As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit an Online Business Solutions assignment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments.

Learning Outcomes:

After completing the module you should be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the theory and technical skills required to design and develop dynamic web applications.
2. Critically evaluate appropriate client-side and server-side technologies.
3. Justify the design and development of an application and critically evaluate the implementation approach.
4. Apply appropriate client-side and server-side technologies to implement an online business system to meet the needs of both the user and the client.
5. Use appropriate design and development techniques to design and implement a database system in order to efficiently manage data within the web application.
6. Utilise appropriate multimedia objects to assist the continual development and marketing of an online business system.

Your assignment should include: a title page containing your student number, the module name, the submission deadline and a word count; the appendices if relevant; and a reference list in Arden University (AU) Harvard format. You should address all the elements of the assignment task listed below. Please note that tutors will use the assessment criteria set out below in assessing your work.

Maximum word count: 6,000 words; (N.B: As this is a design and implementation, rather than an essay/report, assignment, the word count represents an equivalent amount of work, not the actual number of words expected.)

Please note that exceeding the word count by over 10% will result in a reduction in grade by the same percentage that the word count is exceeded.

You must not include your name in your submission because Arden University operates anonymous marking, which means that markers should not be aware of the identity of the student. However, please do not forget to include your STU number.

IMPORTANT

Part of this assignment is to upload a zipped up web site to the Student Server as detailed in the document “Guide to Uploading onto the Student Server” under “User Guides” on the module’s iLearn page. You will have received a user name and password for the Student Server when you started the course, along with the other user names and passwords for iLearn etc. You MUST check your access to the Student Server NOW. Do it before you even read the rest of this assignment spec. Do it right now. Do not turn the page until you have done it!

As you might have guessed, we have had significant problems in the past because students have not checked their access to upload the zip file and have left it far too late to sort it out. So, have you checked your access to the Student Server yet? If not, do it NOW.

If you have problems, then check your user name and password. Remember that passwords are case sensitive and your passwords are different for different Arden servers.

If you still have problems, please e-mail [email protected] now to get it sorted out well before you actually need it. The module tutor does not have security access to resolve problems with logging on to the student server so you must contact [email protected] if you are having problems.

Please note that any problems that you might have accessing the student server or uploading your work will NOT be accepted as mitigating circumstances for late submission, as you have plenty of time to get this working before the assignment is due.

SCENARIO

You work for a web development company, specialising in the development of e-commerce sites. Your company has decided to tender for a contract from a client who is considering implementing an e-Commerce site for their business in the near future. You have been given the task of developing the website.

Client Information

Elite Sports & Leisure (ESL) is a retail company that supply sports equipment to the general public and specialist sports equipment to professionals throughout the UK. Items include cricket, rugby, football, tennis and golfing items to name but a few.

Over the years the shop has been a very successful business but is now finding it hard to compete with Internet based stores which can offer a wider range of equipment at lower prices. The shop management have decided that they wish to set up an on-line shop to complement their existing business.

The management make extensive use of the Internet but do not have technical backgrounds, so they are not in a position to request specific technologies. They do, however, have a list of functional requirements (detailed below) which they would like from their website. It is up to you how you will implement these requirements.

The management do want to be involved in the design of the website, so you must produce appropriate documentation at each stage of the process.

Note: This business is fictitious but is representative of similar businesses throughout the world. On the Internet there are many websites that you can use as information sources, but not implementation, sources.

Please DO NOT try to contact any businesses directly about this assignment. They are much more interested in running their business than helping with student assignments.

Functional Requirements

The company management wants a website that can do at least the following:

1. Operate as a “shop front” advertising the sports & leisure products that they supply with the aim of increasing customer business. The website should include product information, some photographs and a “how to find us”. For the purposes of the “how to find us” section, use this address: 24 Hart Street, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 2AU. This is a real address and will come up on web mapping sites and SatNav systems with UK maps. There is not a sports & leisure business there! “Contact us” should be an appropriate e- mail address, which does not have to be real or live.

2. An on-line shop allowing people to order anything that the company sells. This should allow the browsing of a catalogue and the use of a shopping basket and checkout facility.

Assignment Task

You are to design, implement and test a website for the given scenario. This must meet the functional requirements given above. As this is a final year degree assignment, you need to complete every aspect to produce the final version of the website.

Specifically, your website must:

1. Meet appropriate design guidelines for accessible websites.
2. Have appropriate photographs for this “shop”, which you may obtain from on-line sources such as Google Images and must be referenced.
3. Have a working catalogue with a significant sample of appropriate stock. This must include at least a photograph, description, price and shipping cost for each stock item. The factual content of this may be taken from on-line sources but you must construct the catalogue yourself. The catalogue must be implemented using suitable back end database technology which links to the website and is kept up to date as orders are taken.
4. Allow the customer to order from the stock list by selecting “Buy Now” buttons or similar.
5. Have a customer registration and login facility for regular customers. This will allow customers’ personal details to be retained to simplify ordering and shipping.
6. Produce an invoice for the customer based on what they have ordered, with totals including shipping costs.
7. You do NOT need to implement a payment system. Instead, put a “Pay Now” button in an appropriate place and when clicked, go to a page saying: “Thank you for your payment”.

Using the given scenario, you are required to address the individual assignment tasks below, so that you can develop a solution website and prepare a final single written report, as follows:

Task 1 –

Website Design (equivalent to 1,500 words)

You are to select, justify and use appropriate website design methodologies to design the website. You must include all the design material within your submission. At this level of study, you are required to select appropriate tools and methodologies yourself and use them correctly for the task. Your selection of tools and methodologies, justification of that selection and use of the tools and methodologies are all part of the assessment.

Submit: Your website design documentation.

Task 2 –

Database Design (equivalent to 900 words)

(25 marks)

You are to select, justify and use appropriate methodologies to design the database required for this website. The database should conform to 3NF unless you justify why. You must include all the design material within your submission. At this level of study, you are required to select appropriate tools and methodologies yourself and use them correctly for the task. Your selection of tools and methodologies, justification of that selection and use of the tools and methodologies are all part of the assessment.

Submit: Your database design documentation.