Analysis of ICT Task for a Hairdresser’s Booking System

The new hairdresser salon called Hair Studio that has opened needs to improve its record keeping system because the record keeping system at present is not very reliable and does not work efficiently. Therefore the ICT specialist’s job is to introduce an efficient system to store the customer’s details and to develop a reliable booking system. The system needs to be able to book appointments for the customers quick and easy. The new system should be able to help the salon to function more smoothly and the ICT system that I will give the hair salon will help the business become more organised and can easily handle the client’s data more efficiently.

The details of the customers will be stored in a section where all the personal details of each customer will be stored and the appointments will be stored in the booking system.

There are many ways of promoting the business one of the ways is to advertise the business to the public and make sure that they are aware that the business is open and where the branch of the business is located. The point of advertising is to the public to come to the salon and this will make the hair salon more popular and the salons profits will increase.

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There are two ways, which it is possible to improve the way the hair salon is run either by keeping the existing paper based system to store the client details and appointments or I can use a computerised system to store all the details and information. An example of a paper-based system is a record card system where all the details of the customers are put on a pack of cards in alphabetical order. An example of a computerised system is a database system or Microsoft Access.

Computerised system

Advantages of a computerised system:

• You can set-up a primary key
• You can perform queries
• Can be sorted in alphabetical order
• Validation incorrect data cannot be entered
• The can be a menu page to make it more professional
• Backup in case the data becomes lost.
• Spell check

Disadvantages of a computerised system:

• You need to train people to use the computerised system.
• If the computer crashes the data can be lost.

Paper based system

Advantages of a paper based system.

• Portable/ Easy to carry place to place.
• No training needed to operate the paper based system.
• Keep securely in a locked place so no one can enter the cards containing the details.

Disadvantages of a paper based system.

• Messy looks unprofessional.
•  Takes up space.
• If any alteration takes place this can make the information untidy.
• Confusion 2 people might have the same names.
• The writing needs to be readable by all members of the staff.

My chosen solution is using a Microsoft access, which is a database that I can create the system on. There will be a series of subtasks I will need to collect the information using a data collection form or through an interview. This will help me to collect the data. I will need to design the structure of the data capture form such as columns and a menu page also I need to design a data entry form. The data that will be inputted in the database is the records and the details. And finally I need to make sure that the information that is inputted into the database is valid and correct.

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To advertise my business I will use a poster or a leaflet to advertise it to the customers so they are aware that the business is new to the area and is open to the public. I can use many different methods to advertise my business I could use billboards, Leaflet, radio and poster.

Poster

Advantages of the leaflet

• Instant Visual Impact
• Relatively Cheap
• Can be seen by a large number of people if strategically placed.

Disadvantages of the leaflet

• Limited amount of information is presented
• It’s difficult to measure effectiveness.

Radio

Advantages of the Radio

• Relatively cheap
• Most of the customers will hear the advertisement on the Radio.
• Most groups and many age ranges covered.

Disadvantages of the Radio

• Not visual
• No copy of the material
• Have to rely on the target audience listening at the correct time.

My chosen solution is the poster; I will use the poster to advertise my business to the public. As you can see there are many advantages and disadvantages of using the radios and the billboards to advertise the business the method I will use is the poster because this way is more efficient and easy to do. I will design a draft of the poster on Microsoft and I will design it also on Microsoft word and then I will distribute it to the customers.