Chap 11: Analysis and Design

Slide 11.1

Dave Chaffey, E-Business and E-Commerce Management, 3rd Edition © Marketing Insights Ltd 2007

CHAPTER 11ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

Slide 11.2


Learning outcomes Summarize approaches for analyzing

requirements for e-business systems Identify key elements of approaches to

improve the interface design and security design of e-commerce systems.

Slide 11.3


Management issues What are the critical success factors for

analysis and design of e-business systems? What is the balance between requirements

for usable and secure systems and the costs of designing them in this manner?

What are the best approaches for incorporating new IS solutions with legacy systems into the architectural design of thee-business?

Slide 11.4


Analysis for e-business Understanding processes and information

flows to improve service delivery Pant and Ravichandran (2001) say:

‘Information is an agent of coordination and control and serves as a glue that holds together organizations, franchises, supply chains and distribution channels. Along with material and other resource flows, information flows must also be handled effectively in any organization.’

Slide 11.5


Workflow managementWorkflow is

‘the automation of a business process, in whole or part during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant to another for action, according to a set of procedural rules.’

Examples: Booking a holiday Handling a customer complaint Receiving a customer order.

Slide 11.6


BizFlow

Slide 11.7


Process modelling Often use a hierarchical method of

establishing the processes and their constituent

sub-processes the dependencies between processes the inputs (resources) needed by the

processes and the outputs.

Slide 11.8


Task analysis and task decomposition Before a process can be designed and

implemented, a more detailed breakdown is required known as ‘task analysis’

Curtis et al. (1992) framework:Level 1 business process are decomposed into:

Level 2 activities which are further divided to:Level 3 tasks and finally:

Level 4 sub-tasks.

Figure 11.1 An example task decomposition for an estate agencySource: Adapted from Chaffey (1998)

Slide 11.10


Process dependencies

Summarize the order in which activity occur according to the business rules

Data flow diagrams and flow charts are widely used as diagramming techniques Flow process charts Network diagrams Event-driven process chain (EPC) model

Figure 11.2 Symbols used for flow process charts

Figure 11.3 Flow process chart showing the main operations performed by users when working using workflow software

Table 11.5 Elements of the event-driven process chain (EPC) model

Figure 11.4 General model for the EPC process definition model

Slide 11.15


Data modelling Uses well established techniques used

for relational database design Stages:

1. Identify entities2. Identify attributes of entities3. Identify relationships.

Figure 11.5 Generic B2C ER diagram

Slide 11.17


Identify entities Entities define the broad groupings of information

such as information about different people, transactions or products. Examples include customer, employee, sales orders, purchase orders. When the design is implemented each design will form a database table.

Entity A grouping of related data, example customer entity. Implementation as table.

Database table Each database comprises several tables.

Slide 11.18


Identify attributes Entities have different properties known as

attributes that describe the characteristics of any single instance of an entity. For example, the customer entity has attributes such as name, phone number and e-mail address. When the design is implemented each attribute will form a field, and the collection of fields for one instance of the entity such as a particular customer will form a record.

Attribute A property or characteristic of an entity, implementation as field.

Field Attributes of products, example date of birth. Record A collection of fields for one instance of an

entity, example Customer Smith.

Slide 11.19


Identify relationships The relationships between entities requires identification of

which fields are used to link the tables. For example, for each order a customer places we need to know which customer has placed the order and which product they have ordered. As is evident from Figure 11.5, the fields customer id and product id are used to relate the order information between the three tables. The fields that are used to relate tables are referred to as key fields. A primary key is used to uniquely identify each instance of an entity and a secondary key is used to link to a primary key in another table.

Relationship Describes how different tables are linked. Primary key The field that uniquely identifies each record in

a table. Secondary key A field that is used to link tables, by linking

to a primary key in another table.

Slide 11.20


Client/server architecture – separation of functions

Data storage. Predominantly on server. Client storage is ideally limited to cookies for identification of users and session tracking. Cookie identifiers for each system user are then related to the data for the user which is stored on a database server.

Query processing. Although some validation can be performed on the client.

Display. This is largely a client function. Application logic. Traditionally, in early PC

applications this has been a client function, but fore-business systems the design aim is to maximize the application logic processing including the business rules on the server.

Figure 11.6 Three-tier client server in an e-business environment

Slide 11.22


The three-tier client server

Require different servers to combine applications logic and database storage

Purpose of each server: Web server. Manages http requests Merchant server. Main location of app. Logic Personalization server. Provides tailored

content Payment commerce server. Manages payment Catalogue server. A document management

server

Figure 11.7 E-business architecture for The B2C Company

Slide 11.24


User-centred designUnless a web site meets the needs of the intended users it will not meet the needs of the organization providing the web site.

Web site development should be user-centred, evaluating the evolving design against user requirements.

(Bevan, 1999a)

Slide 11.25


Analysis considerations (Bevan)

Who are the important users? What is their purpose for accessing the site? How frequently will they visit the site? What experience and expertize do they have? What nationality are they? Can they read English? What type of information are they looking for? How will they want to use the information: read it

on the screen, print it or download it? What type of browsers will they use? How fast will

their communication links be? How large a screen/window will they use, with how

many colours?

Slide 11.26


Usability

An approach to web-site design intended to enable the completion of user tasks

Involves two key project activities: Expert reviews Usability testing

Slide 11.27


Four stages of Rosenfeld and Morville (2000)

1. Identify different audiences.2. Rank importance of each to business.3. List the three most important

information needs of audience.4. Ask representatives of each audience

type to develop their own wishlists.

Slide 11.28


Use-case analysis The use-case method of process analysis and

modelling was developed in the early 1990s as part of the development of object-oriented techniques. It is part of a methodology known as Unified Modelling Language (UML) that attempts to unify the approaches that preceded it such as the Booch, OMT and Objectory notations.

Use-case modelling A user-centred approach to modelling system requirements.

Unified Modelling Language (UML) A language used to specify, visualize and document the artefacts of an object-oriented system.

Slide 11.29


Benefits of personas

Fostering customer centricity Identifies detailed information needs and

steps Test existing web-site design To compare and test the strength and

clarity of communication Can be linked to marketing

Slide 11.30


Developing a persona

1. Build personal attributes into personas2. Remember that personas are only

models of characteristics and environment

3. Different scenarios can be developed for each persona Info-seeking scenario Purchase scenario

Slide 11.31


Schneider and Winters (1998) stages in Use Case

1. Identify actors. Actors are typically application users such as customers and employers also other systems

2. Identify use-cases. The sequence of transactions between an actor and a system that support the activities of the actor

3. Relate actors to use-casesSee figure 11.8

4. Develop use-case scenarios See figure 11.9 for a detailed scenario.

Figure 11.8 Relationship between actors and use-cases for The B2C Company, sell-side e-commerce site

Figure 11.9 Primary use-case scenario for an entire e-commerce purchase cycle

Slide 11.34


Primary scenario for the Register use-casePre-condition: A user is active on the web site

Scenario: Register

Basic path:

1. Use-case starts when customer presses ‘register’

2. Customer enters name, postal address and email

3. The post/zip code will be checked for validity

4. The customer will select ‘submit’

5. The system will check all fields are present

6. A redirect page will be displayed to thank the customer.

Figure 11.10 Primary scenario for the Register use-cases for The B2C Company

Figure 11.11 Clear user scenario options at the RS Components site (www.rswww.com)

Slide 11.37


Designing the information architecture Card sorting

The process of arranging a way of organizing objects on the web site

Blueprints Shows the relationship between pages and

other content components Wireframes

A way of illustrating the layout of an individual page

Figure 11.12 Site structure diagram (blueprint) showing layout and relationship between pages

Figure 11.13 Example wireframe for a children’s toy site

Slide 11.40


Site design issues Style and personality + design

Support the brand Site organization

Fits audiences information needs Site navigation

Clear, simple, consistent Page design

Clear, simple, consistent Content

Engaging and relevant.

Covered by the ten principles that follow

Slide 11.41


Principle 1: Standards

‘Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know…

Think Yahoo and Amazon. Think "shopping cart" and the silly little icon. Think blue text links’.

Jakob Nielsen - www.useit.com

http://www.cim.co.uk/

Slide 11.42


Principle 2: Support marketing objectives

Support customer lifecycle Acquisition – of new or existing customers Retention – gain repeat visitors Extension – cross and up-selling

Support communications objectives Three key tactics

1. Communicate the online value proposition2. Establish credibility3. Convert customer to action.

Slide 11.43


Principle 4 Customer orientation

Content + services support a range of audiences and…

Different segments Four familiarities

1. With Internet2. With company3. With products4. With web site.

Slide 11.44


Customer orientation Web users are notoriously fickle

They take one look at a home page and leave after a few seconds if they can't figure it out

The abundance of choice and the ease of going elsewhere puts a huge premium on making it extremely easy to enter a site.Nielsen www.useit.com

http://www.useit.com/

Slide 11.45


Dell.com

Figure 11.14 Different types of audience for the web site of The B2B Company

Slide 11.47


Principle 6: Lowest Common Denominator

Access speed

Screen resolution and color depth

Web browser type

Browser configurationText sizePlug-ins.

www.usability.serco.com

http://www.usability.serco.com/

Slide 11.48


Principle 7 Aesthetics fit the brand

Site personality How would you describe the site if it were a

person? E.g. Formal, Fun, Engaging, Entertaining, Professional

Site style Information vs graphics intensive Cluttered vs Clean

Are personality and style consistent with brand and customer orientation?

Aesthetics = Graphics + Colour + Style + Layout + Typography

Slide 11.49


Principle 8 Get the structure right

Back

(a) (b)

(c)

(d)

DTI Cisco

Slide 11.50


Principle 9 Make navigation easyAccording to Nielsen, need to establish:1. Where am I? 2. Where have I been? 3. Where do I want to go?

Context. Consistency. Simplicity.

Use accepted standards for navigation

Figure 11.15 (a) Narrow and deep and (b) broad and shallow organization schemes

Slide 11.52


Navigation (Continued)

‘Go with the flow’ Visitor in control An enjoyable

experience ‘Think like a client’

Enter by: user need product/service audience type search

To: alternate home

pages

Slide 11.53


Principle 10 Support user psychologyHofacker’s five stages of information processing

1. Exposure – can it be seen?

2. Attention – does it grab?

3. Comprehension and perception – is message understood?

4. Yielding and acceptance : It is credible and believable?

5. Retention – is the message and experience remembered?

Slide 11.54


Web accessibility

Number of visually impaired people Number of users of less popular

browsers or variation in screen display resolution

More visitors from natural listings of search engines

Legal requirements

http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/

http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/

Slide 11.55


Priority levels

Priority 1 (Level A) Web developer must satisfy this

checkpoints Priority 2 (Level AA)

Web developer should satisfy this checkpoints

Priority 3 (Level AAA) Web developer may address this

checkpoints

Slide 11.56


Accessibility compliance for web design

Figure 11.16 HSBC Global home page (www.hsbc.com)

Slide 11.58


Security requirements for e-commerce

Authentication – are parties to the transaction who they claim to be?

Privacy and confidentiality – is transaction data protected? The consumer may want to make an anonymous purchase. Are all non-essential traces of a transaction removed from the public network and all intermediary records eliminated?

Integrity – checks that the message sent is complete i.e. that it is not corrupted.

Non-repudiability – ensures sender cannot deny sending message.

Availability – how can threats to the continuity and performance of the system be eliminated?

Figure 11.17 UK information security breachesSource: DTI (2006) Department of Trade and Industry Information Security Breaches Survey. Executive Summary 2006

Slide 11.60


Managing computer viruses

Boot-sector virus Worms Macro-viruses E-mail attachment virus Trojan viruses Hoax e-mail viruses

Figure 11.18 The geographic spread of the ‘Slammer’ worm 30 minutes after releaseSource: Code Red (CRv2) Spread Animation. Copyright © 2001 The Regents of the University of California www-cse.ucsd.edu/~savage/ papers/IEEESP03.pdf

Slide 11.62


Monitoring of electronic communications Employee communications monitoring Acceptable-use policy Scanning software Filtering software

Figure 11.19 Staff misuse of web and e-mailSource: DTI (2006) Department of Trade and Industry Information Security Breaches Survey

Figure 11.20 Example rules triggered by e-mail in MailMarshal SMTP from MarshalSource: Marshal Ltd. www.marshal.com

Figure 11.21 Employee controls (a) governance and (b) technical solutionsSource: DTI (2006) Department of Trade and Industry Information Security Breaches Survey

Slide 11.66


E-mail management

To minimize the volume Spam Internal business email External business e-mail Personal e-mail

Figure 11.22 Proportion of global e-mail traffic which is spamSource: MessageLabs (2006)

Slide 11.68


Minimizing spam

1. Avoid harvesting of addresses2. Educate staff not to reply to spam3. Use filters4. Use ‘peer-to-peer’ blocking services5. Use blacklist services6. Use whitelist services7. Ensure anti-virus software and blocking

is effective

Figure 11.23 Progression of attempts to combat spam

Slide 11.70


Minimizing internal business e-mail Only send e-mail to employees Banning certain type of email Avoid ‘flaming’ Write clear subject lines Structure emails Make follow-up actions clear Perform e-mail reading and checking in

batches

Slide 11.71


Security Attacks

Hacking Phishing Denial-of-service attacks

Figure 11.24 Public-key or asymmetric encryption