Online Shopping Software Systems Information Technology Essay
Nowadays everyone is busy with their works; they don’t have much time to do shopping in the (busy) big super markets. In the stores we have to search in the each shelf to find our product so it takes more time and no guarantee of every product available in every store. Moreover, weather conditions are too bad so we cannot get our required products. Payment is also a big problem because we should stand in the queue for payment. Stores are not always opened (24/7).
Why It Has Come: To solve above mentioned problems, we can use Online Shopping method.  For customers it is not only because of the high level of convenience, but also because of the broader selection; competitive pricing and greater access to information. For organizations it increases their customer value and the building of sustainable capabilities, next to the increased profits. One advantage of shopping online is being able to quickly seek out deals for items or services with many different vendors (though some local search engines do exist to help consumers locate products for sale in nearby stores). Search engines, online price comparison services and discovery shopping engines can be used to look up sellers of a particular product or service.
A majority of consumers choose online shopping for a faster and more efficient shopping experience. Many researchers notify that the uniqueness of the web has dissolved and the need for the design, which will be user centered, is very important. Companies should always remember that there are certain things, such as understanding the customer’s wants and needs, living up to promises, never go out of style, because they give reason to come back. Online stores must describe products for sale with text, photos, and multimedia files, whereas in a physical retail store, the actual product and the manufacturer’s packaging will be available for direct inspection (which might involve a test drive, fitting, or other experimentation).
Some online stores provide or link to supplemental product information, such as instructions, safety procedures, demonstrations, or manufacturer specifications. Some provide background information, advice, or how-to guides designed to help consumers decide which product to buy. Some stores even allow customers to comment or rate their items
Current Project Requirement:
Responsibilities/ Current Position:
We are responsible to create an Online Shopping Software System for our client Metro Super Stores. The main idea of online shopping is not just in having a good looking website that could be listed in a lot of search engines or the art behind the site. It’s not only just about disseminating information, because it is also about building relationships and making money.  Organizations that want to keep their customers or gain new ones should try to get rid of all mistakes and be more appealing to be more desirable for online shoppers.
2. Project Objectives
The main objective behind the project is to enable Metro superstore to expand their business by enabling customers to buy their products online via a safe and secured online payment method. This will help Metro superstore to attract more customers and increase their market. Also, Metro superstore will be able to make it efficient and convenient for its customers to purchase products and review them. Customers can avail numerous offers on products online and make their payment with the click of a button. Times are changing and it is becoming increasingly difficult for customers to find time to visit a shopping mall and go through a wide range of products. The online shopping cart system will make it easier for the customer to browse through this wide range of products and also compare them with similar products in the market. The project will also aim at receiving and then analyzing the feedback obtained from the customers to help maintain or uplift the quality of products and to build a better service for the customers. Metro superstore will aim to thus gain market monopoly and attract a wider range of customers. It will also enable Metro superstore to build a relationship with international customers from around the world.
The project aims at bridging the gap between Metro superstore and its customers. Customers will be able to purchase their desired products online from the comfort of their homes without having to go through the trouble of visiting the store physically. The customers will be able to create their account, browse through the products and add them to their virtual shopping cart. They can then check out having the options to pay online via safe and secured online transaction or pay as cash on delivery of the products.
An additional objective of this project is to make Metro super-store’s products available to customers 24×7 online. The online website will also contain all the product’s instructions, safety procedures, demonstrations, or manufacturer specifications and how-to guides. Customers will be able to post reviews after they have used the product which will enable other potential buyers to make decisions. Thus, the most crucial objective of this project is user’s convenience.
3. Project Scope
3.1 Project Brief
The project involves eight technical people working together, including a project manager. This Project has been handled by eight members and it is a big project, which is modularized into small parts and assigned to each member of the project. Moreover because of this, the project has been managed very well by the project manager. We are going to work for four months to develop an online-shopping for existing super stores called METRO. The main aim of the project is to deliver the software for online shopping with in the elapsed time.
Metro initially contacted our software solutions with their requirements and their need in having a website for their superstore. The website should give the information about the products and can facilitate the online shopping. The basic requirements of the website has been clearly mentioned by them so, that no future faults or misunderstandings. They also showed us the survey they conducted in the store from their customers. This survey proves that superstore needs an online shopping facility to their customers. It also states online shopping is the only alternative method to help customers in busy queues, parking area, shopping time and extra range of products available only in online. Based on the above things we agreed to make a website for the metro super stores.
3.2 Project Approach
Deliverables: This project delivers a user-friendly software (or) flat form for online shopping to the ‘METRO’ superstore. The software provides a website having all the facilities for the customers starting from price enquiries, offers, availability of stock, quality, store details, contacts and ordering the goods.
3.3 Exclusions.
Every project has its boundaries and it can only delivers outcomes and specifications within that boundary. The exclusions in our project are delivery department, managing the software after term time (6 months) and further upgrading (or) developing new products.
Delivery department: Delivering the goods in time and enquiries about the delivery will not be supported by the project team. All the shipping and delivery process is being deal by the super store.
Managing the software after term time: The project team will not be dealing with the software term time. Though it gives an assurance of guarantee for lifelong but managing the website is wholly controlled by the superstore management. We will be taking care of the site for the term time which is 6 months duration. In this period we will be teaching and sorting out any minor problems for the super store staff.
Upgrading the software: Upgrading the software and developing the new products is personally responsible by the superstore. The lightening software solutions will not be supporting any further upgrades for the website as a commitment of this project.
The above products have been clearly mentioned that they will not include as a part in the project and which is solely agreed by the management of the super store.
4. Project Deliverables
The products of the project will be:
Management & Quality:
M1 – Project Brief
M2 – Project Initiation Document
M3 – Highlight Reports
M4 – End of Project Report
Business:
B1 – Communications plan
B2 – Questionnaire (to support information gathering & ensure consistency)
B3 – Report for Project Board on current requirements/arrangements, and areas identified for further investigation/potential change
B4 – Report for Executive Board with recommendations for change
B5 – Implementation proposals
Actual Product of the project:
An user-friendly Online Shopping Software System
The major deliverables are broken down in the project plan into smaller deliverables and activities.Â
User documentation
User training
5. Project Organization
5.1 Project Board
Project Sponsor:
Metro Super stores
Senior Responsible Owner:
Vishal Sharma
Project Management Board:
Johnson- Executive
Srikanth Nair
Rohit Singh
Suresh Peter
Sundar Raghavan
5.2 Project Team
Project Manager:
Prasnnaa Nachimuthu
Project Team Members:
Abid Ali Baig
Hari Vommi
Kalyan Kondapally
Mahitha Kolli
Rakesh Thatiparthy
Ronak Muchhala
Vijay Chekuri
5.3 The Project Organization Structure
Communication and Engagement team
Policy Team
Technical and procurement team
Legal Team
Project Board
Project Manager
Prasnnaa Nachimuthu
Project SRO
Vishal Sharma
5.4 Roles and Responsibilities
Project Board:
Approve Project Initiation Document, component plans and any subsequent changes
Ensure the business case remains sound throughout the project
Provide direction and determine priorities
Commit resources and resolve conflicts
Approve initiation and completion of stages
Responsibility for quality of deliverables/end-products
Senior Responsible Officer:
Responsible for ensuring that the project meets its objectives and delivers the projected benefits
Owner of the business changes, which will flow from the project’s recommendations.
Project Manager:
Responsible for providing support to Project Board and Team, monitoring progress and resource usage, maintaining project plan, establishing and operating arrangements for document version control, establishing and operating arrangements for handling project issues, and maintaining the Quality Log.
Project Team Members:
The Project Team, together with the Project Manager, will be responsible for researching and developing the business products of the project
To provide skills across work packages as required
6. Communication Plan
Communication
Purpose
Audience
Author
Mode Of Communication
Frequency
Monthly status report to project sponsor
To keep project sponsor informed of the project’s progress and key upcoming activities
Project sponsor
Executive
Committee
Project
Manager
Posting on project website
Video conference
Monthly
Weekly schedule metrics
Monitor and report progress on scheduled tasks. Troubleshoot problem areas and solve issues as appropriate.
Project management
Others, as appropriate
Project Manager
Posting on website
Group meetings
Weekly
Project team calendar
Keep project participants aware of key project dates and to help them manage their schedules. Maintain training calendars.
Project management team
Project
Coordinator
Post in project folders in Intranet
Daily
7. Quality Plan
The Software Product must includes the following qualities
Good enough product: The product is good enough which enables the Metro Super store to solve all critical problems which they encountered. The product should able to solve 70 to 80 % of the most common customer needs.
Cost: The cost of the software product is reasonable that comes under the budget of the client and meets the quality and standards which the client expects.
Easy to implement: The product is simple enough which makes Metro Super store to implement it easily without facing any problem. The product can be installed in several minutes instead of taking hours for installation.
Association of steady users: Staff of Metro Super store contributes their time to test our product, report about the error if they find any, request us for new features and develop new product functionality.
Standard Technology: The product should utilize the technologies which are widely in use such as Java, AJAX.
Upgrades: The product will be updated time to time which encourage the client’s ton use our product more often and in an interactive manner.
Scalability: The product has the ability to handle the large amount of work. It can help to increase the work.
Correctness: It indicates the correctness of algorithm which the product includes.
Deficiency of bugs: The product does not include any bug and produce the accurate result or output to the client.
Fault Tolerance: Continue to operate properly even if some of its component does not work.
Extensibility: Ability to extend the work. Extension can be done in 2 ways
Modifying the existing functionality.
Adding new functionality to the existing functionality.
Maintainability: It refers to the maintenance of the product in order to
Correct the defects.
Meeting the new requirements.
Endure related to the change in Environment
Responsible for the Quality of the product:
Project Manager is responsible for the quality of the product. He must make sure that the product meets all requirements which are specified by the client and the standards are met.
Acceptance Criteria:
Project Manager is responsible in identifying the acceptance criteria.
Acceptance is defined as acquiring the acknowledgement from the client that the product which is delivered to them meets all the requirements according to their specification.
Milestones
List the project milestones and deliverables for which customer acceptance will be sought:
Milestone
Deliverable
Name
Description
Name
Description
Online
Shopping Software System
Implementing the project management software package on new hardware .Providing access to the internet
Software Package installed
Implementation of General Ledger (GL), Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts Receivable (AR) software
Acceptance Milestones Table:
Criteria
Identify the criteria and standards to be met to achieve final customer acceptance for each deliverable.
Deliverable
Criteria
Standards
Software Package installed
System functionality:· GL tested & installed· AP tested & installed· AR tested & installed System Performance : System up-time· System response-time· Data transferred
System functionality:· GL operational with no errors· AP operational with no errors· AR operational with no errors System Performance : 99.9% system uptime· < 1 second response times· 100% data accuracy
Acceptance Criteria Table