Designing Business Information Systems - Process Small information systems are often built by using a five-step process. The steps are: A) Problem analysis B) Problem understanding C) Decision making D) Solution design E) Implementation In the table are some descriptions of activities done during the setting up of an information system for the Double D Real Estate Agency. You are to link each activity with one of the steps in the five-step process. You should write A, B, C, D or E in the cell provided by the table beside each description. Activity Process Double D staff attending training courses to learn how to use the new information system. Barbara Smith explaining to RMIT’s students that Double D is having difficulty managing the maintenance of rental properties. (Write A, B, C, D or E in this column to indicate the process that is linked to the activity) E – Training is part of the implementation A – This involves analysing the problem situation with a view to trying to express the problem situation and to understand whether it is related to Technology, Organisational Issues or People RMIT students identifying entities and attributes needed by the new information system and drawing an entity relationship diagram. D – This is at the heart of solution design, where the solution is mapped out on paper During the discussion between Barbara and the RMIT students, a decision is made to build an information system to manage repairs to rental properties. C – The options are considered and a decision is taken on the option to pursue Students from RMIT finding out how Double D manages the maintenance of rental properties. As they are doing this, they talk to Double D staff and collect samples of documents and forms used for the rental property maintenance. B – Interviewing staff and document analysis are approaches to problem understanding. Designing Business Information Systems - Rich Pictures Read APPENDIX 1 (below) describing the “Double D Real Estate Agency Case Study”. Concentrate on issues concerning the management of rental properties. Do not include consideration of property sales. Use the information in the case study to draw a rich picture of issues facing Double D. You should include stakeholders, the boundary of Double D, relationships between stakeholders, viewpoints of stakeholders, and the position of stakeholders in relation to the boundaries of Double D. Do not forget the stakeholders outside the Double D agency. Draw your Rich Picture here: APPENDIX 1: (To be read as part of the Rich Picture Question) Double D Real Estate Agency Case Study Staff involved with the Double D Real Estate Agency are listed in the following table. Staff Role Jean Owner and manager of the agency. She also sells properties Dianne Senior sales person Evan Sales person Barbara Rental property manager Colin Assistant rental property manager Andrew Property management clerk Felicity Receptionist Graham Office worker Trevor Handy person. Does odd repair jobs in rental properties Harriet Accountant Rental Procedures One of the responsibilities of a real estate agent is to manage maintenance and repairs on rental properties. The Double D agency adopts the following procedures to deal with this responsibility. • The need for maintenance and repair is identified by: • The tenant calling the agency and reporting a problem • A Double D staff member reporting a problem during an inspection of the property (inspections are done every six months and at the end of a tenancy) • The property owner requesting that work be done on the property. • A problem report (a paper form) is filled in by one of: • The receptionist who took the call from the tenant • The staff member doing an inspection • The property manager who discussed the matter with the property owner. • A copy of the problem report is stored in the file (in a filing cabinet) with information about the property owner. • If the problem is an emergency (the property is or soon will be uninhabitable) the property manager takes immediate action by phoning a trades’ person (plumber, electrician, etc.) to arrange an emergency repair. • The original of the problem report is placed in the “Current Maintenance Jobs” file. • If the problem is “routine” (has not already been dealt with as an emergency): • The owner is contacted (usually by phone or fax) and asked to authorise the repair. When authorisation is received, the problem report in the “Current Maintenance Jobs” file is marked as “Authorised” • If the repair is authorised by the owner, the agency’s “handy-person” takes the problem report out of the file and carries out the repairs (or arranges for another service provider to do the job). • The handy-person: • Fills in the space on the problems report to record the action taken to fix the problem • Attaches an invoice for the work done (a paper form) • Places the report and invoice in the “Completed Maintenance Jobs” file • The property manager decides (on the basis of the handy-person’s report) who will pay for the repair (the tenant or the owner) • If the repair is to be paid for by the tenant, the property manager writes a letter requesting payment to the tenant and attaches an invoice • If the repair is to be paid for by the owner, the amount of the invoice is deducted from the next rental payment due to the owner The Issues There are a number of problems with this procedure. A. Problems are sometimes missed; repairs are partly done but not finished or are assigned to the wrong type of trades’ person (for example, a plumber is called when an electrician is needed). B. When the handy-person takes the problem report out of the “Current Maintenance Jobs” file, the agency loses track of the job until the report is put into the “Completed Maintenance Jobs” file. This inability to track jobs can lead to jobs being “lost” and agency staff are unable to answer questions about the status of jobs. C. There is no reporting system so the agency cannot easily provide a list of repairs that have been carried out. D. Sometimes repairs are “forgotten” and so the cost of the repair is not deducted from the rental paid to the owners.
