All Chapter cricket shop

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Problem Identification

& Analysis

Gun & Moore Purist

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Introduction & Background of the company

Cricket Shop is a company which sells cricketing gear and memorabilia. It is the Sri

Lankan agent for 8 world-renowned brands ; Kookaburra, Slazenger, Gray Nicols, Gun &

Moore, Reebok, MRF, Woodworm and Puma. It currently has one head office.

Established in 1994 by Mr Shivanga Rodrigo, "Cricket Shop" was the first of it's kind to

exclusively serve the cricket playing public in Sri Lanka. An acutely felt need, for an

establishment capable of providing high quality cricketing equipment second to none, for

domestic cricketers of all levels and visiting international cricketers, were the key factors

in the establishment of "Cricket Shop"

Today cricketing equipment of all leading manufacturers from countries such as England,

Australia and India are freely available at extremely competitive prices at "Cricket Shop".

With a clientele spanning the whole country, The "Cricket Shop" concept has grown in

popularity as it caters to the varying needs of every cricketer, from the 5 to 6 year oldbeginner, the school team player, the club cricketer right up to the members of the

national and foreign visiting cricket teams .

After the death of Shivanga in 1996 the company was not managed well by his successors

and it was declared bankrupt. The company was then sold and thereby it became a private

company and the present management is as follows; Chairman - Mr. M.L.M.Haariz,

Finance Director - M.M.Haneefa and Sales Director - M.A.Haneefa.

Cricket Shop which was at the inset the agents for only Kookaburra and Gray Nicols later

on became the agents of also Slazenger, Gun & Moore, Reebok, MRF, Woodworm and

Puma.

At present the record of all the sales, purchases and orders are kept manually which

means when a transaction occurs the staff have to update all the records manually thus

creating stock control difficulties. This has caused mistakes in calculations and customer

dissatisfaction owing to out of stock problems. Therefore the chairman and his board of

directors have decided to computerize the current manual stock control system.

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The Current System

When a sale is made - The sales clerk prepares an invoice. Two copies are prepared. One

is presented to the customer and is known as the customer copy and the other which is

known as the filing copy is kept by the company for future references. An example of a

sales invoice is shown below;

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Order - If an item that a customer wishes to purchase is out of stock he/she is presented

with an order form and asked to fill it and make a payment which is equivalent to half the

value of his/her purchase. This order is then sent along with other orders to the

manufacturer. An example of an order form is shown below;

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Purchases - Purchases are made by the company usually every month. The order clerk

sends an order to the manufacturer along with any special orders. The manufacturer then

ships the equipment which will reach the company within two weeks along with an

invoice. When the goods arrive again the assistant makes the necessary changes to the

stock levels. An example of a purchases invoice is shown below

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Stock-levels of goods - At the end of each week the assistant checks all the sales invoices

and makes the necessary changes to the stock-levels of all the products that have been

sold. So then when the stock level reaches the reorder level the management can be

notified to restock. A product card is used to keep a record of each product held in stock.

An example of a product card is shown below.

Processes

1. Storing records of all transactions done

Adding, amending and deleting sales, purchases and product records.

2. Storing records of suppliers and customers

Adding, amending and deleting suppliers and customers records.

3. Calculating sales and purchases figures

Using multiplications to calculate the Sub-Totals.

Using multiplications to calculate the VAT.

Using multiplications to calculate the Discounts

Using additions and subtractions to calculate the Total Amount.

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Product Card

Product Code :

Brand Name :

Description

Cost Price : Rs.

Selling Price: Rs. .

Quantity-in-hand as at // : ........................


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Problems with the existing system

User'spoint of view;

1. When a customer calls and inquires about a particular product to search through all the

files and find it takes a long time during which the customer will get annoyed andhang up meaning the loss of a potential customer.

2. As all the records are stored in filing cabinets lots of space is used up and to maintain

them is also a tedious task.

3. Mistakes in calculations often occur as everything is done manually which ends up in

complaints from customers due to incorrect bills.

4. When a file gets lost there is no record whatsoever of that file.

5. Also when a customer orders an item and if it is out of stock, the customer will have towait until a special order is sent to the manufacturer and this will take time thus

creating customer dissatisfaction.

6. To immediately update all the books after a transaction has been made is very

difficult.

7. The reports are not clear and up-to-date

Anaylsts'point of view;

1. Searching for a particular information is time-consuming as these are stored in manualfiles and also duplication of data occurs.

2. Lots of space is taken to store all the records and maintaining them is difficult thus

producing inaccurate and inconsistent data.

3. When calculations are done mistakes occur as these are performed manually.

4. When files are lost there is no back-up to refer to.

5. Creating reports needs data to be gathered from different files manually thus taking a

long time. As the files are handled manually these might not be updated regularly thus

producing reports which are not up-to-date.

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Subtasks in the users point of view

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Cricket Shop

Stock Control

Purchases Sales

Show customer full range of

products.

If customer shows interestin a particular product give

them more details about it.

If customer decides to

purchase the product do the

needful.

Prepare copies of theinvoice.

Collect the money from the

customer and encourage

him/her to visit again.

Check the products which

have been sold the most.

According to finances

decide which goods deserveto be restocked.

Check if there are any

special orders and include

them too in the list of goods

to be ordered.

Send supplier the list ofgoods wanted.

When supplier replies with

details collect the necessary

money needed to pay for the

purchase.

Transfer the money to

supplier's bank a/c and place

order

When goods arrive transfer

the balance money to the

supplier's a/c.

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Sub-Tasks in the analysts point of view

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Cricket Shop

Stock Control

The purchases

should be recorded

in a single file

The sales should be

recorded in a single

file

If a customer decides to

purchase a product prepare a

sales invoice

Check the products which

have been sold the most by

using a query

Send supplier the list of

goods wanted via e-mail.

When supplier replies via e-

mail with details collect

necessary money to pay for

purchase

Record payment from the

customer into the sales file

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The requirements of the user from the new system

Amount of manual processes should be minimized.

It should be easy to use.

It should be flexible.

Invalid data should be detected at all times.

Data duplication should be minimized.

Data input errors should be eliminated.

Reduce the work load of the staff.

Reports should be produced whenever necessary.

Errors in calculations should be eliminated.

Information should be retrieved quickly.

Records should be sorted automatically according to the user's instructions.

Provide effective and efficient man-machine interface

Objectives of the new system

All the records should be maintained efficiently thereby allowing the retrieval of

data to be quick.

Error-free invoices should be produced.

A way of recovering data incase of an emergency should be in place.

The information should be up-to-date.

The system should be user-friendly so the staff can be trained easily.

The system should be able to produce the necessary reports quickly and

efficiently.

Invalid data should be detected and an error message displayed to alert the user so

that he/she can make the necessary adjustments.

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Criteria for success

Data calculations need to be done accurately - Update queries can be used for

certain calculations thereby reducing the time needed to calculate them and

increasing the accuracy of the calculations.

The system should be able to maintain a set of files efficiently with minimum data

duplication.

Retrieval of data should be quick - Select queries can be used to search for

particular information quickly.

The system should be user-friendly so that people with basic knowledge of

computers are able to use it - User-friendly interfaces should be created to help the

user to use the system.

Immediate updating of data after a transaction occurs - Update queries can be

used to change the necessary data after a transaction takes place.

Backups of the system should be taken regularly by using backing storage such as

CD's.

Necessary reports of the system need to be created Report generators available

in most packages allow the user to design report structures so that information can

be presented on screen and/or printed out in a format to suit his/her requirements

and preferences.

Security A password can be set for the whole system and user rights given if

there are different types of users.

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Design & Planning of the Solution

Kookaburra The Beast

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Disadvantages

1. Not enough validation techniques.

2. No proper report tools.

3. Large number of manual inputs.

4. Difficult to use different access rights.

5. Data duplication will be high.

6. Difficult to implement a set of related tables.

Conclusion

When comparing with the objectives stated previously such as reducing data

duplication a database system would best suit the requirements so it was chosen ahead of

a spreadsheet package. The next step would be to decide on how to create a suitable

Database.

The following methods were considered;

Methods

1. Commercial Packages.

2. High-Level Programming Languages - Due to its requirement of highly skilled

programmers its was decided not to use high-level programming languages to

create the database.

Commercial Packages

Option 1 - Microsoft Access 2000/XP

Advantages

1. Programming skills are not required to use the program.

2. It is the most affordable package.

3. Small user database can be developed quickly.

4. Easy to use because of GUI tools and wizards.

5. Data duplication can be minimized.

6. Debugging is easy.

7. It has the following facilities available to create a very user friendly systemquickly.

* Queries, tables, forms, reports and macros can be created by either using a

wizard or design view.

*Switchboards can also be created which make it easier to open relevant

items.

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Disadvantages

1. Bad transactional control.

2. Not designed for multi-user applications.

3. Cannot handle very large amounts of data.

4. Not very flexible.

5. Not very robust.

Option 2 - SQL Server

Advantages

1. Low implementation costs.

2. Data Management applications and services.

3. Self-tuning and management capabilities.

4. Easy to use Business Intelligence (BI) tools.

Disadvantages

1. Not very elastic.

2. Expensive both to buy and to maintain.

The Chosen Software

The chosen software is "Microsoft Access 2000/XP". It was chosen ahead of other

database packages such as SQL Server because of its non-requirement of qualified

programmers, its affordability, its user friendliness and the availability of facilities suchas forms, queries, tables and reports which are very essential for the system. Basically it

is the only database package that can help achieve most of the objectives stated in

Chapter 1.

Hardware Requirements imposed by the software chosen

Minimum Hardware Requirements

350 Mhz Processor

64 MB RAM

3.2 GB Hard Disk

16X CD-ROM Drive

3.5" 1.44 MB floppy disk drive

14" S.V.G.A. Color Monitor (800x600)

101 Keys Keyboard

2 button scroll mouse

16 MB VGA Card

Ink-jet Printer

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Alternative Configuration 01

AMD Sempron 2200+ 1.5 GHz processor

Asus 256 MB PC 100 SDRAM

Maxtor Atlas 10K III 18.4 GB Hard Disk

Sony CRX 230EE CD-RW Drive

SmartDisk VST USB Floppy Disk Drive

15" View Sonic E55B Monitor (1280x1024)

Adesso Multimedia PS/2 keyboard

Fujitsu Wireless Mouse with scroll

Jaton 3D Force MX 4000 64 MB VGA Card

Lexmark Z 735 Ink-jet printer

Viper UPS

Estimated Total cost Rs. 40,000/-

Alternative Configuration 02

Intel Pentium D 960 3.6 GHz processor

512 MB Dell Dimension 4400 DDR RAM

Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 40 GB Hard Disk

NEC ND-3550A Dual Layer DVD+RW Writer

Teac 235HF Floppy Disk Drive

Adesso Multimedia USB+PS/2 Keyboard

Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 5000

19" View Sonic E90fb Monitor (1792x1344)

Asus Extreme GeForce 6600 256 MB VGA Card

Lexmark E232 Laser Printer

DCP UPS

Estimated Total cost Rs. 55,000/-

Conclusion

Alternative Configuration 02 was chosen because it exceeds the minimum requirements

and is the best configuration available. Even though the initial investment is a little big it

would be worthwhile because buying the best means that you don't have to upgrade itvery often. Also it is the current trend to buy the latest computers in the market.

A 3.6 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM was chosen so that then the system will be very

fast which will please customers due to the speed with which their requests are attended

to and the speed in which their invoices are prepared. A 40 GB hard disk was chosen so

that about 2 years records could be stored. A DVD-RW writer was chosen instead of a

normal CD-ROM so that constant backups can be taken of the system so as to prevent

any loss if ever the hard disk fails. A VGA card and a large 19" monitor was chosen so as

to provide the user with a very clear picture which then reduces his/her chance of getting

eyesight problems due to the continuous use of the computer. A laser printer was chosen

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http://shopper.cnet.com/Intel_Pentium_D_960_3_6_GHz_processor/4014-3086_9-31860431.html?tag=pdtl-listhttp://shopper.cnet.com/Intel_Pentium_D_960_3_6_GHz_processor/4014-3086_9-31860431.html?tag=pdtl-list


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ahead of a normal ink-jet printer because of the quality of the printouts and the speed. A

UPS is a necessity in a country like Sri Lanka where power loss is a frequent occurrence .

System Flowchart

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Data Flow Diagrams

Sales

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Purchases

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Supplier Table

Field Name Description Field Size Field Type Validation

Supplier Code

(key field)

The key field of the

record. It is the unique

number by which each

supplier is identified.

3 Text Presence Check as it

is the key field. Input

Mask; LL0

Supplier Name The supplier's name. 11 Text -

Address The supplier's address. 50 Text -

Website The supplier's website. 30 Text -

E-mail The supplier's e-mail

address.

20 Text -

Contact No. The supplier's contact

number.

12 Numeric Format Check

Fax No. The supplier's fax

number.


Purchases Table

Field Name Description Field Size Field Type Justification

Invoice

No.

(key field)

The key field of the record. It

is the unique number by

which each purchase is

identified.



Mask; \P0000

Date The date on which the

purchase was made.

6 Date/time Format

Supplier

Code

The unique number by which

the supplier is identified.

3 Text Presence Check

Product

Code


the product is identified.


Quantity The quantity purchased of

the product.


Sub-Total The sub-total of all the

products purchased.

5 Currency Format Check

Shipping

Charges

The charges taken by the

supplier to ship the goods to

the company.


Final Total The final total inclusive of

shipping charges.


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Sales Table


Invoice No.

(key field)

The key field of the record. It

is the unique number by

which each sale is identified.



Mask; \S0000

Date The date on which the

purchase was made.

6 Date/time Format Check

Customer

ID


the customer is identified.

4 Numeric

Presence Check

Product

Code


the product is identified.


Quantity The quantity sold of the

product.


Sub-Total The sub-total of all the

products sold.


VAT The amount of VAT charged

on the sale.


Total The total which includes the

VAT.


Less

Discounts

The amount of discount

allowed on the sale.


Grand Total The grand total which is

inclusive of VAT and

discount allowed.


Validation Checks used

Input Mask: It sets a pattern for all data to be entered in the field and makes sure

that all data is entered in the field is entered within the specified input

mask.

Length Check: It makes sure that entered data is within a specified length.

Format Check: This check ensures that all entered data is within the specified format.

Combo Box: It ensures that data entered is only from a specified list.

Presence Check: It makes sure that data has been entered in the field.

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Relationships

A relationship links two or more tables together. The relationships of the Cricket Shop's

database is shown below using a diagram:-

1

1

1

1

The relationship between the product and the purchases table is one to many.

The relationship between the product and the sales table is one to many.

The relationship between the supplier and the purchases table is one to many.

The relationship between the customer and the sales table is one to many.

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PURCHASES

SUPPLIER

PRODUCT

SALES

CUSTOMER


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Process Design

The following algorithm was used to create a select query;

Eg. Searching for a customer

Begin

Open Customer table

Enter Customer ID

While not end of Customer table do

Read next customer record

If Customer ID = Customer.CustomerID then

Display Customer Details

End If

End while

Close Table

End

All search queries were created based on the above algorithm with each table and field

changing according to the field which needed to be searched.

The following algorithm was used to create an update query;

Eg. Calculating the VAT field

Begin

VAT=0

Open Sales tableEnter Invoice Number

If Invoice Number = Sales.InvoiceNumber then

VAT = Sub-Total*10/100

Update Sales.VAT

End If

Close Table

End

All update queries were created based on the above algorithm with each table and field

changing accordingly to the field which needed to be updated.

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Query Design

Update Queries

Sales VAT

This query is used to calculate the VAT amount on the sales

Sales Total

This query is used to add the sub-total and the VAT amount.

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Sales Discounts

This query is used to calculate the discounts allowed on the total sale.

Grand Total

This query is used to calculate the total amount that the customer has to pay.

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Final Total

This query is used to calculate the total amount that the company has to pay the

supplier it is purchasing the goods from.

Select Queries

Customer Search

This query is used to search for a particular customer's record.

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Product Search

This query is used to find a particular product.

Sales Search

This query is used to find a record of a particular sale.

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Purchases Search

This query is used to find a record of a particular purchase.

Supplier Search

This query is used to find a particular supplier's record.

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Form Design

It was considered as an alternative to use pictures as command buttons but was not used

as many users would not understand what the pictures meant.

1. Customer Form

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The company's logo

The form label

The unique number thatidentifies the customer

The customer's name

The customer's address

The customer's e-mail

The customer's contact number

Takes you to thenext record

Takes you to theprevious record

Can be used to search for

a particular customer

Lets you enter

a new recordSaves the

current record


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2. Product Form

`

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Saves the currentrecord

Can be used to search for

a particular product Takes you to theprevious recordLets you to enter a new

record

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The company's logo

The form label

The unique number thatidentifies the product

Clicking on the combo boxdisplays a list of brand names out

of which one is selected

The product's description is entered here

The prices at which the product

was purchased at and is sold at isentered here

The quantity remaining instock of the product

The level at which an order has tobe placed for more stock



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3. Supplier Form

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The company's logo

The form label

The unique number that

identifies the su lier

The supplier's name

The supplier's address

The supplier's website

The supplier's e-mail

The supplier's contact and faxnumbers

Takes you to the

next record


Can be used to search fora particular supplier

Lets you to enter a newrecord

Saves the currentrecord


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4. Sales Form

The product subform contains the following fields;

Product Code, Brand Name, Description, Selling Price and Quantity.

The 'New' button lets you enter a new record, the 'Save' button saves the current record

and the 'Search' button enables you to search for a particular sale.

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The company's logo

The form label

The unique number that

identifies each sale

The date on which the saletook place

Is explained

below

The unique number by whicheach customer is identified

Update queries whichwhen clicked on

calculate theirrespective fields

Prints theinvoice



The sub-total ofall the goods sold


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5. Purchases Form

The product subform contains the following fields;

Product Code, Brand Name, Description, Cost Price and Quantity.

The 'New' button lets you enter a new record, the 'Save' button saves the current record

and the 'Search' button enables you to search for a particular purchase.

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The company's logo

The form label

The unique number thatidentifies each purchase

The date on which the

purchase took place

The unique number bywhich supplier is

Is explained

below

The sub-total of all thegoods sold

The amount charged by the supplier toship the goods

An update query which when clickedcalculates its respective field




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Report Design

1. Total Sales

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The company's logo and thereport label in the report

header

The chosen fields in the

page header and theirdetails in the detail

section of the report.

The page footer

A button which calculates the

total of all the grand totals.


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2. Products Sold

Menu Design

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The company's logo and thereport label in the report

header

The chosen fields in thepage header and their

details in the detailsection of the report.

The page footer

A button which calculates thetotal of the quantity sold of all

the products.

Main menu (Switchboard)

Go to formsGo to reports

Total

Sales

Products

Sold

Sales

formSupplier

form

Customer

formPurchases

from

Product

form


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TEST PLAN

Product Table

Test

No.

Field

Name

Type of

Validation

Input

Mask

Sample Data Expected Outcome

Valid Invalid Valid Invalid

01 Product

Code

Length

Check

LL0000 SL3456 SL345

The

system

should

accept

it.

An error message

should be displayed

because the entry is

of the incorrect

length.

02 Brand

Name

Combo Box None Puma BAS

Vampire

The

system

should

acceptit.

An error message

should be displayed

because the item

which was entered

is not from the list

of values given bythe combo box.

Description -

03 Cost

Price

Type Check None 12500 125o0 The

system

should

accept

it.

An error message

should be displayed

due to the invalid

data type entered.

04 Selling

Price

Type Check None 15500 15o00

05 Quantity

in hand

Format

Check

99 24 2y

Thesystem

should

accept

it.

An error message

should be displayed

because the dataentered is violating

the input mask '99'

06 Re-order

Level

Format

Check

99 5 1o

Customer Table

Test

No.

Field

Name

Type of

Validation

Input Mask Sample Data Expected Outcome


07 Customer ID

PresenceCheck

9999 1234 NullValue

The

system

should

accept it.

An errormessage should

be displayed

because the

field was left

blank.

Customer

Name

-

Address -

E-mail -

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08 Contact

No.

Format

Check

000000000099 0112733155 011273 The

system

should

accept it.

An error

message should

be displayed

because the

data entered is

violating the

input mask'000000000099'

Supplier Table

Test

No.

Field

Name

Type of

Validation

Input Mask Sample Data Expected Outcome


09 Supplier

Code

Length

Check

LL0 The

system

shouldaccept

it.

An error

message should

be displayedbecause the

entry is of the

incorrect

length.

Supplier

Name-

Address -

Website -

E-mail -

Contact

No.

Same as in 'Customer' Table

10 Fax No. Format

Check

000000000099 0096650555666

7

009345 The

system

should

accept

it.

An error

message should

be displayed

because the

data entered is

violating the

input mask

'000000000099'

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Purchases Table

Test

No.

Field

Name

Type of

Validation

Input

mask


Valid Invalid Valid Invalid11 Invoice

No.

Length

Check

/P0000 1785 178 The

system

shouldaccept it.

An error

message

should bedisplayed

because the

entry is of

the

incorrect

length.

12 Date Format

Check

00/00/00 21/10/2006 21/10/06 The

system

should

accept it.

An error

message

should be

displayed

because thedata entered

is violating

the input

mask

'00/00/0000'

Supplier

Code

Same as in 'Supplier' Table

Product

Code

Same as in 'Product' Table

13 Quantity Format

Check

99 24 2k The

system

shouldaccept it.

An error

message

should bedisplayed

because the

data entered

is violating

the input

mask '99

14 Sub-

Total

Type Check None 25000 adasfs

The

system

should

accept it.

An error

message

should be

displayed

due to the

invalid datatype

entered.

15 Shipping

Charges

Type Check None 5000 sffsfs

16 Final

Total

Type Check None 30000 Sfsfsfsf

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Sales Table

Test

No.

Field

NameType of

Validation

Input

Mask


Valid Invalid Valid Invalid17 Invoice

No.

Length Check \S0000 2233 223 The

system

should

accept it.

An error

message should

be displayed

because the

entry is of the

incorrect length.

Date Same as in 'Purchases' Table

Customer

ID

Same as in 'Customer' Table

Product

Code

Same as in 'Product' Table

Quantity Same as in 'Purchases' Table

Sub-Total Same as in 'Purchases' Table

18 VAT Type Check None 2500 250o

The

system

should

accept

it.

An error

message should

be displayed due

to the invalid

data type

entered.

19 Total Type Check None 27500 275o0

20 Less

Discounts

Type Check None 2062.50 2o62.5o

21 Grand

Total

Type Check None 25437.5

0

25437.5

o

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Query Test Plan

Name Type Task Sample Data Expected Outcome

Valid Invalid Valid InvalidSales VAT Update To

calculatethe VAT

on sales

1204

Sub-Total:Rs.17,500

0000 VAT:

Rs.1750

VAT should

be calculated

accurately.

Nothingshould

be

updated

Sales

Total

Update To

calculate

the Sales

Total

1204

Sub-Total:Rs.17,500

VAT:Rs.1750

0000 Sales Total:

Rs.19,250

Sales Total

should be

calculated

accurately.

Nothing

should

be

updated

SalesDiscounts

Update Tocalculate

discount

allowed

on Sales

1204

Total:Rs.19,250

0000 LessDiscounts:

Rs. 1443.75

Sales

Discounts

should be

calculated

accurately.

Nothing

should

be

updated

Grand

Total

Update To

calculate

the

GrandTotal

1204

Total:Rs.19,250

LessDiscounts:Rs.1443.75

0000

Grand Total:

Rs.

20,693.75

The Grand

Total should

be calculated

accurately.

Nothing

shouldbe

updated

Final Total Update To

calculate

the final

total

1678

Sub-Total:Rs.14,500

Shipping

Charges:Rs.5000

0000 Final Total:

Rs. 19,500

The final

total should

be calculated

accurately.

Nothing

should

be

updated

Customer

Search

Select To search

for a

particular

customer.

1191 11191

The desired

record should

be displayed.

A blank

record

should

be

displayed

Frank Lampard Pimp 123

Product

Search

Select To search

for a

particular

product

SL1234 SL123 The desired

record should

be displayed.

A blank

record

should be

displayed

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Sales

Search

Select To search

for a

sales

record

1704 0000 The desired

record should

be displayed.

A blank

record

should be

displayed

Purchases

Search

Select To search

for apurchase

record.

1811 0000 The desired

record shouldbe displayed.

A blank

recordshould be

displayed

Supplier

Search

Select To search

for a

particular

supplier

WO1 W1 The desired

record should

be displayed.

A blank

record

should be

displayedWoodworm W00dwo

Tools and techniques used

The following tools and techniques were used to create the database of Cricket Shop;

The Create table in Design view option was used to create the tables(49).

The Create query in Design view option was used to create the queries(55).

The Create form by using wizard option was used to create the forms(51).

The Command Buttons were created using the toolbox provided in Form

Design(54).

The Create report by using wizard option was used to create the reports(58).

The Database Utilities option provided in Tools was used to open up the

Switchboard Manager which was used to create the switchboard(61).

Note: The numbers in brackets next to each bullet is the page number in which the

creation of that particular option is shown in detail.

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Implementation of Design

Kookaburra Genesis Hurricane

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Modifications made to the original design

This states the changes made to the Original Database Structure when creating the

computerized database.

In the Original Database Structure there were only five tables however when creating thedatabase a need to create a further two more tables arose. The two tables were named

Selling Products and Purchasing Products. They were created because of the need for

interface tables between the sales and the product table and between the purchases table

and the product table otherwise more than one product could not be entered for each

record in either the sales table or the purchases table. Each field of the two tables created

is explained below;

Table Name - Selling Products


InvoiceNumber

The joint key field of therecord. It is the unique

number by which each sale

is identified.

4 Text Input Mask;\S0000

Product Code The joint key field of the



product sold is identified.

6 Text Input Mask;

LL0000

Quantity

Sold

It is the quantity sold of a

particular product.

2 Text Input Mask; ##

Line-Total The Line-Total is the

Selling Price x Quantity

Sold of that product

7 Text Presence

Check

Table name - Purchasing Products


Invoice

Number

The joint key field of the



purchase is identified.

4 Text Input Mask;

\P0000

Product Code The joint key field of therecord. It is the unique


product purchased is

identified.

6 Text Input Mask;LL0000

Quantity

Ordered

It is the quantity ordered of

a particular product.

2 Text Input Mask; ##

Line-Total The Line-Total is the Cost

Price x Quantity Sold of

that product

7 Text Presence

Check

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Due to the creation of the two above mentioned tables a few fields in the sales and

purchases tables were deleted so as to prevent unwanted data duplication. The fields

deleted were product code and quantity from both the tables. Also test no. 13 was

deleted as the field is now non-existent. Also in the product subforms for both the

sales and purchases forms were modified the changes made are stated below:-

Product Subform in the Sales form:-

Deleted product code was replaced by selling products' product code.

Brand Name remained unchanged.

Description remained unchanged.

Selling Price remained unchanged.

Deleted quantity was replaced by selling products' quantity sold.

A new field Line Total from 'Selling Products' was added to the subform.

Product Subform in the Purchases form:-

Deleted product code was replaced by purchasing products' product code.

Brand Name remained unchanged.

Description remained unchanged.

Cost Price remained unchanged.

Deleted quantity was replaced by purchasing products' quantity ordered.

A new field Line Total from 'Purchasing Products' was added to the subform.

A few more queries which were not able to be created previously were created and are

shown below:-

Sales Quantity in hand

This query updates the quantity in hand of a particular product after a sale has been made.

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Purchases Quantity in hand

This query updates the quantity in hand of a particular product after a purchase has been

made.

Both these queries were included in their respective forms namely sales and

purchases using command buttons.

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The relationships between all the tables in the database changed due to the addition of the

two above mentioned tables. The new relationships are shown below:-

The relationship between the product and the purchasing products table is one to many.

The relationship between the product and the selling products table is one to many.

The relationship between the sales and the selling products table is one to many.

The relationship between the purchases and the purchasing products table is one to many.

The relationship between the supplier and the purchases table is one to many.

The relationship between the customer and the sales table is one to many.

It was decided to create a password for the database as a whole with the security of the

system in mind because if there wasnt a password anyone would be able to access the

database and modify data at will.

It is shown on Page No.60 how the password of the system was created.

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The following illustrates how the system was implemented:

Creation of tables

Clicking on ' Create table in Design view' opens up the following window:-

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Using design view

is an easy way tocreate tables

Once a field name is

entered a data type can bechosen from the list of

values displayed

A field size is entered to limit the

number of characters that can beentered in that particular field . As

in this field the limit is 6.

An input mask determines the

pattern of all the data which will beentered in the field.


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Once all the required fields are designed along with their data type, field size and input

mask a primary key is chosen:-

Once the table has been designed and the primary key chosen the table is saved by doing

the following:-

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The field that is to be made

the key field is highlightedand then the mouse right-

clicked on then the followingmenu appears and primary

key is chosen.

This button is clicked on and

then the following pop-upshown on the right appears

The name of the table is entered

and then the 'OK' button ischosen and then the creation of

your table is complete


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Creation of forms

Clicking on 'Create form by using wizard' opens up the following window:-

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Using the wizard is aneasy way to create forms

Clicking on this button

displays all the tables andqueries in the database

Transfers a selected field

Transfers all the fields from

the table or query

Once all the fields that need

to be on the form have beenselected this button is clicked


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Clicking on the 'Next' button opens up the following window:-


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The list of all the

available layouts

A preview of the

layout selected

Once the layout has been

selected this button isclicked

The list of all the

available styles

A preview of the

layout selected


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The forms of the company were modified by adding the logo in the form header and also

by having command buttons to save the record, search for a particular record, add a new

record, arrows to move to and forth the records and the necessary queries in each form. It

is shown in the next page how to create command buttons:-

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The form's titleis entered here

You can either chose to

open the form to enterinformation or to modify

the form's design


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In the above window 'Modify the form's design' is selected and the 'Finish' button is

clicked then the following window appears:-

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Clicking on this icon and

then drawing in the placethat you want your

command button to be

anywhere in the detailsection opens up the

following window shown

below

All the categories of command

buttons are displayed here and forthe one selected all their actionsare displayed on to the right


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Clicking on the 'Next' button after selecting what you want your command button to be

opens up the following window:-

Creation of queries1. Select Queries

Shown below is how to create a select query to find and display a particular product's

record

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The command

button can eithercontain text or be a

picture

Once your choice has beenmade this button is clicked

and the creation of yourcommand button is complete

Using design view is an

easy way to create queries


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Clicking on 'Create query in Design view' opens up the following window:-

Clicking on the 'Close' button after doing the above-mentioned opens up the following

window:-

After doing the needful the query is saved and the creation of a select query to find anddisplay a particular product's record is complete.

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After selecting all the

tables that you need tocreate your query this

button is clicked

All the fields that need to

be included in the query

can be included by justclicking on them

The fields that need to be

displayed are ticked by using thecheckboxes and a criteria for the

data to be displayed is enteredwithin brackets


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2.Update queries

As with select queries even to create update queries design view is used.

Shown below is how to create an update query to calculate the VAT on Sales in the sales

invoice.

After adding the sales table to the query the following is done:-

After doing that the following is done to create the query:-

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The query type is changed to

update by clicking on 'UpdateQuery'

The field that needs to be updated

which is 'VAT' in this instance isentered here

How the 'VAT' field is going to be

updated is entered here

A criteria for the 'VAT' to be

updated is entered here.


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After doing the above the query is saved and the creation of an update query to calculate

the VAT on sales is complete.

Creation of reports

Clicking on 'Create report by using wizard' opens up the following window:-

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Using the wizard is aneasy to create reports


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After the fields which are required for the report are chosen the Next button is clicked

and the following window is opened;

After the layout and orientation for the report is selected the Next button is clicked

resulting in the opening of the following window;

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After the style of the report is chosen the Next button is clicked a window appears in

which the report is given a name and saved.

Creation of a password

The database needs to be opened exclusively for a password to be created. Once it hasbeen opened exclusively the following is done to create the password;

The password which is to be cricketshop is entered and verified and then the OK

button clicked. Thus the creation of a password for the database is complete.

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Clicking on Set Database

Password opens up a windowshown below


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Creation of a switchboard

A switchboard makes it easier to open forms, queries and reports. It is shown below how

to create a switchboard:-

Clicking on the 'Yes' button opens up the following window:-

To enable the switchboard to open forms and reports it needs to be edited.

When the 'Edit' button is clicked in the above window the following window opens:-

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Clicking on switchboard

manager opens up awindow shown below

A new switchboard has to be

created for Cricket Shop sowhen 'New' is clicked on the

window shown on the leftappears and name of the

switchboard is entered

Once the switchboard has

been created it is made thedefault one so then whenever

the database is opened it isthe one that opens


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When the 'New' button is clicked the following window opens:-

The above will be done everytime for a report or a form to be opened.

The procedures mentioned above are how the new system was created and implemented

and shown below is how the system can be used.

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For a form or a reportto be added to theswitchboard the 'New'

button is clicked

For a form to be opened 'Open Form in

Add Mode' is chosen and for a report tobe opened 'Open Report' is chosen

The form or the report needed to be

opened is chosen from here and 'OK'

clicked

The name of the form

or report is enteredhere


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The final completed implemented system:

Adding a new product record

When a new product's record needs to be entered the switchboard is used to open a new

product form:-

Clicking on Go to forms from the main switchboard opens up the following

switchboard;

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Clicking on this button opens up a

new product form as shown onthe next page


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After all the product's details have been entered the 'Save' button is clicked and the

entering of a new product record to the system is complete.

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Preparing a new sales invoice

Again the switchboard is used to open a new sales invoice. Clicking on 'Sales Invoice'

opens up a sales form as shown below:-

The VAT, Total, Discount and Grand Total fields will be calculated by clicking on their

respective command buttons. When one of those command buttons are clicked the

following will be displayed:-

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When 'Yes' is clicked the following is displayed:-

The invoice number which in this case is 1555 is entered and then 'OK' clicked. Then the

following window appears:-

When 'Yes' is clicked the respective field (VAT or Total or Less Discounts or Grand

Total) is calculated.

When the preparation of the invoice is over after entering the necessary data and doing

the necessary calculations the invoice is printed to be presented to the customer. This is

done by clicking on the 'Print' command button present in the form. Also the command

button 'Save' is clicked on so as to save the invoice for future references by the company.

After the invoice is printed the stocks also need to be updated. How that is done is shown

below:-

First the command button 'Update Stocks' in the form is clicked then the following is

displayed:-

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When the 'Yes' button is clicked the following is displayed:-

After the invoice number which in this case is 1555 is entered and 'OK' clicked the

following is displayed:-

As two products were sold this process has to be done twice once for each product. The

first product which was sold had Product Code KO1234 is entered first and 'OK' entered.

Then the following is displayed:-

After 'Yes' is clicked the quantity-in-hand of the product with product code KO1234 is

updated in the product table. This process is repeated once again for the other product

sold but when the product code is asked GN1788 is entered instead of KO1234.

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Adding a new supplier's record

Again the switchboard is used to enter a new supplier's record. Clicking on 'Supplier'

opens up a supplier form as shown below:-

After all the supplier's details have been entered the 'Save' button is clicked and the

entering of a new supplier to the system is complete.

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Adding a new customer's record

Again the switchboard is used to enter a new customer's record. Clicking on 'Customer'

opens up a customer form as shown below:-

After all the customer's details have been entered the 'Save' button is clicked and the

entering of a new customer to the system is complete.

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Preparing a new purchases invoice

Again the switchboard is used to open a new purchases invoice. Clicking on 'Purchases

Invoice' opens up a purchases form as shown below:-

The Final Total will be calculated by clicking on its respective command button. When

the command button is clicked the following is displayed:-

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When 'Yes' is clicked the following appears:-

The invoice number which in this case is 1233 is entered and 'OK' clicked resulting in the

appearance of the following window:-

When 'Yes' is clicked the Final Total is calculated.

The 'Save' button is clicked so that the invoice can be viewed when needed.

Also the stock levels of the products need to be updated. It is done by clicking the

'Update Stocks' button which results in the following window appearing:-

When 'Yes' is clicked the following window appears:-

The invoice number which in this case is 1233 is entered and 'OK' clicked resulting in the

appearance of the following window:-

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The product code which in this instance is KO1234 is entered and 'OK' clicked resulting

in the appearance of the following window:-

When 'Yes' is clicked the stock level of the product which was purchased is updated in

the product table.

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Searching for a particular product

Sometimes it is necessary to search for a particular product.To do that the Product Search

query can be used. It is done in the following way:-

Once the Product Search query is opened a window similar to the one shown aboveappears and asks for the product code. For eg. if the product that needs to be found is

KO1234. It is entered and 'OK' clicked. Then that particular product if it is there in stock

will appear:-

This means that this particular product is available. That is how a particular product canbe searched for.

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From the 'Queries' menuthe 'Product Search' query

is opened


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Searching for a particular customer

Sometimes it is necessary to search for a particular customer. To do that the Customer

Search query can be used. It is done in the following way:-

As shown above, when the Customer Search query is opened a window asking for theCustomer ID appears. If the user wishes to enter the Customer ID he can do so orhe

could skip the Customer ID window and move on to enter the Customer Name in the

Customer Name window as shown below:-

Either the Customer ID or the Customer Name has to be entered and then that particular

customer's record will be displayed if it exists after clicking on the 'OK' button:-

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From the 'Queries' menu

the 'Customer Search'query is opened


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Searching for a particular sales record

Sometimes it is necessary to search for a particular sales record. To do that the Sales

Search query can be used. It is done in the following way:-

As shown above, when the Sales Search query is opened a window asking for the Invoice

Number appears. The invoice number of the record that needs to be found is entered

which in this eg.1909 and the 'OK' button clicked. Then that particular sales record isdisplayed:-

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From the 'Queries' menu

the 'Sales Search' query isopened


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Searching for a particular purchases record

Sometimes it is necessary to search for a particular purchases record. To do that the

Purchases Search query can be used. It is done in the following way:-

As shown above, when the Purchases Search query is opened a window asking for the

Invoice Number appears. The invoice number of the record that needs to be found is

entered which in this eg.1233 and the 'OK' button clicked. Then that particular purchasesrecord is displayed:-

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From the 'Queries' menuthe 'Purchases Search'

query is opened


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Searching for a particular supplier

Sometimes it is necessary to search for a particular supplier's record. To do that the

Supplier Search query can be used. It is done in the following way:-

As shown above, when the Supplier Search query is opened a window asking for the

Supplier Code appears. If the user wishes to enter the Supplier Code he can do so orhe

could skip the Supplier Code window and move on to enter the Supplier Name in theSupplier Name window as shown below:-

Either the Supplier Code or the Supplier Name has to be entered and then that particularsupplier's record will be displayed if it exists after clicking on the 'OK' button:-

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From the 'Queries' menuthe 'Supplier Search' query

is opened


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Testing of the Solution

Slazenger VSE Ultimate

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Test Results

After the system has been implemented it is necessary to test all the fields to see if

they would detect any invalid data entered according to the Test Plan which was

created in the 'Design' stage of the solution;

Shown below is a table which states whether each test in the test plan was a success or a

failure and the page no. of the screenshots which show the tests in detail.

Test

No.

Test Result Page No. of screenshot

01 It was a success 80

02 It did not take place as expected. The modifications

made to correct the problem and the re-test are shown

along with the failed test.

80,81

03 It was a success. 81

04 It was a success. 8105 It was a success. 82







12 The test was a success but there was another problem

with the entering of data to this field. This problem and

the modifications made are shown along with the test

result.

84,85

13 This test was deleted. Reasons given on page no. 47









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Test No. 1

Expected outcome when invalid data is entered -An error message should be

displayed because the entry is of the incorrect length.

As you can see from the above screenshot the achieved outcome tallies with the expected

outcome of the Test Plan.

Test No. 2


displayed because the item which was entered is not from the list of values given by the

combo box.

As you can see from the above screenshot the outcome achieved was not the expected

one because the data entered was not from the list of values displayed on the left and a

error message was expected to be displayed but it was not. The modifications made to

achieve the expected outcome from the Test Plan are shown below:-

The reason for the error message not being displayed was because in the lookup table

properties the 'Limit To List' property was set to 'No'. That was changed to 'Yes' and the

field was tested again. This time an error message similar to the one which was expected

was displayed;

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Test No. 3 & 4


displayed due to the invalid data type entered.

As shown in the two above screenshots both tests achieved their expected outcomes.

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Test Nos. 5 & 6


displayed because the data entered is violating the input mask '99'

Invalid data could not be entered in the two fields because of their input masks. Only

numbers could be entered because when alphabets are entered nothing appears. So there

could be no mistakes in the entering of data in those two fields namely 'Quantity in hand'

and 'Re-order Level'.

Test No. 7


displayed because the field was left blank.

As shown in the above screenshot the expected outcome was achieved.

Test No. 8




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Test No. 9




Test No. 10




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Test No. 11




Test No. 12


displayed because the data entered is violating the input mask '00/00/0000'


But there was another problem with this field in both the 'Purchases' and 'Sales' tables.When correct values were entered sometimes the system automatically changed the

values as it thought correct. Screenshots are shown below;

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Before After

As you can see above when an invalid date is entered in the 'Before' screenshot the

system instead of detecting the error and displaying an error message changes the date in

a way which it thinks is correct but is still wrong.

There is no way that this problem can be corrected so this has to be considered a

weakness of the Microsoft Access Package. The user has to make sure that he is entering

the correct date everytime for this mistake not to occur.

Test No. 13 was deleted. The reasons for its deletion is explained fully on Page No.46

Test Nos. 14, 15 & 16



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As shown in the three above screenshots all three of the tests achieved their expected

outcomes.

Test No. 17




Test Nos. 18, 19, 20 and 21



As with Test Numbers 14,15 and 16 when alphabets were entered instead of numbers the

four fields in Test Numbers 18,19,20 and 21 displayed error messages as expected.

Most of the tests went according to the Test Plan while a few needed some modifications

to function as expected.

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Query Test Results

All the queries were also tested and their results are shown below;

For all the update queries there are 'Before' and 'After' screenshots which show the

respective fields before the query was run and after the query had been run.

1. Sales VAT(Update Query)

Before After

2. Sales Total(Update Query)

Before After

3. Sales Discounts(Update Query)

Before After

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4. Grand Total(Update Query)

Before After

5. Final Total(Update Query)

Before After

6. Purchases Quantity in hand(Update Query)

Product Code - GN1788

Before After

7. Sales Quantity in hand(Update Query)

Product Code - GN1788

Before After

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8. Customer Search

Customer Name - Shamlan Latiff/Customer ID - 2311

9. Supplier Search

Supplier Name - Puma/Supplier Code - PU8

10. Sales Search

Invoice No. - 1704

11. Purchases Search

Invoice No. - 1233

12. Product Search

Product Code - SL0056

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Testing the command buttons

Even though there was no test plan created for the command buttons in the 'design'

stage of the solution it was decided to randomly test the command buttons. It ended

up being a very good idea because two command buttons namely 'Print' command

button in the 'Sales' form and 'New' command button in the 'Product' form did not

function as expected. Those two command buttons were deleted and created again.

It is shown on Page No. 54 & 55 how to create command buttons.

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Evaluation of the Solution

Slazenger V389Pro

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Comparison of the solution with the criteria for success

Criteria for success How it was achieved

Data calculations need to be done

accurately - Update queries can be used for

certain calculations thereby reducing thetime needed to calculate them and

increasing the accuracy of the calculations.

Update queries were created to calculate all

the fields that needed to be calculated.

Command buttons were created next to therespective fields in the forms to make the

calculations faster as well. A query could

not be created for one field. It is explained

in detail on Page No. 93

The system should be able to maintain a set

of files efficiently with minimum data

duplication.

Relationships between all the tables in the

database were created so as to minimize the

huge amount of data duplication.

Retrieval of data should be quick - Select

queries can be used to search for particularinformation quickly.

Each table had a key field so as to

distinguish between records and select

queries were created to search for aparticular record in the table. Command

buttons named 'Search' were created in

each form so as to make searches faster.

The system should be user-friendly so that

people with basic knowledge of computers

are able to use it - User-friendly interfaces

should be created to help the user to use the

system.

The software chosen 'Microsoft Access' is

very user-friendly but in order to make the

system more user-friendly a switchboard

was created.

Immediate updating of data after a

transaction occurs - Update queries can beused to change the necessary data after a

transaction takes place.

Update queries to update the stock-levels

immediately after the event of a transactiontaking place. In both the sales and

purchases forms command buttons called

'Update Stocks' were created so as to make

the updating more easier and faster.

Backups of the system should be taken

regularly by using backing storage such as

CD's.

Backups of the system are taken regularly

using DVD disks.

Necessary reports of the system need to be

created Report generators available in

most packages allow the user to design

report structures so that information can be

presented on screen and/or printed out in a

format to suit his/her requirements and

preferences.

Two reports namely 'Total Sales' and

'Products Sold' were created using the

'Report Wizard' of 'Microsoft Access'

Security A password can be set for

the whole system and user rights given

if there are different types of users.

A password for the whole system was

created but user groups could not be

created because it required a qualified

programmer to create them.

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Weaknesses of the system

A query could not be created to calculate the field 'Sub-total' for both the 'Sales'

and 'Purchases' forms. It has to be calculated manually by using a calculator. In

order to eliminate mistakes which might occur the person who is preparing the

invoice rechecks the calculation. By doing that extra time gets consumed which attimes annoys the customer if he/she is in a hurry.

Even though a password has been set for the whole system as a whole everyone in

the store knows it and are able to access it and modify data at will. It would be

better if Access Rights could be set for different user groups.

Even though queries were created to immediately update the stock levels of goods

once a transaction occurs it was not possible to create a query to inform the user

when a product's stock level reached the re-order level. So daily the person who is

in-charge of sending orders to the suppliers has to check each and every product

to see whether there is enough stock or whether it has reached the re-order leveland needs to be re-stocked. This is a very time-consuming job.

Further Developments to the system

The company plans to introduce online sales for its customers. This would mean

that additional hardware would need to be purchased such as a modem.

To enhance the security of the system and prevent unauthorized people from

accessing it passwords can be used. User-groups can be created which will

provide access to only selected sections of the system to the employee.

A macro can be created to backup the system which will save time and money

because previously backups would be saved on DVD's which are pretty costly and

also take time to save the whole system. Using a macro eliminates the need for a

DVD to save the data.

Due to increased sales the company also plans to open another branch in Kandy

the 'Hill Capital'. This would mean that both the branches need to be networked so

that important information such as the availability of a certain product can be

shared. Additional Hardware such as network cards and cables would need to be

purchased.

The Hardware

The hardware performed upto expectations and will not need to be changed for some time

unless ofcourse as mentioned in the 'Future Developments' the company decides to

introduce online sales and open another branch and network the two branches.

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The Software

For now the software chosen 'Microsoft Access' is satisfactory. It is user-friendly and was

able to achieve most of the requirements of the user from the new system except for a few

which is mentioned in the 'Weaknesses of the system'. In the future when the company

obtains higher profits and the company is able to afford to hire a qualified programmer it

may be decided to use a High-Level programming language which will help in creating a

very fast and flexible database. However for now it is good enough for a company like

'Cricket Shop'

Quality of the man-machine interface

The Cricket Shop system uses a menu-driven interface where the switchboard acts as

the main menu through which the user is able to access the whole system.

The usage of command buttons in all the forms has made moving to-and-forth records,

saving and creating new records very easy.

Searching for data is very quick and easy due to the search queries which have been

created for each table.

As all the tables in the database are related using relationships data does not have to be

entered many times and duplication of data never occurs.

All the calculations are made very quickly and accurately due to the queries which have

been created for all the fields that require to be calculated.

So in conclusion it can be said that thequality of the man machine interface is extremelygood in comparison to the manual system and it has been quite effective in providing a

solution for most of the problems mentioned in Chapter 1.

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User Feedback

A month after the system was implemented the manager in charge of the store was

interviewed to get his comments on the new system and its performance. Given below is

the transcript of the interview:

Interviewer: Is the system user friendly?

Manager: Most definitely, it is very user friendly.

Interviewer: What about the accessing and entering of data?

Manager: Data can be accessed within a matter of a few seconds and the entering of data

is very quick.

Interviewer: What are the features that have been most useful?

Manager: One very useful feature has been the detection of invalid data by the system

and another very useful feature has been the automatic calculations made to

the payment fields like VAT.

Interviewer: How has the system in general affected your organization?

Manager: Well, it has greatly minimized the many previously tedious tasks such as

searching for a particular product.

Interviewer: Any comments made by either the customers or the suppliers?

Manager: The customers are very happy with the error-free invoices they receive and the

suppliers have nothing to complain about as all their payments are made on

time.

Interviewer: What are your views on the huge amounts invested by the company on thesystem?

Manager: I think in the long-term that it is a worthwhile investment because other costs

such as purchasing of new files, paper, filing cabinets etc. will not be incurred

anymore. Also the benefits derived from the new system has been enormous.

Interviewer: In your opinion what do you think can be done to further improve the

system?

Manager: It would be nice if Access Rights could be set for different employees

because now even the cleaner is able to access the system as he knows the

password and modify data at will.

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Documents

All Chapter cricket shop