Prototype Systems Development

Prototype System Design

Prototype development is a simple and relatable way to problem solving. The Idea of prototype systems development mirrors the way people have been working out problems for years. The simple way to explain prototype development is that a person identifies a problem or need, designs a way to satisfy that problem or need and then test the solution to see if it works.

In prototype systems design a Aprototype is built, tested, and then reworked as necessary untill an acceptable prototype is finally achieved form which the complete system or product can now be developed. (1) The idea of a prototype has been used for years in the automotive and aircraft design industry. The prototype gives a scale model of how the product or system could function and allows inputs to be made to improve the product or system. AThe purpose of prototyping is to shorten development times and to reduce the costs of development. (2)      

Some advantages of prototyping are Aspeed, flexibility, simplicity, ease, and lower costs of development. (2) Some drawbacks of prototyping are that Aprototyping can lead to false expectations. [It] often creates a situation where the customer mistakenly believes that the system is finished when in fact it is not. (3)        Another disadvantage of prototyping is that Aprototyping can lead to poorly designed systems. Because the idea of prototyping is rapid development the design and system can sometimes suffer. This happens because the system is built in layers rather than looking at the system as a whole. (3)

A good example of a prototype built system was developed by Monarch Resources. AA team of five people developed a complete, full featured variable life insurance administration system in 89 days. This system included new business, underwriting, and policy service functions. The cost of the system was $250,000 and was used to support the roll out of a new product. Much of the system has been modified since its= design but is still in use.(2)

As you can see the core ideas behind prototype design are simple and ease. A system can be developed in stages and routinely improved in a short amount of time at relatively low costs. Designers just need to be careful not to overlook the whole picture and concentration needs to be on the customers needs and desires in a new system.                          

1.         Http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/definition/prototyping-model

2.         Prototyping: Systems Development in Record Time, Nickols, Fred; www.nickols.us/prototyping.pdf

            3.         http://www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/reports/survey_of_sysdev?chapter=7&section=1

Haptic Technology

Haptic Technology

This week I chose to research haptic technology and interfaces. “Haptic technology is a tactile feedback technology that takes advantage of a user’s sense of tough by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user.” (1) This may sound simple enough but programing a device to simulate the human touch and feel is very difficult. Despite the difficulties certain forms of haptic technology have been used for years in video game controllers. The system will give the player feedback in the form of vibrations in the controller during specific actions in the game.

            Another are that haptic technology is being used is the field of Prosthetics. In 2007 DARPA funded a program called Revolutionizing Prosthetics. Kinea design developed a prosthetic haptic interface system to “return the sense of touch to amputees, and refine the control mechanism used for high-level upper limb prosthetic devices by enabling the amputee to have sensory input.” (2) The Haptic feedback from the sensors “allow the motor system to control grip strength, ensuring that fragile objects are not crushed, and that objects of all different weights, sizes and shapes can be held and not dropped.” (2) The eventual goal is to provide amputees a prosthetic limb that functions and feels as normal as the original limb.

            A more recent breakthrough in haptic technology came in just the last month. Researches at EPFL, a Swiss Institute of Technology, announced they have developed a new haptic touch system that could revolutionize touchscreens and portable devices. Scientists discovered that piezoelectric material will vibrate when a voltage is applied and by adjusting the voltage the physical textures on the surface of the material will change. (3) Being able to adjust the textures of buttons on touch screens can make typing on flat screens more like typing on a key board. It can also assist people with poor vision by giving them reference points to work and learn from on traditional flat touch screens.

            While Haptic technology may be the most difficult to incorporate into current technology the possible benefits can and will be enormous. Touch is only one part of haptic technology that also includes taste and smell. Once researches can incorporate all the senses into new technology we will be able to explore true virtual worlds.

           

1.      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haptic_technology#cite_note-0

2.      http://www.kineadesign.com/portfolio/tactor/

3.      http://www.slashgear.com/haptic-touchscreen-tech-creates-virtual-textures-video-16195716/

Decision Support Systems

A decision support system is integral to any company’s ability to run efficiently. A decision support system is a set of related computer programs and the data required to assist with analysis and decision making within an organization. (1) There are several types of decision support systems that a company can choose.

            Data driven decision support systems deal with collected data that is manipulated to fit the decision maker’s needs. Data can be internal, external, current or historic. (2) This data is stored in data warehouses and analyzed by the process of data mining. This helps find patterns in the data that a company can use to optimize its sales and marketing campaigns. (3)

            Communications-driven DSS puts an importance on communications, collaboration and shared decision making. A communications-driven DSS can enable communication between groups of people; facilitate the sharing of information, support coordination between people and support group decision tasks. Examples are audio conferencing, bulletin boards, web conferencing, document sharing, email and video conferencing. (4)

            Document-driven DSS’s are the most common support programs with its main function being searching web pages and looking for documents with certain keywords or terms. They are specifically designed to convert documents into important business data and make use of data that is not easily stored or standardized. (5) Examples are policies and procedures, product specifications, catalogs, and corporate historical documents. (6)

            Knowledge-driven DSS can help a manager make the correct decision by suggesting possible solutions. This DDS is a system with specialized problem solving expertise. This comes from knowledge about a particular subject, understanding of the problem within the subject and the tools at solving the problem. This system has been used for diagnosing medical conditions, scheduling in manufacturing and as a web-based advisory system. (6)

            Decision Support Systems can be used in many aspects of business and life. They can be extremely helpful in improving efficiency and cutting costs. Ultimately they are only support systems and people must not forget that a person is ultimately responsible for the decisions they make.

1.      https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&safe=off&source=hp&q=decision+support+system+definition&pbx=1&oq=decision+support+system+def&aq=0&aqi=g1g-v3&aql=&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=2187l2594l0l4109l4l3l0l0l0l0l484l484l4-1l1l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=756fe63c7c87b84&biw=1024&bih=571

2.      http://www.tech-faq.com/decision-support-system.html

3.      http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/741692/data-driven-decision-support-system

4.      http://dssresources.com/dsstypes/cdss.html

5.      http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/document-driven-a-type-of-decision-support-system-2942496.html

http://dssresources.com/history/dsshistory.html

The Delphi Method of Decision Making

Decision Making Methods

            Decision making is a key leadership skill. A person in power must need to know the importance of making the right decision and all of the methods available to arrive at the correct decision. Fortunately there are a number of methods and processes that can be used to derive the correct decision.

The decision making process I chose to outline is called the Delphi Method.  “The Delphi method was developed in the early 1950s at the RAND Corporation to systematically solicit the view of experts related to national defense and later in controversial sociopolitical areas.” (1) The Delphi method starts by selecting a panel due to their expertise. The members are kept separated and answer questionnaires or surveys in order to solicit specific information about a subject. Keeping them separated avoids the negative effects of face-to-face discussions and problems with group dynamics. Members are asked to share their assessment and explanation of a problem or predict the future state of affairs. The mediator controls the interactions, processes the information, filters out irrelevant content, summarizes the answers and then sends them back to the group members. Members then make another decision based on the new information. This process is repeated until a common decision is made. The process is centered around the participant’s expertise and communication skills. The major benefits of the Delphi process are the elimination of problems between participants, the efficient use of each participants time, the diversity of ideals, and the accuracy of solutions and

predictions. (1) I think this process is very interesting because it does eliminate any personal feelings towards other participants or social discomfort. It weeds out any obstacles to true and nonbiased decision making. This process concentrates all responses to just the problem at hand.  “In one case, reported by Basu and Schroeder (1977), the Delphi method predicted the sales of a new product during the first two years with inaccuracy of 3-4% compared with actual sales.” (2)

1.      http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/perform/delphi_process.html

2.      http://www.edelphi.fi/sv/groups/costforesight/documents/d1

Mobile Wallet

            Technology is everywhere in our society today and is now moving to our wallet.  Soon the days of paying with cash or swiping your credit card will be a thing of the past. Many companies are developing systems that will allow people to pay for goods or services with a text message, email, or a wave of their cell phone.

            Google recently released its newest creation, Google Wallet. This new service uses Near Field Communications (NFC) technology. “[NFC] technology is a short-range tool that operates on wireless frequencies similar to RFID chips and tags. It works by connecting a user’s mobile device, equipped with an NFC antenna or specially programmed SIM or SD data card, to a receiver, usually a few feet away.”(1) Currently Sprint’s Nexus S mobile phone is the only phone with the technology but if the program is successful more phones will follow.  Google Wallet is funded by either a prepaid Google debit card that can be reloaded by any credit card, or a Citi MasterCard. Google also plans on adding Visa, Discover and American express to Google wallet. To pay for a purchase a user just needs to wave or tap their phone on the stores PayPass unit and the funds are taken from their card. (2)

            Starbucks recently launched their own version of mobile paying. Customers simply need to download the Starbucks app and have a pre-loaded Starbucks account. To pay for their purchase the customer just needs to scan the Starbucks application barcode that appears on the screen of their mobile phone. This service is currently available at 6,800 US stores and all 1,000 Starbucks in Target stores.(3)

            Chase bank is another company that is taking advantage of ever increasing levels of technology. Chase now has a program called Person-to-Person Quick Pay. Quick Pay allows people with or with out a Chase bank account to send and receive funds from virtually anyone with an email address that is enrolled in the service. Customers just need to go to Chase.com and sign up for the free service. To send or receive money a person just needs to log on to their account, either on a computer or mobile phone, and send an email or text message. It is a secure service because no account number or social security number is required to make a transaction.(4)

            As shown, mobile payment is a convenient way of paying for goods and services. At present this service is just in its infancy but is consistently growing as companies, banks and mobile phone providers realize its benefits.

1.      Wired.com http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/wired-nfc-faq/

2.      USA Today “Test run: Google Wallet’s tap-and-pay system is simple” Baig, Edward; Sept. 22 2011, Nov. 6 2011, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/story/2011-09-21/ed-baig-google-wallet-review/50500628/1

3.      Starbucks http://technorati.com/technology/article/new-starbucks-pay-by-phone-will/

4.      Chase.com https://www.chase.com/index.jsp?pg_name=ccpmapp/individuals/shared/page/quickpay_faqs

Web 2.0

Web 2.0

The term “Web 2.0” was coined by TimO’Reilly in 2001 to describe the growing state of the web. “Web 2.0” is not anew version of the web but is more an evolution of “Web 1.0”. Web 1.0 consistedof static webpages that only offered information. Web 2.0 includes the original static websitesbut expands into interactive web experiences. Google, Facebook, MySpace,twitter, Wikis, blogging, Amazon, eBay and craigslist are all examples of Web2.0. (1)
Google takes advantage of the Web2.0 concept to deliver fast and relevant search results. The complex algorithmsused by Google will take user feedback to adjust the order of search results.If the 5^th item on a particular search results page is clicked morethan the first item then adjust the results accordingly.(2) Google’s Mobile Appwill use speech recognition, frequent search terms and GPS location to quickena search and provide the most relevant search results.(2)
A Wiki can be created for any topic.There are Wikis for books, schools, specific subjects, videogames, andcompanies and even for Web 2.0. A Wiki is simply a web site that allowsvisitors to make changes, contributions or corrections. (3) Wikis are highlycollaborative and would not function without a community of users. EBay andCraigslist are both examples of companies using the idea of Web 2.0. EBayallows users to sell items on it’s website for a small fee. Craigslist letsusers advertise services and products for free.
Facebook, MySpace and Twitter areexamples of Web 2.0 in the social environment. These three sites alone may bethe most responsible for the growth of the web into Web 2.0. Facebook andMySpace consist of profile pages set up by users. People can sign on andprovide personal information and pictures to be viewed on their page. Thentheir “friends” can view the information and photos on the profile page. Userscan comment on others pages and photos and interact with a community of onlinefriends. Twitter is a purely user interactive site. “Twitter is a socialnetworking and microblogging service that allows you to answer the question, ‘Whatare you doing?’ by sending short text messages 140 characters in length, called‘tweets’, to your friends or ‘followers’.”(4)
As you can see it is hard to preciselydefine Web 2.0 as it is has an ever growing definition. Currently it isdescribed as a user interactive web but in the future that definition mayencompass much more.

1. O’Reilly http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html
2. WebSquared: Web 2.0 Five Years On http://gossgrove.com/sites/default/files/web2009_websquared-whitepaper.pdf
3.Merriam-Webster http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiki
4.Tweeternet.com http://tweeternet.com/

Hardware and Software

Hardware and Software

Adapting information systems to mobile devices is a great way for a company to increase efficiency and productivity within the workplace. “They increase productivity and provide quicker response to customers and business needs. Analysts predict enterprise use of mobile applications will grow 30 percent per year and 70 percent of employees will be mobile by 2012.”(1) The hardware needed to move to a more mobile workplace is devices such as tablets and smart phones. These devices allow employees to use a wide array of software applications that help a person receive information faster and get jobs done quicker. Here are a number of software applications that are useful in the retail automotive industry.

Mobile Carfax: This application allows a person to get instant access to a vehicles history. The process is as easy as opening the application on your smart device and taking a picture of the vehicles VIN number. This application has helped dealers make sure they know the vehicle they are buying. Dan Moltz, a general manager at Car Center of Waldorf, Md., says “As our business moves faster and faster, it's important for us to evaluate cars that much quicker. Whether we're at auction or out evaluating a trade on the lot, we're more confident about the cars we take into inventory.”(2)

Galves Mobile app: Galves is a used vehicle pricing index used by auto retailers. Galves allows dealers to give fair and market based trade-in prices for a customer’s vehicle. The mobile app lets sales consultants and managers inform customers on the realistic value of their vehicle. Chris Carey, CEO and president of Stronghold Technologies, the company responsible for adapting Galves to a mobile application says, “This third-party information is valuable to dealerships in educating consumers and in negotiating the most accurate, realistic and current price on used vehicle trade-ins and purchases.”(3)

Mobile Product Guide:  This is an application for a smart phone or tablet that many manufactures offer to their sales consultants. This app provides information on the manufacture’s entire product line. A person can view information on the vehicles performance, gas mileage, options, features, colors and much more. It is a great way for any sales consultant to answer any question quickly and efficiently.

Payment calculator:  The payment calculator is exactly what it sounds like. It allows both customers and staff to calculate quick and accurate payments. Selling price, tax, fees and rebate can all be put into the system and a quick payment can be given. This is a great way for people to realistically figure out the vehicle and payment they can afford.

Emails/Customer Leads: Every auto dealer is connected to some kind of online inventory. It could be the store’s website, the manufacture’s website or third party sites such as Autotrader.com or Cars.com. These sites generate potential sales leads for the dealership. These leads are then emailed to the dealership with all the needed information such as name, phone number, email address, vehicle interested in, and customer comments. With a smart phone or tablet the dealer can answer these leads in a more efficient manner. Dealers can call or email after store hours or during a busy day when someone can’t get to the computer. A quick response is proven to lead to more sales. “The odds of contacting a lead if called in 5 minutes versus 30 minutes drop 100 times.”(4)

            As shown the use of mobile hardware and software can greatly increase productivity and efficiency. If used right these devices can only increase sales, increase profits, heighten staff moral and strengthen the customers buying power.

Works Cited

(1)   HP http://www8.hp.com/us/en/services/services-detail.html?compURI=tcm:245-825592#

(2)   Carfax http://news.carfax.com/index.php?s=43&item=99

(3)   NASDAQ OMX/Globe Newswire http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=20527

(4)   The Lead Response Management Study http://www.leadresponsemanagement.org/lrm_study