William Bold - Interview 1

1. The current data is in SQL?

Yes it has been provided, it’s all there included in the csv files.

2a. What features do you want included? 

Obviously we want to know, for each item, which the best suppliers is. We want to be able to select a delivery time and get the best price for that delivery time from suppliers. We would also want to know if any supplies are charging us the most money so we can try and re-negotiate new prices so that we want to be able to investigate the prices that supplies are charging us and maybe negotiate better delivery times.

2b. Would that be a report then?

Yes, by a report you mean some sort of print out that I can look at?

2c. Anything else?

Obviously there has to be some security involved. Victoria and I have got to be able to review the orders before they are sent off. We wouldn't want the ordering staff to do that, we want to have the final say but we want them to be able to see what stuff needs ordering so we want to have for each item a minimum item amount that we should have in stock, and how many we currently have in stock, so when the number we’ve got in stock goes below a certain level we want to be able to see what needs re-ordering. Some sort of way of telling us what items needs re-ordering.

2d. Do you want an automatic reordering when it goes below or just a warning that it needs to be re-ordered?

Just a warning.

3. It would be log-ins for security, individual logins? 

Absolutely yes. Obviously, we'd want to have individual names with individual logins but it would be nice if they could be categorised to some extent. For instance, warehouse staff, if they were doing a stock check, they would need to be able to update the levels of stock.

4. Anything else?

We want a system that works so we know how much is in stock, how much we have in stock and what the suppliers’ cost and delivery times are. We had an audit a few weeks ago, and it was a painful process. Currently all our orders are on paper, so we would like to sort of electronic control them. So if we have an audit again, we aren't going through the same process again. It was expensive because we spent a lot of time going through all the bits and pieces of paper and they spent a lot of time going through the paper so we would like to automate it.

5a. What features don't you want, compared to your old system?

Redundant question as old system was paper based. You guys are the experts so it’s up to you.

5b. Currently requires the change as the old system is unreliable.

Yes it is, this is why we have the database now, to give us a start.

7. What are your current system specifications and network requirements?

The computers are connected and routed by wifi and there are also tablets used to connect to the wifi. The network is 200Mb and the wifi is 200mb.

The computers are all under 3 years old.

8. Some of the data within the database, some products have subtitles but most don't?

The subtitles are really only there for when we have a sale on. So the promotions are entered into the subtitle so we want to be able to list items by the subtitles so people can see what the special offers are at that time.

The data is a little bit iffy so I think you will have to sort that out.

9. Miss Queens said she would provide a current logo or colour pallet for the new logo. 

It needs to be based on garden and autumn colours. We want the logo to fit on the application, we may wish to use it in other areas of the store depending on how good we feel it is.

10. Is there anything you want to ask from us?

It has been very expensive to hire you so we would like to push for this to be completed within the 12 weeks we have contracted you for.

Victoria Queen - Interview 1

1. You have stated that you would like a logo. Can we have your current logo or a colour pallet you would like us to work with.

Certainly, I will send that to you.

2. What things would you like the logo based around? 

On our business, maybe seasonal or garden.

3. What is your current data?  Is it in SQL?

We have a SQL server database, we have got a SQL Server database but it's no good, we need to improve it because of the structure of the data, we can't get off of it what we want. You know to be able to place our orders efficiently for example, we want to be able to choose the best supplier for our products and we certainly can't do that very easily.

4. Do you require any backwards compatibility?

No, you have a free reign as to what to implement.

5. What’s your preferred implementation format? Would you prefer a web based system? A standalone program?

Totally down to you.

6. What features do you need included?

What we want is to be able to order from our suppliers in an efficient way, by efficient we mean to be able to select depending on our need. The one that maybe delivers the quickest, if we have a low stock and we all of a sudden have a large order from a customer, then we are going to need a fast delivery from the supplier or, alternatively, if we are not in a rush for the delivery we would want to choose the cheapest supplier for that product. So depending on what the need is it needs to be selected on whether we want to have a look for the cheapest or the quickest.

At the moment our ordering system, the orders themselves are paper based. We need the whole system to be computerised, at the moment we have a sort of partial computerisation.  The rest is manual and there's the usual problem we have with manual filing and mistakes with handwritten and untidiness and things going missing. We recently had an audit and it was very costly for us because we couldn't find the documentation very easily and a lot of staff spent a lot of time. We have Senior Purchase Assistants and they are responsible for certain categories and they have to draw up the orders in a timely way, so what we want is for each product to have a reorder level so they’re responsible for maintaining that and making sure that orders are placed when it goes below that level of stock.

8. Are there any features you don't want in the system?

We are not interested in, at this point dealing, with the sales side of the products it’s just the buying in / purchasing of the product, so we are the customer for our suppliers.

9. Are there any particular issues that might crop up?

A log in would be required to access the system. There is no sensitive data there as such but we don't want everybody to be able to place orders. With a personal log in they would be able to control access to that because what we also want is, when a purchase assistant raises an order, that it doesn't just go directly to the supplier. They are responsible for raising the order but I need to authorise it first. And I need to know when there are orders waiting for me to authorise. So they are not just sitting there and especially it would be nice to have a differentiation if they needed to be done urgently. For example if we are choosing the fastest delivery we don't want it sitting there waiting for authorisation, I need to be doing it straight away. Also the orders once they are authorised then are going to be fed back to the PA so they can see that they have got to send them those out. Also if I have a problem authorising them, then I will mark them as such and the PA will have to come and see me. So they need to be marked as queries or something like that, so there are going to be different sort of stages to the order before it goes out. William will also need to be able to see some summary type report perhaps on a weekly or a monthly basis of what orders are actually being sent out, how much we're spending, that sort of thing.

10. What in particular did not work with the last system?

Well, what we are really looking at is this correct supplier, choosing the correct supplier for the order and with the system we have at the moment, it’s just impossible. We're having to look at the supplier and there price for certain products and then we have to look through a whole load of records to try and see what there delivery time is as well, it’s not coming up to us in one place ad cross reference and by the time we've done that it’s a lot of time and we may need the order that day, and as were paper based, not being able to find things when you want it so fully automated system would be fabulous.

11. What are the current system specifications and network capabilities of your business?

That is a question for William.