Leading Edge Climbing Equipment is a retail rock climbing equipment vendor that is planning to install a new order entry and transaction processing system. As Leading Edge's IT manager, you are preparing for a follow-up meeting to confirm the owner's decision to move forward with the system. Tasks1. In deciding on your proposal, what options do the owners have?2. If the owners decide to purchase or customize a software package, what steps will you take?3. Explain the difference between logical and physical design.4. Describe the steps typically performed in systems design.

1)-The owners of Leading Edge

Climbing Equipment have the

following options for order entry

and transaction processing

system:

Developing Software In-House:

• Companies choose in-house

development to satisfy unique

business requirements.

• It meets the constraints of

existing systems and also satisfies

unique security requirements.

Purchasing a software package:

• A Software package is obtained

from a vendor or application

service provider

• Purchasing a software package

lowers the cost

• It has proven reliability and

performance benchmarks.

2)- If the owner decides to purchase or

customize a Software Package, the

following steps are taken:

1. Evaluation of the requirements

of information system

2. Identifying potential vendors and

outsourcing providers

3. Evaluation of different

alternatives

4. Performing cost-benefit analysis

5. Preparing recommendation

Evaluation of the requirements of

information system:

• This involves identifying the key

features in the system

requirements that have been

analyzed. An overall specification

for the system is developed.

• All network and web-related

issues are to be considered.

Decision regarding whether the

software must be run on internet

or intranet is to be analyzed.

• A request for proposal or

quotation is to be prepared.

Identifying potential vendors and

outsourcing providers:

• The potential vendors and

outsourcing providers for the

software are identified.

• The search can be conducting

using Internet

Evaluation of different

alternatives:

• Among the several alternatives,

one alternative is chosen that best

serves the company's needs.

• Vendor presentation, product

documentation, trade publications,

etc helps in taking the decision.

Performing cost-benefit analysis:

• A cost benefit analysis is

performed to evaluate the

software.

• All the costs must be included

while calculating TCO.

Preparing recommendation:

• Prepare a recommendation that

evaluates the alternatives, together

with the costs , benefits,

advantages and disadvantages.

Implementing the solution:

• Implement the solution depends

on the alternative selected.

• In-house or outsourcing options

can be selected.

• Complete all the implementation

steps such as loading, configuring,

and testing the software, training

users etc. before the software

becomes operational.

3)-Following are the differences

between logical and physical

design:

Logical design:

•The logical design of the information system

helps in defining the features and functions of the system.

•Logical design is not concerned about the way in which the tasks are accomplished.

•The method of implementation is not addressed by the logical design.

Physical design:

•The Physical design of the information system helps in defining the way in which

tasks are accomplished.

•Physical design is concerned about the way in which the tasks are accomplished.

•The method of implementation is addressed by the physical design.

4)- The steps typically performed in

system design are as follows:

• In this phase the system

designing is done to define the

architecture of the system that

fulfills the requirements

documented in the analysis phase.

• The aim of the design phase is to

understand inputs, outputs and

processes.

• It ensures the reliability, accuracy,

maintainability and security of the

system.

• At the end of the phase the

System Design specification is

presented to users and

management for review and for

approval.

Explanation: