1. Case-study Purpose
The purpose of this case-study is to look into the Games Connect project and examine the technical and project management aspects. Some screenshots are presented which display areas of the system that are of particular interest.
2. About Games Connect
Games Connect is an online business which sells new games, second-hand games and accessories by mail order to the Australian gaming community. Also offered is a trade-in service where customers can exchange their old games for credit towards new purchases. The company aims to be the #1 online retailer of video games in the country.
As the business relies solely on its website to make sales, it is essential that the right image is presented to the target market. Recognising this, Games Connect commissioned KDG to build its online catalogue and shopping system.
3. Project Objectives
The main objective of the project is to create a clean, stylish and professional web interface which attracts customers and allows them to view and purchase the company’s range of merchandise online. Customers should be able to feel confident about browsing the catalogue and making a purchase over the Internet.
The project’s success can be measured by the quantity of orders that are made using the system and in how effective it is at reaching new potential buyers.
2. About Games Connect
Games Connect is an online business which sells new games, second-hand games and accessories by mail order to the Australian gaming community. Also offered is a trade-in service where customers can exchange their old games for credit towards new purchases. The company aims to be the #1 online retailer of video games in the country.
As the business relies solely on its website to make sales, it is essential that the right image is presented to the target market. Recognising this, Games Connect commissioned KDG to build its online catalogue and shopping system.
3. Project Objectives
The main objective of the project is to create a clean, stylish and professional web interface which attracts customers and allows them to view and purchase the company’s range of merchandise online. Customers should be able to feel confident about browsing the catalogue and making a purchase over the Internet.
The project’s success can be measured by the quantity of orders that are made using the system and in how effective it is at reaching new potential buyers.
4. Benefits to the Organisation
Reduced costs by doing business online - the website is able to handle much of the work involved in transactions automatically and costs less to run than a traditional shop front.
Open for business 24/7 - an online store is available to customers all day, every day. Customers can shop when its most convenient for them.
Ability to reach a large market - customers all over Australia are able to buy from the website and receive their items via mail order (including customers in rural areas who might otherwise be unable to purchase the products).
Improved product awareness - browse and search features allow customers to easily locate the items they are looking for and allows them to view pictures and detailed information from the comfort of their own home or office.
Availability of customer and sales information - all online purchases are recorded and the details are stored in a database. This information can later be analysed in order to view a customer’s purchase history and to target marketing and promotions accordingly.
Refined business procedures – the website is able to work automatically to process many of the steps involved in making a purchase. Viewing and selecting products, collection of delivery/ payment details and the transfer of funds from customer to business are all handled without staff being involved. This helps to reduce human error and keep costs low.
Open for business 24/7 - an online store is available to customers all day, every day. Customers can shop when its most convenient for them.
Ability to reach a large market - customers all over Australia are able to buy from the website and receive their items via mail order (including customers in rural areas who might otherwise be unable to purchase the products).
Improved product awareness - browse and search features allow customers to easily locate the items they are looking for and allows them to view pictures and detailed information from the comfort of their own home or office.
Availability of customer and sales information - all online purchases are recorded and the details are stored in a database. This information can later be analysed in order to view a customer’s purchase history and to target marketing and promotions accordingly.
Refined business procedures – the website is able to work automatically to process many of the steps involved in making a purchase. Viewing and selecting products, collection of delivery/ payment details and the transfer of funds from customer to business are all handled without staff being involved. This helps to reduce human error and keep costs low.
5. The Games Connect Website
The website is designed to act as an online ‘shop front’ for Games Connect. Its function is to allow customers to purchase games and gaming accessories and have them delivered directly via mail order.
A customer is able to find games that are offered for sale by either choosing a category to view (eg. ‘Adventure’ games) or by typing a search keyword (eg. ‘Mario’).
Once a product of interest is found, a customer can click on the product’s name to view a picture and read a description of the item. If the customer then wants to make a purchase, they can click ‘Add to Basket’ to place the item in their shopping cart.
Products can be paid for either by Credit Card or by using Games Connect Credit.
Games Connect Credit can be obtained by using the trade-in system. Customers can send their old games in and receive credit which can be spent when making a purchase. It is possible to use a combination of credit card and Games Connect Credit.
6. Project Management
The Games Connect project was completed over the course of several months. It involved 4 staff members (ie. 1 project manager/lead developer, 2 web developers, 1 independent QA tester).
Before coding began, the system specification was outlined. This ‘spec’ describes the system from a user’s point of view and includes rough mock-ups of what the screens will look like. These are non-functional and simply give an indication of what the system will be able to do.
After this, a more graphical representation of the system was created. Some more mock-ups were designed in Adobe Photoshop. When an appearance for the website was settled on, a Design Acceptance Document was created.
The next step was to create a schedule for the project. This breaks the project up into a number of deliverables which have expected completion dates. These are assigned to the staff members working on the system. The schedule also sets a finishing date for the project.
7. Technology
The system uses the server side language ASP (VBScript). This is integrated with a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Database. Stored procedures were used extensively in order to optimise the system’s response time and facilitate future maintenance and upgrades. The website utilises SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption technology to provide a safe online environment for Internet shopping.
Imaging and multimedia software (eg. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator) was also used during the course of this project.
8. Quality Assurance
When the system was completed, it underwent a rigorous testing phase. Each page and individual feature of the system goes through a series of tests designed to identify any possible problems that may exist. This ensures that all the components of the system are working correctly (ie. all features are functional and there are no bugs) and that the website is of a high level of quality (ie. proof-read and checked for spelling, compatibility with many different web browsers, all hyperlinks pointing to the correct pages, etc).
The Games Connect project was completed over the course of several months. It involved 4 staff members (ie. 1 project manager/lead developer, 2 web developers, 1 independent QA tester).
Before coding began, the system specification was outlined. This ‘spec’ describes the system from a user’s point of view and includes rough mock-ups of what the screens will look like. These are non-functional and simply give an indication of what the system will be able to do.
After this, a more graphical representation of the system was created. Some more mock-ups were designed in Adobe Photoshop. When an appearance for the website was settled on, a Design Acceptance Document was created.
The next step was to create a schedule for the project. This breaks the project up into a number of deliverables which have expected completion dates. These are assigned to the staff members working on the system. The schedule also sets a finishing date for the project.
7. Technology
The system uses the server side language ASP (VBScript). This is integrated with a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Database. Stored procedures were used extensively in order to optimise the system’s response time and facilitate future maintenance and upgrades. The website utilises SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption technology to provide a safe online environment for Internet shopping.
Imaging and multimedia software (eg. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator) was also used during the course of this project.
8. Quality Assurance
When the system was completed, it underwent a rigorous testing phase. Each page and individual feature of the system goes through a series of tests designed to identify any possible problems that may exist. This ensures that all the components of the system are working correctly (ie. all features are functional and there are no bugs) and that the website is of a high level of quality (ie. proof-read and checked for spelling, compatibility with many different web browsers, all hyperlinks pointing to the correct pages, etc).
9. Administration Module
A complete password-protected administration system is included with the Games Connect website. This allows the owners of Games Connect to maintain the system and add new content to the website at any time using an intuitive web interface. Data on website users and customer orders is also stored here for easy access. This module was created using KDG’s proprietary Administration Generation System (AGS)
10. Scenarios
When it comes to websites, sometimes it is useful to imagine a situation that a (stereotypical) real-life person could be involved in, to help better understand how the website might be used. This is an example of such a scenario:
A complete password-protected administration system is included with the Games Connect website. This allows the owners of Games Connect to maintain the system and add new content to the website at any time using an intuitive web interface. Data on website users and customer orders is also stored here for easy access. This module was created using KDG’s proprietary Administration Generation System (AGS)
10. Scenarios
When it comes to websites, sometimes it is useful to imagine a situation that a (stereotypical) real-life person could be involved in, to help better understand how the website might be used. This is an example of such a scenario:
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10.1 Scenario: Jim (the online shopper)
Jim is a fan of popular video games. After work each night, he likes to come home and spend an hour or two immersing himself in the virtual world inside his Playstation 2 console. He has a rather impressive collection of games that he has built up over time, however he is finding that he rarely plays most of his older games and that they are simply lying on the shelf gathering dust.
One day while surfing the web, Jim decides he’d like to have a look and see what new PS2 games are out there to buy, since he has finished playing all the titles he currently owns. During his search he comes across the Games Connect website. After browsing through the categories and reading about some of the latest games, Jim notices the ‘trade-in’ feature and, out of curiosity, clicks on the link. Jim discovers that other people may be interested in obtaining his old games and by ‘trading them in’ he can actually receive credit towards new games!
He goes to his shelf and brushes the dust off two of the games he no longer plays. He fills out the trade-in form and mails his games off in a package. A few days later, Jim’s account on Games Connect receives $50 worth of credit.
Later, Jim is browsing the Games Connect website and decides that he wants to purchase the latest instalment of ‘Final Fantasy’. He adds the game to his shopping basket and then goes through the payment process. When selecting a payment option, he chooses to pay using a combination of Games Connect credit and his credit card. The $50 Games Connect credit is deducted from his account and the remainder is charged to this credit card. The new game arrives in his mail a few days later.
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