Task Descriptions:

Code/file version management

You are required to sign up to GitHub and then:

1. Fork this project into your public space 

2. Modify the Word document called ISYS3001.docx (it contains instructions) in your own repository and create a pull request to the main repository

Note: At various times the project manager (repository owner) will pull changes into the mainline. This will be reflected in your GitHub view of the project.

Build Management

A client of yours has confidential plans to develop an open-source web browser and has asked you to provide advice on build management by looking at a competitor (Mozilla ‘Firefox’). 

Give your advice as follows: 

1. A brief description of the nightly build system of Mozilla Firefox for managing changes to software and systems

2. How Mozilla arrives at a release of Firefox that is distributed to the public

3. Advantages and Disadvantages of this system for the client.

Note that the nightly builds evolve over time so carefully reference the facts that you have gathered and indicate the dates to which your descriptions refer. 

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Provide a detailed RFP for the following system.

Aussie Business Buzz (ABB) is a business that sells a variety of technology products (e.g., PCs, laptops, phones, routers), provides device repairs and mobile device accessories. They want an integrated system to support their 4 branch shops as the opportunity arises. They envisage the system will evolve over time and plan to expand to many more locations. 

Their initial requirements are:

1. A customer relations database with information about products and services purchased, devices left with them for repair (customer details, customer purchase history, problem report, work details, etc.)

2. A marketing system that allows for digital marketing using e-mail, social media, and any other modern marketing techniques. This will use details in the customer relations database but allow other prospective customers’ details to be entered in the existing Aussie Business Buzz website (not part of this RFP).

3. A stock management system that includes products for sale, parts for use in repairs, automatic ordering from wholesalers. The system must be able to be used for individual locations to find products and parts at other ABB locations when necessary.

4. Reports for management, who may be at any location, of the status of all the above so they can order stock, recruit staff, and make other management decisions.

Your RFP should use one or more guidelines that you will reference. You may be tempted to go overboard here so try to restrict your RFP to a reasonable size (up to 1000 words maximum), less if possible. Remember that the fewer restrictions the better in an RFP so that the responders can come up with new ideas that you have not imagined so far. This also means your RFP will not contain much technical information about the requested system but will contain information about your existing systems (the website unless you add to the specification).

Your RFP should allow for bespoke software development; but it should also clearly be able to consider existing applications, solutions built from components, SaaS solutions, other solutions, and any combination of these.

As you will learn, your RFP must contain:

1. The system description

2. Explanation of how you would evaluate proposals received

3. Explanation of how you would answer questions

4. Any other facts that would ensure proposals are useful to you and worth a supplier’s effort to respond to the RFP

Note there are many things missing from the above specification that you may wish to add to your RFP. A lot of your RFP will be details that you will need to make up, e.g., who to contact and how. You can use your own information or invent names and other data along the ABB theme.