ABC Property (Pvt.) Ltd Management System

Introduction

Software engineering is gaining importance in contemporary society due to the increase in projects which ultimately lead to the establishment of systems and applications. Organizations are continuously realizing the need to transform their approach to their business, into systems and applications which manifest as replacements of traditional business activities (Choi & Lee, 2016).   Companies that already have functioning systems also strive to manipulate and adjust to the system features which they believe will improve their activities. ABC Property is such an organization that already has a management system but wishes to make some adjustments; this prompts a project to implement the associated objectives. This paper reports an evaluative argument and analysis on the development of a new system for the ABC Property Management (Pvt.) Ltd. The scope of the report will be the description of the business, the scenario, design, and description of the new system preferred approaches, team building, work breakdown structure, schedules using a Gantt Chart, system configuration, database, user interface design, and security management.

Business Description

The business at ABC Property Management System takes the form of buying and selling property, which implies a change in possession which can be temporary or permanent. The system offers a common platform for the meeting of buyers and sellers where each expresses their interests and enters a deal which is moderated by the assistants of the system administrators.  Properties take varying forms therefore a buyer or a seller can operate with different roles as well. When a property is only leased it involves the agreement between a landlord and tenant, and for which the latter pays regularly, but does not own it permanently. In other cases, properties are completely exchanged in which a buyer and a seller play the conventional roles; they are paid for and the buyer possesses permanently. The organization is sufficiently large, having 4 branches one of which has 30 employees with rest having less than 20.

Problems Scenario

The problem presented in the scenario is based on the need to develop a web-based system that will serve as a more suitable version of the current standalone system. The proposed web-based system recognizes the role of the buyers and sellers, staff, and system administrators. The tasks that each user will accomplish have already been determined. Moreover, each type of user is associated with some level of privileges and to which they are limited. Clients should be able to search and view properties among which they should focus on those which are available for sale or rent. This should be supported by the staff members who are further managed by the system administrators.

New System Design and Description

The project specifies a specific design and description of the new system.  This includes features that should be included to ensure that the problem scenario is adequately captured and needs well attended to. Users should have accounts with the ABC Property Management System, and this guaranteed through registration and login for subsequent access to the system and the associated features. Privileges allowed to users vary decreasing from the administrators, which the most privileged, trough the staff members, to the buyers and sellers who are the least privileged. The administrators to whom the highest level of privileges is guaranteed, mange, including adding staff, and regulating the authority and freedom of the clients. The new system leaves most of the tasks with the staff, who can update property details for which buyers are looking and eventually get in touch with the sellers to see the resulting deal into completion.

Methodologies to be Used

Surveys

Surveys will be used to collect data from the employees to determine their requirements. Survey questions will be used as a form of the interview where questions are included with preferred structures. Choi and Lee (2016) felt that the advantage of surveys is that it allows the employees to record their responses at the time considering their convenience; they will be able to respond when free having done all their tasks. Besides, employees will be able to read questions for more than once when necessary to ensure that they only record their responses after adequate understanding.  However, the approach will be limiting in that the researcher will not be around to clarify what is not clear. Moreover, it is time consuming now that the employee’s response may happen even days after the administration of the given data collection tool.

Brainstorming

A group of 5-7 employees will be organized at a time and with which the researcher will interact to gain sufficient data concerning the project in question. One of the advantages of the method is the potential of collecting a considerable amount of data within a short period about other approaches. Moreover, members of the brainstorming group have the opportunity of shaping the potential of the argument of the others, in the end, this increases the quality of data that is collected (Shin & Oh, 2016). Moreover, the increase in the quantity of data implies that there is sufficiency whereby the researcher and the ultimate developers can choose the best pieces of information from which to determine and develop the respective system. However, it has some limitations; one is that the moderator may be overwhelmed by the members hence they can divert beyond the original scope.

Observation

Observation will be utilized as a method through which the employees will have interacted with their work environment. It is an important method in that the ultimate designers and developers will proceed by considering the actual setting at which the targeted product will be operating. Furthermore, the elicitation team will be able to analyze what the activities of employees mean hence constructing meaning out of them. Pierzchała and Najgebauer (2018) argued that while it will be preferred as among the best methods, it will be limiting the exercise in several ways; for one, bias will be possible now that the employees may manipulate their behaviors to please the observer. Besides, it may be difficult for the observer to focus on the many employees at a time. Otherwise, the employees may be observed at their departments of work which implies that time management may fail due to long periods spent on the project.

Team Building

The project will be accomplished by a team rather than an individual. The team will be made up of a group of people who will have known their roles before the exercise begins. Each team member does some allocated work depending on their expertise in contributing to the overall target in the project. Teamwork will be encouraged because of the possible significance of the combined effort (Choi & Lee, 2016). Moreover, the tasks accomplished by a given group of individuals will determine whether subsequent activities should begin. Therefore, tasks and dependencies will maintain their relationship to align with the project constraints.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Figure 1: Work Breakdown Structure

Timeframe using a Gantt Chart

Figure 2: Gantt Chart for the System

System Configuration

Hardware Configuration

Hardware configuration as part of system configuration will be an important aspect. It will be used as a basis to determine whether the devices in which the system is installed can enhance effectiveness and efficiency on the side of the users. Shin and Oh (2016) argued that hardware configuration for the ABC Property Management system will be unique to the requirements and the ultimate expectations for the users. One of the hardware requirements will be the modem; the users will use the system which is web-based hence they will need an internet connection. While there will be other wireless forms through which users can access internet services, the hardware option can be through the use of modems. The power capability of the devices will also be used as a considerable hardware aspect (Pierzchała & Najgebauer, 2018). The power consumption level of the system will determine the necessary adjustments to be done around the power supply to meet the requirements.

Software Configuration

Software configuration will be equally important because the system embraces the virtual environment approaches to approach operations concerning the management of the properties. Nadeem and Lee (2019) argued that this should cover the initial installation of the system in the devices that users already have. It will not be selective of the operating system that is already installed; this increases the possibility of use in any device irrespective of the system of operation. Moreover, additional software will be used to guarantee the smooth operation of the system; however, this depends on the device in which it is installed.

Estimated Cost Table

Figure 3: Estimated Cost Table

Database Design

Tables Design

Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)

Figure 4: ERD for the ABC System

Context Diagram or level 0 Diagram of the System

Data Flow Diagrams (DFD)

User interface Design

Input Data Forms

As part of the user interface design, input data forms will have a significant role in the ABC Property Management System project. It will be of considerable use especially to support the entry of data on the side of the users (Nadeem & Lee, 2019). While the forms will be primarily based on capturing the details of the user, they will also gain support from the more privileged ones as determined by the system administrators. Below is a sample of input data form used to capture user details at registration:

Figure 5: input data form

Output Report Forms

The below document is an output data form that is connected with the above input data form.  An output data form displays the records entered in an input data form. For every user with multiple details for any form of activity, they will be recorded in one row(Kim & Hong, 2014) The output data from below indicates the arrangement of different users vertically, and their details are captured using the same criteria. Moreover, an output data form must be logically developed out of a previously prepared input data form hence meeting the relevance as a product of the user interface activities.

Figure 6: Output Data form

Web Site Design

The organization of the website will be adjusted to meet the optimum requirements of typical website design. This will be achieved by using the normal features with which users are aware and might have interacted within the other products with similar objectives.  Moreover, the development of the design will strive to meet consistency requirements so that users should not be worried about sudden design features.

User Interface Storyboarding

The web-based system will recognize the need to interact with users while striving to meet the feeling expectations from them. It will also serve as a way of generating and planning to act to the feedback of users. The feedback will be used to inform further plans to adjust the services towards the actual needs of the users. On this note, the design will consider the aspects of visualization to appeal to user emotions in some way.

Threats, Risks and Security Management

Security mechanisms are already in place for a secure operation of the system; however, there are still potential risks and threats which may adversely affect the system. A potential threat is associated with the insecure intervention of the unethical employees; they may cause harm to the system deliberately or unintentionally. Furthermore, viral attacks are another potential threat that the system can easily experience (Kim & Hong, 2014). The resulting risks include disruption of the normal activities which may lead to losses in different forms including financial aspects.

Conclusion

Project management requires informed decision making to assess the associated exercise to ensure that it is accomplished to completion. Different forms of design can be used to indicate individual tasks and the subsequent distribution of activities and costs. Besides, they also reveal the most appropriate configuration to be adopted for the system under design. Risks and threats remain problems that may occur affecting the system. The choice and implementation of effective strategies can serve as important security management strategies.

References

Choi, M., and Lee, K., 2016. Points-based user interface for character posing. Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds, 27(3-4), pp.213-220.

Kim, M., and Hong, Y., 2014. Implementation of a web-based smart electronic needle system. Journal of Computer Virology and Hacking Techniques, 10(2), pp.101-108.

Nadeem, M., and Lee, S., 2019. Requirement Elicitation Framework for Global Software Development. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 12(43), pp.1-6.

Pierzchała, D. and Najgebauer, A., 2018. Simulator for analysis cyber threats to RFID based system. MATEC Web of Conferences, 210, p.04022.

Shin, E. and Oh, Y., 2016. Hands-on Exhibition and Tangible User Interface(TUI) – A Study on Audience Attitude about Forms in Interactive Display Media. CONTENTS PLUS, 14(4), pp.73-90.