Criteria D - Evaluating

Evaluation of Investigation

This part of my work was all about researching necessary information that would guide me and help with completing the task. The software Access developed by Microsoft was suggested to me by my client for the creation of the database so I had to conduct research in my own time by experimenting with its features. This was because I have never encountered or used this software prior to this. We analysed the problem Roti Hut is facing and how a database made in MS Access could solve it, evaluated the ups and downs of using it with a SWOT analysis and then I found the information that was to be included in the database. I struggled most with finding useful features like macros that I had to manually set up by writing a code, which I have also not done or learnt about in the past. I was able to successfully complete all of my research on time to move on to designing the database.

Evaluation of Design

I began the process of designing by creating an action plan which I will follow to efficiently accomplish short term targets and eventually complete this part of the project over the limited amount of time I have. I then undertook the first part of my task, which is creating different variations of design styles for my database, one of which will be chosen as final. I created both designs from scratch both on paper and digitally, by using the famous software / tool, Microsoft Paint. I carefully evaluated both designs while comparing it to the requirements of the design brief. A summary detailing the criteria by which I was to create the product. After doing that, I selected the option meeting the specifications most. Of course, I would not be able to know that my design is a 100% foolproof if a test plan of some sort was not considered. I took into account the possible ways that the end product could be tested for flaws and made sure to run it after creation of the finished product.

Interview with Client Mr. Mai Sanikantha

Mr. Mai: Greetings.

Me: Hello again!

Mr. Mai: I am glad to say that the new database you crafted up is working great. The restaurant's grand opening is next week and have finally wrapped up one of the final projects.

Me: I am glad to hear that myself. I understand you have installed the database onto your computer system?

Mr. Mai: Correct, I'm impressed by the professional look, however there are a few minor issues I would like to make known.

Me: What would that be?

Mr. Mai: We did transfer the database to our system, however it took a while. Especially with a cheap WiFi router at our workplace, setting up the database and loading it up took ages. Also, I was filling in some information about an experimental dish our cooks are working on and when I tried clicking on 'Next Record' the database started to lag.

Me: It is very possible that the size of the database file is causing disruptions with the performance.

Mr. Mai: Is there a possible fix for this?

Me: I believe upgrading your computer would minimise the slow performance.

Mr. Mai: Thank you, I have no concerns otherwise. I feel the database will help us massively and I have already sent out a copy to our foundation restaurant in India. Now we won't have to rely on pen and paper to record our information.

Me: No problem. Good bye and good luck with your future endeavours!

Mr. Mai: I wish the same to you. Good bye.

Obstacles Faced During Creation of the Product

My biggest problem was the creation and setup of the login screen security measure that would appear as you launch the database. I had a hard time figuring out just how exactly to get the login button to function the way it is meant to and how I can notify the user that they have typed in an incorrect username or password. After consulting with one of my peers however, I was linked to a helpful internet tutorial that helped me understand the 'on-click event' function for designing the button. I also had some minor problems while designing the product. The forms would have a header that would overlap some of the main content and I was not sure how to get rid of it. After some thinking I moved the content out of the way and inserted the company logo on the header while the main content can still be seen.

Improvements

Probably everything has pros and cons. This product does too, for that matter. My client was happy with the appearance and functionality of the product, however did not find the performance as appealing. Roti Hut hired a group of professional photographers with high quality cameras to take pictures of the dishes, staff and equipment in the restaurant to be transferred to the new database. The resolution of the images being quite big caused the database to operate slower than expected, especially when moving between individual forms containing detailed information about one dish or item using the buttons. The digital weight of the database file made it difficult to transfer to the Roti Hut system. A solution was found nonetheless and the file was placed into a zip folder which shrunk the size of the file until unzipped at the destination. The file size remains heavy at this moment and the database functions slowly. My client was also worried about the fact that all information could be lost in the unlikely but possible case of the login details being forgotten and the employees being unable to access the vital information.

Personal Evaluation and Conclusion

I feel like throughout this work I succeeded in meeting the expectations of my client and acquired many new and exciting skills. I got experience with using a software new to me which meant I had to do my own research which was tricky at first but experimenting with features became more interesting. I learnt a little code language along with how to set up macros and buttons in Microsoft Access. I find that this program has a vast array of applications it could be used for in fields apart from restaurant database creation. Library book database to keep record of the books in and out of the library, a database for a hospital to keep track of the information about patients and more.

Sources:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqs8LIgKZTA
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=356ylQn6kkA

Criteria A - Inquiring and Analysing

Introduction

The restaurant chain of Roti Hut in India is famous in the megacity of Mumbai. Run by an anonymous owner and managed by the head director; Mr. Mai Sanikantha. They have expanded to the UAE and are preparing to launch the first restaurant in Dubai in December. However, they are far from reaching full preparation and require assistance with various problems like employment of qualified staff in the new country, advertising, finding construction resources and decorations. In particular they are also having trouble finding someone who can help them put together an account for monitoring the dishes, items and working staff in the restaurant.

The Problem

I have been asked by the head director of Roti Hut Mr. Sanikantha to create a user friendly database detailing the various dishes in the menu, currently employed staff and restaurant items along with different related expenses. This is because for the past years, Roti Hut India used messy hand written data records that were troublesome to use and maintain for a long time. The records often had to be updated on a single paper, already cramped with cross outs and scribbles. The paper suppliers are quite unreliable in the original area of the restaurant so there wasn't much that could be done about the fact that the records had to very often be replaced due to numerous damages. This issue looks unprofessional on the restaurant's side and to resolve this issue, the manager of the restaurant decided to create a digital account of the dishes and staff. I have been hired for the job and I will be given a software to become familiar with and to use in the process of creation. I believe I will be using the software Microsoft Access. It seems like a reliable program to use as it has many helpful features for convenience of the user and unlike for example Microsoft Excel can create a Database through forms instead of simply recording the data and calculating the expenses and creating graphs.

Research Plan - What Information Needs to be Found?

What needs to be researched? What for?	Primary Research	Secondary Research
Experiment and explore features of the software Microsoft Access 2010 which I will be using to create the database for Rotihut.	I will play around with Microsoft Access 2010 and see what new features I can discover for future use.	I will watch YouTube tutorials on the internet to find out more about the capacities of Access.
What the database needs to look like so I can meet the expectations of the restaurant.	I will interview Mr. Sanikantha to find out if they have a particular theme or design in mind for the database, what audience group I am aiming to address, etc.	Look at examples of restaurant product accounts on the internet, find software I can use to implement designs on the front page.
Find out the content for the database itself to have a finished product.	I will interview the secretary of Roti Hut to find out the details about the numerous products, ingredients, expenses, etc.	I will look at the typical menu and expense tracker examples in restaurants over the internet.

Interview with Mr. Sanikantha - Primary Research

Mr. Sanikantha: Good morning, I'm Mai Sanikantha.
Me: Good morning.
Mr. Sanikantha: I understand you would like to interview me before we seal our deal.
Me: That is correct. Shall we get started?
Mr. Sanikantha: Yes.
Me: As you have hired me to create a database that keeps record of the products, staff and various items in your restaurant. I would like to know whether you have a particular theme or design in mind for me to work with?
Mr. Sanikantha: Well you see, we started off in India, gradually gaining popularity among the wealthier citizens. We decided to expand into a foreign country that would be conveniently close to fly to and transport items to. The UAE seemed like an ideal place but in such a well groomed city, having the data records we use at the moment is unacceptable. I would like you to use a software called Microsoft Access to create a digital database that would keep account of all the information about our products here. The designs are mostly up to you, however I want you to meet certain guidelines. I would prefer you put all 3 into one document.
Me: Interesting, could you give me more information?
Mr. Sanikantha: I would like you start by recording all the details within the menu. Then include the various expenses, profit, popularity among clients back in India, etc.This will be truly helpful for us as the digital version of the database will not require more materials. Updating it will be more efficient and will save time.
Me: Very interesting. Thank you for your time. If possible I would also like to interview your secretary Ms. Narleen, to find out the details of the content for the database I will be working on.
Mr. Sanikantha: Yes, feel free to book an appointment.
Me: Thank you, goodbye.
Mr. Sanikantha: Good luck with you work. Goodbye.

Interview with Ms. Narleen - Primary Research

Me: Good morning Ms. Narleen, how are you doing?

Ms. Narleen: All good, thank you.
Me: I would like to have a brief interview regarding the content of the database I will be producing soon.
Ms. Narleen: Go on.
Me: I will start by creating a main menu straight away to navigate through the database and forms, I will then proceed to create the forms that can be filled in with information regarding the employees, dishes and items in Roti Hut. I would be glad if you could provide me with the information I am to include in the forms.
Ms. Narleen: Well, you will initially have to talk about the general information regarding the dish. Name of the product, ingredients, short description that should appeal to the customer, price and maybe even popularity among regular visitors.
Me: I will make sure to include that. Anything else?
Ms. Narleen: Definitely. You will be required to include the cost of the ingredients, profit made from the product by deducting the cost of ingredients from the customer's price of the meal. I will give you my record sheet detailing the information about the employees in this restaurant and items owned.
Me: Thank you. Goodbye,
Ms. Narleen: Goodbye.

Learning How to Create a Login Screen - Secondary Research

I figured that this would be the hardest task of all during the creation since there would probably be more involved than meets the eye. Designing a security system that checks for the correct verification ID and password that would also notify you about a spelling error in your username or password would be harder than creating a form and choosing a background colour. I conducted some research on the internet, on YouTube to be exact and discovered a few tutorials. All the videos I came across required me to write a code. The authors of the tutorials taught me how to write up my own code while giving example of the one they were writing during the video. Many were quite confusing and included flaws in the code that the author pointed out in the description after posting the tutorial. One very informative and clear video stood out to me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=356ylQn6kkA

I believe this will come in very handy when I will be creating my database.

SWOT Analysis - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in Product

Strengths	Weaknesses
Neater and more professional. Easy to update Eco-friendly as no paper is used Innovative concept for the restaurant	Unfamiliar older employees may require being taught how the digital database functions
Opportunities	Threats
May help the restaurant acquire popularity and a reputation of being ‘modern’.	Small text on the screen may be bad for eyesight. May also cause headaches and other problems. May malfunction and fail to work May get hacked Data may be erased due to above reasons

Design Brief For Database

After researching the information I need with employees from Roti Hut Dubai and researching over the internet on my own, I have come up with the key criteria I will follow during creation of the database:

- All forms must be to the point and well organised.
- Forms must look appealing and be user friendly. Include some useful features like a calculator macro, buttons to create a new record, skip to the next, delete record and make the forms for convenience and make it appealing by adding visual effects to various elements like make the buttons change colour when hovered over with a mouse pointer.
- Must include titles and subtitles in each form for the sake of organisation.
- Must include restaurant logo and trademark colours.
- Along with descriptions, needs to include illustrations and pictures where possible to give the user a visual image of what they are reading about.

Criteria B - Developing Ideas

Introduction

In this part of my work I will be giving a preview of contents in the to be created database. To do this I have used the software Microsoft Word and used the 'Create Table' tool. I will also showcase the various designs I have come up with that could be used in the presentation of these contents within the database. Before that however, I will explain the specifications required to create the database in the design brief below.

Table Name: Restaurant Dishes

Field Name	Data Type	Width	Example
Item code	Number	5	13578
Dish Name	Text	15	Butter Chicken
Dish Description	Text	100	Warm chicken breast covered in wonderful orange curry
Ingredients	Text	100	Chicken breast, curry, spices
Cost	Currency	6	30.00$
Ingredient Cost	Currency	6	23.00$
Profit From Dish	Currency	5	7.00$
Spice level (NS,M,H,VH)	Text	2	M
Picture	OLE Object	-	-

 

Table Name: Restaurant Staff

Field Name	Data Type	Width	Example
Staff ID	Text	5	54A9F
First Name	Text	15	Krej
Last Name	Text	20	Jat Vaani
Date of Birth	Date & Time	10	20/1/1990
Gender	Text	6	Male
Working Since	Date & Time	10	15/10/2015
Occupation	Text	25	Cleaner
Wage	Currency	8	500$
Picture	OLE Object	-	-

Table Name: Restaurant Items 

Field Name	Data Type	Width	Example
Item Code	Number	3	092
Item	Text	15	Teaspoon
Place	Text	15	Eating area
Date bought	Date & Time	10	19/10/2015
Amount of item	Number	3	50
Individual Price	Currency	5	$5
Total Price	Currency	5	$250
Picture	OLE Object	-	-

Action Plan

Task	Reason for doing it	When to do it
Create action plan and introduction on the blog. Put the finishing touches on Criteria A & B and recap on them.	To make sure I can be on track during my work. I will go back on my research to recap on what needs to be done	3rd Nov 2015
Begin creating main menu page in Microsoft Access	This is the form from which you will be able to navigate to the other forms	5th Nov 2015
Continue creation of the main menu	^	10th Nov 2015
Create form for the dishes in the restaurant	This is a record I was asked to create	12th Nov 2015
Create form for staff in the restaurant	This is a record I was asked to create	10th Nov 2015
Create form for items in the restaurant	This is a record I was asked to create	17th Nov 2015
Finish off all the forms. Add useful features.	To clean up any unfinished work and for convenience.	19th Nov 2015

Design 1 - LABELS INCLUDED DIRECTLY BELOW IMAGE

Login Screen

The user is to enter a username and password in the grey sections provided and must click enter to enter the database. A jpeg image of the database logo will be placed above the login entry sections.

Main Menu and Dishes - Forms

Main Menu: The main menu will include a red background and green text boxes and labels. A jpeg image of the company logo will be placed in the top center of the screen with three pictures below. The three images will be clickable buttons to navigate to the 'dishes' form, 'staff' and 'equipment'. Above the pictures will be labels with the titles of the forms. 

Dishes: The design for this form will include a text box at the top for the title, a set of useful features in the top right and left corner (a calculator button connected to a macro and self explanatory navigation buttons on the right). The big box on the right with a question mark is the area where the OLE object / image will be inserted. The two boxes in the bottom left are large text boxes so that a lot of information can be fitted. The background colour will be red and the text boxes will be green.

Staff and Equipment - Forms

Staff and Equipment: In this design all forms will include similar compositions of a title, text boxes for the information, pictures as OLE objects, also list boxes will be used. The background colour will be red and the text boxes green. Navigation buttons will always be on every form for the convenience of the user.

Design Evaluation - Design 1

A lot of effort was put into this design, however there are a number of flaws that do not allow it to be chosen as final. The design includes some thought for the convenience of use and the appearance of the design. What it is missing is colour and consistency. In order for the database to look professional, the text boxes must be positioned more or less in the same area and order in all database forms.  The login screen does include colour, however it would be nice to have a login button or something that would allow the user to exit if the database is booted by mistake. The calculator shortcut appears to be missing in the third and fourth parts of the design while it is mandatory to have it on all forms. The design nearly meets the requirements on the design brief and does not exactly look visually appealing due to the absence of colour and organisation, meaning lack of a professional look which is what my client wants.

Design 2 - *** CHOSEN DESIGN *** LABELS BELOW IMAGE

Main Menu

Description: A very simple but straightforward design. The company logo at the top of the form, text box with a red background fill for the title in the center of the form and three navigation buttons leading to the specified locations on the database.

Login Screen

Description: In this design the login screen looks entirely different. The background is white, the text boxes for the username and password are transparent and in this one buttons are included for logging the user in after the correct information is inserted along with an exit button. The logo however is still included at the top of the form. The login button will function using a code that links with a separate table containing the login details. The 'exit' button will link to a macro that will perform a 'QuitAccess' function that quits MS Access.

Dishes

 

Description: The design for this form looks slick, attractive and organised. It includes a number of useful features for efficiency and convenience for the user. A button with a macro attached to open a calculator, buttons on the side to add a new record, go to the next record or navigate to the previous. The background will be green and the text boxes red. The title will also be red while the header area is grey along with the company logo. A list box will be used on some of the text boxes.

Staff

Description: The design of this form is similar to the one above. The form includes a grey header featuring the company logo and a red text box with the title. As well as that the text boxes containing the main information is stacked nicely in an organised and professional fashion on the left and bottom right. The navigation buttons along with a calculator button is included on the right.

Equipment

Description: The design of this form is similar to the one above. The form includes a grey header featuring the company logo and a red text box with the title. As well as that the text boxes containing the main information is stacked nicely in an organised and professional fashion on the left and bottom right. The navigation buttons along with a calculator button is included on the right.

Design Evaluation [DESIGN CHOSEN]

This design being done digitally and including colour stands out very nicely. The arrangement and use of company logo and colours makes the design look professional. The addition of buttons to the login screen makes a difference and the simple look gives a welcoming feeling to the user. The main menu is straight to the point as required and again, the organisation of the buttons and the colour scheme makes the form attractive. However, the main menu could use an exit button. The forms look identical in a good way since that means they all look professional. There is evidence of use of a list box only in the 'Equipment' form however that is only a small flaw in the design. By making small adjustments during the creation the database can safely be the number one design. It perfectly matches the criteria set by the design brief which asks for inclusion of the company's logo and colours, an organised professional appearance and handy features for ease of use.

Useful Features

- Forms: A feature that allows content from tables to be transferred onto an interactive form that can be filled out and updated by the staff.

- Login Screen: A security measure that requires you to enter username and password before using the database to verify that you are a member of staff and not an intruder.

- Main Menu: The primary page that the user will be lead to after logging into the system. From there the user will be able to click buttons and quickly navigate through the various forms in the database.

- Macros: This feature allows quick access of useful tools such as a calculator by attachment of a button to the macro.

- Buttons: Can be installed on a form and clicked on to perform a variety of functions like opening up a macro as mentioned above.

- Property Sheet: A feature that can be opened up when editing a form in design view. Allows the user to customise the visual content on the form and even create codes for various purposes.

- List Box: A feature in design view of a table that allows the user to make a list of choices for selection to be available in a certain text field on the form.

Test Plan

In order to make sure that the end product I have created is fully functional, I will personally go through every table and form in the Microsoft Access file. The login screen code, macro codes, buttons, validation rules, combo and list boxes will all be individually checked for correct functioning by clicking and observing whether the result action that occurs is the desired one. If not, it is to be reviewed and fixed as necessary. My client will also be interviewed and will test the product. If they wish for any changes to be made, it will be done accordingly.