GUIDELINE FOR ACQUISTION OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE

GUIDELINE FOR ACQUISTION OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE

1. The software to be Acquired must be one whose use will improve the particular
operating function of that business.

2. It must be of high performance.

3. The software to be acquired must be one with enough ease in learning. Time spent
in learning by employees is unproductive time and must be reduced therefore the ease with
which a new software can be learned should be considered.

4. The software to be acquired must be available when needed.

5. If a software package is complex then training is required.

6. Good documentation: - The package to be used must be properly Documented. This
should include how the package is to be installed, how to use the package and other necessary
technical details.

7. Users friendliness:- The package must be easy to use even by non computer
specialists

8. Compatibility of the package:-Before a package program can be adopted, it must be
compatible with the user system requirements as well as with the users hardware

MODES OF ACQUISITION OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE

i.) PURCHASE,
ii.) IN-HOUSE DEVELOPMENT,
iii.) CONTRACTING OUT FOR CUSTOM SOFTWARE.

1.) PURCHASE . This where organisations acquire application software through
the purchase of prewritten packages that are made and marketed by more professional
coporations.

ADVANTAGES OF GENERIC APPLICATION SOFTWARE/APPLICATION PACKAGES

1. Availability is immediate as only installation process is necessary before it can start
being productive.
2. Cost is less as it is spread among a number of users who purchase the product.
3. Reliability maybe greater as it is thoroughly tested before it is marketed.
4. Portable, 5. Proper documentation - manual

DISADVANTAGES:-
1. It may not be an exact match for needs.

2. It may require more system resources. Programs are frequently longer, thereby,
requiring more memory and disk space.

3. It is not adapted to changing needs.

4. It may execute more slowly.

5. It prevents programmer from having relevant level of exposure.

IN-HOUSE DEVELOPMENT or custom programming.

IN-HOUSE Custom
programming is where the organisation commissions its own information specialists
to develop programs for its use .

No organisation today, relies only on custom
programs.

They are supplemented with pre-written pakages. It is always
advisable to use prewritten packages where there avaliable.

ADVANTAGES OF CUSTOM APPLICATION SOFTWARE

1. The needs of the organization are precisely met.

2. The method of inputting/outputting data may be designed to suit users taste.

3. They provide facilities for developing areas where Automation is needed in place of manual
method.

4. They are very efficient in their use of system resources. It may require less memory and less
disk space.

5. Program may execute faster.

6. Programs can be changed to meet changing conditions.

DISADVANTAGES

1. Development time may be lengthy.
2. Human resources needed for development may not be available
3. Since the organization for which it is developed may be the only
user, cost of development may be very high.
4. Cost of maintenance/ upgrading may be high.

3.) CONTRACTING OUT FOR CUSTOM SOFTWARE:-

THIS is a good option instead
of of building one in-house , even though it may be costlier than standard software .
This software is usually costlier than standard ones but they are likely to be better
suited to the use of the customer. Copyright ownership may be shared between the
developers and users.

THE MOST COMMON APPLICATION PACKAGES
The most common applications are

Word processors,
Databases,
Spreadsheets and Graphic programs.
Accounting and Desktop Publishing programs are also common business applications.

WORD PROCESSORS.

Word processors create and store documents, allowing users to insert and
delete words, sentences and paragraphs at will. Nearly all include spelling checkers. Some come
with electronic thesauruses and grammar checkers.
Word processors reduce the time it takes to create and edit documents, everything from contracts
to letters to invitations. Popular word processors include Professional Write, PC-Write, Ami Pro,
MacWrite, DeScribe, Textor, WordPerfect, Microsoft Word and WordStar.

DATABASES.

Databases are the backbone of business computing. They store and retrieve
information such as customer lists, inventories and notes. They can also sort information, letting
users do things like search their customer list for customers in a given STATE. Popular databases
include dBASE, Paradox, FoxPro, Professional File, Access, WindowsFile and Q&A.

ACCOUNTING.

Accounting programs keep track of business income and expenditures including
accounts receivable, accounts payable, operating expenses, cash flow and payroll. Popular
accounting programs include QuickBooks, DacEasy Accounting, Peachtree Accounting, Profit,
One-Write, Paciolli 2000, and the ACCPAC series of programs.

SPREADSHEETS.

Spreadsheets keep tract of financial information, inventories and other
quantifiable information. Spreadsheets are particularly useful for business forecasting. For

instance, you can use a spreadsheet to calculate how a change in material costs will affect your
bottom line. The most popular spsreadsheets include lotus 1-2-3, Quattro Pro, Microsoft Excel and
SuperCalc.

GRAPHICS PROGRAMS.

Graphics programs create graphs and drawings that can be used in
newsletters, posters, advertisements and other documents. Some allow users to import photographs
into documents or create animated pictures for use in "multimedia" presentations. Popular graphics
programs include
PC Paintbrush,
Professional Drave,
IntelliDraw,
illustrator,
Persuasion ,
Cricket Draw,
Corel Draw,
Print Master,
Print Shop,
Microsoft Powerpoint,
Harvard Graphics.

DESKSTOP PUBLISHING.

Deskstop publishing programs are extremely sophisticated word
processors that can incorporate word processing and graphics files to create newsletters, manuals,
files, advertisements, magazing and newspapaers. Popular DTPs include
Microsoft Express
Publisher, Aldus PageMaker, Ventura Publisher and Quark XPress.

ALL IN ONE. Integrated programs include three or four different functions in a single package,
usually word processing database and spreadsheet. Some include communications software that,
combined with a modem, will enable you to look up and dial telephone numbers easily. The most
popular integrated packages include Microsoft Works, WordPerfect Works, ClarisWork,
GeoWorks Pro and Lotus Symphony.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING APPLICATION PACKAGES

1) The operating system requirement of the package.

2) The hardware requirement of the package.

3) Whether the package satisfies users requirement

4) User friendliness of the package.

5) The cost of the package.

6) The integration of the package with other packages.

7) The reliability of the package.

8) The flexibility of the package.