Internet Project (NOW due at 1 pm, Thursday, 11 September 2008)

(Note: Queries about this project should be directed to Kehui Luo, kluo@efs.mq.edu.au) 

Please hand the project with cover page in the box (marked with BUS800) outside ERIC, on the ground floor of building E4B.

For this project only group submission is required, i.e. each group (2 members) needs to submit one project. However in each group’s submission, individual’s contribution to the project (in terms of proportion) has to be stated clearly, otherwise equal contributions will be assumed. 

You are expected to write a report for the project using Microsoft Word or similar word processor and print to A4 paper.
 
Associated web pages, figures and database should be burned on a CD or copied to one or more floppy disks, to be handed in together with your report. 

Please state clearly names of group members with student ID and valid email addresses on the project cover page.

Marks will be awarded for clarity, logic and good presentation. We will use the BICCO (Beautiful, Interesting, Correct, Concise and Original) principles for grading.

Task 1 (Business Process and Web Design)

Before carrying out this task each group needs to do the following:
(a) Determine the products or services that your group wants to sell.
(b) Search the e-com market and find at least two of your competitors or companies in related business areas.
(c) Visit these competitors’ web pages and find out the good and bad things about their web pages.

Create a main (or home) web page for your group/company. The purpose of this web page is to promote and sell your products or services online, serving as a window or showcase for your company. This page must AT LEAST have links to the following pages.

• A page introducing your company, and your products or services.
• One or more pages that you created, containing information of your products/services or related, or link(s) to some relevant web page(s) on the internet with information about your products or services.
  
• One or more pages which contain a table with names and prices of products (or services), etc, for your business. 
• One or more pages contain on-line ordering form. The page(s) shall contain at least one form which customer can use to order your products or services. (CGI scripts are NOT required here. But if  you wish you may write CGI or even JAVA programs to make your form really workable although it's NOT required for this project.) 
• A page for each individual member in your group. Each member is supposed to be a member of e-Com team, eg, a sales person, customer service person, etc.
  
• A page with contact details of your company.
  
• The web site map that shows how your web pages are linked (ie, a navigation map). For examples of web site map, please visit the link below:
  

  http://www.smartdraw.com/examples/websitemap/. 

Task 2 (Business Database)

For the business your group has chosen while working on Task 1 (eg, selling mobile phones, or CDs), create a simple business (relational) database (Referring to the Northwind database) among your team members, using MS Access. 

• The database must have no less than 4 tables (properly linked), containing information on products or services, customers and orders, etc. Note: You may make use of the PRODUCTS or SERVICES table that your group created earlier for your web page. 
• You must design a data entry form for at least one of the tables in your database.
• Make sure the information in the database can be shared only among your team members by having adequate security implemented (eg, password protected).
• Make up a number of reasonable records (no less than 4) for each table in this database among your team members. 
• Based on the database you created, design at least two simple queries among your team members, each of which retrieves a list of records that is  meaningful for business use.  

Again, for this internet project, you must write up a report. You may report the two tasks in two separate sections.

In your report on web design, you must:

• Describe the products or services that your team sells and why you choose to sell them.
• Identify clearly your target customers.
  
• Discuss what are advantages and disadvantages of selling YOUR products or services electronically. 
• Give and describe two real examples in similar business areas to yours, in which E-Commerce is productive (Note: Remember to provide with the web address of thess e-com business sites/pages).  
• Explain what you would like to emphasise when designing a web page for selling the products or services of your business.
• Show and describe the main web page (ie, homepage) of your company.
  
• Show and describe the basic structure of your web pages, including the site map that you created in Task 1.

In your report on database, you must include:

• A printout of each table or table design in your database, containing names of all fields. 
• A chart showing relationships between tables in your database.
• A printout of the data entry form(s) created in Task 2.  
• Describe clearly each of the queries that you created in Task 2 and present the query result (ie, a table).
• Provide the user name and/or password for accessing your database (if these have been implemented) for marking purpose.

Note:

• Don't forget to write down the file name of your main web page and the file name of your database in your report and on disks (or cd)

• Make sure your web pages can be browsed in Internet Explorer in an usual computing environment. It MUST NOT require any special program(s) or server other than IE for viewing your web pages

• Due to the practical limitations, on-line order forms are NOT required to be workable NOR the link between your web pages and your company database.

If you have comments or suggestions, email: kluo@efs.mq.edu.au.