You are an IT intern working for a small accountancy firm. During the COVID hard lockdown
period, the firm realised that it has to be more adaptable if it is to survive and as such have
decided to develop an application that will allow clients to make use of the firm’s services via an
online platform. The IT department of the accountancy firm will be developing this new online
platform.When a user enters their details on the home page of the application, the client management
subsystem will confirm whether they are a registered user or not. If they are a registered user,
their identity will be verified and they will be able to select a service action such as a statement
request or a tax filing request from the services subsystem. If they are not a registered user, the
system will register a profile for them based on the information they provided, verify their identity
and allow them to select a service action. As yearly tax submissions are time sensitive, the
platform should be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.All systems analysis activities have been concluded for the application to be developed for the
accounting firm. It was decided that the application will run through a web browser to ensure
greater portability of the application. It will only interact with the company’s internal databases
for the time being. All data inside the database will be encrypted.
Answer all questions in relation to the development of the application for the accounting firm.
Q.4.1 Write a report in which you recommend and motivate the following for the
development of the application:
- Methodology to be used
- Tools to be used
- Techniques to be used
1 answer
Tools: In order to develop the online platform for the accounting firm, I recommend using tools such as:
1. Front-end development: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for creating the user interface and ensuring a seamless user experience.
2. Back-end development: Node.js or Java for server-side scripting, along with frameworks like Express.js or Spring Boot for building robust and scalable backend services.
3. Database management: MySQL or PostgreSQL for storing and managing client data securely.
4. Version control: Git for tracking changes in the codebase and collaborating with other developers.
5. Testing: Selenium for automated testing and Mocha or JUnit for unit testing.
Techniques: To ensure the successful development of the application for the accounting firm, I recommend using the following techniques:
1. Test-driven development (TDD): Writing tests before writing the actual code to ensure that the application functions as expected and meets the requirements.
2. Continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD): Implementing CI/CD pipelines to automate the process of building, testing, and deploying the application, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring a smooth deployment process.
3. Security best practices: Implementing encryption techniques to protect client data and ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information stored in the database.
4. User experience design: Conducting user testing and feedback sessions to gather insights and improve the user interface design, ensuring a user-friendly and intuitive experience for the clients using the application.
By following these recommendations and leveraging the Agile methodology, the recommended tools, and techniques, the IT department can successfully develop an online platform for the accounting firm that meets the firm's objectives and provides a seamless and secure experience for its clients.