Continuing Case: Personal Trainer, Inc.

Personal Trainer, Inc. owns and operates fitness centers in a dozen Midwestern cities. The centers have done well, and the company is planning an international expansion by opening a new “supercenter” in the Toronto area. Personal Trainer’s president, Cassia Umi, hired an IT consultant, Susan Park, to help develop an information system for the new facility. During the project, Susan will work closely with Gray Lewis, who will manage the new operation.

Background

Following the decision to use an in-house team to develop a design prototype, Susan began to work on the physical design for Personal Trainer’s new information system. At this stage, she is ready to begin working with Gray on the output and user interface design. Together, Susan and Gray will seek to develop a user-centered design that is easy to learn and use. Personal Trainer users will include managers, fitness instructors, support staff, and members themselves.

Tasks

1. For the prototype user interface, design a switchboard that leads from main sections to sub- sections of related system tasks. The main sections may include member information, regis- tration, payments, fitness instructors, and any other top-level sections necessary for Personal Trainer’s system. Subsections may include account information, class registration, schedules, and class rosters. Prepare storyboards that show the proposed screens, including at least two sublevel tasks for each action.

1. Members need to be able to register for classes online. Follow the guidelines and suggestions in this chapter, and design an online class registration screen form.
2. In addition to being available online, members can register for fitness classes through the mail or by dropping off a mail-in form. Follow the guidelines and suggestions in this chapter, and design a paper source document.
3. Personal Trainer is very concerned about the security and protection of the information they collect in the new information system. Prepare a memo to Gray and Personal Trainer’s staff that explains the input and output security controls that will be built into the new systems and the policies that will enforce these controls.