interfaces to be Used on Toowoomba International Catering College System PAGEREF _Toc484000995 h 4Fig A. Moodle Application Architecture PAGEREF _Toc484000996 h 4Fig B. XERO Application Architecture PAGEREF _Toc484000997 h 5Fig C. Application Architecture for Toowoomba System PAGEREF _Toc484000998 h 6Task 2.02: “TO BE” Process for Toowoomba I. C. College PAGEREF _Toc484000999 h 7Fig D: “TO BE” Process Portrayed Using the UML Activity Diagram PAGEREF _Toc484001000 h 7Task 2.03: Screen Designs & Business Rules PAGEREF _Toc484001001 h 9Fig E: Screen Design for Student’s Access to Toowoomba’s Website PAGEREF _Toc484001002 h 9Fig F: Screen Design for Teacher Accessibility to Student Details and the Courses Enrolled PAGEREF _Toc484001003 h 11Task 2.04: The Acceptance Criteria to be Used for These Cases PAGEREF _Toc484001004 h 12Task 2.05: PD for BA to be recruited to Project PAGEREF _Toc484001005 h 13Task 2.06: The Waterfall Methods and the Processes Leading to RFT PAGEREF _Toc484001006 h 14Fig G: Waterfall Model PAGEREF _Toc484001007 h 15Task 2.07: Major Differences Between Agile & Waterfall SDLC, Their Pros & Cons PAGEREF _Toc484001008 h 17

JournalThe details of the activities that were carried out in the second assignment are listed. The journal comprises of five columns for recording the activity number, the date an activity was undertaken, the descriptions of the activity and its status.

Activity No. Date Activity Description Status

001 25/05/2017 Revised notes and assignment 1 Reviewing the notes provided in class by lecturer. Also review assignment 1 prior to starting this Assignment Complete

002 26/05/2017 Review Instructions Provided for the Assignment Carry out reviews on the instructions for assignment. Aimed at determining what was required and how the work would be undertaken Complete

003 27/05/2017 Task 2.01 Draw applications architecture diagram portraying interfaces according to case study Complete

004 28/05/2017 Task 2.02 Develop a “TO BE” process using UML Activity Diagram Complete

005 29/05/2017 Task 2.03 Develop screen designs Complete

006 29/05/2017 Task 2.04 Developed acceptance criteria Complete

007 30/05/2017 Task 2.05 Write PD for another BA to be employed Complete

008 30/05/2017 Task 2.06 Write an executive summary explaining the processes adopted Complete

009 31/05/2017 Task 2.07 List differences between Agile and Waterfall SDLC & explain reasons for choosing Agile Complete

010 31/05/2017 Review, Finalize & Submit Assignment Review, Finalize and Submit Assignment. Complete

Task 2.01 Applications Architecture Diagram Portraying the Interfaces to be Used on Toowoomba International Catering College SystemThe section shows the application architectures for the Moodle and Xero Systems used at Toowoomba. Moreover, the section shows how these systems integrate with the college’s online websites.

Fig A. Moodle Application ArchitectureThe Moodle system shown below will be responsible for learning management and will store and process information acquired or needed by students and the college’s administration. The first module to be implemented will be the authentication provider that will be responsible for authenticating a user’s identity before they can be allowed access. Secondly, the student information system will be implemented and will store and process student information regarding their enrolment information and academic grades.

Authentication Provider

ePortfolio

Reporting/Analytics Tool

Moodle

Document Repository

(e. g. Alfresco)

Student Information System

College administrators that require accessing student information will also be required to log into the system before they can get access. The thirdly, the ePortfolio module will store and process information on the college’s the assets for and make compilations that will be used for assessment. Fourthly, a reporting and analytics module will be incorporated into the system and will be responsible for generating reports. These reports will only be available for the college’s administration for managerial purposes and students will not be allowed access to ensure the security of their records. Lastly, the Moodle system will contain a document repository module in which records acquired from past students and college operations will be stored for future reference. All the modules will be coordinated by the Moodle system that will also contain servers for storing instructions and documents acquired from the remaining modules.

Fig B. XERO Application Architecture

Business Event Layer

Xero App

Multi-perspective General Ledger

Xero App

Accountants and Tax Authorities

Xero App

XERO Network

Xero App

Bank Feeds

Xero App

Source Layer

Xero App

Xero App

The Xero system in use at Toowoomba will utilize six modules and be responsible for administrative functions. These modules will be used for storing and processing financial information required by the administration. Firstly, a source layer module will be implemented for the storage and processing of bank statements, information on jobs and fixed assets owned by Toowoomba. Secondly, the multi-perspective general ledger will be implemented for the storage and processing of information regarding the daily income from the college’s operations while the business event layer will store and process information concerning invoices and transactions the college involves itself. The source layer will be accessed by bank feeds module, a system charged with storing and processing requests to and from financial institutions and the Xero network. On the other hand, the multi-perspective general ledger module will be accessed by accountants and the tax authorities and will be linked to the business event layer for the compilation of transactions taking place and payments. The multi-perspective general ledger module will be charged with handling accruals and cash issues. The business event layer will be accessible to stakeholders using the Xero Network and will be charged with processing and storing data involving the college’s invoices and any transactions the institution indulges in.

The Moodle and the Xero systems will be integrated into the Toowoomba International Catering College from where the prospective students and other stakeholders will access information about the college and make applications. The figure C below provides an illustration of how these three systems will be integrated.

Fig C. Application Architecture for Toowoomba SystemXero System

Toowoomba Website

Moodle System

Task 2.02: “TO BE” Process for Toowoomba I. C. CollegeThe section provides the “TO BE” process that aims at directing student requests for enrolment, selecting course and helps in processing enrolments, managing class lists, passing information to the Xero billing systems and Moodle Learning management modules. The section also carries out an assessment on the new system’s impact on the previously used pre-automation processes before providing information on organizational change and anticipated impacts of the system on the college and training teams.

Fig D: “TO BE” Process Portrayed Using the UML Activity Diagram

Enrolling into Toowoomba International. C. C. for the first time through college website

Obtain Help

Fill Enrolment Forms

No

Yes

Enroll in Toowoomba

Accepted

Book Vacancy

Make Payment

Reject

Students that are enrolling into Toowoomba International Catering College will be required to do so through the college’s website. Once the website has been opened, prospective students will access online application forms from the site and begin filling their personal and academic details. For any field that is wrongly input, help will be offered from the college’s full-time customer service department on how to fill these forms. Forms that are correctly filled will be sent into the system and student will be notified if enrolment was successful or not in real-time. Consequently, prospective students whose application forms are not accepted will also be notified and urged to try some other time in case there is a system failure or when they satisfy the requirements for enrolment. After successful enrolment into the college, students will be offered the chance to book their place in the next admission. However, booking or making payments using wrong or fake payment details will lead to rejection of these payments and the payment process will be entirely rejected and closed. Only correct payment details will be approved and students that successfully make their payments will be the ones afforded a chance to book their place. The approval of payments made will be ascertained after accessing the Xero network and bank feeds through the source and multi-perspective general ledgers to determine the validity of the data input.

Various organizational changes are expected at Toowoomba following the introduction of the new system. For example, prior to pre-automation paper work was extensively used in the college’s admissions department but after the new system is introduced it will be dealt away with. Introducing the new system will also threaten the job security of employees in the college as most of their responsibilities will be taken over by the system. More so, the effectiveness of various departments that are responsible for learning management and billing will be enhanced since users will access these services from distant areas in real-time and in their homes comfort. In avoiding resistance to these changes as employees fear retrenchment, the college will require communicating with its employees about the system and market it to them. The management of Toowoomba College should communicate the need for introducing the system, its benefits to the employees and organization and provide assurance that their jobs are secure. More so, to void resistance towards the introduction of the new system, the employees should receive adequate training on its use and involve them in setting deliverables for different functional areas using the system. The management at Toowoomba should also involve the employees in planning and managing the implementation and operation of the system to help avoid resistance to change. By involving their employees in these issues, Toowoomba’s management will make them feel appreciated and part of the institution thereby increasing their motivation and productivity at work.

Task 2.03: Screen Designs & Business RulesThrough the section, the stories that were created in the previous assignment under task 1.05 have been identified, their business rules identified and justified. The functions whose screen designs are shown below include a student’s access to the college’s website and the teacher’s access to the details of students or the courses that have been enrolled into.

Fig E: Screen Design for Student’s Access to Toowoomba’s Website

The business rules for the case will include:

Only students that meet the enrollment requirements will be enrolled at the institution

Only students that successfully enroll will be allowed to make payments to the college’s account and book their place during the next intake.

Customer Name:

Date of Birth:

H/School Mean Grades:

Course to Enroll:

Cluster Subject Grade:

Total Points Attained:

EXIT

UPDATE

These business rules will be applicable for Toowoomba because only students that satisfy the enrollment requirements should find their way into the college. The number of successful students will be tallied and their numbers compared to the amount of cash received. These actions will prevent losses through theft or fraud from the system as the amount of cash collected should tally with the number of students that have made payments. The function will also help in ensuring that only students that satisfy the academic requirements for different courses are enrolled to pursue their dream courses. By enrolling these type of candidates, the college’s performance will improve and help build the college’s reputation as a good institution thereby helping to attract more students and increasing the institution’s revenues and profits.

Fig F: Screen Design for Teacher Accessibility to Student Details and the Courses EnrolledCourse Code

No. of Student’s Enrolled

EXIT

SEARCH

GENERATE REPORT

The business rules for the case will include:

All courses will be assigned unique codes for easer monitoring

The teacher will attain information on the number of students enrolled for a course by inputting its unique code and searching.

These business rules will be applicable for Toowoomba Catering College because it will help the teachers in determining whether the number of students that have enrolled into different courses is adequate for classes to begin. Further, the unique codes assigned for each course will help in avoiding confusion into the course a student has enrolled into. The feature will be beneficial for the administration and the student’s enrolling into different courses.

Task 2.04: The Acceptance Criteria to be Used for These Cases

Under this task, the acceptance criteria that will be used for determining the above functions have been provided. Moreover, the section describes how the testing of the business rules provided will be undertaken.

Students that are being enrolled at the institution will require satisfying the academic standards established by the college’s admission board. Those students that don’t meet these standards will be denied enrollment opportunities and will therefore not be required to pay any fees or book their places. These circumstances will arise because the system will reject their applications automatically in case a student fails to meet the set standards. The number of students that have successfully been enrolled into different courses will be ascertained by teachers having rights to access the information. It will be the teacher’s responsibility to inform the management of the college concerning the courses that are already filled up and can be scheduled to begin. More so, teachers will be in a position to generate student reports showing their enrolment details into different courses. The information attained will be important for determining whether all students that have been enrolled have qualified for a course. Those students that may have been enrolled into a course they have not qualified to undertake will be informed and requested to change their course choices. Those that were wrongfully enrolled into a course and had made payments or booked a place will be refunded and an apology provided for the mishap. Through the information attained, the college’s administration will ascertain reconcile the fees received with the number of students enrolled to ensure that no losses are incurred.

Task 2.05: PD for BA to be recruited to ProjectThe task avails the Personal Description (PD) for the Business Analyst (BA) to be recruited into the project. Moreover, the section provides information about the employee’s pay package, time to begin working and other working conditions.

An appropriate candidate for the position of a business analyst requires possessing various skills that include good listening, communication and organization abilities (Jennings-Balthazar, 2010). More so, appropriate candidates for the position of a BA in the project should possess good problem-solving skills to enable them effectively handle any problems that arise in the course of performing their duties (Carkenord, 2009). Technical skills will also be essential for the candidate because they will help them in addressing any technical challenges they face when using the system. More so, the BA to be recruited should possess critical thinking abilities to help them solve problems by evaluating the details to a problem (Jennings-Balthazar, 2010). He or she should also possess good presentation and documentation skills because they will be responsible for communicating the reports showing the college’s financial performance to the stakeholders. Further, the BA to be recruited should possess relationship building, self-managing, technical, methodological, domain and industry skills and expertise (Carkenord, 2009).

The best candidate to fill the vacant BA position in the project should be aged between 25 and 45 years old and will also be required to work for the organization on a full-time basis at an hourly rate of US$40. The candidate selected for the position will report to the systems administrator at Toowoomba and will help the finance department in handling the processing and analysis of business reports. The successful candidate recruited for the job will also be required to begin immediately after recruitment and will be based in the finance section of the college. Academically, the candidate should be a graduate possessing a degree in financial management, financial accounting or any other business related field. Candidates with an Information Technology (IT) background will have an added advantage in the recruitment process. Equal opportunity for employment will be offered to all prospective candidates because Toowoomba is an employer that gives priority to offering equal opportunities to all people.

Task 2.06: The Waterfall Methods and the Processes Leading to RFTIn this section, the waterfall model that led to the RFT has been described along with the methods used for evaluating tenders and selecting solutions. The section also provides the executive summary for the processes that were undertaken in the development process before recommending the preferred supplier for the system.

Fig G: Waterfall ModelAnalysis

System Engineering

Design

Coding

Testing

Maintenance

Implementing the waterfall model will be a step-by-step procedure. In the first stage, the system engineering stage, the requirements for the system will be written down methodically and presented through the specification documents to serve as the base for developments to be undertaken in future. Further, the tasks the applications are required to carry out will be ascertained and noted during the system engineering stage (Boyde, 2014). The second phase will involve analyzing the required system for the purpose of generating business logic and application models and the following stage will entail the determination of the technical design requirements to be used on the system. Among the considerations that will be made on the design phase includes determining the data layers required, programming languages to use and the services that will be provided (Unhelkar, 2016). Subsequently, the coding stage will entail writing source codes for the software, implementing the agreed models, service integrations along with business logic specified previously. The testing stage will be undertaken following the completion of the coding stage. These activities will be undertaken to ensure the discovery and reporting of issues arising from using the application. The final stage will be the maintenance stage once the system has been implemented and will be responsible for ensuring the system functions as required. Maintenance will be undertaken regularly to ensure the system functions effectively (Boyde, 2014).

Various advantages of using this model, i. e. the waterfall model will be experienced. Developing the new system using the waterfall model will be advantageous because it enables adaptability to any changes in the development teams, its impacts on structured organization and ability for facilitating design changes during its development. More so, using the waterfall model is advantageous since its best suited for milestone-focused developments (Unhelkar, 2016). The waterfall model provides the capability for maintaining design structures previously used as changes in employee teams are experienced. The model also enables the maintenance of discipline in design and structure, allows for changes in design to be undertaken in development processes. Finally, this model enables development teams to ensure the objectives set for the development processes are achieved (Boyde, 2014).

Task 2.07: Major Differences Between Agile & Waterfall SDLC, Their Pros & ConsAgile SDLC Pros Cons Waterfall SDLC Pros Cons

Incremental model that uses rapid cycles

Flexible than waterfall model Documentation is delayed Step-by-step software development process (SDLC) Appropriate for development that is milestone-focused Delays testing period for the new software

Require no documentation, less planning and less adherence to specified sets of steps in the development process Has fewer defects in final product

Immediate feedback leads to scope creeps

Allows changes early to be made in the design stage Ignores the feedback received from clients

Immediate feedback provided through iterations unlike waterfall model Close collaboration along with user involvement required in the development cycles Forces organizations to become structured

Non-adaptive to design constraints

Requires regular meetings that are time consuming Adapts to shifts in the teams

Requirements evolve and emerge in the development cycles

References

Boyde, J. (2014). A Down-To-Earth Guide to SDLC Project Management (2nd Edition): Getting Your System Software Development Life Cycle Project Successfully Across The Line Using PMBOK Adaptively, New York: Joshua Boyde

Carkenord, B. A. (2009). Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis, New York: J. Ross drafting.

Jennings-Balthazar, D. (2010). Business Analysis Quick Start Guide, New York: Lulu.com

Unhelkar, B. (2016). The Art Of Agile Practice: A Composite Approach For Projects And Organizations, London: CRC Press.