Electronic Construction Procurement System

However, in planning stage there is always a percentage allocated to these trends of time and budget. This is what we call variation order (VO) which could be set around 5 percent of the overall budget.

How much project procurement engaged digitalization?

The only electronic platform have been used in the organization is the informative website which does not carry any functionalities. Therefore, the single channel for selling procurement and communication is still the physical one. We have transaction with internet and our own agent to increase the sales and profit. But we still work with a traditional business model.

What are steps in the procurement processes you are currently using for project sourcing?

We are following the direct seller communication. According to what BQ department figure about the level of procurement quality, items would be selected and communication should be form with the other party. Here the participants are seller and buyer which may include middle men for shipping item when the delivery time is tight and under management consideration.

For emergency items or highly customized requirements, trading company may send an individual to provide through the local market. This cannot happen for bulk items and there are some restrictions of such type of purchase. Normally the permission should be given through the senior management.

For each project we are supposed to deal with hundreds or more suppliers and when we want to order something we will make a call to related specific supplier. There is no tight controlling on raw material price when a project needs to deliver output in the constraints over delivery time. However, materials in most of the areas have specific and standard prices.

In the market most of the developers have a contract to deal with supplier centralized units which are mainly concentrating on the project sourcing and procurement. Sometimes these companies should undertake to maintain the quality in a certain and specific degree.

In a common procurement process what are the required activities should be done?

There are some important attributes in the sourcing process such as standards of the material, delivery time and pricing. Major services such as warranty should be also considers as an important purchase factor. Besides, the quantity also considers an attribute with a lot of effect on the price and level of services. Obviously, larger scope purchase would be more cost effective and service oriented purchase.

Do you think that electronic and digital supply system can change the balance of transaction risk?

The amount of risk in the transaction is tightly depend if what is the purchased item so when you buy material from China for instance, manager should be more carefully due to lack of quality in most of their production. Actually China is following the worst standard in the world. Their products are quiet worthless and low quality.

Normally what we should do in transaction is to share the risk of purchase between seller and buyer. This is the equal risk acceptance from both parties.

How can you control the price of customized items?

Our main policy is not to go for customized products. For example we are trying to make construction according to popular market products and don't take the risk of customization. These types of products are very expensive and besides, there is no substitute if something happens for these products. For example most of them just produce for a relatively short time in manufacturers. Items have eventually a short lifecycle.

A summarized management challenges over development

Sometimes developers have a complexity and levels of barriers due to pressure of project supplement. There is always required to purchase hundreds of items and not all of them would be on time and meet the deadline of project millstones.

In company we are not allowed to purchase without following the governed rules and restriction over procurement and thus, this would take a lot of time for organization to reach a certain level of progress and buy entire required items.

Resellers are able to provide very cheap material with the lower degrees of services. Therefore, we don't take the risk and contract with a centralized unit to ensure all services provided are quality and in time. Because we should maintain the quality in a certain level and sustain in the market.



7. Analysis & Design

7.1 Interview Report

There is a high rate of 90% unsuccessful project in terms of staying on the defined budget. Means that major of construction companies would almost always over budget and the main reason is related to the attributes of procurement such as price, delivery time and quality.

Some other procurement risk such as price fluctuation and logistic are also contributing as the failure factors in construction developments. For this purpose, variation order must be apply for procurement items which are normally by the rate of 5% of budget defined.

In headquarter of development companies, they use internet channels to reach some informative propose and unlike selling channel this would be according to major marketing objectives for long term growth.

Developers must deal with the centralized units which are responsible for providing procurement and required items. Developers try to make the quality consistent through the quality department in such centralized units. Besides, they would take the responsibilities of all purchased items.

Cost control in procurement is a part of BQ (Bills of Quantities) department which is the only center which tracks the attributes of ordered items. This is where suppliers would be evaluated according to the price, quality, service and delivery they have offered. These elements can be considered a kind of standard applied to the industry.

Obviously, urgent and customized items should be acquired through local shopping. Therefore, centralized unit is playing a major role in procurement of multi projects because number of suppliers and specification of items are important when make complexity high.

According to interview, Certification, cost, quantity and quality are major factors which should be provided for developers in private and public sectors. Delivery time based on the impacts on the project outcome, considers the main factor in this area and hence, manager have the special attention to timely suppliers.

In terms of customized products, and according to market demand, developers try to design the popular products to avoid customization. Project manager have high range of complexity to deal with the procurement and this might affect the quality and services which could increase organization competitiveness.

7.2 Analysis Summary

According to discussed challenges in development and supplier challenges in construction, efficiency of supplier business in relation with their customer is tightly dependent on the level of effectiveness and tools or techniques for their communication. Physical channel obeys the traditional rule which does not carry any competitive advantage in today's market. Therefore, an interactive usable cyber platform with the objectives above only informative activities and awareness could empower the existing communication which then can be translated as reaching higher degrees of success and becoming a major industry player.



8. Environmental analysis

8.1 Dealing with competition (Porter's five forces)

In this research, the whole construction industry has been analyzed through porter's five forces as an effective external industry analyses tool. Porter has divided the industry trends to five major forces which are included buyer and seller power and industry rivalry and competition forces.

In this analyze, two major players in the industry are suppliers and project managers which can be private developers, homebuilder companies and government programs and projects. This relationship determines the balance of power and industry trends which currently forms the whole aspects of businesses.

planning company mission market

8.1.1 Supplier Power

There are different factors in developer-supplier relationship which affect the balance of power towards increase or decrease of supplier power in construction industry. In this market, construction sources get the power through become more integrated and union, when the number of sales item and amount of each is more significant for customer, differentiate items and create enough hooking power and switching cost for the existing customers and new comers.

If there are only few good suppliers in the industry and there is growing demand over procurement material, and also there is a high switching cost for existing customers, then suppliers would have a greater power and can reach their short and long term financial objective and increase their customer base easier. Especially when a supplier has a tight control and effect in the market price, its flexibility for making market trends would be more and more.

Almost everywhere, industry of procurement in construction is completely fragmented and this is not usual for them to become a powerful union. Therefore they would try to compete and cut the price as much as possible to sustain in the market. This would be a barrier for them and the opportunity for developers to go for cheapest and service guaranties in each particular material.

One of the main concerns for management and market key trend is the purchase volume. According to the nature of projects which is mostly high scope for construction material purchase, developers usually are required to buy in bulk for those necessary required items. High purchase would be negatively affection factor for suppliers which may force them to providing more varieties of services in the industry. Customers in this market have more information and are required to spend enough time and investigation before purchase and its evaluation.

Beside land, homebuilders are required to purchase varies of materials defined at the beginning of project. According to the standard market for some of these items, the price may not be negotiable for managers. For example oil and gasoline are those required standard price materials which can be assume as the project fix cost. However, there are certain materials which the price have been set through suppliers and can be changed out of government and public policy. Some regular cost cutting ways for home builders include gaining better bids when buying in bulk, acquisition of cheapest labor and more expensive managers and expand the geographical access to overseas market to take better price and services.

Subcontractors which consider as industry suppliers have a relatively low profit margin. For them, this is crucial to have an accurate and reliable estimation for all resource required for a task or a project. In the case of neglecting of right estimation, they may face to project failure and loss profit or their own investment. This case sensitive situation make them to get weak in front of industry customers and their power is low for their customers in public and private sector.

Other significant part of budget allocation would be set and estimated to human and expertise resources in a construction project. Those with high skill and capacity which are involved in a project are relatively expensive for managers to hire. According to the rapid growth of construction and increase the demand for skill in this industry, in some countries, industry faced to the shortage of human resource. This powerful force in industry may increase the labor cost for human resource and expertise required.

8.1.2 Buyer Power

Currently in almost any country, there are banking packages and finance facilitators for home and real estate market. This makes average people to get into purchase more easily and demand for new developments would increase. Those customers are looking to buy large development projects and also have low switching cost to go for competitors, have a higher power over developers, especially when market is fragmented and saturated by development side.

Customer market is also fragmented in this industry, means that each family would be looking for the cheapest price. In private group of customers, this is not routine for customers to become a union for purchase a larger part of the product and get more power over suppliers. Because they are looking for more personalized and customized factors in the development.

Customers have constraints of access to vary of geographical locations and their huge switching cost. For example families have to be near children school and their own workplace. Therefore, this makes them remain limited to the certain region market and products. Although the switching cost for buyers is relatively high, there is still the opportunity to rent an apartment or home in any required or selected location. But as real estate considers an investment with a relatively large scope, there would be so much switching cost for owners of the apartments.

Besides, according to the growth of population and economic in recent decades, an intensive growth in market demand in addition with immigration makes market to have greater and more reliable potential for serving customers with new and customized products in each economic and social segment.

8.1.3 Barriers to Entry (Threat of Potential Entry)

Any new comer in an existing industry aims to get a high amount of market share to sustain in the industry. Since demand for product is not affected positively through number of suppliers and industry players, this would be a fact for existing players which they lose their share to new comers in result of this movement.

According to discussion above, new comers are a big threat to an industry without significant rate of growth. Industry entry barriers makes industry secure of facing intensive competition and also may prevent new businesses which aims to get share in a short time. Some factors including the economics of scale, the level of differentiation in products, start up and switching cost and also entire restriction over industry governed by public sector would significantly affect the construction market. These forces change the balance toward or against developers within industry and its players.

Naturally, construction projects are required a significant rate of investment and this can be a natural barrier for those who attempt taking industry share. This amount of required money sometimes for huge projects may reach to billions of dollars and not an average company can deal with such huge barrier. However a lot of people may be able to invest in smaller project and/ or take the partnership benefits in collaboration and team working with smaller development companies.

Along with the required capital, a certain level of knowledge and expertise is also required for those wishing to enter construction market. This phase of requirement also would be expensive enough to consider as a barrier for those new comers. For such projects, manager should supply the initiation with a large enough appropriate legal land with acceptable condition for development. All these requirements increase pressure over new developers and may keep market away from rapid saturation and new comers.

In addition with all mentioned factors above, government rules and restriction may control new comers and filter market for constructive projects. For example zoning rules and difference must be considered before through government and developers to get align with pre-defined objectives of urban infrastructure.



8.1.4 Threat of Substitutes

Thereat for substitute products refers to the switching cost associated with customers and customer attitude and selection over products features. There is always alternative for customers to rent an apartment to get rid of purchase risk and difficulties. However, majority of customers prefers to have this type of investment and buy their customized apartment and get stability they need in their life.

Fortunately government rules and restriction for loan services related to those developed and developing countries almost make majority of people to have ease of purchase and even the right to go for best development through banking facilitates. Especially these types of services are available for first time buyers which enable them to own the apartment and home and pay through installation. Therefore, there is less intention for people to get the risk of rental and live without required stability. Beside all facilitators provided through government, demand is also positively affected through and in the results of population growth and immigration in most of the countries. With the minimum of interest rate associated to loan services, there is no significant gap between average purchase powers for buying a premium priced apartment.

8.1.5 Degree of Competitive Rivalry

In different parts of the world, construction is a fragmented market and according to population growth and other immigration factors which cause a higher degree of demand in the market, the level of competition would be in a highly rank in comparison to other industries. These are motivating factors which attract a large portion of business industries to engage construction market. However, there are also some barriers for industry which makes it difficult for average person to start the development of a project. Industry requires a huge capital for a project and also there are always zoning factors which might limit industry to get involve with flexibility.

These elements don't allow a large number of developers to exist in construction market. Hence, the likelihood of market saturation would not be very high since not everyone can be in the business. This works especially in the larger scope projects and developments.

8.1.6 Conclusion

For further analysis by researcher, a set of reliable marketing research tools would be essential and helpful to get a more accurate set of clues about the existing opportunities and threats refers to the industry and its players.

According to the conference of construction in the Harvard Business School at 1989 and the statements of Michael Porter, “There have always been lots of companies in the industry and so there has always been an active situation of rivalry. But again there was plenty of room.”

Sources powers	Factor level	Industry power
Bargaining power of Suppliers	Unity of sellers	Weak	Weak
	Differentiation of product	Weak	Weak
	Saturation of suppliers	Strong	Weak
	Employee	Weak	Strong
	Buyer group size	Strong	Strong
Customer power	Factor level	Buyer power
Bargaining power of Buyers	Purchase volume	Weak	Weak
	Demand size	Strong	Weak
	Cost of Switching	Strong	Weak
	Differentiation of product	Strong	Strong
	Saturation of Buyer	Strong	Weak
Barriers of new entrances	Factor level	Effect on developer
Threat of new entrance	Construction Industry growth	Strong	Weak
	Sales volume	Strong	Weak
	Capital required	Strong	Weak
	Cost of Switching	Weak	Weak
	Government policy changes	Strong	Weak
Substitutes in the market	Factor level	Impact on developer
Substitute	Availability of alternatives	Weak	Weak
	Differentiation of alternatives	Strong	Weak
Rivalry effects	Factor level	Impact on developer
Rivalry	Developer group size	Weak	Weak
	Construction Industry growth	Strong	Weak
	Unity of market	Strong	Weak
	Barriers to Exit	Weak	Weak
	Similarity of existing products	Strong	Strong
	Construction market growth	Strong	Weak

8.2 SWOT Analysis

In this part of the research, the whole construction industry has been analyzed through SWOT as an effective internal and external industry analyses tool. SWOT has divided the industry trends to four major forces which are included strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats.

As it shows in the figure above, company has a well management and expert staff for team working and project execution. Based on the growing market, there are benefits of economic of scale and company can gain the benefits of cost effectiveness associated with that. However, a single online informative channel with no functionality, broadness and interactivity beside market tradition and lack of improvement technology can be a decline factors for the firm. Manager should consider government policy and trends of industry made by offensive or defensive competitor's action.

8.3 Competitor Analyze

Competitor analysis assist the overall industry analysis to position organization in the right place of the market with in depth overview of external and internal factors for home builders and its major competitors. This analysis is essential to get the best set of user requirement at the last stage. The objectives of competitor analysis will assist system functionalities in two ways. This analysis would take the best package of system attributes and tries to improve the existing functions with some value provided differentiation.

In this stage, researcher would determine what are the internal strengths and external weakness of the system in compare with its competitors according to a benchmark.

Figure 8.1 - Online Project Plan Processes

According to the limitation of the resource and scheduling for this project, researcher conducted an analysis over GUI attributes, design principles and system functionalities in 4 same sized competitors to undertake it according to measures and metrics in a reliable manner.

Key elements	Liquid Planner	Project Management	Tom's Planner	Ganttzilla
Principles of Design
Visibility	Perfect	Perfect	Acceptable	Perfect
Feedback	Perfect	Perfect	Perfect	Perfect
Constraints	Acceptable	Acceptable	Perfect	Acceptable
Affordance	Perfect	Perfect	Acceptable	Perfect
Mapping and Placement	Acceptable	Perfect	Acceptable	Acceptable
Consistency and Harmony	Perfect	Perfect	Perfect	Perfect
Design Factors
Space	Acceptable	Perfect	Perfect	Poor
Texture	Acceptable	Perfect	Acceptable	Poor
Form	Acceptable	Acceptable	Acceptable	Perfect
Color	Acceptable	Perfect	Acceptable	Acceptable
Navigation	Acceptable	Perfect	Acceptable	Perfect
Innovation	Poor	Perfect	Poor	Poor
Functionalities of Planning
Schedule	Perfect	Perfect	Perfect	Perfect
Resource	Perfect	Perfect	Perfect	Perfect
Budget	Poor	Poor	Poor	Poor
Communication	Acceptable	Acceptable	Acceptable	Acceptable
Risk	Poor	Perfect	Poor	Poor
Quality	Poor	Perfect	Poor	Poor
Document	Poor	Perfect	Poor	Acceptable
Reports	Acceptable	Perfect	Poor	Acceptable

A package of positive attributes and factors like usability, higher degree of performance and options can be motivation for those developers and managers of buildings to get their personalized platform through this interactive system of project management. Researcher objective is to design the system as close as possible to the real user requirements and cover required functions which can provide additional values in construction industry.

Competitor analysis in this market includes the evaluation for some predefined metrics which gives strength or weakness and makes players different in obtaining market share. According to the websites and online informative or selling channels, they have different hooking power for potential visitors and customers.

9. Analyze of Proposed System

9.1 Market Introduction Planning

Before start to design and implement of the system, and according to the predefined goals and key targets of the project, a planning over product and its introduction to the market should be a part of the project not only to clarify the future path for product but also to ensure the capability of the project itself in gaining market share. This planning mostly focuses on the monitory requirements of the product management and marketing plans according to the following sub targets;

Product should be promoted to more than 80% of online potential customers.

An expertise team should be hired for implementation.

SEO and marketing through the internet should be followed accordingly.

9.1.1 Procurement System Target Market

New purposed system attempts to increase the level of effectiveness and efficiency for both developers and project managers through a reliable and accessible platform in which raw materials and related information would be presented in an interactive way. For developers this system brings more accessible and updated set of information and also connection with direct selling source which can be translated to saving both time and money. Manufacturers also can be assisting through having such usable platform which gives them opportunity to present their products and services with maximum effectiveness and efficiency. Therefore, for system design and development, researcher must identify and analyze over target market for both sectors in industry.

Being a part of construction market players supply chain is a crucial necessity for system which would be considered in design and development. Suppliers of construction industry are those who manufacture distribute, sell and resell all required items for homebuilding. This amount of interaction would assist our future database for system adoption and improvement.

System would be a communication tool for project managers, team members and other contributors of construction development sector which gains effectiveness through a clear and controlled path to all industry suppliers bypassing geographical limitation of physical channel.

9.1.2 Target Market Accessibility and Communication

For marketing propose, there are a wide range of marketing tools which project manager should get the best of them, after an in depth analysis over benefits or disadvantages associated with each of them. Measurement should be based on essential factors mentioned in the table which could be a base for selection of tools and techniques of marketing.

Although there are different tools and techniques capable for conducting a marketing plan, researcher have been selected a number of effective approaches for this propose as the following.

Marketing planning of the product	Search engine optimization	Awareness campaigns and seminars	presentations	Training	Factors
Development Companies	3 months	Monthly	Monthly	Monthly	Frequency
	1400$	7700$	8200$	6600$	Cost
	Strong	Limited	Limited	Limited	Scope
Private Developers	Monthly	-	-		Frequency
	500$	-	-		Cost
	Med	-	-		Scope
Sub Contractors	Monthly	yearly	3 months	3 months	Frequency
	500$	12000$	11000$	7000$	Cost
	Med	Limited	Limited	Limited	Scope
Total periodic cost	0$	12,000$	0$	0$	Total yearly
	5,600$	0$	44,000$	28,000$	Total Seasonally
	12,000$	92,400$	98,400$	79,200$	Total Monthly
Total marketing cost	282,000$ monthly + 77,600$ seasonally+12,000$ yearly = 471,200$ per year



9.1.3 Developing SEO and Keyword Strategy

As a new product in electronic network and unrecognized set of functionalities, SEO is a great tool for system and awareness of capabilities. SEO make it feasible for system address link to get presentation in right search engine. For this matter, this is a crucial topic for marketer to find the appropriate set of keywords which bring user to the direct link.

9.1.4 Training

Based on the new functionalities of the system and for achieving the right levels of awareness, this system should be presented through a right training sessions and in addition with the right tools to spread the required information for system users. With enough information, usage of system would be easier and product would be introduced to the market shorter. Therefore, with an appropriate training program, system would be market in a more cost effective way and user would acquire a higher level of understanding and this might lock user through system hooking power.

9.2 Web Development Methodologies

System design and development quality is tightly dependant on the methodology chosen by the designer. Considering the limitation of a final year project, right method would be a factor for project success and the degree in which the quality of outcomes would be. For example, using spiral methods would have focus on improvement over analysis of user requirements and design of new system while SDLC would be more powered to producing a comprehensive and strong documentation.

There are a large number of methodologies capable of delivering quality websites or software applications which can be use for propose of the project. However, not all of them are appropriate for the nature of final year project with the topic of a system for improvement over construction supply market. For evaluation and selection of the best methodology, this is a crucial factor for manager to align the attributes of the project with the capabilities of each method.

9.2.1 Key factors of methodology comparison

From varieties of methods, each one would be evaluated through key factors which have significant impact to project and project management. Researcher have been conducted an in depth evaluation through analysis over the following factors.

Quality achievement in design and development through using methodologies with iteration.

Outcome in a comprehensive and strong documentation.

More effective change management.

Suitable for projects in different sizes and specification.

The area which would be more strong in deliverables.

Methodology name	Methodology Iteration	Methodology Documentation	Methodology Flexibility	Project size	Focus
Waterfall	Phase by phase	Powerful	Low	Big	Each phase Key Targets
SSADM	Analysis and Design phase	Medium	Medium	Big	Analyze and Design phase
Prototyping	Design phase	Low	Powerful	Small	Interaction
RAD	Design phase	Low	Strong	Big	Rapid
Incremental Prototyping	Design phase	Low	Strong	Big	Functionalities
WSDM	Phase by phase	Low	Medium	Big	User Specifications
Agile	All Phases	Low	Powerful	Big	Quality of Delivery

SDLC is more suitable when developer needs more support for the product through strong documentation and the size of project is relatively big. SSADM based on the information presented above, is more advanced version which has iteration on the analysis and design phase. Prototyping is a useful method when system requires achieving a higher level of interaction, touch and feeling for user groups. In the time limitation, rapid methods assist developers to finish a product in a shorter time and achieve an acceptable quality of outcomes. Incremental prototypes is continues improvement over a hi-fi or lo-fi prototype which would be more suitable when system should be examined in different ways. Agile has a tight focus of quality achieving through iteration in the design phase.

9.2.2 Define Methodology

According to the clear set of project specification and user requirement for electronic supply channel in construction industry, SDLC seems to be more suitable and appropriate technology which outcome a comprehensive and strong documentation based on the deliverable importance of a final year project.

Based on the clear set of key targets at the end of each stage of the methodology, developer would be assure that the quality of the system and documents is relatively high and there are higher level of maintains available for system future lifecycle.

Figure 9.1 - Waterfall methodology

9.2.3 SDLC phases in Website development

Based on the materials available, there is not a unique order and number for SDLC phases. Different analyzers have different argument of SDLC phases. However, the flow would be started in data gathering and will continue by analysis, logical and physical design. This would be continued by the testing and the required level of maintains.



Figure 9.2

9.3 Data Flow Diagram

9.3.1 Context Diagram

In this part, the general information flow has been described through a context diagram. There are two entities as user group of customer and admin which send and receive general member details to/from the system.



Figure 9.3

9.3.2 Level 0

System has seven processes which are in communication for generating new member and identification of old members, record and report the products and CRUD (create, record, update and delete) for all entities and form in the platform. There are also two databases for data repository which are holding information of members and products in separate data stores.

Figure 9.4

9.3.3 Level 1

If more in depth of process number one, to create membership and sub processes, there are two smaller processes which create and check ID of members to avoid duplication and register with unique Identity.

Figure 9.5

9.3.4 Process Description

There are nine processes in EEPS data flow diagram which describes the system through process oriented presentation. Following table have a detailed description on each process and associated functions.

Process No.	Process Name	Process description
# 1	Add New Member	This process makes system capable of receiving information of new members.
# 2	Check Customer Id	For this part, system compares new input with historical ID database.
# 3	Provide Product Record	This process allows user to add new product record for system presentation.
# 4	Update Product Info	Enable system to update or modify product records.
# 5	Produce Product Info	Generation of product information from data and records of database.
# 6	Provide Customer Report	Allows manager to access reports of customers and members of the system according to the required information specification.
# 7	Provide Product Report	Allows manager to access reports of products of the system according to the required information specification.

9.4 Logical Entity Relationship Diagram for EPPS

Based on the system functionalities designed in the logical stage, there are three entities of users, products and rating in the system. Product to user, user to rate and rate to product have one to many relationship presented in the diagram. Each entity has its own required attributes which make related record of the entity.

Figure 9.6

9.5 Data Dictionary

In this section, a detailed description of each pieces of data have been provided through the data dictionary. This reference of data describes the type, size and other properties for each single attribute of the each entity. This table describes product entity divided into all attributes with required details of each single set of data.

Electronic Construction Procurement System
Printed On:	05/24/2012	18:07
Product Table	Item procurements are available for customers are informed from new products with details information and Prices.
Data Member Name	Description	Type	Additional Type Information	Default Value	Mandatory	Unique
P_key	The unique identifier of the number of product	nchar	Length (min:1, max:100)	Not Null	Yes	Yes
type	Several types of products such as windows & Doors	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Not Null	Yes	No
name	Name of products	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Not Null	Yes	No
size	Different size of windows & doors	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Not Null	Yes	No
color	Different color of windows & doors	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Not Null	Yes	No
material	Different material of windows & doors	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Null	Yes	No
price	Sales price & promotion price of each product	Int	-	Null	Yes	No
quantity	Different quantity of windows & doors	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Null	Yes	No
advice	The user leaving comments	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Not Null	Yes	No
Email	User Email Addresses	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Null	No	No

This table describes user entity divided into all attributes with required details of each single set of data.

Electronic Construction Procurement System
Printed On:	05/24/2012	18:15
Users Table	Detailed information about system users.
Data Member Name	Description	Type	Additional Type Information	Default Value	Mandatory	Unique
Email	The unique identifier of the users Email	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Not Null	Yes	Yes
Username	Used for login to system	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Not Null	Yes	No
Password	Used for login to system	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Not Null	Yes	No
Confirm_Pass	Onfirm the user password	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Not Null	Yes	No
First_name	Customer First name	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Not Null	Yes	No
Last_name	Customer Last name	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Not Null	Yes	No
Gender	Customer Gender	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Not Null	Yes	No
Birth	Customer birth of day	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Null	No	No
City	Customer living city	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Null	No	No
Country	Customer living country	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Null	No	No
ZipCode	Customer zipcoad	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Null	No	No

This table describes comment entity divided into all attributes with required details of each single set of data.

Electronic Construction Procurement System
Printed On:	05/24/2012	20:09
Comment Table	An item in the product, forum and media pages that is available for customers to write their opinion about the clothing promotions.
Data Member Name	Description	Type	Additional Type Information	Default Value	Mandatory	Unique
Username	Unique identifier	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Not Null	Yes	Yes
P_key	F_key from product table	nchar	Length (min:1, max:100)	Not Null	Yes	No
Email	F_key from user table	nchar	Length (min:1, max:50)	Not Null	Yes	No
rate1	Low rate for each product	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Null	Yes	No
Rate2	Low rate for each product	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Null	No	No
Rate3	Medium rate for each product	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Null	No	No
Rate4	High rate for each product	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Null	No	No
Rate5	High rate for each product	nchar	Length (min:1, max:10)	Null	No	No

9.6 Story Board Scratch Design

Story board assist designer to avoid multiple costly revision of changes before the implementation stage. This approach doesn't have touch and feel because this type of paper prototyping is only for designing the scratch. Instead this type of lo fidelity prototyping is very easy and cheap to conduct.

9.7 Interface Design Principles

9.7.1 System Interaction and Hooking Power

In a B2C system, one of the major concerns in design and implementation is to reach a high level of instructiveness and create power of locking user into the platform. For designing the procurement system, manager decided to focus on the interaction specially for presentation of the product and associated information.

9.7.2 Usability Goal Setting

According to what stated by Nielsen regarding the usability and engineering of the system interaction, in designing system, designer should provide additional interactive tools and functions in addition with the old functionalities (Nielsen J., 1993).

9.7.3 Usability Attributes

Learnability: in terms of learn ability of the system, it is considered in the design which procurement system should simplify the process and make a simple front end for users.

Efficiency: System provides accurate outcomes for records, presentations and reports. Functions are designed and tested to ensure system has enough level of efficiency.

Memorability: System has been designed based on the current framework of construction material websites and platforms.

Errors: Based on the feedback provided for each button, this is expected that system face to minimum user errors and confusion.

Subjective satisfaction: easy to use, new design and light and pretty patterns in the system make user become satisfy of the interaction.

9.7.4 Usability Design Principles

Required level of usability depends on the requirements, type of users, objectives of system and so many other internal and external variables. In a procurement system accuracy of information, interaction and presentation of information is major designer focus.



10. Implementation of procurement system

10.1 EPPS Physical Database Design

System physical design including three entities was conducted through using SQL which is a flexible and powerful database tools for management of the database.

Figure 10.1

10.2 Interface Design and user guide

Figure 10.2

Figure 10.3

Figure 10.4

Figure 10.5

Figure 10.6



11. Testing

When system is physically implemented, this does not mean that the project is finished. Manager should ensure that the results would meet the user requirements in real world conditions. Besides there should be some levels of support for system since future might have different specification required for the system.

11.1 Objectives of Testing

The main objectives of testing for electronic construction channel are to ensure that project meets the requirements of all user groups. For example, if different users have been chosen to work with different browsers, would the system be a compatible one to support all required function. In addition test manager should verify that system levels of interaction are enough to create hooking power and developers wish to use it for the procurement process.

Testing objective is to create a guideline and measurement for system evaluation and make sure that potential users are able to reach the system a high level of availability and functionality. This guideline would be used to show the criteria in which project is a successful achievement. Researcher must make sure testing environment is similar to the real working environment. According to Bryan, John and Brett in 2008, to setting up a method of viewing a Website offline so to make minor changes and preview them (Bryan, John and Brett, 2008). User also should be able to use different types of browsers and present system with different resolutions.



11.2 Scope of Testing

For this phase of the project, this was required for manager to simulate the real environment through using some assumed data making sure that system limitation would not affect the functionality required in real practical environment.

11.3 Types of Tests

In this section there are several testing types which test manager have been selected and conducted to ensure the quality of the product and its compatibility with the network's environment.

Compatibility testing: this type of testing refers to the website presentation and functionalities while using varies of browsers by users. In a successful compatibility testing, manager should get the result of functional and well presented system with all available browsers.

Functional testing: this type of testing refers to the website functionalities which have been designed to do some specific actions or behaviors. In a successful functional testing project manager would figure out that website is usable.

Design and user acceptance testing: this type of testing refers to the website usability and HCI concepts or principles of the design. In a successful design testing project manager would determine that system is interactive and has enough hooking power.

Heuristic Evaluation

Based on what has been stated by Jakob Nielson and Rolf Molich, Heuristic evaluation is a cheap and quick method to structure the critique of a system using a set of relatively simple and general heuristics (Dix A. et al, 1998).

This is expected for this type of testing to generate and determine a set of problem which system can be improving its usability by solving them. This is like system criticism and problem finding which has emphasizes on the principles of design and interaction tools.

Summative evaluation

Summative testing measures the effect of Website on the users through analyse the output of the product (Bhola, H. S. 1990). In a successful summative testing, project manager or test manager would Figure out if the functionality of the project works properly.

11.4 People Who Tested

In a system testing there must be different people in different roles each have a significant contribution for the testing objectives.

These groups can include users, project manager, developers, data entry team etc. test manager should be aware of external factors and their effect on the results of the endeavor.

Crucially, test manager should be in a tight understandable communication and manager the integration required after testing.

11.5 Design Testing Environments

One important testing manager concern is how to simulate the testing environment become so similar to the real world atmosphere.

This concern would increase the reliability of the testing outcome and make the outcomes accurate.



11.6 Results of Testing

11.6.1 Compatibility testing

	Google Chrome 13
	Internet Explorer 8
	Mozilla Firefox 8.0.1
	Opera 11.52
	Safari 5.1.1

11.6.2 Functional testing

Page	Function	Expected result	Actual result
Home	Presentation of info	Well organized	pass
	Navigations of pages	Correct navigation	pass
About us	Presentation of info	Well organized	Pass
Contact us	Presentation of info	Contact and communication	Pass
admin	Create	Add new topic	Pass
	Update	Edition	Pass
	Record	Generate records	Pass
	Delete	Delete records	Pass
Login	User authentication	Recognize all user groups	Pass

11.6.3 Formative testing

no	Area	Description
1	System Visibility	Controls are in a highly visible place.
2	system controls and the real world	Metaphors in the system
3	control and monitor	Control all system functions
4	System Consistency	Similar patterns and layout
5	Error and error management	validates
6	Recognition instead of recall	Utilization of the combo boxes.
7	Flexibility in the system	Match exceptions
8	Help and assists	Tooltips
9	Design	Best selection of the pattern, design and color
10	Documentation of the system	User manual documented

11.6.4 Summative testing



Figure 11.1 - Summative Testing

11.7 Testing Errors

Based on the compatibility testing table, the results indicate that website is still well presented and functional no matter which browser is the user going to use. A formative testing result indicates that HCI concepts, elements and principle of design have been utilized in a proper way. Based on the summative testing, the level of interaction has been determined in a right degree and developer can ensure the amount of required hooking power is in the designed product.



12. User manual

User manual is a part of maintains guide and would be an effective support tool for users, developers and other target groups to independently learn how to use system. Such directory would assist new users to get system concept in a relatively short time. User manual is also an effective advertising tool for indicating the functionalities of the system and its uniqueness.

12.1 Introduction

In this part, according to the system instruction and guideline, functionalities and commends of using system have been described in details.

12.2 To Register

Through the login button, user would be able to generate its record and access to the system functionalities as a genuine member.

12.3 Logging as an admin

Admin is the one from internal environment of the organization which controls the record and information provided through the website. Therefore, admin in the website is responsible to organize the information so that provide an updated set of product package details to the normal users.



13. Critical project appraisal

In fact, evaluation of the digital procurement system is dependent on the discrepancy of the pre defined objectives of the system with the achieved set of targets. Besides, as an accomplished product, this is very important for developer to mention added value of the project in the form of knowledge, experience and skill in each phase of the topic.

In addition to all above, this is crucial for researcher to get to know what can be improved for next experiences and what was learned from the whole initiative.

13.1 Accomplished Phases

For each phase, project manager must determine if he or she got the reliable set of expected deliverables. System was designed through using the SDLC methodology which has clear and separate phases. In this methodology each stage should deliver a set of key targets. According to set of project and methodology phases, researcher has conducted the following evaluation over desirable key targets.

13.1.1 Project planning

In the planning stage, this was expected to reach a comprehensive planning which has covered entire project dimensions in terms of risk, time, cost and other project knowledge areas. These dimensions of the project have been outlined in the project planning properly.

13.1.2 Project research and literature review

In the phase of research, manager has been provided the industry information and document updated set of trends in the market.

Then manager provided an overview on the market suppliers and key challenges in the raw material industry which affect the developers and development.

13.1.3 Analysis and setting out the requirements

In a final year project, and as the part of solution, this is very important for project manager to reach an accurate set of requirements balanced with the user expectations and requirements. Project outcomes must meet what user actually wants and needs.

13.1.4 Design and development

For this system, design and development starts from a logical engineering and followed by the physical implementation which had an intensive focus on the instructiveness and functionality for meet the specification of analysis.

13.1.5 Testing and maintenance

In testing the achievement, there were three types of testing handled by test manager as below.

Compatibility testing with different browsers.

Functional testing to determine the level of functionality.

Design and user acceptance testing for determine the degree of usability.

13.2 System Benefits to end user

System would create a value atmosphere with a lot of benefit for both suppliers and customers in construction industry as following. According to discovered problem, Electronic Construction Procurement System should be able to create major business values for the organization as following;

Tangible benefits:

Reduce marketing procurement cost through providing borderless geographical access.

Eliminate cost of manual and paper work procurement process.

Providing a faster approach to find and evaluate market sources.