Chapter 10 Question 1: What would be the advantages of selecting selecting an Internet-based Internet-based architecture for the New Century system?
An Internet-based architecture produces numerous beneficial factors. The Internet has become more than a source of communication, but has altogether changed the environment of system development. The Internet has opened so many doors of possibility. In the case of client-server systems, the client handles the user interface. By utilizing the Internet in the system, the entire user interface would be provided by the web server. Documents would be in the form of HTML coding which would then be translated and displayed by the client’s browser. This is just like the way many websites appear and perform on an average computer with Internet accessibility. The result of using the Internet-based architecture as opposed to the client-server systems is a shift in responsibility for the interface, becoming the server’s responsibility rather than the client’s. This is key for New Century Health Clinic, as it would produce a simplified simplified process for data transmission, which ultimately results in a decrease in cost for hardware and other data transmission difficulties. E-business provides cost-effectiveness, overall efficiency, and reliability. It has reshaped business as an industry. Advances are continuously made, launching Internet-based architecture into a modernized realm, where demand for e-business is high. New Century Health Clinic should consider Internet-based architecture for their system, as it would open the doors for many future possibilities, such as online scheduling, online links to pharmacies, and more. The Internet would increase communication accessibility overall.
Question 2: Should the New Century system be based on file-server or client-server architecture? Why?
A client-server system that integrates the use of internet protocol seems to be a better choice for New Century Health Clinic than a file-server design. Client-server architecture allows for more precise data transactions, as a specific request renders a specific result. In file sharing, only an entire file can be exchange, not a certain excerpt according to the clients query. For example, in the client-server architecture, if the receptionist wants to view Jane Doe’s medical billing records, she can view these individual records upon request (if security measures allow). If the system had a file-server design, the receptionist would have to view the entire document of billing for all patients. Along with this, the file-server design utilizes a significant volume of network resources, rendering it efficient, only when network users are low and data processing is small. Being a medical practice, it is nature for New Century Health Clinic to have a large quantity of data that needs to be shared frequently, despite the fact that there is only four personal computers which is a relatively small amount of network users. If client-server architecture incorporates a local area network (LAN) into its systems functions, it would allow for the transfer of data between computers, along with making the high-speed laser and impact printers and the tape backup unit accessible by all four PCs that would be connected to the system.
Question 3: Could the New Century system use both online and batch processing? How?
Online processing handles data and provides an immediate output. Online processing provides an interactive and continuous channel for dialog between the system and the user.
The batch processing system, on the other hand, is generally used for large quantities of data that is processed a on a regular basis, such as pay checks and medical billing, which would be valuable for New Century Health clinic for these reasons. Batch processing groups input transactions so they can be processed together. The overall characteristics of this system are to collect, group, and process transactions periodically. There is a way to utilize both methods of processing, and this combination would produce positive results for NCHC. Online processing would be used for things such as scheduling where instantaneous output and updating should take place. The moment the receptionist makes an appointment on the computer the system should save this and update the current available time slots. Batch processing would be used specifically for things like medical billing and paycheck transactions, which are high quantities of data that need to be processed regularly.
Question 4: Prepare an outline for a system design specification and describe the contents of each section.
System design specification, otherwise known as detailed design specification, is a document that incorporates a complete design for the implementation of New Centuries billing system. The system design specifications include: 1. Executive Summary. This is a management summary that outlines the project for the managers and executives of the company. It is an overview of what efforts for development have been made currently, along with providing a status report, current project costs and proposed costs for the remaining phases. The Executive Summary also reviews the benefits of having the new system, along with a
schedule for phases, and highlights of any issues that should be addressed by management. 2. System Components. A full design of the system is includes, along with the user interface, network specifications, databases, inputs, outputs, and files. All relevant documents should appear in the System Components section, such as DFDs and source documents. Requirements for all support processing, such as storage devices and back up techniques should also appear in this section. 3. System Environment. Constraints or situations that could affect the system should appear in this section. This is where any requirements that involve hardware, systems software, operations, or security. 4. Implementation Requirements. Here, start up processing should be specified, plans for software tests should be displayed, and acquisitions for data entry should be made. 5. Time and Cost Estimates. This section is basically dedicated to scheduling and cost estimates as the section title implies. It also should incorporate requirements for staff for the systems development phase along with new plans for the rest of the SDLC. Cost-to-date analysis reports for the project should be compared to the prior cost estimates and displayed in this section. 6. Appendices. All material that is considered supplemental should appear at the end of the report in this section. This supplemental material is supporting data that helps to further the viewers understanding of the overall system development process.
CHAPTER 11
1. Plan the testing required for the system . Normally during development phase the system will be tested on a constant basis especially during coding. As there might be syntax errors that may lead to other bugs and system crashes. Usually these are called structured walkthroughs which help catch errors and bugs during programming. A design walkthrough allows users to test and review the interfaces and system in general; assuring that all necessary features are in place. For the New Century Health Clinic system we would apply unit testing which will test individual programs or modules within the system. This will assist in e liminated various errors that may cause the system to crash. The test data for this test should contain both correct and erroneous data to ensure maximum test results. Another test that we may conduct would be integration testing that tests two or more programs that depend on each other. This further tests the features and modules of the system ensuring that all areas are in proper working order. After all the testing is done, there still may be a few bugs and flaws in the system, but if pre-tests and documentation were done correctly; it should not be too difficult to repair the issue. 2.
You have asked Anita Davenport, New Century’s office manager to contribute to the user manual for the insurance system. She suggested that you include a section of FAQs, which you also could include in the online documentation. Prepare 10 FAQs and identify the specific people who will require training on the new system. NCHC Insurance System FAQs 1. What is the insurance system? a. The insurance system is a link between NCHC and their patient’s providers. This system takes and receives payment information. 2. How can I access t he insurance system? a. You may access the insurance system through the staff intranet portal located on the main page. Use your unique username and password to login. 3. I am not able to view the insurance system correctly? a. Please enable cookies and make sure you have the latest version of Internet Explorer or Firefox. 4. What do I do if I forgot my login information? a. Please call tech support at 1.800.555.5050 5. I locked myself out of the insurance system because of too many incorrect logins. a. Please refer to FAQ #4 6. I’m not sure which is the correct form to process? a. Please refer to the insurance company ID# and look up the correct form in the Insurance Forms section. 7. I received a report in Spanish. Can the system translate? a. At this time the system cannot. 8. Can I use my co-workers login information to complete the forms? a. Yes, but all of the information will be recorded under that user. Therefore any errors or issues will be directly aimed at that specific user. 9. The insurance company is not receiving my reports? a. Please call tech support at 1.800.555.5050 10. This insurance system is fantastic who can I thank? a. You may thank Arthur J. Mortega Due to my earlier fact finding and interviews during the beginning of this project; I would have to recommend the entire office staff for training on this new system. Even though Tom is the main person in charge of insurance, everyone stated that they sometimes assist in the extra work load. Therefore, everyone should receive training on the new insurance system and the entire New Century Health Clinic System.
3. Recommend a changeover method for New Century’s system and justify your recommendation. Implementing a new system over a legacy system is an important task. The way it is conducted i s even more important. One can either do a direct cutover which literally flips a switch and shuts off the legacy system for the new. This approach is fast, but could have drastic consequences, such as errors not yet found or system failures right in the middle of conducting business. My recommended changeover method would be the pilot system which will test one section/module of the new system at a time, while running the legacy system in the background. This process will provide the least amount of risk as we will be able to try out the new system features and reference back to the old, while conducting normal business. This will also help train new staff in the process. The first system to go through the pilot changeover should be the patient scheduling system, patient record system, and the patient and insurance billing systems.
4. Should the associates perform a post-implementation evaluation? If an assessment is done, who should perform it? What options are available and who should perform it? Yes, I believe a post-implementation evaluation should be conducted. This will only help New Century Health Clinic and ensure that their system is as best as it could be. The assessment should be conducted by me or by a fellow analyst. I would prefer a fellow analyst who was not part of the project to weed out any bias views and help bring out absolute data. Everyone at Ne w Century Health Clinic should partake in the evaluations as this system was made for them. At the end of the evaluations, further steps can be taken to update or remove aspects of the system
