Smith consulting was contacted by Kudler Fine Foods to develop a program for a new frequent shopper program. In order to make sure that the project is a success, Smith Consulting will be deciding on a method to follow. A method is described as a guide that is used to structure, plan, and control the process of developing an information system. There are many different methods that Smith Consulting can look into. One of the more popular methods is the waterfall method. Based on the idea that you only move forward in a project. The steps are sequential and must be completed before moving to the next one. There are many variations of waterfall method. Most of them follow something close to the following steps: Conception or Requirements
Design
Construction
Integration
Testing and Debugging
Installation
Maintenance
Conception or requirements is the process in which the project scope is set and the requirements are discussed. This is the beginning stage so everything is brought to the table and the ideas that the client have are passed on to the developers. The design process is when the basic flow of the software is fleshed out. This does not involve coding, but more of a rough draft that gives the programmers framework on how the coding should be laid out. During construction, programmers develop the code and write the actual application. After construction comes integration. This is when all the coding is brought together on the hardware to make sure it works properly. Testing and Debugging is the phase in which problems are addressed and patches are developed to overcome issues. Once the software has been properly tested, the program is installed throughout the company. The final process is maintenance.
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This can be an on call setup as needed, or a company can have a contract in which someone is available at any hour for a certain length of time. The benefits of waterfall is it is a strict structure to follow and has a rigid guideline that does not deviate. This can also be a disadvantage in that the steps have to be completely finished before moving forward. This sometimes slows down the process. If this is an issue for this project another method to consider would be the Agile method. The Agile Method is a method that is more flexible and allows for the flow to go in all different directions. It was developed by a group of gentlemen and are based on the following principles: Customer satisfaction by rapid delivery of useful software
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development
Working software is delivered frequently (weeks rather than months) Close, daily cooperation between business people and developers Projects are built around motivated individuals, who should be trusted Face-to-face conversation is the best form of communication (co-location) Working software is the principal measure of progress
Sustainable development, able to maintain a constant pace
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential Self-organizing teams
Regular adaptation to changing circumstance
Benefits of Agile method are the amount of communication, the ability to go back and forth between steps, and the ability to make changes late in the project. Some disadvantages are that it has a lack of structure which in turn often lacks necessary documentation. It is also not a great method for people that haven’t had a lot of time in the field due to the chaos jumping from step to step in a non-sequential order.
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One of these 2 methods will more than likely be sufficient for Smith Consulting to get the job done. During the initial consult, Kudler Fine Foods will need to express their desires of functional and non-functional requirements. Functional requirements are actual requirements of the program such as tracking spending of customers, gathering customer information, logging out after a set idle time, etc. Non-functional requirements aren’t programmed, but are qualities of the program. This can be things like ease of use, secure, entertaining, etc. All these requirements are extremely important to the client, so they should be extremely important to Smith Consulting as well.
My recommendation for the method to use in Kudler Fine Foods’ frequent shopper program is the waterfall method. Kudler is a client that usually knows what they want and does not make constant changes. Also, without much experience, I would say waterfall method is the safer approach.
References
Waterfall model. (2015).
Retrieved from http://www.waterfall-model.com/software-development-method/ Software development methodologies. (2015).
Retrieved from http://www.itinfo.am/eng/software-development-methodologies/ Principles of agile manifesto. (2001).
Retrieved from http://www.agilemanifesto.org/principles.html What is agile model – advantages, disadvantages and when to use it. (2015).
Retrieved from http://istqbexamcertification.com/what-is-agile-model-advantages-disadvantages-and-when-to-use-it/
