Introducing the Course Project

Each week, you will individually complete iLabs that reinforce concepts taught in the class and that satisfy one or more terminal course objectives (TCOs). These weekly iLabs will represent one part of a larger project that will exemplify the development of a typical data storage and reporting system for a retail company. Over the course of this semester, you will work within a team to create a design document that explains these different parts of the project, the technical rationale, and the ultimate integration into a single project for a fictional company—be creative and make one up. This formal document will be appropriate for both developers and managers who need to understand what the project will do, what tools are used, and how the integrity of the system is ensured. Students will be grouped together into teams of two or three members.

Overview

Managing company inventory is essential to the smooth operation and profitability of a company. You can’t sell inventory that you don’t have on hand. Considerable data are collected during the purchasing and selling of items. Turning these data into useful information is important not only for operations, but also for managers who must make key decisions for the company. The weekly iLabs build an overall system that loads the database with such data and then presents them in a meaningful way for stakeholders to use in the performance of their responsibilities.

Final Deliverable

The final course deliverable is a team report that details the software design, testing methods, and technical rationale for the project. Each week the students will complete one activity for the final report. The teams may want to split up activities by week, or they may choose to handle different tasks over the course of the week. For example, each student may conduct research during the week, but only one might write the narrative for that particular week. Narratives needing completion is below. There is also a document attached explaining more in depth what is required for each week.

Week #2—Language Selection 
What are the languages used in today’s business development environment and where does C#.NET fit in? What does the .NET mean? While this class focuses on the Windows console, what other interface modalities exist? What language do you recommend for this project?

Week #6—Reports 
How do we get the proper information to the right people? Research the various reporting products available. Make a recommendation on reporting software or on whether you should design your own. Perhaps your recommendation would be a combination of both.

Week #7—Integration 
What does the overall project do? Describe the scope of the project in words and with well-crafted diagrams.