Systems Analysis and Design Assignment
This assignment is meant to help you begin thinking about systems and processes in your everyday life.
Observation
- Visit a public place where information is being exchanged and transactions are taking place. It could be a coffee shop, a restaurant, a retail store, the Union, a country club of which you are a member (and of which membership your parents paid for) or any place of your choosing.
o Tip: it should be a relatively busy place with a lot going on.
- Observe how people are interacting with the transaction system. Things to think about:
o Are people waiting in line?
o Is the system responsive to changes?
Example: does the introduction of coupons complicate the transaction?
o Do people seem indifferent, frustrated, or generally pleased with their interaction with the system?
- Either observe or make an educated guess about how the transaction system interacts withother transaction systems. Some things to think about:
o Is the customer account information stored in such a way that any branch or location of this business can look up the same information?
o Are there other systems that this system might interact with behind the scenes? How might that work?
Example: might coupon-scanning software at a register need to interact with a manufacturer's system?
o See if you can view the human to computer interface of the transaction system.
What does it look like, and how does it aid or detract from the efficiency of the people who use the system?
What is the likely interaction software?
Example: is it web-based, a native application, or paper? Is it integrated with Apple Pay or Google Wallet?
Recommendation
- Think about what could be improved in the whole transaction process. Some things to think about:
o How could the human to computer interaction be improved (or does it need to be)?
Is there, perhaps, a different type of software that should be implemented?
o How could the transaction process be smoother? What are the bottlenecks and how could they be reduced?
- Propose at least three items of improvement based on your findings.
Deliverables
- Executive Summary (1 page)
- Recommendations (1 to 2 pages)