CAPSTONE PROPOSAL: PC-Dex 1

PC-Dex

CST489: Capstone Project Planning

Richard Rivera

Kevin Swei

Advisor: Dr. Eric Tao

Fall 2023
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Executive Summary

Our website is primarily divided into three key sections designed to assist users in

assembling computers within their budget and acquiring the necessary components:

Assembly Assistance: Our platform will assist users in selecting computer components

that suit their needs, ensuring that each option meets their requirements. The tools and

recommendations we provide will simplify the assembly process.

Accessory Purchases: Our website allows users to easily purchase the required computer

components. We integrate websites from various regions, enabling users to conveniently make

purchases in their own countries or regions, thus saving time and money.

Budget Management: We offer budget management tools to help users make informed

purchases within their budget. This ensures that users do not exceed what they can afford.

This platform aims to provide value to users of all age groups, especially those who wish

to assemble their computers but seek to streamline the process. Through our services, users can

easily achieve their computer assembly goals while maintaining flexibility within their budget.
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Table of Contents

Introduction/Background..............................................................................................................4

Environmental Scan/Literature Review...................................................................................... 5

Stakeholders................................................................................................................................... 5

Ethical Considerations............................................................................................................... 5

Legal Considerations................................................................................................................. 5

Project Goals and Objectives........................................................................................................ 6

Final Deliverables...........................................................................................................................7

Approach/Methodology................................................................................................................. 8

Timeline/Resources........................................................................................................................ 8

Platform.......................................................................................................................................... 9

Risks and Dependencies................................................................................................................ 9

Testing Plan.................................................................................................................................. 10

Members/Division of Responsibility...........................................................................................10
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Introduction/Background

In today's tech-driven world, where access to a computer has become a necessity for

almost everyone, the realm of e-sports is steadily gaining prominence. With the surge in demand

for computer systems tailored to specific needs, we envision a platform that can be a guiding

hand for users in assembling their ideal computers. This encompasses considerations regarding

hardware compatibility, buying and selling options, and cost-effectiveness.

Our website is designed to be all-encompassing, welcoming users of all age groups and

catering to a variety of needs, whether for work or play. Recognizing the financial constraints

that some young individuals may face while aspiring to build a quality computer, we've

incorporated a budget-selection feature to empower them.

Furthermore, to enhance user convenience, we've integrated links to websites from

various countries. This ensures that users can access local sources for equipment, irrespective of

their geographic location.

In this technological era, there is a significant gap between the escalating demand for

computers and the essential needs for accessibility and affordability. Our platform endeavors to

offer a comprehensive solution. We enable computer enthusiasts of all backgrounds to make

informed decisions tailored to their unique requirements. For instance, for those passionate about

coding, we recommend computers optimized for program execution, boasting enhanced CPU

cores. For gaming aficionados, our suggestion leans towards a superior GPU and increased

memory. Furthermore, in alignment with our mission, we adjust component recommendations

based on each user's budget, ensuring a harmonious balance between performance and cost.

Environmental Scan/Literature Review

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While current literature and environmental scans emphasize the growing significance of

location-based services in digital platforms, our website takes a different approach. Our platform

is designed to be universal, transcending geographical and environmental limitations. We

acknowledge that the global nature of the internet means users come from diverse environments

and contexts. As such, our website doesn't require any specific location or environment. Users

from various backgrounds and locations can easily access it as long as they have an internet

connection and a device, such as a smartphone or iPad. However, more comprehensive studies

and reviews might be needed to assess the broader implications and advantages of our approach

in the current digital landscape.

Stakeholders
Every person who uses the website is a stakeholder, including ourselves. For users, what

they need is to invest time in selecting, and comparing products, and prices. However, what they

can gain is convenience because we assist them in choosing their desired products more

efficiently. For developers, we must spend time developing the website and finding relevant

websites in different countries to help users purchase their desired products in those regions. The

ultimate goal for developers is to ensure that users are happy using the website. Of course, if the

website scales up, we also hope to collaborate with other websites and receive a percentage to

increase our income. As for clients, they may need to lower the prices of their products so that

we can better assist them in selling. However, the harvest is that lowering prices may attract

more consumers because the cost factor won't be as significant.

Ethical Considerations

Our website will not involve any content related to religion, gender, violence, etc., so

there are no ethical concerns in this regard. Of course, if there are any aspects that stakeholders
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find to be ethically problematic, we will promptly remove them to ensure the comfort of all users

and remove the website from our links in the future

Legal Considerations

Regarding legal issues, we have considered consumer protection laws, such as pricing

information, the buying and selling of goods, and privacy rights. Additionally, we are addressing

website security concerns and data protection to prevent the exposure of users' financial

information. The use of images or trademarks on the website also requires permission from the

respective manufacturers. We also need to be aware of the regulations in different countries to

facilitate cross-border purchases for consumers.

Project Goals and Objectives

Goals

Provide a user-friendly shopping experience

Offer competitive pricing

Widen product selection

Focus on product availability

Highlight niche and enthusiast products

Enable custom PC builds

Establish secure payment methods

Focus on customer service

Build a community

Objectives

Make the website navigation intuitive with category-based and faceted search to help
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customers easily find products.

Benchmark competitor prices and provide at least 10-15% lower prices on premium items.

Offer at least 500 individual PC components from 50 top brands.

Maintain over 95% order fulfillment with products in stock and ready to ship.

Dedicate a separate enthusiast PC parts section with at least 50 niche items not commonly
available.

Offer a PC customization service with a choice of over 50 components.

Offer support for at least 10 payment options with a fraud rate below 0.5%.

Maintain a 95% positive customer satisfaction score based on feedback and reviews.

Have forum membership of over 10,000 with over 50,000 monthly visitors.

Final Deliverables

The core goals for our new enthusiast PC parts e-commerce site are to provide an

effortless shopping experience with the widest selection of in-stock components at competitive

pricing, supported by a community of engaged customers. To achieve this, the site will

implement intuitive category and filter-based search to help customers quickly find the right

components. We will partner with 50+ leading brands to offer at least 500 individual products,

using sales data to optimize inventory. Our prices will beat competitors by 10-15% on premium

items based on regular benchmarking. A dedicated section will highlight over 50 niche and

specialty products like customized cases and ultra-high-end parts. Expert advice will come

through 100+ build guides and 60-second live chat support. A fully-featured PC configurator

will allow customized builds. We will integrate 10+ secure payment methods with strict fraud

prevention. Customer service will be a priority, with a 95% satisfaction goal based on monitoring
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of reviews and feedback. The site will also foster an enthusiast community through forums,

blogs, and content. With these robust plans and objectives spanning selection, pricing, service,

and community, we will deliver an engaging,customer-focused PC component shopping

destination.

Approach/Methodology

To make it easy for both enthusiasts and everyday users to test and provide feedback on

our new PC parts website, we will implement a simple beta testing program. This will allow us

to invite a select group of testers to access and evaluate an early version of the site prior to the

full public launch. From this pool of applicants, we will choose a diverse set of testers spanning

both expert PC builders and novice users. We will grant them private login access to the beta site

and encourage comprehensive testing and honest feedback via embedded site surveys and a

dedicated beta forum. Testers will be asked to evaluate aspects like site navigation, product

search/browsing, checkout process, community features, etc., and report any issues faced. This

closed beta testing phase will enable us to identify improvements early on and launch the PC

parts site with confidence after incorporating user suggestions.

Timeline/Resources

Timeline
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Resources Needed

Given the need for a robust and secure e-commerce platform with custom configurators

and community features, our technology stack for the website should leverage popular

open-source frameworks suited for scalable development. The front end can be built using

ReactJS for constructing reactive user interfaces efficiently. Redux can help manage complex

frontend states as the site grows. The backend would benefit from Node.js and ExpressJS to

enable fast and scalable APIs and server-side logic. For the database, MongoDB provides

flexibility and speed for diverse order and inventory data. Payment integrations will require

modules like Stripe for processing transactions. The website styling can use CSS frameworks

like Bootstrap for a responsive and consistent design. For custom PC configuration, we can build

drag-and-drop functionality with HTML5 and JavaScript libraries like SortableJS. By combining

these mature open-source technologies, we can deliver a high-performance website with rich

features, optimized code, and scalability for future growth. Security measures like encryption,

access control, and input validation will be implemented at every stage.

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Risks and Dependencies

Risks

When launching a new e-commerce business, there are various risks that should be

planned for. A major risk is inadequate website traffic and sales – ineffective marketing and

failure to achieve visibility with search engines and target audiences could limit growth. Lack of

competitive pricing due to fluctuating component costs can make it hard to attract customers.

Complex custom PC configuration tools could encounter functionality issues or bugs despite

testing. Managing a wide supplier and distributor network also carries inventory risk, where

stock-outs of popular items can frustrate customers. Payment fraud, cyberattacks, and data

breaches pose security and compliance risks that could damage credibility. Adapting to rapidly

changing technology and market trends can be challenging. Legal risks like patent disputes or

trademark violations may emerge as we scale globally. Finding the right talent to handle

customer service and technical roles is important. These risks can be mitigated with robust

planning – scenario analysis, security measures, vendor management, infrastructure scalability,

skilled team building, and cyber insurance. With diligence, we can avoid or overcome the key

challenges in launching this business.

Dependencies

First, we need to assemble a talented team (Richard and Kevin) covering technology,

design, content, and operations. Next, we build out a reliable infrastructure including hosting,

payment systems(fake payment system but still functional), and logistics. Then, we can focus on

developing the website functionality, testing rigorously, and loading products. Finally, we market

the website through partnerships, affiliates, and advertising to drive customer acquisition and

sales.
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Testing Plan

Thorough testing will be critical prior to launching the site publicly. We will

conduct unit testing as we develop each function and component. Then we will perform

comprehensive end-to-end testing to simulate real customer workflows like browsing products,

custom configuration, checkout, account registration, etc. A closed beta testing group of users

will be leveraged to identify bugs and user experience issues through real-world website usage.

Any issues found will be remediated and retested until no critical defects remain. Load testing

will confirm the site can handle peak traffic volumes. Security testing will also be done to detect

any vulnerabilities. With deliberate testing and fixing at multiple levels, we can launch the

website with confidence in its functionality, performance, and safety.

Members/Division of Responsibility

For Richard Rivera, will architect the overall website data system and oversee the engine,

backend, APIs, and integrations with other platforms. Richard will use SQL, MongoDB, Node.js,

and Python for the database system of the website. He will define the technology stack, coding

standards, and testing protocols. Kevin Swei can serve as the developer for the front end of the

website and work cross-functionally to gather requirements, create product roadmaps and user

workflows, and ensure the website satisfies both user needs and business goals. His

responsibilities will include HTML, CSS, and Javascript for the website and also managing

feature priorities and bug fixes and doing market analysis for new products and enhancements.
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With Richard focusing on the technical architecture and Kevin guiding the creative design of the

project, we can collaborate to deliver a high-quality, user-centric website optimized for

scalability and growth.

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References

Newegg Inc. (2022). Home. Newegg. https://www.newegg.com/