Riordan Service Request

Last week, we discussed in general detail the roles of the corporate faculty and staff members in regards to development and deployment of the upgraded Human Resource database application. While the roles of individuals was made fairly clear, planning is still in the earliest of phases. The roles of team members discussed last week revealed that additional research is needed in order to formulate the most efficient means of transitioning to the upgraded application. Moreover, several different flows of data were discussed in a fairly general manner in regards to improving efficiency of the flow of said data. Efficiency of the software can be greatly increased in reducing the data flow footprint to provide the most efficient flow of data between departments. Security Controls

The level of security and its effectiveness in an application is a concern for all software development projects. Operations and Information Technology will hold key responsibility in implementation and maintenance of the software security measures. These measures will include but not be limited to firewalls, intrusion detection systems, credential verification, and standard backup operations (Valacich, 2012). This responsibility isn’t limited to just these measures or to this scope of responsibility. All hands that take part in development will have some responsibility in assuring appropriate security measures are developed, implemented, and maintained.

Data
As with any other system, all data needs to be kept secure. Employee confidentiality is of paramount importance, particularly in a system that hold and utilizes potentially sensitive personal employee information. Moreover, seemingly innocuous information such as standards and procedures within the company also need to be kept secure. Any secure, sensitive, or proprietary information should be encrypted and password protected. Hierarchical access to sensitive data must be employed as well. If these measures fail on an employee or corporate level, there is a potential for civil litigation that would severely impact both corporate finances and time resources (Valacich, 2012). Process

Parts of this project can greatly benefit from the use of third party software. From initial adoption, this software will already have security measures in place along with a means of tying in other security and/or verification methods. Moreover, most vendors and developers of third party software will offer a security guarantee as to the level to which sensitive data is safeguarded. Using a commercial off the shelf (COTS) system will save Riordan time and money resources. Training can begin during development of the customized application since the infrastructure already exists and the software vendor will have training technical support during the migration and installation phase. Most applications that suit this need will also offer the ability to add custom subroutines and standalone applications on the same database, as to allow for in-house development as needs arise. Interface

Designing the user interface is a critical portion of the development cycle. Ultimately, this is what the end user sees. This is where data flow begins and ends. This ties it all together. More than that, the interface can offer the ability to import and export data, sharing it with other external applications or a web database. Network

One means to accomplish this particular level of security and interfacing is via incorporation of a virtual local area network (VLAN). The VLAN allows for internal compartmentalization of the software, creating another level of security and eliminating some instances of inadvertent data manipulation. This can be tied in to a wide area network (WAN, already in place) that needs to be evaluated for flow handling capability across their geographical domain. Again, standard firewall, encryption, and password protection features still will apply. Data Flow Diagrams

According to Edward Yourdon, the development of a data flow diagram is critical to the process of developing the software. Without a blueprint of sorts that forms a road map of where this data comes from, goes to, and what it becomes manipulated into, the whole design of the project falls apart and data integrity will be greatly compromised (Yourdon, 2006). Below is the general flow of data for the new system.

Next week, more information will be discussed so that any final design changes or additions can be implemented in a timely manner.

References

Apollo Group, Inc. (2013). Virtual Organization Portal: Riordan Manufacturing. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/index.asp Valacich, J. S., George, J. F., and Hoffer, J. A. (2012). Essentials of Systems Analysis and Design (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Retrieved from the University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Khosrowpour, M. (1999). Managing Information Technology Resources in Organizations in the Next Millennium. Idea Group Publishing Yourdon, E. (2006). Just Enough Structured Analysis (rev. 013106). Yourdon Press