Assignment:
Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology (Pty) Ltd is registered with the Department of Higher Education & Training as a Private Higher Education Institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997, Registration Certificate No. 2000/HE07/008.
BrightLite Electronics is a growing retail business with five branches across South Africa. Each branch stores sales data, customer records, and inventory information on local computers. The systems often crash, data is sometimes lost, and employees cannot access information from other branches. The business owner wants a solution that allows staff to access data from anywhere, reduces hardware costs, and improves reliability.
Using the scenario above, explain how cloud computing can solve BrightLite Electronics' problems. In your answer, explain how cloud computing works in this context, apply at least four cloud computing characteristics to the scenario, analyse two benefits and two risks of moving the business to the cloud, and suggest practical ways to reduce the identified risks
Question 1:
FutureBank SA is a growing financial institution trying to modernize its services. Most of its processes are still manual, customers complete paper loan forms, accounts are opened in-branch, and approvals take long because everything is processed by hand. The IT department has submitted different system requests, including a banking mobile app, an automated loan approval system, and a CRM tool. Management can only fund one project for now, so they need to decide which one best supports their long-term strategy.
1.1 Using the scenario above, critically discuss how FutureBank SA should connect its strategic goals with its system development choices. Need Assignment Help?
Explain how strategic planning, system requests, and the business case relate to each other.
Discuss factors such as competition from digital banks, customer expectations for faster service, compliance rules, and limited budget influence which project should come first.
End with a well-reasoned recommendation on which project FutureBank should prioritize and why.
1.2 Still referring to the FutureBank SA scenario, evaluate the role a systems analyst would play in ensuring that the selected system genuinely supports the bank's overall strategy. In your response, discuss the key duties of the systems analyst, such as gathering accurate requirements, assessing feasibility, and maintaining clear communication with all stakeholders, and explain how the analyst should handle disagreements between the IT team, bank managers, and frontline employees. Finally, analyze the potential consequences if the analyst fails to involve end users properly, including the risks of incorrect requirements, user resistance, wasted resources, and possible project failure.
Question 2:
TravelGo Africa is a traditional walk-in travel agency. Over time, they've lost customers to online services like Airbnb, Booking.com, Uber, and Tripadvisor. The company wants to understand how the travel and tourism industry changed so quickly, and how it can reinvent itself using technology.
2.1 Using the scenario above, analyse three major ways digital platforms have disrupted the travel industry.
For each disruption:
Describe how things used to work for a traditional travel agency like TravelGo
Explain how the new digital approach works (for example, online reviews, mobile bookings, price-comparison tools). Link each disruption to relevant IS concepts such as cloud computing, mobile commerce, data analytics, system integration, and personalized recommendations.
Discuss how this shift has affected competition, customer decision-making, pricing, and industry roles.
2.2 TravelGo Africa now wants to use technology to stay competitive in the digital tourism industry. Using your understanding of Business Support Systems (BSS) and Knowledge Management Systems (KMS), evaluate how the company can improve its customer service by using tools such as predictive analytics, customer profiling, chatbots, and knowledge databases.
In your answer, include real-world examples of how companies like Airbnb (dynamic pricing) or Uber (surge pricing algorithms) use technology to enhance decision-making and customer experiences. Finally, recommend two practical, technology-driven strategies that TravelGo should implement immediately to regain its competitive edge.
Question 3:
3.1 EduTech College wants to create a single online system where students can register, view academic records, pay fees, and access their learning material. Currently everything is scattered: finance uses Excel sheets, academics use separate databases, and registration is done manually.
Before moving forward, EduTech needs to make sure they gather the right requirements and model the system correctly.
Compare the use of Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs), UML Use Case Diagrams, and Class diagrams when modelling the new system.
Explain the purpose of each modelling tool in simple terms.
Give an example of what each model might show for EduTech (e.g., a DFD for processing registrations, a use case for "Manage Student Account," or a class diagram linking Student, Course, and Lecturer).
Explain when each tool is most useful during system development.
Briefly discuss limits or weaknesses of each modelling approach.
3.2 Still using the EduTech College scenario, explain how proper requirements-gathering techniques and system modelling can help prevent the new online student management system from failing. In your answer, discuss how methods such as interviews, surveys, document analysis, observation, and JAD sessions can reveal issues like duplicated data, inconsistent processes, or poor communication between departments. Also, explain how modelling tools such as Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs), data dictionaries, and UML diagrams clarify what the system should do and how different components must interact. Finally, provide two clear examples of how EduTech College would benefit from thorough analysis, such as automated fee statements, real-time academic progress tracking, or a reduction in manual administrative errors.