Group Work 2 - PERSONAL TRAINER, INC.

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Assignments

1. List the system requirements, with examples for each category. Review the information that Susan
gathered, and assume that she will add her own ideas to achieve more effective outputs, inputs,
processes, performance, and controls.

2. Are there scalability issues that Susan should consider? What are they?

3. If Susan wants to conduct a survey of current or prospective members to obtain their input, what type
of sampling should she use? Why?

4. Draw an FDD that shows the main operations described in the fact statement.

Solution:

As we know from the previous chapters as well and the fourth chapter that we have this assignment,
Susan, the IT consultant hired from Personal Trainer, Inc. to develop a new information system for the
new facilities in this business. She must perform some specific tasks in detail about their duration, such
as:

First, she needs to meet the fitness center managers at other Personal Trainer locations, which will take
her 10 days.

After these meetings, she must conduct a series of interviews, which will take her 8 days.

When the interviews will be completed, two tasks can begin at the same time: she must review the
company records (2 days) and observe business operations (7 days).

After she has reviewed the company records and observed business operations, she must analyze
BumbleBee accounting software (3 days) and study a sample of sales and billing transactions (1 day).

Excited for this, Susan should start to work on the following list!

1. List the system requirements, with examples for each category. Review the information that
Susan gathered, and assume that she will add her own ideas to achieve more effective
outputs, inputs, processes, performance, and controls.

Outputs:

- Reports of daily activity including sales transactions

- A monthly member sales report
- Exception report for late payers and inactive members
 - Quarterly profit and loss report
- Computerized activity and wellness log
- What-if scenarios that managers can use to plan promotions and discounts

Inputs:

- Type of membership selected by the member i.e. full or limited membership

- Usage fees of other activities selected by the member
- Charge privileges of all the members
- History and activities selected by the members
- Email messages and suggestions of members

Performance:

- Email communication with members

- Manageable information about the part time staff
- Analytical features designed
- More frequent information of profitability
- More clear reports of member history and activities selected by them

Controls:

- A standard coding system used in the company

- Better creation of audit trails
- Reconciliation of data is better

Processes:

- Automated process to scan key chain IDs or credit cards

- Process to manage part-time instructors and staff

2. Are there scalability issues that Susan should consider? What are they?
Scalability refers to a system’s ability to handle increased business volume and transactions in the
future. Because it will have a longer useful life, a scalable system offers a better return on the initial
investment. To evaluate scalability, Susan will need information about projected future volume of all
outputs, inputs and processes. For example, she would need to know the estimated number of
customers, transaction volume, peak periods, number and types of data items required for each
transaction, and the method of accessing and updating customer files.

3. If Susan wants to conduct a survey of current or prospective members to obtain their input,
what type of sampling should she use? Why?

We might suggest a stratified sample of former members and prospective members. It is relatively
easy to identify former members from Personal Trainer’s records, but it might be more difficult to
identify prospective members. Several options are available. Personal Trainer might request survey
input from members who have recommended friends in the past. Were the new members happy,
and did they remain as members? Why or why not? This might be quit valuable input in predicting
future membership results. Also, perhaps the company has a list of people who have requested
information about Personal Trainer in the past, but never signed up for a class. That group might be
an interesting sample. Finally, former students might be an interesting group to survey.

4. Draw an FDD that shows the main operations described in the fact statement.

Personal Trainer
System

Interface with Schedule Courses Analyze Sales and

Manage Membership Accounting System and Activities Marketing Trends
and Charges

Post Daily Produce Produce

Transfer Data
Entries Reports Reports
Produce
Schedules
Produce
Reports