A designer can mull over complicated designs for months.

Then suddenly the simple, elegant,

beautiful solution occurs to him. When it happens to you, it feels as if God is talking! And maybe
He is.

—Leo Frankowski
 Table of Contents

Table of Figures ................................................................................................................. iii

Question 1 ........................................................................................................................... 1
Question 2 ........................................................................................................................... 4
References ......................................................................................................................... 12

ii
 Table of Figures

Figure 1: Context Diagram – Ticket booking System ........................................................ 5

Figure 2: Level 1 DFD - Ticket Booking System ............................................................... 6
Figure 3: Level 1 DFD - ‘Booking ticket’ process ............................................................. 8
Figure 4: Level 2 DFD - 'Booking ticket’ process .............................................................. 9
Figure 5: Level 3 DFD - 'Booking ticket’ process ............................................................ 10

iii
Question 1
A brief (single page) high-level outline of the system you suggest, identifying high-level
functionality, static data storage requirements (do not produce a detailed account of static
data at this stage), and characterising the kinds of user of the system.

Answer:

Overall description

The basic goal and objective is to develop a web based computerized system that will
provide an easy, efficient and reliable way to manage data and processes for the
Playhouse Theatre. The goal of the web system is to bring more flexibility and reliability
to the system by automating it and incorporating the following features in order to solve
the current problems:

§ Providing an anytime anyplace booking, returns and updates service for the customer
via web.
§ To provide a proper web interface to agencies for retrieving banned customers lists,
returning tickets and updating the booking orders. A better way to reconcile returned
tickets and avoid any situations like double bookings.
§ Effective and efficient way to handle the discounts on pricing system for the
customers and remunerations for the staff.
§ Provision of an automatic ticket issuer at box office which would help in getting rid
of the long customer queues and thus provide a reliable way to count the number of
people present in a performance. Also, providing an opportunity for various other
agencies to resell tickets as the automatic ticket issuer will handle the printing of
ticket solely.
§ Minimizing the number of staff at the ticket box.
§ By keeping customers updated with mailings lists.
§ Introducing a better way to resolve waiting lists for bookings.
§ Providing report generation facility for the sales & returns.
§ Introducing the recalling tickets feature to keep the customers informed if any
changes or delays have occurred for the performances they have bought tickets for.
§ A reliable and efficient way of refunding tickets.
§ An efficient way to change seating arrangements for each performance by
maintaining a seating plan against every performance.

System Features

1. Online ticket booking & returns and profile management for members that
comprises of:
§ Making a booking/buying a ticket
§ Cancel booking
§ Update booking
§ Update profile information

1
 § Update account information
§ View account & profile details
§ View booking details
§ Browse and search for plays information
§ Subscribe/unsubscribe to mailing lists

2. Online ticket booking & returns and profile management for agencies that
comprises of:
§ Confirming booking orders (updating booking orders database)
§ Returning tickets
§ Viewing banned customers

3. Online browse and search options for play information for online visitors
4. Online Subscribing option to mailing lists for online visitors
5. Online box office booking to manage booking & returns for booking staff that
includes:
§ Checking seat availability
§ Booking ticket
§ Invoicing
§ Reconciling returned tickets
§ Automatic ticket issuing
§ Checking booking details
§ Resolving waiting lists
§ Refunding.

6. Online System management to:

§ Maintain mailing list
§ Recalling tickets
§ Manage banned customers
§ Update seating plan as per performance & booking requirements
§ Manage discount patterns & ticket types
§ Manage price coding & ticket information
§ Report generation for ticket sales & returns
§ Maintain and update all database and users.

Non-functional

1. Importing the previous manual data into the database successfully

2. Daily automated back up for the sales & returns data
3. Login facility for every user
4. Online help including FAQs and ‘help form’ services.

2
System Users

1. System Managers: They would be responsible for maintaining system safety and
security, daily back ups, report generation and any updates to the database like
changing seating plans per performance, managing discount changes etc (as
mentioned above in system management feature).

2. Booking staff: They are responsible for managing the ticket sales, returns and
invoicing process.

3. Customer: The customers can access the booking system via web for making
booking, canceling booking, updating customer info, checking booking details,
browse for plays information and may subscribe or unsubscribe to the mailing list and
other features.

4. Agencies: They can use the web interface for updating data for returning tickets,
confirming booking orders, retrieve list of banned customers.

5. Credit Card verifier: This will be an external user/entity integrated to work with the
system whose services would be required to verify the credit card of the customer.

Static data storage requirements

A relational database to store all the information pertaining to:

§ Booking orders
§ Returns
§ Customers
§ Agencies
§ Performance
§ Seating plan
§ Ticket (ticket types to handle discounts and pricing codes)
§ Venue
§ Ticket requests (waiting lists)
§ Mailing lists
§ Issued tickets

3
Question 2

Data flow diagrams relating to the activity of making a theatre booking. You should
present several, consistent, diagrams with increasing granularity, identifying: processes,
inputs, outputs, data flows and static data stores.

Answer:

Assuming that the DFDs are required for the process of booking ticket/theatre booking as
mentioned in the question so the following chain of DFDs have been detailed according
to keeping in mind the booking ticket process chiefly.

4
 Customer

ticket
etails

equesr
d
Ticket

Ticket Booking
System

Figure 1: Context Diagram – Ticket booking System

The context diagram shows a customer requests for a ticket and if successful he is issued
a ticket.

5
 P1 Seating
Dept

Performance
fixture lists Sea
ting
info

updates
D2 Seat

D4 Ticket
Requests

Available seats
D1 Performance
i ls
ta
t de
u es
Pe eq
r for R
ma
nc
ed
eta Ticket request
ils P2 Sales
Customer

D3 Booking
Booking Ticket Ticket & customer details
Orders

D5 Customer

Inv
oic il s
ea ta
mo r de

s
un de

tail
t Or

t de

t
ke
c
ke

Ti
P3 Sales

structi
on
Invoicing Tic
e & in
D6 Issued Invoic
Tickets

Issue tic P4 Sales

ket note

Issue ticket
Invoice
Payment

Customer

Figure 2: Level 1 DFD - Ticket Booking System

The above level 1 data flow diagram is for the ‘ticket booking system’. It is missing a few
processes as the main focus in this question is the activity of making a theatre booking.
Returns and cancellations haven’t been handled.

The system managers (seating department) adjust the seat database on the basis of
performance requirements.

A customer requests for booking ticket. The booking staff (sales dept) checks for
available seats, inputs performance details and books the order. The invoice is given to
the customer and the payment is made.

6
If no available seat is found then the request is added to the waiting list (ticket requests
database). This waiting list is resolved on basis of returns of ticket from customers and
agencies.

If customer is a member of the theatre then the invoice amount and order details are
saved to his account as well. The ticket is then issued to the customer, but if he is making
an online booking then he is given a ticket reference number.

The automated ticket issuer at the box office requires the customer to enter the ticket
reference number and his password and the ticket is printed and collected by him. The
security and issuing requirements basically depend on the business logic. I assume the
ticket reference number and member password would be a good way to handle issuing
ticket process for online bookings.

The booking process is analyzed more closely in the DFDs below:

7
 P2 Sales

D2 Seat
P 2.1
P 2.2
eats
a ble s
Avail

Ti
ck
Login Customer info Obtain

et
performance

re
qu
preference

es
t
t
g lis
itin
wa
to

Pe
d
Ad

rfo
Customer

rm
fo
eat in

an
D4 Ticket request

ce
de
ce , s

tals
r ma n
perfo
mer,
Custo

D1 Performance

P 2.3

Confirm Booking, performance & D3 Booking

Booking customer details Orders

l s
tai
r de
de
ils

Or
eta
et d
k
Tic

P3 Sales

Invoicing

P4 Sales

Issue ticket

Figure 3: Level 1 DFD - ‘Booking ticket’ process

The above DFD takes a closer look of the ‘booking ticket’ process. If the process is being
done at box office, then the booking manager logins into the system, checks for the
available seats, enters customer information, his preferred choice for performance and
confirms booking.

In case of online booking, the member would login, select the performance details and
make a booking.

In case the performance tickets are sold out, the customer is being added to the waiting
list if he desires.

8
 D1 Performance P 2.2 Obtain performance preference

Per
fo r ma
n ce
ch o P 2.2.1 P 2.2.2
i ce

Performance ID
Obtain Obtain time
Performance and venue
P 2.1
D2 Seat

ID
Login Customer info

Order
t
lis

s
g

at
itin

se
wa

ble
d to
Ad P 2.2.4

ila
P 2.2.3

a
Av
Obtain Food &
Drink Obtain seat
D4 Ticket request

es
c od
dr ink
o d&
Fo fo
r in
r de
,o
D9 Meal
e at
,s
ce
an
rm
e rfo
,p
er
m
to
us
PC 2.3 Confirm Booking

P 2.3.1 P 2.3.2

Obtain Booking record

transaction Validate Data
data
D3 Booking
Orders
o rd er de
tails
re c ustom
d &c
P 2.3.3 d ate rm a n ce
li perfo
Va in g ID,
Book
Save Booking

Figure 4: Level 2 DFD - 'Booking ticket’ process

In the above DFD we closely investigate the processes of ‘choosing performance

preference’ and ‘confirm booking’.

9
‘Choosing performance preference’
The performance is selected from the list and its time and date are obtained. The choice
of seat is entered and any food and drinks orders are also entered. Once done the booking
information is confirmed.

‘Confirm Booking’
The process of ‘confirm booking’ involves the process of obtaining the booking record
and then it is checked for correctness & accuracy. Once validated the booking
information is written to the booking orders database.

D1 Performance
Per
fo r ma
n ce P 2.2
ch o
ice
Obtain Available seats D2 Seat
performance
preference
o
inf
er
tom
nfo

s
P 2.1 Cu
er i
o rd
t
lis
g

t,
itin

se a

Login
wa

,
to

n ce
d
Ad

r ma rfo
, pe

D4 Ticket request
r
me
sto
Cu

P 2.3 Confirm Booking

P 2.3.1 Obtain transaction data P 2.3.2 Validate Data

P 2.3.2.1 P 2.3.2.2 P 2.3.2.3

Check Empty Check credit

P 2.3.1.1 P 2.3.1.2 Check range
& accuracy card

Type ID
Obtain ticket Process Billing
e
typ type amount
o rd

D7 Ticket
re c
amount

Validated record
ing
Billing

ok
Bo

P 2.3.1.3
P 2.3.3 Save booking
Obtain
customer credit
card/cash
P 2.3.3.1 P 2.3.3.2
Record
Generate
with ID Save to
Booking record
database
Bo

ID
o
ki cu s
ng to
ID me
,p rd
er et
fo ai
rm l s
an
ce
&

D3 Booking
Orders

Figure 5: Level 3 DFD - 'Booking ticket’ process

10
In the above DFD, the following 3 processes involved in ‘confirm booking’ are
investigated deeply.

‘Obtain transactional data’

Once all the booking data is received it is time to calculate price and bill the customer. So
the process of ‘obtaining transaction data’ involves getting the price info of the ‘ticket
type’ that is selected, in short it gets the price code for the selected preferences of user.
The ‘ticket type’ would handle all the discounts offered. Next the billing amount is
calculated and the customer gives cash or credit card details.

‘Validate Data’
The booking information record is passed on to the process of ‘validate data’. In the sub
process of ‘validate data’ the booking record is checked for correctness of values entered.
The values are checked to ensure that they are accurate, non- empty and fall with in
range. The credit card is also verified via an external entity.

‘Save booking’
Once the data is validated the booking record is passed on to the ‘save booking’ process.
Here the ID for the booking record is generated. Just a note, the booking record that was
being passed on earlier was without an ID. The booking record with an ID is then
inserted to the booking orders database and the booking process is hence complete.

Assuming that the booking procedure of agency is not a part of this system but the
agencies would be provided with a web interface where they could update the booking
orders, check for banned customers list, check available seats and return tickets.

11
 References

[Pressman, 1997]
Roger S. Pressman, “Software Engineering – A Practitioner’s Approach”, McGraw Hill
1997, p. 278.

[Sommerville, 1992]
I. Sommerville, Software Engineering, Addison- Wesley, 1992.

12