Assignment: Mobile Commerce

Introduction

This is an individual assignment aimed to give the student exposure to the concepts, principles tools and techniques underpinning M Commerce and their application. This also provides an opportunity for the students to recommend a mobile solution to a business and functional requirements provided.

Background of the assignment

This assignment is an opportunity for the student to analyze the requirements, evaluate methodologies and tools and to apply the chosen methods and tools to design a software system for a realistic scenario provided. This assignment requires the compilation and presentation of the findings/discussion in the format of a report inclusive of design diagrams- well edited, attractive, professionally laid out and academically sound.

Outcomes of the assignment

1. Apply understanding of the underlying principles, tools and techniques to discuss and evaluate the impact of M-commerce and the applications that support it.

2. Strategically align business models and objectives with M-commerce solutions.

3. Analyze business and functional requirements, investigate and recommend mobile solutions.

4. Critically review legal, political and social issues that apply to mobile commerce.

Assignment tasks Task 1

Discuss and evaluate the main trends in mobile computing within the context of M- Commerce. Your discussion should analyze the extent of wireless-network, trend towards mobility and portability of devices and applications that implements innovative ways of using pervasive computing. Your evaluation should have the support of a realistic M- Commerce solution of your choice. Your discussion/evaluation should be furnished as a write up of 800 words of your own apart from the reference/d contents.

Task 2

"Mobile Application Development Technologies like J2ME, Android, WML and WMLS ... in association with XML Web services provided an opportunity to extend traditional E- Commerce applications to perform on Mobile clients". Critically evaluate how this transition strategically align business model with the support of necessary cases of your choice of domain. Your evaluation should be furnished as a write up of 700 words of your own apart from the reference/d contents.

Task 3

Produce a proposal for the development of a realistic Mobile Commerce application for the business scenario provided. Your proposal should have the recommendation of an appropriate mobile technology for the development, wireless network technology for the communication, and portable/handheld devices with proper justification. Your proposal should provide a simple screen prototype/story board for the proposed sales order suite. Your recommendations should be justified with adequate supporting points. Your proposal should be furnished as a write up of 1000 words of your own apart from the reference/d contents and screens.

Task 4

"Apart from the technology aspects, many other factors too need to be considered prior launching a Mobile Commerce application to a business domain". Critically evaluate the legal and social issues that are applicable to the Mobile Commerce application proposed for Task 3. Your evaluation should be furnished as a write up of 500 words of your own apart from the reference/d contents.

Task 5

Be ready for a viva with your teacher to demonstrate your knowledge with concepts incorporated on the assignment.

Note: Task 5 is compulsory. No marks will be awarded to tasks 1-4 without viva

Business Scenario

Al-Arabia Surgical Equipment Suppliers LLC is a leading Surgical Equipment supplier in Sultanate. The Al-Arabia Managing Director has just returned from a trade fair with some disturbing news. Couple of their competitors are actively exploring the use of mobile technologies within their sales process! The Managing Director has requested the Business IT Manager, Mr. Salim-Al-Harthy, to propose and prototype a new M-Commerce application for the sales process of Al-Arabia.

You have been delegated this task by Salim-Al-Harthy.

Business Process

This is a real-world example, so the business processes need careful explanation. The existing (old) process and details of the new network-based process are outlined in detail below.

Existing Business Process Order Processing System

Salespersons are allocated to various places of the Sultanate. Salespersons visit and sell the surgical equipments to the Doctors who work at the Hospitals. These equipments need to be updated on a regular basis as technology improves. The relationship is therefore between the doctor and the firm represented by the salesperson. The salesperson has a visit plan per month to visit hospitals which have existing customers (doctors) and also visits the hospitals looking for new customers. The visit involves talking to doctors(s) for a short period of time to discuss requirements and new products available from the firm. Each customer has a customer number. If the customer wishes to place an order then this is all completed on paper. A pre-printed order form is completed by the salesperson and signed by the doctor. The order form has a number, date and details of the products ordered and the total value of the order. The salesman derives all the product information from a product catalogue manual. The product catalogue is printed at the start of each calendar year and is updated via paper inserts during the year. Each product has a product code, description, unit of measure, price.

The order form is in duplicate and a copy is left with the customer. The other copy is sent in to the firm by overnight post but the salesperson telephones the details of the order through to the office usually on the same day (typically after leaving the customer or at the end of day).

Guidelines

Follow the guidelines mentioned below for your assignment.

- Assignment should be typed and an electronic copy is to be submitted through moodle
- Handwritten assignments will not be accepted
- The assignment should not be more than 15 pages in (size A4) paper. Minimum acceptable size is 8 pages.
- Assignment should have Complete and sign the cover sheet with the following information

o Assignment Name
o Class
o Student name
o Student ID

- It should have Table of Contents
- Use page numbers
- Assignment should be typed in your own words using Times New Roman font size 12.
- Heading should be with Font Size 14, Bold, Underline
- Use Diagrams and Examples to explain your topic, provided citation, if applicable.
- You are encouraged to refer the books in Library or use internet resource or computer magazines or any other resource but you should not cut/copy and paste from internet. The report should be in your own words.
- Copy paste from the Internet is strictly not acceptable.
- Reference should be included in the last page as follows
- Author name, Book Title, Publisher, Year in case of books
- In case of web site references type the full path of the web page with referenced date
- In case of magazines/ periodicals type article name, magazine name, Issue Number and date.