Is it worth it?
A pizza shop owner says: "An app will cost £2,000. Is it a good idea?"
You cannot answer by guessing. You need numbers. How much time will the shop save? How many more orders will come?
Planning turns an idea into numbers and a clear list of what to build.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Business requirement | What the business needs to gain from the project. | take orders without phone calls |
| Scope | What the project will do, and what it will not do. | order and pay, but no delivery map |
| Project proposal | A document that says what you plan to build, and why. | a two page plan for the client |
| Measurable value | A benefit you can count. | 2 hours of staff time saved each day |
| KPI | Key performance indicator: a number that shows if the project is doing well. | orders per hour |
| Constraint | A limit you must work within. | it must load in 3 seconds |
| Decomposition | Splitting a big problem into small parts. | menu, order, payment |
| Abstraction | Keeping the important details and ignoring the rest. | a pizza has a size and toppings; its colour does not matter |
| Pattern recognition | Seeing what is the same in different parts. | every screen has a title and a back button |
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Quick check: business needs
Have a go
Quick check: business needs
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Why a business starts a project
| Reason | Example | A number that shows it worked |
|---|---|---|
| New software | An app to take orders | Orders each day |
| Change old software | Make the old shop cash system faster | Seconds to print a bill |
| Increase security | Add a second check at sign in | Fewer hacked accounts |
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Worked example: the value of the app
| Step | Working | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Phone order takes 5 minutes, app order takes 2 | 5 minus 2 | 3 minutes saved per order |
| The shop has 40 orders each day | 40 times 3 | 120 minutes saved |
| Change minutes into hours (60 minutes = 1 hour) | 120 divided by 60 | 2 hours saved |
| Staff are paid £12 for each hour | 2 times 12 | £24 saved each day |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Value for the user and for the client
The user gains too. A customer saves 3 minutes and gets the order right.
The client gains time and money. Both kinds of value go in the project proposal. The proposal also states the scope. A clear scope stops the project growing without end.
Match the idea to the example
Have a go
Match the idea to the example
5 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.