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Unit 3: The Use of Generic Application Software for Task Solution.
Use some of these features:
  • A good range of charts
  • Formulae and functions
  • Macros
  • Adding buttons to run macros
  • Customising icons and toolbars
  • Include pictures and graphics
  • Linking pages
  • Relative cell referencing
  • Absolute cell referencing
  • Validation
Use some of these advanced features:
  • A customised front end to hide the package from the user
  • Dialogue boxes
  • Look ups
  • Nested IF statements
  • Count functions
  • Drop down boxes

AS Level ICT Coursework

Some ideas for the project:
  • Present the accounts of an organisation.
  • Design a car insurance look-up and calculator.
  • Design an automatic questionnaire analysis sheet.
  • How much does this PC cost?
  • Dietary analysis, design a diet sheet using calorific values for food.
  • Cost of a school magazine.
  • Invoice production for a wholesaler that sells to the public.
  • Design a heating costs chart for a house using plans of room areas sizes and insulation factors.
  • Accounts for a department.
  • Foreign exchange calculator.
  • Stocks and shares records.

Projects are based on the evidence that you can produce to show the examiner that you know all that is necessary in completing that project. The examiner will not see the system that you have created. The examiner can only judge how your system has been created and runs by the text you write in your project report. The project is marked out of a total of 60:

  • Specification 13 marks
  • Implementation 20 marks
  • Testing 12 marks
  • Evaluation 6 marks
  • User Documentation 9 marks
    Total 60 marks.

Before starting anything use a notebook or old exercise book to LOG all the work that you do. These notes will prove invaluable to you as you complete each stage.                                                                            It is also good professional practise to keep a log book of work done, it is often used as official documented evidence of what work has been done and who has done it.

The Specification

The Specification is the first stage of your project. This section is broken into two parts known as the Analysis and the Design. The Analysis starts with an investigation into how the current system of the chosen project works, the resources that are available and a list of the requirements for the new system.
This stage needs to be well thought out and time will be given to do this. You need a clear idea about how the current system works (or not works), and the user requirements of the new system you propose.

The Analysis of the Current Situation

Introduction:

This is a summary of what the overall project is all about.

  • Give some background information about the organization.
  • Give an overview of what the project is all about.
  • Write a Project Statement, this should give a clear description of the realistic problem you intend to tackle, known as the scenario.
  • Give a brief description of the current problems.

Example:

The problem that I am going to try and solve is with my local newsagents. They have a problem when it comes to paper bills. They have no computer at the moment that will enable them to store customers paper accounts on computer therefore they have to calculate the paper bills by hand using a calculator. They then have to write all the bills out by hand. Users of this system have been known to make mistakes because of all the working out by hand. The system could be made much easier if they had the use of a computer program such as a spreadsheet application. The use of Microsoft Excel would make the process of calculating and sending out of bills much more efficient. The computer would be able to calculate out each bill and to print out each bill with all of the customers details on it. The customer can then see all the purchases made and the amount added for delivery. The system will save the shopkeeper time after the initial programming, and reduce the chances of mistakes being made. The customer will have an itemised bill making enquiries much easier to deal with.

 

The Current System:

  1. Interview the end user and write a summary of what you have found out.
  2. Discuss with the end user what the problems are with the current system and why a change would be an improvement.
  3. Collect the actual copies of input and output documents currently used, explain what the documents are and what they do; examples: Invoice form, Letter, copy of the Ledger (accounts book), the company logo. Use the samples to create a good overall image of the system.
  4. These documents should be kept as an appendix to the main text, and referenced in your report.
  5. Produce a Data Flow Diagram (DFD) for the current system in use.

End User Requirements:

When designing a new system a clear list of objectives is to be set. The end user is the person or group of people who are going to use your system. It is list of what they want the system to do. This is very important as it is no use providing a good working system that doesn't do exactly what the users want it to do. A list of requirements must be included, this will be similar to the aims but more specific.
Write a clear statement of the objectives, including qualitative and quantitative.

Quality: to do with the tasks: human computer interface, help, menus, buttons, consistency.
Quantity: to do with capability: details of amounts of data, printing times, processing times.
Keeping a detailed note of the objectives makes the design easier, and makes the implementation easier as a comparison of performance.

 

Objectives of the New System:

Your list of objectives will specify the actual purpose of the new system to be created. What tasks will it perform?

Example:

My aim is to create a spreadsheet that will be able to make sending out paper bills more easier and efficient. My aim is to enable Mr & Mrs Smith to spend less time on calculating and sending out their paper bills than they do at the moment.

Aims:

  1. Save time for the management when it is calculating and sending out paper bills.
  2. Make the bills more accurate and reduce mistakes.
  3. Make the whole process easier and more efficient for those involved.
  4. Present the customer with an itemised bill which allows them to see what they have purchased and shows the delivery charge.

 

Data Flow Diagrams:

A data flow diagram shows the flow of data through a sequence of processing steps in a system, and what data stores are used. Data flow diagrams are useful for showing the following:

  • The origin of the data.
  • What processing is done on it, by what and whom.
  • Who uses the data.
  • What data is stored and where.
  • What output is received and who uses it.
Constraints; other considerations:
These are other factors that you have found out that will affect the type of system you will produce. The costs involved will need to be within budget, the software bought must match the needs of the system, the hardware must be capable of running the software, and the users IT skills need to be catered for.

Writing Up The Analysis:

  • Introduction:
            Background (Business/Organisation).
            Statement of the problem (Overview to solve).
  • Investigation:
            The current system (Interviews, DFD, Tasks).
            Problems with the current system.
  • Requirements:
            General and Specific objectives.
  • Constraints:
            Hardware (available/purchase).
            Software describe the application and capabilities.
            Users IT skills (how it affects the design).
            Other areas: such as a sub system.

The Design

Design Tasks:

  • Consider other possible methods of solution and justify your own final choice.
  • Identify the required outputs from the system.
  • Identify the required inputs into the system.
  • Specify the processing carried out on the data.
  • Tasks should be split into sub-tasks, these may be input, output, processing and user interface.
  • Devise a test strategy and plan what to test.
  • Plan a timetable to complete a task by a certain deadline.

Software:

Briefly consider the use of other software applications, and justify the use of a spreadsheet.
Explain why the new system that you propose will be better than the present.
Specify the purpose and the content of each worksheet.

 

Input User Interface:

  • Design all input interfaces on paper first, include logos, headings, control buttons, entry fields, navigation.
  • Consider how these could be a consistent design for each sheet.
  • Show:
         the general layout,
         cells where data is entered and cells locked,
         links to other sheets,
         formatting of the worksheet, i.e. font, colour, border etc.

Outputs:

List all the output results, the reports on paper, or display on the monitor.
Design on paper, note what will appear.
Printed output should be carefully designed to give a clear and readable report.

 

Sub Tasks:

Identify and list the sub-tasks to be done, these would include macros, buttons which need to be described in detail.
Always give enough detail to enable someone unfamiliar with your system to be able to follow instructions easily.
A good test of your design is for someone else to implement your system just by reading your design.
Plan your time and devise a schedule of work for completing each sub-task, working towards the project deadline.

 

Testing Strategy:

The objectives of testing are to show that all parts of the system works correctly no matter what data is inputted into the system, and all parts of the system work to the original specified design.
A test plan needs to be drawn up in order to detect errors, some may be anticipated but others may be detected while the test is running. A testing strategy must comment on the input data, and the expected output data. Later when programming the system the testing will show the actual output data. The test plan must be thought out thoroughly to test all of the processes, of which you will be familiar with as the designer.

 

Writing Up The Design:

  • Consider your possible solution (Justification).
  • List of Sub-Tasks and how implemented and tested.
  • Design of the spreadsheet, worksheets.
  • Input, design of forms and display.
  • Output, design of reports and display.
  • Menu design and chart.
  • Macro and modular design of sub-tasks.
  • Test plan (short description of how to test tasks).
  • Ensure you have a schedule to stick to.

 

Summary of the Specification Stage:

  1. Discuss the current system and why the user is dissatisfied with the current system
  2. What is the problem to be solved and how are the users needs being catered for.
  3. What constraints are there on Software, Hardware, the users IT skills.
  4. What are the processes in the new system, what is input, what is output, data flow diagrams.
  5. Show how the whole task is broken down into smaller sub-tasks.
  6. What software is used and why, what hardware is used and why.
  7. What advanced features of the software will you utilise to assist the skill level of the users.
  8. Explain your user interface designs with regard to the users of the system.
  9. Design a full testing plan with test data for each element, and why you have chosen that data.
  10. The design must show an evaluation criteria where the success of the project will be measured.