Prompt: For Milestone Two, you will be assessing the database needs and options
ID: 3773352 • Letter: P
Question
Prompt: For Milestone Two, you will be assessing the database needs and options for Sharpe Style. After looking at how the SDLC applies to your final project, a good next step is looking at the data. Think small and see where your requirements take you. Remember that Mary is worried about how she will keep track of her inventory when she migrates into online sales. You will be using the Milestone Two section of the template to complete this assignment. Refer to the Sharpe Style scenario for details on the current state of the company and the business owner’s goals. Based on what you have learned in Module Three, assess the type of database technology the company will need to support new online services. Once you have established the company’s needs, you should research the available options. Present a minimum of two. Keep in mind that Mary Sharpe is looking for an inexpensive and easy-to-implement solution. What are the pros and cons of each option? For this assignment, find a real-world example of what has or has not worked for another company. Talk about how this example informs the options you will present to Mary Sharpe. Make sure you site your source(s) appropriately. Remember that you are an intern and are not expected to make suggestions that encompass a deep level of technical detail. You are expected to provide a highlevel view of what would be required to help your business owner make an informed decision regarding database needs for online services. Use the Milestone Two section of the template and submit the template to your instructor for feedback and grading. Remember to incorporate instructor feedback before your final submission in Module Seven. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: II. Database Needs and Options: Use this section of your report to assess the business’s database needs with respect to the proposed expansion into online sales, and lay out possible solutions for meeting the needs you identified. Specifically, you should address the following: A. What type of database technology will the company need to support the new online services? Explain your answer. For example, how will the company keep track of inventory and customer information for sales in the retail versus the online store? Will two separate databases be needed? Will the company need to integrate its database(s) with other software to serve intelligent functions such as inventory tracking, order tracking, or payments? B. Weigh the pros and cons of different solutions for addressing database needs in general terms. Justify your response. For example, will the option require migrating data to a new system? Will it require a different server setup? Is the cost of the solution outweighed by the potential benefits in terms of improving efficiency and increasing sales? To illustrate your point(s), you may want to include real-world examples of what has or has not worked for other companies.
Explanation / Answer
Ecommerce refers to the sum of all interactions a customer has with your business across website, mobile, and other digital experiences. The more a customer shops on your website, the more likely they are to refer their friends and family. The brand experience you create online is integral to bringing shoppers back and spreading your reputation by word-of-mouth to attract new customers.
Starting with a basic ecommerce strategy helps you identify and plan for gaps, account for compliance, and support customer satisfaction by considering all of the moving parts of your store. Without a strategy, you could face:
The desired customer outcome should drive the business focus, the technologies used, and the security measures implemented to build trust, loyalty, repeat business, and referrals.
1-sec delay in response can lead to 7% drop in conversions1.
Elements of Ecommerce Strategy
The path a merchant takes to build their ideal customer experience is unique to their industry, brand vision, and goals, but should include these elements:
In this paper, we’ll cover the basics of each element as a starting point to building and executing your optimal customer experience.
User-based Focus
Think like a customer. This begins with considering the look, feel, and flow of your online presence, and extends through your social media efforts and other online activities. Your home page should say “hello” like a sales clerk would in a physical store, and lead the user through your site with relevant prompts, information placement, image sizes, design consistency, logical navigation, and a safe atmosphere.
Use dynamic pages to serve custom content based on the user profile. For example, a sporting goods retailer could display a home page that highlights camping gear. A previous user who had browsed for tents may see this homepage, while a user that had browsed jet skis might be served up entirely different content. Enhanced search capabilities give users a quick way to find exactly what they’re looking for when they don’t want to browse the site. Adding content that supports the buying process like reviews, multiple product views, and live chat helps foster experiences that turn site browsers into loyal customers.
To determine which features are right for your product and customers, use analytics and customer surveys. That will help you to find out what’s working or missing now. Executing the most advanced features may mean more than just changing text and images. Instead, you may need to rethink or revamp existing database schemas and ways to scale systems to account for the collection, storage, and manipulation of new types of data.
One of the most time-consuming tasks company'll face in operating a retail store is keeping up with stock. Unless have a very narrow product
mix, it will spend a significant chunk of time tracking inventory. Although it requires work and discipline to maintain, a good inventory
system will make it easier to meet the needs of companyr customers -- the key to growing a successful business.
Here are some advantages of a good inventory tracking system:
Theft control. Without an inventory system, it's impossible to know if being ripped off by customers or employees until it's too late
Customer service. company can avoid running out of stock and can determine if an item's in stock and locate it more readily if company keep track. company can also locate out-of-stock items, their prices, and manufacturers.
Financial management. Inventory systems help company keep track of how company're doing. It makes little sense to go for an entire year without knowing the status of companyr stock.
Product tracking. company can track specific items and weed out low sellers with sales or markdowns.There are a number of computer software
programs available for tracking inventory. Some are relatively inexpensive. Many allow company to print and read bar code labels, print
invoices, and provide a complete array of reports and statistics.One disadvantage of using a package inventory system is the inability to
use stock numbers that relate an item to a specific product and vendor. company can always look up the information in the system, but it's not
transparent from a stock number and company may not have the time to chase it down when company're waiting on customers.
Company can also use a database program, such as Microsoft Access, to manage inventory. These programs can handle almost any kind of
descriptive product code, but they'll require more computer skills to develop than a package system. company'll also have to develop companyr own reports and statistical analyses.If company're not comfortable starting with inventory software, company can begin with a card system. company can purchase preprinted inventory cards from an office supply store that have spaces for the item code, description, supplier, cost, selling price, beginning stock, sales, and current balance.
When a new item arrives, company'll assign it a unique inventory code and enter a description, companyr cost, selling price, and the amount of companyr beginning stock on the card. A simple coding system is to use alphanumeric codes, with the first few digits being an abbreviation of the vendor's name, followed by an item number. For example, items from a company called Homespun Cottage could be coded HC-1, HC-2, and so on.When company sell an item, put the inventory code on the sales ticket. At the end of the day, update the inventory cards from the sales tickets.Even if company use a computer system, company can still use the same sales tickets, merchandise coding, daily posting, and pricing systems. The only difference is, company'll enter the daily sales and receipts on a computer-generated printout, which company then input into the computer weekly or monthly. Each month, update the inventory and generate a new printout for the succeeding month.
Now that company understand the mechanics of inventory systems, company'll need to establish some policies for managing inventory.Obtaining knowledge about inventory is useless unless company use it to improve companyr store's sales and profitability. Watch for these indicators:Items that are selling well and have low stock balances. With this type of item, company'll find it helpful to establish and indicate on the inventory card or computer sheet a desirable reorder point.
Slow sellers that have been in inventory a long time. Unless these are seasonal items, which will sell later, company should consider putting them on sale to move them out so company can put companyr money into faster-moving items.Hot sellers for which sales have increased. For these items, company should increase companyr order quantities or put in a special order to take advantage of the selling surge.
The final inventory activity is the annual physical inventory. This is essential to the prudent financial management of companyr store and shouldn't be skipped. company must do this at the end of companyr tax year, which is almost always the calendar year.To get started, make lists from companyr inventory system before the physical count and use these to make companyr count. These lists should include the item code, cost per item, and inventory quantity shown on the records, along with a space for the actual count and a space for the total value of that item in stock.
After the count, calculate the value by multiplying the cost times the actual count. Then total this column for all items to get the total inventory value. With a manual system, company do this by hand, but a computerized inventory system can calculate the values, along with differences between actual and recorded inventories. By comparing these inventories, company'll have an idea of the loss of goods through theft or disappearance.
Database administration outsourcing, or remote database administration, is indeed seeing significant growth, thanks to a few key factors, according to Ntirety's Corey. Databases keep getting bigger, there are more applications, each growing and becoming more complex, and DBAs are getting harder to find and keep trained.
Simply put, Corey said, there are three ways to cope with the growing demand: hire more DBAs, pay for an onsite consultant, or use an outsourcing firm.The Internet and sophisticated security procedures have made remote database administration a viable alternative.
Remote database administration is an especially attractive option for smaller companies or businesses located in places where talent can be hard to find."We do a lot of business in Maine, because there aren't many people up there," Corey said. "Company size does matter."
Small and midsized businesses have the same critical need for DBAs that larger organizations have, but they don't have the same resources and enterprise operations.Another reason to turn to remote database administration is for the sake of the DBAs in your organization, In fact, in-house DBAs can benefit from turning to an outsourcer because it can free them up for more strategic or learning opportunities.
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