MSCI304 Developing Business Information Systems PART II 2024 EXAMINATIONS

Question 1 (40% of available marks)

A company in the UK develops mobile Apps for Universities to help manage key operations. One of their Apps  is called iUniversity, a free mobile app that provides University services, resources, and information on mobile devices. The App can be installed on iOS, Android, and Huawei devices to increase its utility. The iUniversity App consists of features such as maps, search, eBooks, timetable and check-in for students who need to register attendance at timetabled events across the University campus.

The iUniversity App  is functioning appropriately, with the exception of some issues with the timetable check-in features. To be able to mark their attendance using the iUniversity App, students must join the campus internet service and have their Bluetooth switched on. The company realised that some students were able to beat the system by marking their attendance without being physically present in the classroom or leaving the classroom as soon as they marked their attendance on the iUniversity App.

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) contacted your company and has requested a meeting. Your company has nominated you to attend the meeting as you have been appointed to lead the project. During your meeting with the CIO, the CIO revealed that the iUniversity App is similar to the iLancaster App that your company designed. Hence, there will be no need to go into details on how the iUniversity App functions.

The CIO has requested that you help provide recommendations on how to enforce physical presence for attendance marking and ensure accurate attendance is captured on the iUniversity App. After careful evaluation, you have identified and recommended some internal controls and a few design changes.

Using the details above:

A.  Create a System Flowchart Diagram for the iUniversity showing the process of marking attendance  in a time-tabled  event using the knowledge from your interaction with iLancaster’s timetable and attendance features. (15%)

B.  Identify and describe at least three Internal Control measures you will propose to ensure full attendance compliance. This means an internal control measure that will ensure that only students who are physically present in a timetabled event and stay for at least 90 per cent of the event’s duration are able to mark attendance for the event. (15%)

C.  Create a new System  Flowchart  Diagram that  incorporates the  proposed  Internal Control (in B above) for the iUniversity App. (10%)

A new start-up called InstaCoffee has contacted you to help develop a new software for its new business.  The company has created smart, portable, IoT-enabled instant coffee maker machines. They have two major partners: shops that rent space to InstaCoffee to place their smart IoT-enabled instant coffee maker machines and delivery partners/ drivers who accept customers’ orders from the InstaCofee App and deliver hot coffee to customers.

InstaCoffee has provided you with the following details:

1.   The company has partnered with stores and delivery partners across the UK. The machines will be placed in these stores, and delivery partners will go to the stores to pick up and deliver the coffee to customers.

2.   The customers register on the InstaCofee App by supplying the following details: customer name, phone number, email address, shipping address, and credit card details.

3.   Delivery partners register on the InstaCofee App by supplying the following  details: name, phone number, email address, photo ID, and bank account. The App also captures and stores the following details about the delivery partners while in use: status (online, free, on-errand), total time worked per day, and total amount earned.

4.  The system administrator registers the details of the shops that the company has partnered with. The shop details consist of name, shop ID, address, and location (latitude and longitude)

5.   Customers order coffee by selecting the type of coffee and entering the delivery address. The InstaCofee App automatically select the nearest InstaCoffee maker machine to fulfil the order using the location of the shop where the machine is placed.

6.   Delivery partners receive an alert on their phones about a new order. If they accept, the location of the InstaCoffee machine and the delivery address, including the customer’s name, are shown.

7.   Payment is made (i.e., the customer’s card is debited) when a delivery partner accepts a customer’s order. If payment is successful, the InstaCofee machine starts to make the coffee while waiting for the delivery partner to pick it up.

8.   Finally, customers rate the coffee and the delivery partner when the coffee is delivered.