Thomaset2000’s Room

Hi! This is the first module assignment that I posted in my blog as part of IADIC (International Advanced Diploma in Computing) course’s assignments posting series.

In this C2001 System Analysis & Design module, we study about the first 3 phases in System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) that includes:

1. Initial Study phase
2. System Analysis and Design phase
3. Program Design phase

Now, I will post the assignment that I get when I take this module during Term 2 2008. I will post the assignment’s question in this post and then I will post the answer in the next post (part 2).
Here are the questions:
Systems Analysis and Design
Term 2 2008

Five years ago, cardiologists Timothy Jones and Dolores Garcia decided to combine their individual practices in Fullerton, California, to form the New Century Health Clinic. They wanted to concentrate on preventive medicine by helping patients maintain health and fitness and by providing traditional medical care.

Dr. Jones recently asked you to work with him as an IT consultant. He wants you to help New Century develop an information system that will support the clinic’s operations and future growth. During an initial meeting, he provided you with some background information and asked for your suggestions about how to get started.
At your desk, you begin to review New Century’s situation. The clinic is located near a new shopping mall in a busy section of the city. New Century’s staff includes four doctors, three registered nurses, four physical therapists, and six office staff workers.

The clinic currently has a patient base of 3,500 patients from 275 different employers, many of which provide insurance coverage for employee wellness and health maintenance. Currently, New Century accepts 34 different insurance policies.
Anita Davenport, who has been with New Century since its inception, is the office manager. She supervises the staff, including Fred Brown, Susan Gifford, Tom Capaletti, Lisa Sung, and Carla Herrera.

Fred Brown handles office payroll, tax reporting, and profit distribution among the associates. Susan Gifford is responsible for the maintenance of patient records. Tom Capaletti handles most of the paperwork concerning insurance reporting and accounting. Lisa Sung has the primary responsibility for the appointment book, and her duties include making reminder calls to patients and preparing daily appointment lists. Carla Herrera primarily is concerned with ordering and organizing office and clinic supplies.

Each of the six office staff people has one or more primary responsibilities; however, all members of the staff help out whenever necessary with patient records, insurance processing, and appointment processing. In addition to their regular responsibilities, all six office workers are involved in the preparation of patient statements at the end of each month.

New Century Health Clinic’s office manager, Anita Davenport, recently asked permission to hire an additional office clerk because she feels the current staff can no longer handle the growing workload. The associates discussed Anita’s request during a recent meeting. They were not surprised that the office staff was feeling overwhelmed by the constantly growing workload.

Because the clinic was busier and more profitable than ever, they all agreed that New Century could afford to hire another office worker. Dr. Jones then came up with another idea. He suggested that they investigate the possibility of computerizing New Century’s office systems. Dr. Jones said that a computerized system could keep track of patients, appointments, charges, and insurance claim processing and reduce paperwork. All the associates were enthusiastic about the possibilities and voted to follow up on the suggestion. Dr. Jones agreed to direct the project.

Because no member of the staff had computer experience, Dr. Jones decided to hire a consultant to study the current office systems and recommend a course of action. Several friends recommended you as a person who has considerable experience with computerized business

(i)    Based on the given scenario above, what kinds of questions would you ask to assess the initial feasibility of this project information, does the project seem feasible?

(ii)    Describe what will be the plan of action if New Century Health Clinic management decided to contract your services to perform a preliminary investigation?

(iii)    What types of information is needed when you begin the preliminary investigation? From whom will you obtain it? What techniques will you use in your fact-finding?

That’s all the assignment’s question.

To be continued in the next post….

Do you have any comment on this? maybe you have something to ask me or want to discuss with me about this?Or maybe you are IDIC student and taking this module also?
Feel free to use the comment box below (click here if you cannot see the comment box).

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