1. Do you agree with this point of view? Discuss ways of reducing input volume. Justify your position.

Yes, I strongly agree with this point of view because in term of costs, time to be implements and the result of benefits will clearly shown in form of written report rather than oral presentation. However, there are several ways in order to reduce the input volume. First of all, we need to reduce the number of data items required for each transaction. We need to input the necessary data only. We not need to input a data item unless it required by the system. Secondly is, do not input data that the user can be retrieve from the system files or calculated from other data. As for example, in the order system it generates an order number and logs the current date and time. Then the user enters a customer ID. If the entry is valid, the system displays the customer name so the user can verify it. We must note that the description, price, sales tax and grand total are retrieved automatically or calculated by the system. Other than that, we can use codes in order to reduce input volume. Codes are shorter than the data they represent, and coded input can reduce data entry time. Lastly, we need not to input the constant data. If the data are in batches with the same date, then a user should enter the order date only once for the first order in batch. If the orders are entered online, then the user can retrieve the order date automatically using the current system date.

3. Explain steps involves in procurement of software package.

The procurement of software package including hardware involves four basis steps which are, evaluate the information systems requirements, identify the potential vendors, select and purchase the software package and install the software package. First of all, before the company decides to purchase the software package, they need to evaluate the information regarding the systems requirements. In this step, the company must analyze the requirements of their company information system by identifying its key features. The key features should summarize the systems transaction volume, expected growth figure and external constraints. Besides that, the company also needs to analyze the functional and technical requirements of the system by specifying what inputs that the system will need to accept, what kind of output that the system required, the scale of processing needed and others. The second steps in procurement of software package is, identify potential vendors or sellers. After analyze and knowing the features that the system required here is the step to locate the vendors who selling packages that might satisfy the company needs. It is not unusual for a company to go through a preliminary evaluation process to weed out potential vendors or products that obviously would not fit with the needs to save time and money for both parties. It takes a great deal of time and effort in order to properly evaluate the potential fit of software package and vendor to company needs and it also take considerable effort and expenses on the part of vendor. Instead to keep the process in a reasonable length of time, it is generally advisable to limit the final group of vendors into three or four groups. Once the shorter list of potential vendors has been selected, a request for proposal is distributed to the vendors. A request for proposal is a document that describes the current situation and the detailed requirements of the organization. Once the request for proposal responses has been received from the vendors, they are evaluated according to the list of criteria identified by the company. Organization typically arrange for vendor presentation and on-site visits in order to help gather additional information to see the vendors system running in an actual working environment. Organizations may also go to another company that has the system running to interview users and see the system in operation.

Next, the third step involve in procurement software package is select and purchase the software package. After selecting a vendor, it is necessary to agree to a contract that protects both parties. Once the contract has been signed, the vendor would install the package by considering the builtin functionality of the package, the degree of uniqueness of the companys needs and the willingness of the organization and vendor to compromise on the issue of the closeness of the fit between the organizations needs and the software features. Lastly, after purchase the software package, it needs to be installed. Once it has been installed, the systems will still have to be tested, users trained and a conversion strategy to move from old system to the new one. One of the major differences between implementing packaged software and a custom-built one is that the construction should take considerably less time. However, it still may be necessary to create software in order to integrate the new application with organizations existing legacy system. The maintenance process must be done as that for an internally built system with the additional responsibility of managing the vendor relationship. There should be fewer software bugs and corrective maintenance needed since the software have already been installed and used by other organizations. With the very large complex enterprise systems, it is not unusual for the maintenance phase to require considerable effort and resources.

4. Discuss advantages and disadvantages of purchasing the software.

There are several advantages that we can discover by purchasing the software. The first advantage that make the companies are more prefer to buy the packaged software is, it can be met quite well of the companies needs. As for example, if the company required some software related to the payroll or accounts receivable, so they can search for that kinds of software and buy it from any vendors after consider the company requirements. The second advantage is, it can be more efficient to buy programs that have already been created, tested and proven. Means that, if the company buy the good quality software packaged which has been proven, so it will minimize risk relate to any inefficiency. The third advantage that we can discover is in term of time-consuming. Commercial software can be purchased and installed in a relatively short time period. if we design a new software it will takes time in order to do some test on that software either it match with the company requirement or not. if not, the designer need to consume more time to do some adjustment and test it again until meet the company requirement. The forth advantage is technology protection. Software that adapts the readymade approach can easily provide upgrade and migration paths to all their users because all those users use one or a few products. This upgrade and migration policy offer clients technology protection, an issue that cannot be underestimated in the fast moving world of IT

http://books.google.com.my/books?id=rAL1KDQhk18C&pg=PA360&lpg=PA360&dq=input+design+objec tives-reduce+input+volume http://www.ajyal.com/en/company/ready_made.html