Frequent Shopper Program 1Frequent Shopper Program BSA385 – Introduction to Software EngineeringKudler Fine Foods: Frequent Shopper ProgramFrequent Shopper Program 2IntroductionSmith Consulting has been contracted by Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) to develop and implement a Frequent Shopper Program for their various locations. Kudler Fine Foods is local to the Southern California area; an upscale specialty food store committed to providing customers with the finest selection of gourmet specialty foods and wine. Kudler Fine Foods approached Smith Consulting to develop a system to track customer purchases through a Frequent Shopper Program and to award loyalty points for redemption in high value items. Another aspect of the Frequent Shopper Program is data capturing. By capturing customer purchase behavior patterns Kudler will be able to refine its processes and offerings to best satisfy their valued customers.Smith Systems Consulting has several options in regard to development methods used to create the Frequent Shopper Program. This project is sized enough that alternative methods of development are a consideration to complete the Frequent Shopper Program. Each method has advantages and disadvantages that must be considered when choosing the method of development before starting this project. Testing must also be considered to formulate a clear and direct plan of action for this development project.Alternative Development Methods for Frequent Shopper ProgramThe oldest and previously most commonly used Software Development Life Cycle Process was the waterfall process. This process is characterized as a plan-driven process. This approach is characterized by a systematic process of design, code, testing and implementation. One of the drawbacks of the waterfall process is that because it is linear, projects can be time consuming, and developers and users can become frustrated with the process of waiting for functionality which is not delivered until the end of the process (Alternate Methodologies, n.d.).Frequent Shopper Program 3For these reasons, Smith Systems Consulting is considering a few alternative methods to the waterfall process model for the development of the Frequent Shopper Program for Kudler Fine Foods. The alternative methods being considered are the Extreme Programming, Scrum and Crystal. All of these methods are considered part of Agile processes and each one offers differentbenefits to Smith Systems Consulting team and Kudler’s stakeholders. The description along with the advantages and disadvantages of both methods as well as the plan for testing during each method is discussed in further detail. Figure 1 shows the differences between Agile methodologies and SDLC. This lays out the need to strongly consider using an Agile method versus the traditional SDLC method.Advantages and disadvantages of AGILE MethodologiesAdvantages Disadvantages- Save Time- Lower Cost- Meet users' needs - Main goal is speed of development- Able to adapt rapidly- Essentials are main focus- Users are involved and committed early on - System Quality is lowered- Business alignment is out- Not consistent- Standards could be violated- Lack of scalability - Lack of systems administration- Escalation process needs to be clearAGILE vs SDLC (Figure 1)AGILE SDLCDevelopers can respond quickly to changing users’ needs and business requirements.Create systems are complete, accurate, and integrated well with standard business procedures and cultureSystem design is based on visual model representation of a prototypeSystem design is based on a conceptual design represented on paperUsers are well involved throughout Users are separated from analysts after analysis phaseExtreme ProgrammingFrequent Shopper Program 4Extreme Programming (XP) is one type of iterative processes used for software development. XP projects are typically divided into iterations which last no longer than three weeks ( Braude & Bernstein, 2011). This methodology is designed to make the development process simple and efficient. Communication between programmers and programmers and customers is continual in this process because customers are on site and pair programming is used. Advantages of Extreme ProgrammingExtreme Programming emphasizes customer satisfaction by creating high value software rapidly. This method requires the use of highly skilled developers and co-located teams. Since iterations last no longer than three weeks, testing is continual and total delivery is made within one year or less. Kudler would benefit by having the FSP delivered quickly and rolled out to customers. Another advantage of XP is that if Kudler’s stakeholders change requirements Smith consultants can respond to those changes confidently, even later in the development life cycle.Extreme Programming emphasizes teamwork. Kudler and Smith’s consultants would be equal partners, therefore, communication, feedback, respect, and courage would improve. Programmers work in pairs so they provide support to each other by checking each other’s work,this ensures a good job is done. As soon as work on a task is completed, the iteration is integrated into the system. After such an integration, unit testing is done. Disadvantages of Extreme ProgrammingAlthough the XP method has some advantages to offer for the Frequent Shopper Program, there are also disadvantages with using this method. The greatest disadvantage is the difficulty of using this method because the risk analysis requires highly specific expertiseFrequent Shopper Program 5(Munassar & Govardhan, 2010). Along with being complicated to use, this method may be too complicated and is best suited for smaller projects. The Frequent Shopper Program is not a small project and Kudler’s management may not want to be as involved as the XP method would want them to be. Another disadvantage is that programming pairs are costly.Testing Process For Extreme ProgrammingThe approach of XP would require unit testing after each integration of the release. According to Munassar and Govardhan (2010), “an automated unit test framework is used to write a test for each new functionality before that functionality is implemented.”ScrumScrum is similar to XP in that projects progress in sprints, but these sprints can be anywhere from two to four weeks long. Scrum has distinct characteristics from other processes. Some of these characteristics include:- Self-directed teams- Daily meetings to measure progress-