Carefully read the case report on SBRU and answer the following questions:
• What are the main functional requirements for the major subsystem areas (i.e., resort relations, student booking, accounting and finance, and social networking)?
Case Report on SBRU
Summer Breaks 'R' Us (SBRU) represents an online travel service provider that books summer break trips to resorts for university students. Students have booked summer break trips for decades, but changes in technology have transformed the travel business in recent years. SBRU moved away from having campus representatives with posted fliers and moved to the Web. The basic idea is to get a group of students to book a room at a resort for one of the traditional summer break weeks.
SBRU contracts with dozens of resorts in key summer break (Dec- Feb) destinations in Bali, Bangkok, Dubai, Istanbul, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. Its website shows information on each resort and includes prices, room availability, and special features. Students can research and book a room, enter contract information, pay deposits, and make final payments through the system. SBRU provides updated booking information, resort information updates, and travel information for booked students when they log into the site. SBRU management is however concerned that students must feel comfortable with using their system.
The resorts also need access to information from SBRU once they have completed registration. However, registration is not free and involves a payment made to the SBRU management. The resorts need to know about their bookings for each week, the room types that are booked, and so forth. Before the summer break booking season starts, the resorts need to enter information on their resorts, including prices and special features. Resorts need to be paid by SBRU for the bookings. Furthermore, resorts need to be able to report and collect for damages caused by summer breaker students during their stay.
SBRU has recently decided to upgrade its system to provide social networking features for students. It is currently researching possibilities and collecting information from prospective customers (i.e. students) about desirable features and functions. From the business standpoint, the idea is to increase bookings by capturing good experiences before, during, and after the trip. Students must be provided with suitable and easy to use networking functionalities to provide their feedback.
The main functional requirements for the major subsystem areas are as follows:
Resort Relations:
- Provide information on resorts, prices, room availability, and special features
- Allow resorts to enter information on their resorts, including prices and special features
- Notify resorts of their bookings for each week and the room types that are booked
- Enable resorts to report and collect for damages caused by summer breaker students during their stay
Student Booking:
- Enable students to research and book a room
- Allow students to enter contract information, pay deposits, and make final payments through the system
- Provide updated booking information, resort information updates, and travel information for booked students when they log into the site
Accounting and Finance:
- Manage payments made by resorts for registration and bookings
- Ensure resorts are paid for the bookings made
- Collect payments for damages caused by summer breaker students during their stay
Social Networking:
- Research possibilities and collect information from prospective customers about desirable features and functions
- Implement social networking features for students
- Provide easy to use networking functionalities for students to provide feedback
- Capture good experiences before, during, and after the trip to increase bookings