Case Problems

Pine Valley Furniture recently implemented a new internship program and

has begun recruiting interns from nearby university campuses. As part of
this program, interns have the opportunity to work alongside a systems
analyst. This shadowing opportunity provides invaluable insights into the
systems analysis and design process. Recently you were selected for a six-
month internship at Pine Valley Furniture, and Jim Woo has been assigned
as your supervisor.
At an initial meeting with Jim Woo, he explains that Pine Valley Furniture is
currently involved with two important systems development projects, the Customer
Tracking System and Web Store. The purpose of the Customer Tracking System is to
enable the PVF marketing group to track customer purchase activity and sales
trends better. The WebStore project will help move the company into the twenty-
first century by facilitating online furniture purchases, with an initial focus on
corporate furniture buying. During your meeting with Mr. Woo, he reviews the
documentation assembled for both systems. Mr. Woo hands you a copy of the
Customer Tracking System’s economic feasibility analysis. He mentions that he
would like to modify the spreadsheet to reflect the information provided in the
following table. Because you are familiar with a spreadsheet product, you volunteer
to make the modifications for him.
Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Net economic benefit $ 0 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000
One-time costs $47,500          
Recurring costs $0 $32,000 $32,000 $32,000 $32,000 $32,000

1) Jim Woo would like to investigate how other online stores are
targeting the business furniture market. Identify and evaluate two
online stores that sell business furniture. Briefly summarize your
findings.