Software Engineering Case Studies
Case Study 1-Ticket Sales System
Below are some initial ‘raw’ requirements for an online ticket sales system (theatre, concert etc.).
.1. Users must be able to browse for events by name or date or venue.
2. Searching for events by keywords should also be possible.
3. User will select ticket price from those offered and also specify the number of tickets
they require.
4. The system should display availability of the tickets within five seconds.
5. Users must be able to choose their seats and purchase tickets 24/7.
6. Only registered customers can buy tickets.
7. Daily reports of ticket sales must be generated. These must be retained for two
years.
8. All data is to be backed up nightly.
9. It should not be possible to double-book tickets (i.e. buy a ticket that has already
been sold).
10.Ad hoc reporting will be required, showing ticket sales over a week. It should be
possible to vary that time span and look at any duration up to six months.
Case Study 2- Document Management System
Some initial requirements for an online document management system have been captured below:
“The system must be available 24/7. Anybody will be able to browse the catalogue but will need
to provide their membership details (user names and passwords) if they wish to download or
upload documents. User names will usually be email addresses and passwords will be eight
characters long. If the details do not match any existing members they will be given the
opportunity to register. Users should also be able to register even when they do not want to
download or upload. It should be possible for the admin team to cancel membership but
members should not be able to do this themselves. The interface must comply with Disability
Access legislation. A weekly report of all registered members must be produced.”
Case Study 3- At the Vet
A Veterinary Surgery is (at last) implementing an IT system. Initial requirements have been
captured and a data model produced. Validate the class diagram against each
1
, requirement in turn and identify any requirements that are not fully supported, explaining
the problem in each case.
1. Once animals are on the system any appointments they need can be booked.
2. The system must record the name and date of birth of the animal and the Vet that
they will be seeing.
3. Vets often write prescriptions and the system must record the drug and quantity as
well as the animal for which the drug is prescribed.
4. It should be possible to see which Vet wrote which prescription and when.
Case Study 4- Acme Engineering
Acme engineering is a general light engineering company that specialises in metallic fixtures and
fittings. It manufactures various products to customer order, and also has long term contracts to
supply manufactured products to other companies. Acme is a “jobbing shop” involving
craftspeople making specialised complete products – it is not a production line operation. The
craftspeople work on early (6am – 2pm) and late (2pm – 10pm) shifts 5 days a week, and
sometimes do overtime on Saturdays. The factory is always closed on Sundays. Each shift has a
supervisor. The management team consists of the Managing Director, Accountant and Sales
Manager. They are assisted by two Administrative Assistants who work Monday to Friday,
8.30am to 5.30pm. The management team has decided that, in order to become more
competitive, it needs more and better information on the costs involved in manufacturing. It
wants to build up a database of time and cost information per manufacturing job, so that future
work can be priced more accurately. This will involve recording the time spent on each
manufacturing job, the costs of materials used, and the overhead costs. One problem is that
Acme’s craftspeople have always had a free hand to carry out their work however they like, as
long as the finished fixtures and fittings conform to specification and meet deadlines. The MD
has engaged an IT consultancy company to analyse the requirements and design a system to meet
them. The team will include a consultant with extensive experience of implementing
manufacturing control systems. Acme has provided the following list of requirements to the
consultancy company:
1. The system is to log the craftsperson, start and finish time and materials used for each
manufacturing job. This must be possible on all shifts, including overtime.
2. The data for time and materials used is to be captured on touch screens next to the
machines on the factory floor so that the craftsperson’s work is not disrupted. This facility is to
be usable in a noisy and dirty workshop environment.
3. The system is to calculate material costs and overhead costs incurred for each
manufacturing job.
2
Case Study 1-Ticket Sales System
Below are some initial ‘raw’ requirements for an online ticket sales system (theatre, concert etc.).
.1. Users must be able to browse for events by name or date or venue.
2. Searching for events by keywords should also be possible.
3. User will select ticket price from those offered and also specify the number of tickets
they require.
4. The system should display availability of the tickets within five seconds.
5. Users must be able to choose their seats and purchase tickets 24/7.
6. Only registered customers can buy tickets.
7. Daily reports of ticket sales must be generated. These must be retained for two
years.
8. All data is to be backed up nightly.
9. It should not be possible to double-book tickets (i.e. buy a ticket that has already
been sold).
10.Ad hoc reporting will be required, showing ticket sales over a week. It should be
possible to vary that time span and look at any duration up to six months.
Case Study 2- Document Management System
Some initial requirements for an online document management system have been captured below:
“The system must be available 24/7. Anybody will be able to browse the catalogue but will need
to provide their membership details (user names and passwords) if they wish to download or
upload documents. User names will usually be email addresses and passwords will be eight
characters long. If the details do not match any existing members they will be given the
opportunity to register. Users should also be able to register even when they do not want to
download or upload. It should be possible for the admin team to cancel membership but
members should not be able to do this themselves. The interface must comply with Disability
Access legislation. A weekly report of all registered members must be produced.”
Case Study 3- At the Vet
A Veterinary Surgery is (at last) implementing an IT system. Initial requirements have been
captured and a data model produced. Validate the class diagram against each
1
, requirement in turn and identify any requirements that are not fully supported, explaining
the problem in each case.
1. Once animals are on the system any appointments they need can be booked.
2. The system must record the name and date of birth of the animal and the Vet that
they will be seeing.
3. Vets often write prescriptions and the system must record the drug and quantity as
well as the animal for which the drug is prescribed.
4. It should be possible to see which Vet wrote which prescription and when.
Case Study 4- Acme Engineering
Acme engineering is a general light engineering company that specialises in metallic fixtures and
fittings. It manufactures various products to customer order, and also has long term contracts to
supply manufactured products to other companies. Acme is a “jobbing shop” involving
craftspeople making specialised complete products – it is not a production line operation. The
craftspeople work on early (6am – 2pm) and late (2pm – 10pm) shifts 5 days a week, and
sometimes do overtime on Saturdays. The factory is always closed on Sundays. Each shift has a
supervisor. The management team consists of the Managing Director, Accountant and Sales
Manager. They are assisted by two Administrative Assistants who work Monday to Friday,
8.30am to 5.30pm. The management team has decided that, in order to become more
competitive, it needs more and better information on the costs involved in manufacturing. It
wants to build up a database of time and cost information per manufacturing job, so that future
work can be priced more accurately. This will involve recording the time spent on each
manufacturing job, the costs of materials used, and the overhead costs. One problem is that
Acme’s craftspeople have always had a free hand to carry out their work however they like, as
long as the finished fixtures and fittings conform to specification and meet deadlines. The MD
has engaged an IT consultancy company to analyse the requirements and design a system to meet
them. The team will include a consultant with extensive experience of implementing
manufacturing control systems. Acme has provided the following list of requirements to the
consultancy company:
1. The system is to log the craftsperson, start and finish time and materials used for each
manufacturing job. This must be possible on all shifts, including overtime.
2. The data for time and materials used is to be captured on touch screens next to the
machines on the factory floor so that the craftsperson’s work is not disrupted. This facility is to
be usable in a noisy and dirty workshop environment.
3. The system is to calculate material costs and overhead costs incurred for each
manufacturing job.
2
