Planning tools, computational, design and systems thinking, and project criteria: HSC Enterprise Computing Enterprise Project
“Investigate tools that support the design and development of an enterprise system, including online collaboration, time/task action plans, process diary including ongoing evaluation, budget, system flowcharts, data flow diagrams and decision trees; describe how computational, design and systems thinking skills are used in the design and development of an enterprise system; select key collaborating and managing criteria appropriate to the development of an enterprise project, including designing for ease of operation and maintenance, clarifying each of the relevant informatics within the new system, outlining the role of the participants, data and components used in the system, negotiating user/client needs and wants and working collaboratively”
Plan an enterprise system with online collaboration, action plans, a process diary with ongoing evaluation, a budget, system flowcharts, data flow diagrams and decision trees. Use computational thinking for structure and logic, design thinking for user-centred iteration, and systems thinking for how parts interact. Apply NESA's criteria: ease of operation and maintenance, clear informatics, defined participants, data and components, negotiated needs and wants, and collaboration.
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What this dot point is asking
You need to know the planning and design tools for an enterprise project, explain how three kinds of thinking are used, and select collaborating and managing criteria from NESA's list. These map directly onto the documentation you produce for your own project.
The answer
Tools that support design and development
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Online collaboration | Shared documents, task boards, version control and video meetings let teams and clients work together remotely |
| Time/task action plans | List tasks, owners, deadlines and status (often alongside a Gantt chart) |
| Process diary, including ongoing evaluation | Records progress, decisions, problems and reflections throughout, evaluating as you go rather than only at the end |
| Budget | Estimates and tracks costs (software, hardware, subscriptions, time) |
| System flowcharts | Show the overall flow of data through inputs, processes, storage and outputs |
| Data flow diagrams (DFDs) | Show how data moves between external entities, processes and data stores (context diagram, then level 1) |
| Decision trees | Show decisions and outcomes, used for business rules and logic |
Computational, design and systems thinking
- Computational thinking: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms, used to break the system into components and specify its logic.
- Design thinking: empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test. Keeps the user at the centre and encourages iteration.
- Systems thinking: sees the system as interconnected parts (participants, data, processes, technology, environment) and considers how a change in one part affects others, including social and ethical effects.
Collaborating and managing criteria
NESA lists five criteria to select and apply:
- Designing for ease of operation and maintenance: intuitive interfaces, clear documentation, modular design and standard tools so others can use and update the system.
- Clarifying each of the relevant informatics within the new system: identify what data is collected, how it is processed, stored and presented, and what information it produces for whom.
- Outlining the role of the participants, data and components used in the system: who uses the system and how (participants), what data it handles, and which hardware, software and network components it needs.
- Negotiating user/client needs and wants: separate essential needs from desirable wants, prioritise within constraints and record what is agreed.
- Working collaboratively: agreed roles, communication channels, meeting schedules, version control and respectful feedback.
A student's enterprise project: a club membership system.
- DFD context diagram: external entities Member and Treasurer; data flows membership application, renewal reminder, payment record and membership report.
- Decision tree: membership fee depends on age group and whether the member is new or renewing.
- Needs versus wants: online renewal and automatic reminders are needs; a member photo gallery is a want deferred to version 2.
- Participants, data, components: members (enter details), treasurer (approves payments), data (contact details, payment status), components (online form, cloud spreadsheet, email automation).
- Process diary entry: "Week 3: reminder emails going to spam. Changed sender settings; retest next week. Evaluation: on track."
- Mixing up system flowcharts and DFDs
- System flowcharts show the flow through processes and media; DFDs show data movement between entities, processes and stores, without decisions.
- Leaving evaluation to the end
- The syllabus stresses ongoing evaluation in the process diary.
- Treating every client request as a need
- Negotiate and prioritise.
Practice questions
Original practice questions graded from foundation to exam level, each with a full worked solution. Try them before revealing the solution.
foundation3 marksDescribe how online collaboration tools support the development of an enterprise system.Show worked solution →
Online collaboration tools (shared documents, cloud storage, task boards, version control and video meetings) let team members and clients work on the same files at the same time from different locations. Changes are tracked, so work is not lost or overwritten, tasks can be assigned and monitored, and clients can review progress and give feedback quickly.
Marking guide: 1 mark for naming suitable tools, 1 mark for simultaneous or remote work, 1 mark for tracking or feedback.
core4 marksDescribe a level 1 data flow diagram for an online canteen ordering system with the external entities Student and Canteen staff.Show worked solution →
- Processes
- 1 Take order (Student sends order details; the process checks the Menu data store and writes to the Orders data store). 2 Process payment (Student sends payment details; confirmation flows back to Student). 3 Prepare orders (reads Orders; sends an order list to Canteen staff). 4 Update menu (Canteen staff send item and price changes to the Menu data store).
- Data stores
- Menu, Orders.
- Data flows
- order details, payment details, order confirmation, order list, menu updates, each labelled on an arrow.
Marking guide: 1 mark for correct processes, 1 mark for data stores, 1 mark for labelled data flows, 1 mark for correct external entities connected.
exam6 marksExplain how computational, design and systems thinking would each be used in developing an enterprise system that manages volunteer rosters for a food bank.Show worked solution →
- Computational thinking
- Decompose the system into volunteer registration, availability, shift allocation and reminders. Recognise patterns (weekly shifts repeat) and abstract only the needed data (name, contact, skills, availability). Write an algorithm that allocates volunteers to shifts, respecting skills and maximum hours.
- Design thinking
- Empathise by interviewing the coordinator and volunteers (many are older and use phones), define the core problem (last-minute gaps in shifts), ideate options (SMS reminders, a swap feature), prototype a simple mobile form, and test it with volunteers, refining it from feedback.
- Systems thinking
- Consider the whole system: volunteers, coordinator, food deliveries, opening hours and privacy of volunteer data. A change such as automated reminders affects volunteer behaviour and the coordinator's workload, and the roster must connect with delivery schedules so enough people are present on busy days.
Marking guide: 2 marks for each thinking skill applied to the scenario.