Problem:
The growth of a company's revenues and sales have put a strain on the company's accounting and financial systems. As a systems analyst, you analyze the needs and plans of implementing a new accounting system. The current accounting systems has been outgrown.
One of the issues is that the accounting department employees having been working overtime trying to enter and process all the data. The system needs to be modified or replaced. It can be tricky trying to analyze the current systems needs and trying to forecast what they'll be in the future. The CFO's chief concern that his staff is getting tired and that the company is spending money on overtime pay.
As an analyst, you may want to talk to the staff directly about their data and reporting needs and interface design. It may be tough to interview the employees but they are just as eager as management to try to get a more efficient system in place. This may also mean that as a system designer, you may have to pull some of your staff off some special projects.
You've also asked the CFO you could incorporating some scenarios that may include outsourcing and prototyping some of the development. The CFO also mentions to you about looking into some commercial systems as well. Comparing to building a new system from scratch, it may make sense to buy an existing system that may meet some or all of their needs. He emphasizes to you about trying demonstrate the efficiency and cost savings with each approach which would be easier to make a business case for the new system since you have a deadline of 6 months to implement it. The CFO has to gain approval of funds for the project.
What two recommendations would you make for the new system design?