With the help of your instructor, identify a particular information system that is not working very well and perform a preliminary investigation of it. In your work, be sure to talk to
(1) At least one external ‘‘customer’’ who is affected by the system,
(2) One employee who uses the system daily, and
(3) One person who manages this type of employee. For example, at a university, you might study the student parking information system. The ‘‘customers’’ are those car owners who purchase parking permits (e.g., students, faculty, and university staff members), data input clerks are the employees who use the system daily, and the parking manager is the person who supervises these employees. Ask each such person what he or she feels are the problems of the system, and what they think should be done to address these problems. Prepare a preliminary investigation report that describes your system and outlines the following items:
(a) The problems that each person experiences with the system,
(b) The actions that each person thinks might solve the problems, and
(c) Your opinion of which difficulties are the ‘‘real problems’’ and which are just symptoms of these problems. Also include some recommendations. Should the present system be replaced, are minor modifications required, or is the system mostly acceptable as it is?