Answer to Question #159317 in C# for David Shannon

Question

A small manufacturing company is expanding by its business by opening multiple branches across the country. Currently all the database is managed by individual employees on Microsoft Excel or sometimes using Microsoft Access. The company is considering updating to a central database management system comprising of several modules for maintaining their manufacturing, inventory, employees and accounting requirements. You are hired to develop a feasibility report as the first phase of the SDLC cycle including the recommendations on economic, operational, technical aspects of the on-going project. 

Answer 1

Executive summary

The proposed system is expected to solve the problem of having employees maintaining data on their individual computers using Microsoft Excel and Microsoft access database software. The system will integrate all the organization data into one centralized database to enhance data management and ease access and sharing of data between various branches across the country.

The system is expected to be developed in a modular design based departments.

Technical

With the fact that XYZ is growing and aims at opening new branches, data sharing and management is a critical factor. The centralized database will ensure that data is easily accessible across branches and departments.

Since XYZ is a small company, it is recommended that a 3^rd party company is contracted to provide an in house developed system to develop the system. However, an off-the shelf software system could be procured which would lower the cost compared to the development. In case of an off the shelf software, critical analysis of the system should be done to ensure that the software conforms with the operational needs of XYZ as well as prove usable in the future.

Operational feasibility.

This section outlines how the proposed system will help XYZ to solve the data management challenges.

With the expectations of opening new branches across the country, the centralized data management will assist XYZ to be able to get an overall performance of the organization as well as the branches. This is because data pooled together will be easily analyzed compared to the current method of employees storing their own data in spreadsheets and database in their own computers.

Centralized data will also enable XYZ to data mine database records for future forecasting on the market trends. This will enhance the management decision making.

Economic feasibility

System development or procurement is a costly process. Maintenance also is a more costly process in terms of time and downtime especially for a new system before it is customized to entirely match the organization operations.

Being a small organization, XYZ does not have the capability to develop its own system. It will have to contract an external company. It can also purchase an off the shelf software system. However, despite being a costly process the benefits overweight the costs. This is because the company will benefit more in its ability to make decisions at the top management, enable communication and data sharing between employees in the same and different departments or even branches. This will make collaboration easy. The data sharing will improve productivity.