All Ur Needs IT Report

  All Ur Needs is a chain of three shops located in two villages which is owned by two brothers. They also have an office over the larger two stores. The current system used by the brothers and staff is a manual paper based system except for some word processing and spreadsheets. The brothers have decided to fully implement a computerised system to gain all the benefits of IT. The aim of this report is recommending how the business should proceed with its expansion into the world of IT.Requirements for new system As the brothers have decided to change to a computerised system, specialist hardware and software will need to be recommended, purchased, installed, maintained and the staff will need to be trained including the brothers. The system should cover stock control and re-ordering, payroll, accounts and EFTPOS. Also the brothers want an online ordering system. A fully networked computer system will be required to allow data sharing, privacy, communication and internet connectivi ty.This will involve purchasing computers which are networked, networking hardware, selecting which network to set up. The network will also be over the internet so all three centres will be connected. Other hardware that will be recommended is eftpos machines to allow the business to take chip and pin. Software will also be recommended for stock control, accounts, payroll, and office software for general office duties like word processing. A web designer will be recommended for the business to move into online ordering.Lastly there will be a report on RFID’s explaining all the functionality and possibilities together with advantages and limitations. Networks and hardware The three centres will have to be interconnected to allow easy sharing of data, stock control and communication and any other business tasks. The main solution is to create a network using computers and a server. Also an internet connection will be needed to allow networking over a geographical area, in this case the third shop in the nearby village of Apenury.The business will need four computers, three for the shops and one for the office. These computers will not be expensive as the business does not need high performance computers except for the server, however as the brothers and staff don’t know much about computers it will be necessary to purchase installation and training which could be costly. Solution to hardware purchasing will be recommended along with justifications, the following hardware would be necessary to create a fully networked computer system.– Server: a computer or device on a network that manages network resources, the business will only need one lower power server as only a few user will be connected to the network – Processor: the processor is the brains of the computer, the processor is where most of the calculations take place and it is the most important element of a computer. The business would not need a high performance processor as they wont be performing demanding tasks, however the server may need a more powerful processor to manage the network efficiently – Ram: random access memory is a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly.The business would only need 128 to 256 of ram to perform the day to day tasks of a business, however more memory would make the computer run more faster, memory can be easily be upgraded as the business grows – Hard drive: the mechanism that reads and writes data on a hard disk. The business would only need between 40 and 60 GB of hard disk space as they wont have large amount of data – DVD/RW: a re-recordable DVD format similar to CD/RW, the data on a dvd/rw can easily be erased and recorded numerous times without damaging the medium. The business would need dvd/rw to back up data if there is a disaster or data loss.– Monitor (tft): a type of LCD flat panel display screen, the tft provides the best resolution of all flat panel techniques. Fl at panel displays are quiet expensive, but it is recommended for the business as they are ergonomic. The business will only need a 15 inch size monitor. – Graphics card: a board that plugs into a personal computer to give it display capabilities. The business wont need a graphics card as it will come integrated with the motherboard and graphics cards are only need when running demanding tasks like multimedia software.– Mouse: a device that controls the movement of the cursor on a display screen. A standard mouse will come with the computer. – Keyboard: a standard keyboard will come with the computer – Hub: A common connection point for devices in a network. Hubs are commonly used to connect segments of a LAN. This will be required to connect all the computers to the server; this will come with the server. – Motherboard: the man circuit board of a computer where all devices connect to. The business won’t need an expensive motherboard, just th e one that is compatible with the processor.– Network card: an expansion card you insert into a computer so computers can connect to the network, there will be a network slot on the computers so they can be connected – Printer: it is recommended that the business get a laser printer as it is cheaper in the long run instead of an ink jet printer, they may need a colour printer because of graphs etc. printer can also be connected to the network so they can be shared. A network is a communication system, a collection of resources, objects and people.Any two or more interconnected computer systems can be described as a network. A network improves communications, share resources and there is more efficiency. It is recommended that the business use a metropolitan area network, this is where different sites are connected. This is because there is a shop is Apenury which needs to be connected. The two shops and office should be connected through a local area network as they ar e on one site. The type of network that is recommended is a client/server network where multiple workstations are connected to one or more servers.