The Puffing Billy Scenario
As a graduate of the Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from Holmesglen you found a profitable niche developing custom databases for small enterprises. Your first client is the Puffing Billy Preservation Society, a tourist oriented not-for-profit dedicated to preserving the historic operations of a narrow gauge railway in the Dandenong Mountains. They have an old membership database that is written in Access 2003 that they would like to be updated. You and a friend have decided to form a new company and build a custom Accounting Information System to suit their needs.
About The Business
Puffing Billy is Australia's foremost operating steam railway, and one of the largest steam and heritage railways in the world. Its history spans a period of 115 years. Remarkably, for more than half that span, it has operated as a volunteer-based not-for-profit body. The railway operates up to seven trains a day, every day except Christmas Day and it carried almost 350,000 patrons in the 2015 financial year, an all-time record.
The Puffing Billy railway was one of four low-cost narrow-gauge 2'6" (762mm) lines constructed in Victoria in the early 1900s to open up remote areas. Situated between Belgrave and Gembrook, it survives as one of the most intact examples of pioneering railway infrastructure in Australia. Its steeply graded banks, trestle bridges, line-side telegraph, signalling and rolling stock are of an era elsewhere supplanted by more modern technology. This railway is serious about its ‘era of significance', 1900 to 1930. This guiding philosophy has held it in good stead.
The line to Gembrook opened in 1900, initially to carry produce, livestock and timber to Ferntree Gully, where the freight was transferred to broad gauge trains. However, it quickly became a great favourite of Melburnians, seeking a leisurely way of visiting ‘the hills'. The railway closed in 1954 after a major landslide near Menzies Creek, and a succession of Herald Sun specials was organised by the Melbourne daily newspaper to farewell the railway. The success of these specials brought about the formation of the Puffing Billy Preservation Society (PBPS), founded in 1955, which quickly reopened the railway for the public to enjoy. The initial role of the PBPS, was to provide a financial guarantee against loss to the Victorian Railways (VR), which continued to operate the little train between Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave. PBPS volunteers acted as "safety officers" and were involved in promotional and fundraising work.
When that section of the line closed in 1958 for conversion to an electrified broad-gauge line, PBPS members became physically involved in construction and track work under VR supervision.
Upon re-opening between Belgrave and Menzies Creek in 1962, volunteer roles extended to station staff (including booking) but locomotive crews and guards continued to be VR staff positions, while the PBPS Executive Committee acted as manager of the railway.
The reporting Needs and review
The PBPS Executive Committee will announce the dates for renewal deadline and the AGM. The Membership clerk will call from the database the following four reports
- The Current Voting List: A list of all current members who are eligible to vote.
- The Current Non-Voting list: A list of all current members who are NOT eligible to vote, for example members under 18.
- Inactive list: A list of all previously financial members who failed to renew their membership in the past 12 months.
- A membership summary (total numbers in each category of membership)
Each of the reports are printed and passed to the Membership Manager who approves the reports by initialling every page. They are then passed on to Executive where they will be used in the AGM to count votes.
The Membership Clerk will print another copy of the Inactive list, and send an email and letter to gently remind them if they would like to be part of the railway.
Your Client
Your client is the Puffing Billy Preservation Society. Jean Clowes is the Vice President and she is your point of contact. All work should be addressed to her.
Assignment: Puffing Billy
STRUCTURE:
This assignment will be handed in in 2 parts, each worth 30% of final mark
PART 1: DESIGN Requirements
1 Engagement letter
2 Gantt chart - Design phase
3 Gantt chart - Build phase
4 A table of business processes
5 Process map (New)
6 Process map (Renewal)
7 Process map (Reporting)
8 Context DFD
9 Physical DFD
10 Logical DFD (level 0)
11 Logical DFD (level 1)
12 REA diagram [bonus available]
13 DB Tables structure [bonus available]
14 Continuity
15 Professionalism
16 Late Penalty
PART2: BUILD Requirements: The Database:
1 The correct tables
2 The correct relational set up
3 Basic input forms: (Resources and agents)
4 Application forms: (Events)
5 Reports
6 Appropriate Navigation
Paper report:
1 Bullet point list of special features included the software
2 Known issues and bugs (if any)
3 - List of key Internal Control threats to the organisation
- Explain how the threat you have identified
- Propose a solution that will address the threat
4 A list of additional recommendations such as future features, or changes to operations or market mix.
Hints:
1. Please treat the "Database" as its own entity, and the Executive as a single entity.
2. Do a separate process map for:
a. New membership
b. Invoice and existing member
c. Reporting
3. DFD: Level 1 logical DFDs should also be split into three components:
a. New membership
b. Invoice and existing member
c. Reporting
4. In the REA, there are THREE events, of which, here is an INVOICE event and a CASH RECIEPT event.
5. In the REA, treat the Membership types as a RESOURCE.
6. Up to 50% bonus marks in the database structure if you can correctly figure out how to address:
a. Corporate memberships
b. Donations
c. A way to deal with membership payments as the fees change over the years
Attachment:- Scenario.pdf