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Project Context Exercise

Course Project

System: Online Ticket Sales System

Objective: Identify which stakeholder statements define the project context—that is: who interacts with the system, which external systems/devices it depends on, and what information flows in and out.

Scoring

This exercise is worth 10 points. Your score is based on whether your reasoning correctly distinguishes context from internal design details.

Background

This is the first exercise in the course project. Before you define features, you define the boundary:

Instructions

Review the problem statement and the user statements. For each user statement, decide whether it helps define the project context. Then explain briefly why.

A quick rule: a statement helps define context if it answers one of these questions:

  1. Who will interact with the system (customers, agents, staff roles)?
  2. What external groups/systems will exchange information with it (legal, accounting, mailroom, etc.)?
  3. How will interaction happen (internet access, online refunds, notifications, etc.)?

Problem Statement

Online Ticket Sales System

Our company needs a system to support the sale of tickets for shows at our venue. The venue is a single-auditorium facility. Seats are organized by section, row, and seat number so each seat can be uniquely identified.

We present a variety of events (plays, concerts, sporting events). Some events run multiple times per week; some have a single show. Each show uses a pricing strategy with price tiers and price types (adult, student, child, etc.). Seats are priced by associating each seat with a price tier. Pricing strategies may include optional volume discounts and can be reused across multiple shows.

Most tickets are sold through agents. Agents must have a legal contract with us before doing business. After a contract exists, the facilities manager sets up a sales agreement allowing agents to sell certain seats for a time window. Customers can also buy directly, but only seats not assigned to agents. Both customers and agents view availability through a seating chart. Selecting a seat places a temporary hold; purchasing issues a ticket that is mailed to the customer.

User Statements

  1. Our facility manager is the person who decides on the seating arrangements for each event.
  2. Seats are priced according to the type of event, anticipated attendance, and the overall cost of putting on the event.
  3. We sometimes use agents to help sell tickets.
  4. We want to offer tickets directly to the public.
  5. The commissions that we pay are defined by individual contracts.
  6. We offer a variety of discounts—some based on ticket quantity, others on total spend, plus limited-time promotions.
  7. The accounts payable department handles commission checks for the agents.
  8. We also want to support refunds online.
  9. We want to give customers access through the Internet.
  10. The mailroom is responsible for getting tickets mailed out in a timely manner.

Submitting Your Exercise

For each statement (1–10), write either Context or Not Context, then explain why in 1–2 sentences.

Tip: “Context” usually points to actors, external departments/systems, interfaces, or information handoffs. “Not Context” is usually an internal rule, pricing algorithm detail, or a design decision you would address later.