eCommerce Website – System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

In Ireland, the number of consumers using the internet to make purchases via an ecommerce website is growing rapidly. In 2011, 43% of Irish people bought products and services online, up from 36% on the previous year. According to a survey conducted by AMAS and the Irish Internet Association, the number of Irish consumers buying online continues to grow, with more purchases being recorded across all major ecommerce website categories.

This number continues to rise in 2012, but many Irish businesses are not recognising, and taking advantage of the opportunities that present, to grow their business. Irish shoppers spent €4bn online in 2012, but three-quarters of this went out of the country – because only 60pc of Irish small businesses even have a website.

In 2015, it is expected that Irish consumers will spend over €6bn, with a significant amount of that total going on overseas purchases.

At the outset, the new ecommerce website must undertake an evaluation of their customers attitudes and needs. Are existing customers willing to buy online? And do they have the equipment and technical knowledge to make an online purchase? Is it worth the time and expense? And do customers really want this service? These seem like fundamental questions to ask, but are vital to understand before initiating an ecommerce programme for the business.

The best way to get answers to these questions is by asking existing customers through market research. A survey should be undertaken in-store, (and also delivered via email and social media) to gauge customer demand for buying your products online. Competition should be evaluated to determine the company’s market positioning, and should form part of a wider feasibility study to determine the viability of an ecommerce website as anew revenue stream.

Once the proposed project is deemed feasible, viable, and desirable, the company can initiate the System Development Life-Cycle (SDLC). According to Bocij, Greasley and Hickie (2008), the SDLC is:

“… a framework that describes the activities performed at each stage of an information systems project. Each stage has: input (from previous stage); activities & key deliverables; and output (feeding into the next phase)”.

1. Requirements Definition

Once the feasibility studies have been completed and the project guidelines agreed, the requirements definition stage can begin.

The requirements definition phase should outline the high level requirements for the new system.

For example, an ecommerce website that requires an online presence that will allow the company to sell products and communicate with their customers. An ecommerce website that will facilitate this, and integrate with an existing systems, as well as identifying the appropriate hardware to enable the system to run effectively.

This should be given serious consideration in the design of an ecommerce solution, especially as technical ability, staffing levels, time and financial resources will be limited. Therefore, a system that is cost-effective, easy to operate and maintain should be sought, so that the company can focus on selling, building customer relationships, and growing the business.

1.1. Requirements Specification

The high level requirements for the new ecommerce website would include:

• A customer area, accessible by username and password, where customers can save preferences, view order history, track order, view and make recommendations, share to social media, and receive news and special offers.
• Display product information, to include product images and detailed specifications. There should also be an “Add to Cart” option to buy displayed prominently with the product information, to allow the customer to order a particular product online and get it delivered to their address.
• Users should be able to navigate the website and find various categories, where expandable subject areas will be further subdivided into different categories using a drop down menu. These pages will be linked to tabs appearing on the top of the page for ease of access and user site navigation.
• Other functions, such as terms and conditions, deliveries and returns, FAQ’s, site map and other pages will appear at the bottom of the webpage.
• Product information for new and existing products; readily viewable to customers on the website home page.
• An order fulfilment system where real time information will show the status of the customer’s order when logged-in.
• A payments option allowing customers to make a credit card payment using the electronic payment system.
• The information system shall consider the needs of intended users of the information system and provide an easy to use interface that facilitates interaction and communication between staff and customers.
• The system shall display high performance standards, including fast operating speed and excellent reliability and security.
• The ergonomic working environment, comprising of all components on which the system will run, shall be safe and comfortable for staff to operate.

Exit criteria for the system analysis & design phase will be on completion of the requirements specification and completed effort estimates.

2. System Analysis & Design

“The purpose of the Systems Analysis & Design Phase is to identify the solution that best meets requirements and identify how the solution will be implemented.” (Bocij et al., 2008)

Entry criteria for the system analysis & design phase will be on completion of a requirements specification document and completed effort estimates.

The  website should guide users along a logical path through the ordering process. The product catalogue (and limited site functions) are viewable by all users (not logged-in). Users must register (sign-up/log-in) to buy products and access membership features, as outlined in the following diagram:

Customers must have the option to pay using credit card, bank/money transfer – either through shopping cart, email invoice, or telephone order. Customers should be encouraged to pay via credit card, as this payment method enables immediate payment and faster order processing.

2.1. Hardware

The information system will require various hardware components to run the ecommerce website. These components will include:

Desktop PC (or Mac), which should be business specification, with as a fast processor speed and hard drive as possible. Discrete graphics card with on-board RAM is recommended, with the ability to run two or more large displays.

Wi-Fi router capable of sharing internet connection with multiple devices, such as laptops, tablets, smartphones ,and office and in-store multimedia devices.

2.2. Software

Anti-virus software and firewall to protect system from viruses, malware and hackers, and must support multiple PC’s and other connected devices.

SSL security certificate and encryption software for secure storage of company and customer details. Digital certificates provide the assurance to customers that the company they are dealing with is legitimate.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to help keep track of customer details and interactions.

Email and communication clients, including social media management tools.

2.3. Network

High-speed internet connection: actual speed will be constrained by location, but fastest available fibre optic broadband is desired.

High-speed Wi-Fi hub, to allow multiple devices to access internet from different locations within the shop or office. Broadband and networking between stock management, POS devices, and other system modules should be firewalled and contained within cabled local area network (LAN).

2.4. Interface

Operating system, computer brand, and connected input terminals will depend on owners personal choice. Are the owners and staff comfortable using Windows, Mac, or Linux, or have they already invested in systems that run on a particular operating

system?

2.5. Data Management & Storage

“It’s not a question of will you lose your data—it’s when.”

Data should be backed up in multiple locations:

On internal hard drive: for data which is accessed regularly in everyday business processes.

Physical storage on external hard drive, synchronised to back-up automatically. Data back-up for record keeping and compressing older data for archiving.

Cloud storage: Data is synchronised with cloud-based back-up service, such as Mozy or Backblaze.

Exit criteria will be on completion of the Design Specification Document and System Architecture Document.

3. Systems Build

Building the ecommerce website, there are several options to be considered, where the most suitable will depend on the business needs, budget, time and technical abilities of business owners and staff.

eCommerce websites are typically:

1. Bespoke system where a developer is contracted to design and implement the system to exact specifications, according to the businesses needs.
2. Off-the-shelf packages that can be installed locally, and is often free-ware or open-source.
3. Hosted Software as a Service (SaaS) where a “managed system” is hosted by a third party on a web server, and the business accesses the ecommerce site through a browser.
4. Tailored solutions where off-the-shelf or SaaS systems are adapted to the businesses particular needs.

However, for SME’s and those new to ecommerce, the most suitable alternative may be hosted SaaS option. Having a third-party managing the system would benefit a business with no experience in running an ecommerce website. A hosted solution will save money on hardware and infrastructure, and give a faster return on investment than a system installed locally.

An example of a hosted SaaS is www.Magico.ie who specialise in design, development, and hosting of ecommerce websites.

The system build would need to go through the following steps:

*Buy and customise the software. However, in the case of SaaS, the company would enter into a service level agreement (SLA) and pay to use the system. It is important that issues such as reliability and down-time, back-up and restore, support, security, performance speed, and scalability are addressed prior to entering into a SLA before commissioning the SaaS with the hosting company.

• Buy the hardware and network components.
• Design the user interface. Create log-in area for users to access their account details, and avail of membership benefits.
• Provide customer profile area where customers can save their preferences, view account details, provide order tracking information section
• Create an administrator log-in to access the back-office which uses WYSIWYG user interface for CMS.
• Create the database for website. [Note: Database performance will be lower with SaaS than a locally hosted server.]
• Acquire each new component and integrate existing components, stock control systems, payment and credit card processing, Paypal, and product catalogue into the system.
• Compile user manual and staff training resources.

4. Systems Integration & Testing

Once all of the system components are in place and the outputs from the system build stage have been completed, the testing phase can begin. Individual components are tested to make sure they are functioning correctly in isolation, then tested as part of the greater system.

The  process is similar for testing individual components, as it is for testing the complete system. This includes testing the component in simulations to determine its performance when fully deployed.

If the product fails, check the reason for failure, make improvements, and document the result. Failures must be reported, tracked, fixed and retested.

When the component performs as desired, it can then be tested as part of the overall system. The company may choose to “soft launch” to enable testing for a period after the deployment phase, before the new ecommerce website’s digital marketing strategies get rolled out.

The following are the different types of test that should be performed:

Unit Testing: to confirm that individual components are functioning in isolation.

Functionality Testing: The website is used in various scenarios to simulate how end-users will experience different operations, such as logging-in and making a purchase.

Feature Testing: Test to find out if various features of the site are really needed or add to the customer experience. Any feature which is not essential should be removed to improve site performance.

Integration Testing: To ensure that different system components are functioning properly together. Check that the ARCsoft program is functioning properly with all the ecommerce website functions. Likewise, check that the product catalogue is integrated satisfactorily into the ecommerce website.

System Testing: To check that all hardware and software is operating as a single ecommerce system as defined in the requirements.

Performance Testing/Load Testing: Perform website speed-test to measure load times of web pages. System should be tested under heavy use.

Usability Testing: The website should be accessible by visually impaired or people with special needs, and should be tested to determine whether it meets best practice standards in universal design. The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) recommends that:

“…the design must take into account that the ability to see, hear, make inputs, read text or process information varies from user to user, across time and across situations of use. An accessible website will make provision for these variations.” – Centre for Excellence in Universal Design

Acceptance Testing: The system is tested by end-users, shop staff, owners and all operators of the ecommerce website to check that it meets requirements and expectations before the website is fully released in a live environment.

5. Deployment

The outputs from the previous stage will have ensured that the ecommerce website is now functioning, well designed and aesthetically pleasing to visitors. A deployment schedule is put in place to oversee the smooth system launch, making sure that cabling and hardware infrastructure is in place. Exit criteria is met upon completion of the System Deployment Report.

However, once the website is launched, other factors will become crucial in determining whether or not the ecommerce website will be a successful aspect of the business. For example, unless an effective marketing campaign is undertaken, it is unlikely that potential customers will be aware of the website. And, if a search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy is not implemented, the website will be difficult to find online.

Therefore, the following must also be considered at the launch stage:

The ecommerce website should play a central role in all future marketing efforts of the company.

Use email and digital media campaign management services like Constant Contact or MailChimp, which will simplify sending promotions and newsletters to customers.

Use social media management clients, like HootSuite, that enable multiple social media platforms and accounts to be controlled from a single client.

It is worth considering using a one-stop marketing and digital media management solution like HubSpot, as this would reduce the learning curve for those new to operating and marketing an ecommerce website — though the relatively high cost would be an option only for larger organisations.

Staff training is essential to ensure that the best use is being made of the website, and that it exceeds expectations in terms of return on investment.

Ergonomics is also an important consideration, as appropriate health and safety guidelines need to defined in the workplace. If staff use a PC workstation, it must be ergonomically designed to prevent risks such as eye strain, glare, bad posture, mental stress, and repetitive stress injuries (RSI). User manuals should be provided to ensure that all the relevant health and safety recommendations are followed when using the system.

Feedback can be gathered from users and operators of the new ecommerce website to determine how well it meets criteria set out in the requirements definition. Staff reports and customer satisfaction surveys will identify flaws and suggest ways the system can be improved.

6. Maintenance

Once the system is fully deployed and functioning as required it must be monitored as part of an ongoing maintenance phase. This phase involves evaluating the effectiveness of the system in use, checking for bugs and errors, identifying where improvements can be made, and adding new features, if necessary. Other activities in the maintenance phase will include:

Performing software upgrades and testing for compatibility and conflicts with the new configurations. Ensuring that the system works with the latest hardware devices and technologies.

Updating anti-virus software and risk definitions, and maintaining a healthy trouble-free system by adopting good security practices. Security audits must be carried out regularly to reduce the possibility of criminal activity and credit card fraud.

Regular “house-keeping” to keep the system clean, for example, removing or archiving unnecessary files and data, and optimising graphics and large files to improve loading times.

Depending on the administrator’s technical knowledge or available time, these duties can either be performed in-house or contracted out for one-off or ongoing maintenance agreements with a third party. However, in  family run business, training a member of staff to maintain and troubleshoot problems when they arise may be a worthwhile investment to ensure smooth operation of the online business.

7.  Disposal

The information system should be designed to allow expansion as the business grows, and have a long service life with minimal software upgrades or hardware replacement.

Much of the computer hardware to be used locally is standard, off-the-shelf equipment, so if hardware fails outside of warranty, it is easily repaired or replaced.

In the event that the information system is no longer required, the computer  and ancillary hardware could be used for a range of other purposes, sold, or disposed of free of charge and recycled under the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.

All data should be extracted from the system and archived, and kept in a secure location. Confidential data should be wiped from all storage devices with secure disk erasing software, before disposal.

Service contracts for maintenance, leased equipments, or consultancy services that are terminated before the contract expires may  be subject to extra costs, and this should be anticipated when planning the disposal of the system.

References

Bocij, P., Greasley, A. and Hickie, S. (2008). Business Information Systems: Technology, Development and Management, 4th ed., London, Prentice-Hall.

Chaffey, D. (2011). E-Business & eCommerce Management: Strategy, Implementation and Practice, 5th ed., Harlow, Prentice Hall.