Define Business Requirements

Assessment 2

Define Business Requirements

A1) Structure of data necessary to support processes in a database system

The data must be presented in an orderly way. Sy receives hard copy documents that he manually inputs into excel. In order to effectively make the transition from Excel to Access as he desires, the documents that include purchases, inventories, sales, etc must be well documented and accessible, for both Sy and the accounts payable and payroll clerks. That is, the data must be structured coherently, in order of date of purchase, etc, so it can be input in an orderly fashion that will make the new Access based accounting system a better alternative than Excel.

The payments to fishers and vendors are data that should be structured and converted electronically. Rather than mailing the purchase documents, the data can be input electronically once the computers are installed, allowing a more transparent and stronger database system. It is also important that the data pertaining to multiple payments from the same vendor be presented individually and separately in order to better track each individual transaction in the database system.

A2) Sequence of activity in SY’s current business processes

1) The supervisor at the individual stores is responsible for buying fish, preparing fish for customers, making deliveries, and placing orders for future fish deliveries.  Customers call the individual stores to place their order of fish. The customer orders are then recorded in an order log. Every morning, the log is viewed to estimate the types of fish and quantities that need to be purchased. Purchase documents are produced during this process, in which the purchase number, fisher number, purchasing employee, truck VIN, type of fish, quantity, and purchase price. When the truck returns with the purchased fish, the fish is unloaded and delivery documents are prepared. The document contains al relevant information pertaining to the fish order. Each customer receives the fish and delivery document. All deliveries are paid for by the end of the month. The customers send the payment to the NY store. These documents are then mailed to Sy.

2) The AP clerk is then responsible for making sure vendors are paid by mailing checks. If multiple purchases are received from the same vendor, she will combine payments. She then packages all the documents, including purchase and invoices, and mails them to Sy’s office.

3) Payroll records are maintained by one payroll clerk. Employees at each store fill their own time card. At the end of the month, individual store supervisors collect the cards and then send them overnight to the payroll clerk in charge of all time cards. Payroll checks are prepared by the payroll clerk and then sent to individual employees’ addresses. Once checks are mailed, the time cards/check copies go to Sy.

4) The accounts receivable clerk receives payments from customers at the end of each month. Sequential cash receipt numbers are assigned to each payment, along with customer number, date, and amount. The A/R clerk deposits all checks in the bank and then the list of cash receipts along with a copy of the deposit is sent to Sy.

5) Customer refunds are handled by the local store employee, who prepares a refund authorization. If the customer has not paid yet, the employee has the customer take the amount off his/her bill. The refund authorization is then sent to Sy. If the customer HAS paid, the employee tells the customer that she/he will receive a check within a week. The refund authorization form is sent to the accounts payable clerk at a different office, who sends the customer a check. Finally, the refund authorization and payment information will be forwarded to Sy.