Howard University

School of Business
Department of Computer Information Systems and Supply Chain Mgt.

Systems Analysis and Design (Info 370)

Mini Project #1 Due on 9/26/2022

You are required to convert a manually operated business into a computerized or automated
business system (see page 3).

Read and study the following Ann and Bill business process carefully and answer the questions
that follow it (this is just a guide in writing your mini project report).

SECTION A:

1. Define and write the executive summary of the problems of Ann and Bill Giardini’s small
business.

2. State what the objective(s) and the desired goal of their business should be.

3. Design an automated system for this small business:

 Use Ishikawa (Fishbone) diagram to show the cause and effect of Ann and Bill
business problems.
 Use Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) to show the Logic Design of how the
data on the index cards are converted to Database files.
 Use context Data Flow Diagram (DFD) to illustrate how data flow within the
newly designed computerized business system of Ann and Bill.

4. State and define the solution(s) of this business, consider the following:
 Type of Computer hardware and its peripheral. You should be able to describe the
functions of this computer hardware with respect to solving the problems of Ann and
Bill’s business.
 Software – state why you chose this software(s) and how beneficial it will be in handling
this business problems appropriately.
 People (Staff) – state the skill set of these staff with respect to handling the computer
solutions needed in this business.
 Procedures.
 Input Data (see page 2).
 Output Information (see page 2).
 Show Cost and Benefit Analysis.
 Logic design
o DFD
o ERD
o Ishikawa diagram
o etc.
 Physical Design
o Convert your logical design to database SQL codes.
o Implement your system and produce output results.

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SECTION B:

1. Design and Create a database table showing the conversion of the customer records on
the index cards into a Customer Table.

2. Design and Create a database table showing the conversion of the products in the
Warehouse into a Product and Inventory Tables.

3. Draw the Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) of the business using at least four (4)
entities by specifying their respective primary and foreign keys and other relevant
attributes of each entity.

4. Show the Relational diagram of your database tables of at least four (4) files that are
linked together in a 1:M relationship.
Query Report using SQL Statements:

5. With SQL Server, SQLite, IBM DB2, MySQL, Oracle, or MS Access, etc; show how the
above tables are created and fully populated.

From the database you created above:

6. Write SQL statements to retrieve and display the following tables with their respective
attributes: (a) Customer Table
(b) Product Table
(c) Inventory Table
(d) Accounts Payable & Receivable Tables
etc.

7. Retrieve all the products that sell very fast*

(P_NUM, P_DESCRIP, P_INSTOCK, P_DATE, P_SOLD, P_QOH, P_PRICE, ---)

8. Retrieve all the products that sell slowly*

(P_NUM, P_DESCRIP, P_INSTOCK, P_DATE, P_SOLD, P_QOH, P_PRICE, ---)

9. Retrieve all the current customers (from 2020 to 2022) from the Customer Table.

10. Retrieve all the customers whose accounts are overdue together with the respective
products they purchased.

*Assume that P_INSTOCK = 200 in May 2022, if P_QOH <= 5 in August 2022, the product
sells fast, but if P_QOH > 150, the product sells slowly.

+=========+============+===========+==========+=========+=====+
Extra credit will be given to the student(s) who will go beyond the above stated (suggested)
requirements in solving the Giardini’s business problems especially if it is made a web based
system. Such students will take about 10 or 15 minutes to present their solution(s) to the class.
You will design, model and implement a web-based computerized system application of Ann and
Bill Giardini’s small business (using any Interface of your choice).

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 Extra Credit Requirement Contd.

 Test your design

- You may use Pay Pal payment option to test the accuracy of the purchases made
Online.

+=========+============+===========+==========+=========+=====+

Read the following excerpt carefully and use it to design the automated business system.

Ann and Bill Giardini own a medium-sized distributorship for art and hobby supplies. In
the warehouse, they store paste and paintbrushes, crayons and canvases, various kinds and colors
of paper, even easels and drawing tables. Their customers include art-supply stores and entire
school districts as well as individual artists and craftspeople. When their customer places orders,
the warehouse assembles the product and ships to them.

The Giardinis keep customer records on index cards in a file box on the counter. This
record-keeping system worked five years ago, when they had only 50 customers. But now, with
almost 450 customers, their records are never up-to-date. Ann thinks they might increase
business with mail order promotions. She’d like to send flyers on new products to customers who
might be interested, but she hasn’t had time to go through the cards in order to target customers
appropriate for specific products.

Inventory presents other difficulties. Some of the more than 5000 items the
distributorship offers sit for months in the warehouse. Yet Bill knows from experience that when
a big order comes in, he often needs to back-order half the items the customer wants. Which
stock items sell quickly, which ones sell slowly? He wishes he knew!

Still, business is growing. The number of orders has climbed in five years from 25 a
week to 50 a day. Sometimes there is a lot of paperwork, such as checking to see whether the
customer has an outstanding balance or reordering supplies to replenish inventory. The manual
procedures the Giardinis use to process orders just aren’t fast enough to keep up with the
increase in their business.

These frustrating problems lead to losses of sales and income. If orders aren’t filled
promptly, customers find other suppliers. Excessive stock sitting in the warehouse represents an
investment that is not bringing in any return. Out-of-date information on customers means some
promotions fall flat. Following up on overdue accounts is barely possible because the clerical
system is so overloaded. Ann and Bill Giardini know they can increase profits by making the
distributorship more efficient. But short of hiring a small army of clerks. They also know that
computers can help but have no clue, how can they accomplish that?

Therefore, they hire you to help them automate or computerize the business and bring it
up to date as to make it more competitive.

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 Mini Project Report Format

The following is the format for the Mini project Report/Presentation. Please, note that, it is not
limited to these few points:

1. Cover Page
 Title of the report
 Your name
 Professor’s name, Semester and year (date)

2. Executive Summary (Abstract) => 2nd page.

3. System Initiation
 Identify the problem
 State and define the problem
 Scope of the problem

4. Systems Analysis
 Solution requirements and expectations
 Cost/Benefit analysis

5. Systems Design
 Data Flow Diagram (DFD)
 Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
 Relational Diagram showing the relationship between the database files (tables)
 etc.

6. The actual created database tables (e.g. PRODUCT, CUSTOMER, ACCOUNTS

RECEIVABLE and PAYABLE, INVENTORY, etc) populated with data.

7. The Query results (see page 2, nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10)

8. Conclusion/Summary

9. References

Note: The entire mini project report should be about 12 - 15 pages or more including diagram(s),
pictures (computer hardware), database tables, query statements and query results.