Reference no: EM133968996 , Length: Word Count:1500

Introduction to Systems Design

Case Study - The Story Exchange

Introduction
The Story Exchange (TSE) is a privately run publishing and event management business based in Australia. Founded by two full-time co-owners, the business evolved from a small-scale publicity service into a boutique fiction publishing operation that supports new and emerging authors across a variety of genres.
The business operates as a proprietary limited company (Pty Ltd) and currently employs three full-time staff (in addition to the two co-owners). It has no physical storefront or warehouse, with staff working remotely or occasionally from hot desks and shared office spaces. TSE leverages digital platforms and a strong industry network to promote authors and distribute books nationally. Get dependable, budget-friendly assignment help-starting today!
Revenue Streams and Operations
TSE's operations are sustained through a blend of revenue streams.
Patreon Subscriptions
TSE has cultivated a supportive community of subscribers on Patreon, who donate between
$2 and $100 per month. Total gross income is $5,000 per month, with a 12% platform fee. Growth has been steady at 10% per year since inception and is expected to continue.
New Author Packages
TSE runs up to 8 new author projects per year. Each package includes;
An initial print run of at least 500 copies at $10 per copy.
A launch event (average cost $1,000).
A six-month marketing campaign ($2,000 budget).
Exposure via TSE's channels.
Setup of distribution services such as Amazon and independent bookstores The pricing is intentionally minimal to lower barriers for first-time authors. TSE carries significant time and financial risk to help bring new fiction voices to market.
Existing Author Services
TSE offers custom consulting and promotional services to up to 40 authors. Packages are tailored and average $1,500 per author per year. As of mid-2025, TSE has 25 clients.
Physical Book Sales
TSE bears the full cost of print production ($10 per copy). Books sell for $20 with royalties for authors at 25%, and platform/store fees at 25%. Remaining profits are retained by TSE. Sales have grown steadily;
2,500 books sold in 2023.
3,500 books sold in 2024.
2,500 books sold so far by mid-2025.

E-book Sales
Books sell for $12 with royalties for authors at 30%, and platform fees at 15%. Remaining profits are retained by TSE. Sales have grown quickly and are expected to continue in a similar trajectory;
500 books sold in 2023.
1,500 books sold in 2024.
3,500 books sold so far by mid-2025.

Operational Challenges
Despite strong growth and industry goodwill, TSE faces growing operational complexity.
Manual Tracking and Reporting
Most financial, sales, and project data are maintained in spreadsheets.
Reporting is inconsistent and time-consuming.
Client and Project Management
Projects are tracked via email and shared documents, with little visibility into task progress or dependencies across staff.
Subscription and Tier Management
Patreon subscriber data is housed in Patreon's native platform.
TSE struggles to personalise engagement, segment members, or track which subscribers have used their tier-based benefits.
Author Communication
Feedback from authors indicates confusion over timelines, responsibilities, and service inclusions.
Event Coordination and Follow-up
Launch events are effective but ad hoc.
There's no system for planning, managing, or capturing data post-event.
During an initial discovery meeting, TSE staff shared several frustrations and insights into their current workflow challenges;
"Everything works - just barely. We know where things are, but it's fragile. A single mistake in a
spreadsheet can delay an entire launch."
"Our authors often don't realise what they're entitled to. I end up repeating the same info to five different people every week."
"If we had a dashboard showing project timelines, events, and payments in one place, I could actually plan ahead."

"When we bring on a new author, there's no central checklist or workflow. Every time feels like we're starting from scratch."
"We don't always know which authors have used their event or marketing entitlements. It's really easy for things to fall through the cracks."
"I often get asked for sales figures, but they're scattered across different spreadsheets. It takes hours to put together a basic report."
"We've had issues where two team members were working on the same task without realising. There's no clear view of who's doing what."
"We get so much good feedback from events, but we have no way of capturing or reusing it. Once the event is over, that value disappears."
"Our Patreon subscribers are amazing, but we aren't making the most of that relationship. We
should be engaging with them more strategically."
"There's no simple way to see how many projects are active, what stage they're in, or whether they're on track. It makes planning really hard."
"I'm spending more time updating spreadsheets than actually working with authors. Admin work is
getting in the way of the creative side."

Stakeholders
The following stakeholders that have been identified include (but are not limited to);
Publishing Coordinator who wants better visibility across all author projects and deadlines.
Author Liaison who wants to track client entitlements, interactions, and feedback.
Marketing and Events Officer who needs streamlined planning for campaigns and launch events.
Co-owners who want better financial reporting, forecasting, and strategic insight, as well as to scale services without adding operational burden.

Part A - Group Submission

This portfolio captures your group's shared work and processes from Weeks 1 to 6 and reflects your ability to work collaboratively, communicate effectively, and apply systems analysis techniques in a team setting.
Your group must submit the following in a single Word (docx) document;
Group Contract - created in Week 1.
SWOT Analysis - created in Week 2.
Risk Register - created in Week 3.
Functional and Non-Functional Requirements - created in Week 4.
Data Flow Diagram - created in Week 5.
Meeting Evidence - at least two sets of meeting notes.
Additionally, you will need to complete;
Self-Evaluation - to completed via Canvas.
Peer-Evaluations - to be completed via Canvas for each other group member.

Part B - Individual Report

Analyse the feasibility of implementing an integrated system at The Story Exchange to address their operational challenges. Your analysis should reflect realistic system options appropriate for a small business, not large-scale enterprise platforms.
In your response, address the following;
Evaluate whether a new system would support The Story Exchange's needs. Consider cost,
impact, and alignment with their business model.
Discuss tangible and intangible impacts, such as improved scheduling, reduced admin time, customer engagement, and staff satisfaction.
Identify key requirements for a successful implementation (e.g. change management, training, leadership support, process clarity).
You may also want to consider the following;
What are the startup and ongoing costs? How do they compare to current inefficiencies?
What non-financial benefits might this system provide?
How would a phased or minimal viable product (MVP) rollout reduce risk?
What support or training would staff need?
Would this system introduce any new problems or trade-offs?

Based on your use cases, analyse the system requirements and risks associated with implementing a new system at The Story Exchange.
Your response should address the following;
Identify and explain at least three functional requirements that the system must meet.
Identify and explain at least one non-functional requirement that will also be important.
Describe at least two potential risks associated with the system's implementation. For each risk, propose mitigation strategies that could help The Story Exchange mitigate these risks during implementation.
Discuss future scalability. How can the system support small business growth, new service offerings, or integration with other platforms?
Reflect on workflow or role changes. What existing manual tasks might be replaced or redefined?

As The Story Exchange considers implementing a new system, generate at least four key use cases that will address the business's challenges.

Create a Use Case Diagram that outlines the interactions between the actors and the key use cases for the proposed system that you defined in Item 2.
Ensure that you include the following elements in your diagram;
The actors involved in each use case.
The relationships between actors and use cases, using <<include>> and <<extend>> relationships where applicable.
Defined boundary of the system to help distinguish what is automated by the system versus what remains a manual process.

Your report should include the following;
Title Page
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction
Main section of the report with clearly labelled sub-sections.
Conclusion
References

Include a list of appropriately formatted references with a minimum of three (3) references from peer reviewed sources (eg. journals), or from white papers published by technology companies (eg. IBM).