Reference no: EM132695365

Cal is setting up a small business to prep, cook, and deliver healthy and nutrition-ally balanced meals to customers in his local area. Cal meets with prospective customers to acquaint them with the program, discuss their eating habits and nutritional needs, and help them select from one of several menus (vegetarian, gluten free, low carb but high protein) that meets their needs. Twice a week Cal and his workers buy food ingredients based on what has been ordered. They then cook three or four days of meals for each customer and seal them in airtight bags for reheating. Deliveries are made twice a week. All the customer has to do is take the bag from the refrigerator and pop it into the microwave for 60 seconds. Business has really taken off and Cal has had to hire two part-time cooks and two part-time delivery people. Cal has been so busy lining up new customers, shopping, and cooking that he has not had time to carefully track all his expenses. He pays his workers in cash, but realizes he will need to set up a for-mal payroll system and start deducting for taxes, social security, and Medicaid. Cal also wishes he had some sort of system that could help him better plan the kinds and amounts of ingredients needed based on customer orders. As it is, he usually purchases too much of the various ingredients and ends up giving left-overs away at the free store. Your Task: Prepare a case study report on the situation If the case does not have specific details you feel are relevant, you can make assumptions as long as these are clearly identified at the beginning of your case study. In relation to the case study, you need to address all questions below:

Question 1. What kind of transaction processing systems does Cal need to manage and support the basic functions of his business? Please justify your answer.

Question 2. Identify six specific tasks that the TPS must perform to meet his needs.

Question 3. Should Cal consider developing his own programs using spreadsheet and data-base software or should he purchase an integrated package to meet his needs? Provide support your argument.

Question 4. Business is going so well that Cal is thinking of expanding the scope of his business to include catering for weddings, parties, and various business functions. As the scope of his business expands, how might this impact the choice of transaction processing systems? Explain in detail.