WORLDSKILLS SINGAPORE 2014 QUALIFYING ROUND TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

Transcription

1 WORLDSKILLS SINGAPORE 2014 QUALIFYING ROUND TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS (Information for Competitors) Name and Description of Skill Category 1 The name of the skill category is INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS. Description of skill 2 IT specialists are in great demand in several areas, one of which is in providing solutions for business. The development of software solutions to improve business productivity encompasses many different skills and disciplines. 3 A software developer might modify existing systems or could be responsible for creating new systems. They may need to work with off the shelf software, modifying it and integrating it into the existing systems. They often work as part of a team of software professionals responsible for the requirement, analysis, design, construction, integration, testing, training, implementation and maintenance of a business s software systems. Competency and Scope of work 4 The competition test project consists of practical work only. Standards specification 5 Competitors are required to analyse the stated requirements of a business to design and produce an integrated software system to meet the user requirements. The system they develop will provide functionality, streamline processes and reduce errors for a business organisation. Competitors will produce the system during the competition days according to the specifications given in the project material. A Communication and Interpersonal Skills 6 The competitor needs to know and understand the importance of the following: 1

2 Listening skills Necessity of using discretion and confidentiality when dealing with clients Resolving misunderstandings and conflicting demands Establishing and maintaining customer confidence Building and maintaining productive working relationships Value of written and oral communication skills 7 The competitor should be able to apply the following skills: Literacy skills to Follow documented instructions from a supplied guide Interpret workplace instructions and other technical documents Keep up-to-date with latest industry guidelines Oral communication skills to Discuss and offer suggestions regarding a system specification Keep a client updated regarding system progress Negotiate with a client regarding project budget and timeline Gather and confirm client requirements Written communications skills to Document a software system (e.g. user guide) Keep a client updated regarding system progress Confirm that the created application meets the original specifications and obtain user sign-off for completed system. Team communication skills to: collaborate with others to develop the required outcomes work well in group problem solving Project management skills to: schedule tasks and allocate resources prioritize and allocate tasks and resources B Problem Solving, Innovation and Creativity 8 The competitor needs to know and understand the following: Common types of problem which can occur within software development Common types of problem which can occur within business organization Diagnostic approaches to problem solving Trends and developments in the industry including new platforms, languages, and conventions 9 The competitor should be able to apply the following skills: 2

3 Analytical skills to: Determine the requirements of the specification Synthesize complex or diverse information Learning skills to Research encountered problems independently Problem-solving skills to: Identify and resolve problems in a timely manner Gather and analyze information skillfully Develop alternatives for decision making, select the most appropriate alternative and produce the required solution C Analysing and designing software solutions 10 The competitor individual needs to know and understand the following: Importance of considering all possible options and deriving the best solution based on sound analytical judgment and the client s best interests Need to be up to date with new technologies and make a judgment about the appropriateness of these with long term stability in mind Importance of optimization of system design with an emphasis on modularity and reusability Understanding of commonly used methodologies used in the system development life cycle 11 The competitor should be able to analyse data using: data modelling tools and techniques activity modelling tools and techniques design the interfaces and controls considering client specifications design system security and controls D Developing software solutions 12 The individual needs to know and understand: The importance of considering all possible options and deriving the best solution based on sound analytical judgment and the client s best interests The importance of following standards The importance of accurate and consistent version control Existing code bases as a basis for analysis and modifications The importance of selecting the most appropriate development tool from those provided 3

4 13 The individual shall be able to: Analyze existing code bases behaviour and make fixes or enhancements to them Write a method given the desired behaviour (inputs, outputs, pre-conditions and post-conditions). Use latest available integrated development environments and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each in software development Search for, evaluate and integrate appropriate libraries and frameworks into the software being developed Use the functionality of the.net environment to develop the solution according to requirements specifications Use the full potential of SQL Server to store and manage the data for the system to be developed Construct a web enabled or mobile interface to the developed system E Testing software solutions 14 The individual needs to know and understand: The importance of thoroughly testing developed solutions The importance of documenting testing procedures 15 The individual shall be able to: Plan testing activities (unit testing, volume testing, integration testing and acceptance testing) Design test cases with data and check results Report on the test process F Documenting software solutions 16 The individual needs to know and understand: The importance of thoroughly documenting developed solutions 17 The individual shall be able to: Produce professional quality: user documentation technical documentation G Theoretical knowledge 18 Theoretical knowledge is required but not tested explicitly. 19 Knowledge of rules and regulations is not examined. 4

5 H Practical work 20 IT Software Solutions for Business requires the Competitors to demonstrate that they can analyse, design, develop, test, implement and document a robust, professional software solution to address a client s requests. The Competitor s skills using the stated framework will be thoroughly tested by means of an integrated case study which will require the Competitors to add functionality, streamline processes and reduce errors for a business organisation 21 Competitors may expect to solve a series of problems in a given business scenario using the specified software tools. The tasks set for each session will be stand-alone; if a part of a project depends on an earlier part then the Competitors will be provided with the solution to that part or they can use their own solution. The Competitors work independently. 22 Competitors will be given the requirements of a particular business problem and they are3 expected to perform a requirements analysis. Communication and clarification with the client could be needed. In a competition environment this may be simulated via role plays or video consultations. 23 Competitors will be provided with data in various formats and will need to apply data analysis skills to determine the best methods to extract and collate this data in order to build the required system. Database design skills will be required. 24 Competitors should have knowledge of the use of Information Technology within a business/commercial environment (e.g. order processing, payroll, etc.). Mathematical and logical processing skills are key skills in the IT area, and these will be tested throughout the Competition. 25 The Competitors will be required to automate and customise elements within the applications. A working solution that fulfils the specified requirements is what is needed and the Competitor has the freedom to use any features of the specified software to achieve this. Clean, professional development practices should be adhered to, promoting ease of use, minimising user error and demonstrating thorough testing. The platform could be web and/or client-server based. 26 The Competitors may be required to produce user documentation to explain the system they have produced or the guideline for users to install or use their solution. This could be in the form of a tutorial. They could also be required to give a presentation to explain the system. I The Test Project 5

6 Format / structure of the QR Test Project 27 The Test Project will be in the form of a case study that will represent typical functions that might be asked of a software developer who is highly competent in the skills described. The scenario will be presented as a project with clearly defined deliverables. These deliverables will be grouped to enable a modular approach whereby discrete tasks can be completed in a session. The Competitors will select the appropriate component(s) of the software for the task. 28 This scenario shall include an extensive simulation of workplace activities related to IT and shall be composed of a variety of forms of information gathering, processing and distribution. The project should be designed so that at the end of a Competition session, that session s work can be marked. 29 Where work carries over from one session to another, the Competitor s work will be backed up for marking at the end of each session. For example, the project might require development of a database table definitions, data imports, form, query and report construction. The project might specify a certain number of deliverables to be completed in the first session of the day. At the break, the solutions to those deliverables would be backed-up and marked. Any work done to those deliverables after the break would not be marked J Assessment 30 For the Qualifying Round, the test projects will be delivered through sessions (morning and afternoon). Test projects can be integrated in nature. Generally, the assessment weighting will comprise these criterion and weights Criterion Weight (in percentage) Schema 40% Development 60% Total 100% 31 Objective marking will be used. K Materials, Equipment & Software Materials 32 The following materials will be supplied to each competitor in the competition: Writing paper; 6

7 Pens and pencils competitors will be allowed to bring in their own pen, pencil, highlighter and ruler; Access password to competitor s file resources. 33 No digital and media devices will be allowed into the competition area Equipment 34 A microcomputer system with the following minimum configuration may be used in the competition for each competitor: 4 GB of RAM (memory) or current equivalent minimum Standard computer hard drive Colour monitor capable of 1024 x 768 dpi Sound card and speakers with headphones System compatible mouse Network capabilities of 100 Mbps Standard QWERTY keyboard Serial/parallel ports for connection to printer Bus or serial mouse and mouse software USB port for USB compliant devices Network interface card. 35 The following equipment may be for sharing among competitors in the competition: Colour printer /Laser printers (at least 600 dpi resolution); and Local Area Network system access to local servers. Software 36 All competitors must be familiar with the following applications and utilities software: Windows 7 MS Visual Studio 2013 (Express Edition) MS SQL Server 2012 (Express Edition) Microsoft.NET Framework 4.5 (Express Edition) C# (This is packaged together with MS Visual Studio) Office 2010 * * * * * * END Mar 2014 Institute of Technical Education Singapore (The Organisers reserve the right to update the technical description before the WorldSkills Singapore 2014 if deemed necessary). 7