Characteristics of applications Chapter 3

Contents This presentation covers the following applications: School administration systems Stock control systems Booking systems Route-finders Customer records/accounts

School administration systems These can be used for storing information about both students and staff. It must store details about a student: Emergency numbers, allergies, address etc It must be able to store student marks: Subject marks Historical data e.g. Past exam results Generate reports based on data Hold predicted grades etc It must store details about attendance: Attendance over time including reasons for absence Unauthorised absences Summaries of attendance and statistical data which the school must keep

Stock control system These systems monitor stock levels and have links with suppliers for when stock needs to be replenished. Many organisations who have stock control systems now use JIT systems.

Just In Time When a company buys goods from a supplier they do not make a profit until they sell it on. If a company buys in goods and don’t sell them then they make a loss. Perishable goods (food stuffs etc) are easily wasted if companies order too much from the suppliers.

Item Purchased – Stock level decreased by one. Just In Time JIT systems allow companies to order in the minimum required as and when their stock levels run low. Item Purchased – Stock level decreased by one. Check new stock level. If stock level is lower than allowed limit order new stock. If stock level OK do nothing.

Shops Shops will use JIT systems to control stock levels. Stock control systems may also be able to analyse sales in order to predict how much stock should be ordered. For example, at Christmas the trend shows that more people buy turkey. The JIT system can then automatically order more turkeys knowing that they will probably sell!

Manufacturers Their stock control systems need to be able to analyses trends also. They need to know when they may get larger orders for a particular product in which case they will need to stockpile their products ready for the increase in demand. Their systems will need to monitor stock levels so they can keep up with demand from shops.

Stock control systems They should be able to: List all stock items and suppliers. Have a list of components required to manufacture a particular product if it needs to be assembled. Know when stock is too low or is at it’s maximum level. Know how much to order when stock levels are low. Have links to orders database. Update stock counts when deliveries are made. Link with budgeting system so orders are placed within affordable limits. Predict stock requirements based on trends. Allow users to manually over-ride.

Booking system Booking systems are used everywhere: Train tickets Rentals Theatre shows Cinema Etc

Booking system Booking systems require: They must be able to: An event A person A date and time They must be able to: Avoid double bookings Allow the user to select a date and time Specify numbers (adults, children, OAPs etc) Check for availability Check price of overall booking Change options Confirm bookings and allow payments to be made If payments can’t be made provide a booking reference number.

Exam Style Question: There are many ways of making bookings. Telephone Fax Face-to-Face Post Internet Discuss why you think bookings made online have become more popular. Talk about the advantages and disadvantages of being able to book online rather than by post or face to face and then conclude your answer. For high marks you should be able to discuss a balanced argument and use those arguments to form your own opinion at the end. You should be able to write at least half a page using size 10 Calibri.

Route Finders These allow users to plot a route between two points. They can allow via points to be added which automatically alters the route. There are many forms: A route can be created prior to a journey taking place and then printed using a route finder application. A route can be generated using an organisations website. In car Sat Navs which automatically update under different circumstances.

Rat Navs (predictive text version!) They allow the user to carry out the same tasks as a computer-based router finding application: Start and Destination locations Via Routes Shortest, fastest, scenic routes etc Avoidances (motorways, toll roads, ferries etc). But they also provide additional features such as: Automatic route updates based on the road you are on. Route updates based on traffic reports Text-to-Speech instructions

Exam Style Question: Compare the use of an in-car route finding device with a hard copy map. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a map and route finding device.

Customer records/accounts Any company must have customers in order to turn a profit. It should keep records of their customers so that they can contact them if required. The company should also keep records of it’s own finances so that it can be managed effectively. Having a system which can store this information is vital for a company’s success.

Customer records/accounts The Data Protection Act (1998) was introduced to control how companies dealt with customer data. There are 8 main points to the data protection act which you can find online. Try finding out some information so you understand it better.

Customer records/accounts The system should: Store contact details of customers Have a unique ID for each customer Store orders with a unique number Store orders against customers Generate invoices/credit notes for orders Store customer payments against the customer and the invoice Produce customer statements and outstanding invoices Produce a list of products available Handle discounts and returns

Investigate: Investigate the following common applications, giving a description of their use and the tasks which they should enable the user to complete. Online banking Travel timetables