Department or Program Name

[SYSTEM/APPLICATION NAME]
Template Technical Design Specification

SYSTEM APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL DESIGN SPECIFICATION

ABSTRACT
The decision-making process in even a small supermarket can be complex. To be an effective manager you must understand the process. Setting clear and specific goals is essential. Everyone working in the supermarket should understand these goals. They need to know how they contribute to achieving goals and be motivated to do so.

For managers to track performance and to identify reasons for inadequate results, they need a management information system. This Simulation based system will provide users with real world dynamic experience to better understand the decisions they make and how do their decisions affect the results. This system will provide them dynamic and comparative feedback, so that they can understand their decisions and how changes would affect the results.

The supermarket chain simulation will be used to train students and professionals about business principles and techniques in real world supermarket management. Decisions would be made about product sales, purchase, margins, promotions, marketing, store hours and labor. Other financial decisions would include investments and loans.

The main objective of performing this activity is to improve the financial position of the supermarkets by providing decisions about sales, purchase, margins, promotions and labors. The decisions should be able to compete with other superstores, warehouses and hypermarkets, and attract more customers to ultimately gain profit.

SYSTEM/APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract..................................................................................................................................1 1.0 Objective..........................................................................................................................1 2.0 Introduction.....................................................................................................................2
2.1 Background..............................................................................................................................................4 2.2 Motivation ................................................................................................................................................6 2.3 Description...............................................................................................................................................7

3.0 Technical Specification................................................................................................10

3.1 Hardware/ Software Requirements........................................................................................................10 3.1.1 Software (server side)....................................................................................................................10 3.1.2 Hardware (server side)...................................................................................................................10 3.1.3 Requirements (client side)..............................................................................................................10 3.1.3 Other..............................................................................................................................................10 4.2 Business Services..................................................................................................................................11 4.2.1 Diagram..........................................................................................................................................11 4.2.2 Batch Processing...........................................................................................................................11 4.2.3 Scripts............................................................................................................................................11 4.2.5 Business Processes.......................................................................................................................11 4.3 Data.......................................................................................................................................................11 4.3.1 File Structure..................................................................................................................................11 4.3.2 Extract Functionality.......................................................................................................................11 4.3.3 Export Functionality........................................................................................................................11 4.3.4 Schema Objects.............................................................................................................................11 4.3.5 Table Descriptions..........................................................................................................................11 4.3.6 Data Mapping.................................................................................................................................11 4.3.7 Security..........................................................................................................................................11

5.0 Backup and Recovery...................................................................................................12 6.0 Appendix........................................................................................................................12

SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

1.0 OBJECTIVE
Supermarket simulation website can be used in many teaching situations: - intensive one-day training sessions to once-a-week classroom use, where decisions are made outside of the class and merely turned in. It is very helpful if the student reads the instruction manual prior to introducing the game. This can save up to an hour of class time and enhances understanding of the simulator early in the session. If students have read the instruction manual, it should only take about 20 minutes to introduce the simulator and 10 minutes to organize teams and start decision-making.

The simulator can be used to reinforce business or economics principles and tools being taught and provide a better understanding of the relationships among management decisions and their outcomes as represented by the performance of the dealership and reported in the financial statements and operating reports. Ultimately the simulation will provide: Attempt to duplicate real-world Increase decision-making skills Reduce costs of learning Provide dynamic feedback Provide support for multiple sessions

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SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

2.0 INTRODUCTION
Then, teams comprising of 2-5 members will compete with each other by making decisions. Decisions made by one team will affect their performance and the performance of their competitor. Based on decisions submitted by each team, results would be reported in the form of balance sheet, operation analysis, ratio analysis and competitive report. After completion of every quarter each team can view its results and the information in these reports should be carefully studied in planning the decisions for the next quarter as it provides valuable insight regarding problems and suggests areas where results may be improved.

It will help managers to track performance and to identify reasons for inadequate results using a management information system. This Simulation based system will provide users with real world dynamic experience to better understand the decisions they make and how do their decisions affect the results. This system will provide them dynamic and comparative feedback, so that they can understand their decisions and how changes would affect the results.

Supermarket simulation website can be used in many teaching situations: - intensive one-day training sessions to once-a-week classroom use, where decisions are made outside of the class and merely turned in. The simulator can be used to reinforce business or economics principles and tools being taught and provide a better understanding of the relationships among management decisions and their outcomes as represented by the performance of the dealership and reported in the financial statements and operating reports.

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SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

The simulation website developed as a part of this project will be used by faculty and students in the Department of Agriculture. This website will also be used by companies who want to train their employees with real market conditions and improve their analyzing and decision making skills. It will provide them with proper learning experience of changing requirements in market and how to plan decisions based on the market needs.

As part of project the following items described below will be delivered:

Simulation Website: This will be the main working model of the simulation delivered in the form of website, which will be uploaded on ISU Web Server accessible to assigned students, faculty and professionals as determined by the Department of Agriculture.

This simulation website will function as an input and output medium for users, where they will enter their decisions and reports would be generated based on those decisions and internal algorithms. They can analyze those reports to further improve their understanding of the subject and make better decisions in future in real market conditions.

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SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

2.1 Background

Current product related to the project is the www.prostar3t.ilstu.edu website, which is used by the Department of Agriculture faculty to teach and train students about the real market conditions in retails fertilizer management. Each time the players submit a set of management decisions and run the simulation they are able to see the impact their decisions had on the performance of their dealership.

The calculations for different variables and reports are based on a FORTRAN program developed by Dr. Emerson M. Babb of Department of Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. But that program only provides basic calculations and reports, and does not provide a good user experience. It is also unable to provide any sort of dynamic feedback to user, which can help them better understand their decisions and improve them for future use.

The supermarket simulation website to be developed plans to enhance the user experience, increase learning by providing dynamic feedback, provide conditions closer to real market by increasing the level of uncertainty.

Also, the current system does not allow for multiple sessions and does not support as many different teams and instructors necessary. This supermarket simulation website will allow multiple sessions and several teams and instructors can access the system at same time. This will provide more users to interact with system at same time and in same market scenario.

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Users will be provided with dynamic feedback consisting of comparative analysis and past decisions. Also, the website will contain multiple virtual competitors to provide users with different scenarios even after the market is setup, so that they have to change their decisions accordingly as it happens in real market.

In the end, simulation will provide users in enhancing: Decision-making skills Business skills Data Analysis skills Real world problem solving skills

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SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

2.2 Motivation The motivation behind this project is that currently users do not have any web-based solution or management information system in place to simulate real market conditions and better learn and understand financial management. Currently the concepts of financial management are achieved using classroom teaching and no efficient web-based tool is available to create real-life market conditions. As the current tools do not allow duplicating specific variables of the business environment of supermarket and the users are not able to practice strategic elements learned in class.

This tool proposed by this project will help students better understand and apply the strategic techniques of financial management through real-life situations.

Simulations are a method of presenting information just as are lectures, exercises, case studies and exams. This simulation will provide users with interactivity and dynamic feedback, so that they can better understand their decisions and improve their skills based on the feedback provided by system and faculty.

The supermarket simulation website to be developed plans to enhance the user experience, increase learning by providing dynamic feedback, provide conditions closer to real market by increasing the level of uncertainty.

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SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

2.3 Description The supermarket simulation website will be used to train students and professionals about business principles and techniques in real world supermarket management system. Decisions would be made about product sales, purchase, margins, promotions, marketing, store hours and labor. Other financial decisions would include investments and loans.

Then, teams comprising of 2-5 members will compete with each other by making decisions. Decisions made by one team will affect their performance and the performance of their competitor. Based on decisions submitted by each team, results would be reported in the form of balance sheet, operation analysis, ratio analysis and competitive report. After completion of every quarter each team can view its results and based on those results, they can change their strategies to improve performance.

The simulation website developed as a part of this project will be used by faculty and students in the Department of Agriculture.

Teams will be formed among the students who will submit their decisions about different variables such as margins, sales, purchase and inventory. Based on those decisions, calculations would be performed and different reports such as balance sheets, sales analysis and purchase analysis will be produced.

A Faculty member can act as an administrator and view the generated reports. Based on reports, he/she will provide suggestion to students. Thus the website would be helpful in providing

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SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

students with real-time work environment with real market conditions.

Faculty can also create or delete teams and markets based on when they plan to use it in the classroom. Students have to submit their decisions within specified time limit to compete with other teams.

This website will also be used by companies who want to train their employees with real market conditions and improve their analyzing and decision making skills. It will provide them with proper learning experience of changing requirements in market and how to plan decisions based on the market needs.

Companies can train their employees to compete with rival companies, so that they can change their strategy based on other competitors decisions.

The students will need to analyze market conditions and enter decisions as part of their assignments. Then, faculty will provide feedback to students to improve their analyzing and decision making capability in real market conditions.

The results of the decisions made will be conveyed to each team in the form of a report composed of an operating statement, balance sheet, and other information about their operation.

In addition, they will receive a market report showing the percentage of sales each team has and other information about the specials, store programs, double coupons, and advertising policies of

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SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

rivals. The information in these reports will be carefully studied in planning the decisions for the next quarter as it will provide valuable insight regarding problems and suggest areas where results may be improved.

These reports will help users better understand financial management. Good financial management is essential to perform well in the simulation. This supermarket simulation will help students improve their management skills, which are necessary in real market conditions.

Also, dynamic feedback will be provided to students based on the reports generated, so that they can better learn how make good decisions. Dynamic feedback will be generated using past data, current user decisions, other team decisions and plan for future. This will provide an overall and best feedback to users comprising of all the decisions currently in system.

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SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

3.0 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

3.1 Hardware/ Software Requirements
3.1.1 Software (server side) o

Development environment: Visual Studio 2008 (.Net Framework 3.5)

o Development Language: C# .Net, ASP .Net o Database: SQL Server 2005

3.1.2 Hardware (server side) o o o

Processor Type: Pentium IV (Dual Core) - compatible processor or higher Processor Speed: Recommended: 2 GHz or higher Memory (RAM): Recommended: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM or more

3.1.3 Requirements (client side)

o Operating System: Windows XP or Higher/ Mac OS 10.4 or Higher o Browser: IE 6.0 / Firefox 2.0 / Safari 2.0 / Chrome 3.0 o Internet Connection: Cable or DSL
o

Computer Processor: 1.5 GHz Pentium IV - compatible processor or higher

o Computer Memory: 1 GB or more

3.1.3 Other

o Deployed on a Server and accessible to normal user as a website. o Multiple users environment o Website hosted on ISU server

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SYSTEM /APPLICATION NAME

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

4.2 Business Services

4.2.1 Diagram Include a diagram of the application or system. Click on the sample diagram to open Visio and make any changes.

Sample diagram:
ADCS Print Response Processing
Minute
Deposit File to Drop Box

Minute 2

ADCS

Drop Box File Deleted

Deposit File to Drop Box

BMS Temporary Directory

Gets file from Drop Box

No Yes

Gets file from Drop Box

BMS Application

Reads files from Temporary Directory

Writes files to BMS Emulating current Process

Successful Post?

Reads files from Temporary Directory

4.2.2 Batch Processing 4.2.3 Scripts 4.2.5 Business Processes

4.3 Data
4.3.1 File Structure 4.3.2 Extract Functionality 4.3.3 Export Functionality 4.3.4 Schema Objects 4.3.5 Table Descriptions 4.3.6 Data Mapping 4.3.7 Security

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

5.0 BACKUP AND RECOVERY 6.0 APPENDIX

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