Information Systems-Clothes Recommendation Systems

ISOM 221

Information Systems Analysis and Design

Fall 2008/2009

Team Project Final Report

Group Name: L1-07

Group Members: AU, Kai Hin Alfred

CHAN, Pui Shu Grace

LAU, Chor Ken Elvis

LAU, Wing Ki Winnie

PUN, Chun Yiu Andy

TSANG, Hang Fung Napo

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Table of Contents

Project Drivers

1. The Purpose of the Product 3

2. Clients, Customers and other Stakeholders 4

3. Users of the Product 5

Project Constraints

4. Mandated Constraints 9

5. Naming Conventions and Definitions 10

6. Relevant Facts and Assumptions 10

Functional Requirements

7. The Scope of the Work 11

8. The Scope of the Product 12

9. Functional Requirements 14

Non-Functional Requirements

10. Look and Feel Requirements 23

11. Usability Requirements 23

12. Performance Requirements 23

13. Operational Requirements 24

14. Maintainability and Portability Requirements 24

15. Security Requirements 24

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Project Drivers

1. The Purpose of the Product

The user problem

When buying clothes, people sometimes do not know which clothes to

choose or which clothes can best fit their clothes that they have bought before. In

order to help solve this problem and enhance the shopping experience of buying

clothes of customers, Clothes Recommendation System will be implemented.

Background to the project effort

To enable this system to work, the company has to first set up a membership

club for regular customers. Individual accounts can then be established for each

member to record their purchasing pattern. In the system, customers can input

their personal information, like height and weight. This data can help analyze the

clothes that customers need. Also, from the purchasing history, the system can

learn about the preferences of the customers. Thereafter, it can make

customized suggestions to members on the clothes that they may like.

Goals of project

Implementing this Clothes Recommendation System, company can

understand customers’ preferences easier. Therefore, the company can choose

to produce those favorite clothes more so as to reduce the cost of scarping the

unsold inventories or the cost of storing these products. They can also improve

the customer satisfaction and increase the sale volume by the customized

suggested clothes, which are suitable for the customers and they are likely to buy

the products.

Moreover, the company can reduce 15% of costs on marketing research

stages.

The key functionalities of our system are handling recommendation requests

and sending personal newsletters. Customers can request the clothes

recommendations through the Internet or the terminals in the shops. The system

will then generate the suggestions based on the information mentioned above.

The personal newsletters would be sent periodically, which contain the

suggested new arrivals.

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2. Client, Customers and other Stakeholders

Customer

Customers are the major stakeholders of the system. After registering as

a member of the clothes company, the customer can receive customized

clothes recommendation through the system. They can also receive personal

newsletter which is generated by the system. And the personal newsletter will

contain the new arrival that match with them.

Clothes Company

The clothes companies would be another key stakeholder. It is because the

companies can increase both the sales volume and customers’ satisfaction by

implementing this system. They may also reduce 15% of costs on marketing

research. Therefore, the system can create more profit for the companies.

Moreover, the system also helps the company to enhance the brand name as

well as to achieve a better competitive position by the customized service

Sales Staff

Those sales staffs are also benefited from this system. The system can

improve their productivity, since they can save time to ask for necessary

customers’ preference. Also the system can help the staff to improve the

customers’ satisfaction because of the right clothes they can suggest to the

customers.

Fashion Designer

The fashion designer classifies clothes in the company clothes database

into different categories. The fashion designer determines the types of clothes

recommended to customers by designing the matching principle for the

matching system to match the clothes and the customers. In addition, having

the system, they can spend less time on determining customers’ preference,

and also they can produce more popular clothes.

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3. Users of the Product

List of Actors:

1. Customer

2. Matching System

3. Company Sales Database

4. Customer Database

5. Company Clothes Database

6. Purchasing History Database

7. Technicians

8. Fashion Specialist

Actor Specification

Actor Name: Customer

Type: Primary Personality: I, R Abstract: No

Role Description:

A customer is a person who has opened a membership account or would like to open an

account. The customer is the main reason for the existence of clothes recommendation

system. The customer interacts with the system to obtain recommendation through

company webpage or terminals inside the shops. The customer also receive personal

newsletter generated by the recommendation system.

Actor Goals:

Open membership account

Manage account information, including their preferences and basic information

Request clothes recommendation

Receive Personal Newsletter

Use Cases Involved with:

UC-001 Set up membership account

UC-002 Retrieve customer data

UC-003 Request recommendation

UC-006 Send Personal Newsletter

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Actor Specification

Actor Name: Matching System

Type: Secondary Personality: E, R Abstract: No

Role Description:

A matching system is a system which matches the data of the clothes with different

customers. The system retrieves data from different systems and actors and sends the

result to the clothes recommendation system. This system is used to match the clothes

with the customers, based on their style, physical appearance, etc.

Actor Goals:

Provide the matching result to the recommendation system




Actor Specification

Actor Name: Company Sales Database

Type: Secondary Personality: E Abstract: No

Role Description:

A company sales database stores data about the company sales. The company sales

database provided information about the popularity of the recommended clothes. This

information is required because the clothes recommendation is listed in the order of the

clothes popularity.

Actor Goals:

Identify the popularity of the recommended clothes



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Actor Specification

Actor Name: Customer Database

Type: Secondary Personality: E,R Abstract: No

Role Description:

A customer database is a database which stored the data of the customer. The customer

database exists because storing the customers’ data can help the system to provide the

most suitable service to them. Customer can also edit the data through the web or

terminals. And the system also gets the customer’s email address from this database in

order to provide personal newsletter to the customer.

Actor Goals:

Update the database

Record customers’ account

Provide data to the system, eg email address and customers’ physical

characteristics


UC-001 Set up membership account

UC-002 Retrieve customer data



Actor Specification

Actor Name: Company Clothes Database


Role Description:

The company clothes database is a database that stores the clothes items that the

company sells, including shirts, skirts, socks, etc. When there are new clothes, the

database will be updated. This database works with Purchasing History Database to

provide information for Matching System.

Actor Goals:

Keep the up-to-date information on all the clothes that company has

Provide source to the matching system


UC-003 Request Recommendation

UC-004 Update Company Clothes Database

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Actor Specification

Actor Name: Purchasing History Database


Role Description:

A Customer Purchasing History Database is a database which records each and every

purchasing history of an individual customer. This system is crucial for the Matching

System, which compares latest stock to customer’s purchasing history, preference, advice

from Faison Specialists and more. The database provides valuable sources to creating

meaningful matching results for Customers.

Actor Goals:

Record purchase from Customers

Provide source to the Matching System


UC-003 Request Recommendation


Actor Specification

Actor Name: Technicians


Role Description:

A technician is a person who is responsible for the supporting work of IT and machine

related things. They include the terminals and the company webpage. He maintains the

system so that the system can function normally. He also needs to update the system,

both hardware and software from time to time.

Actor Goals:

Ensure the normal performance of the system


UC-005 Maintain Terminals and Webpage

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Actor Specification

Actor Name: Fashion Specialist


Role Description:

A fashion designer is a person who updates company clothes database and determines

the matching principle. The fashion designer classifies clothes in the company clothes

database into different categories. Each category of clothes fits people of a particular

physical characteristic. The classification of clothes allows the matching system to match

clothes to customers according to their physical characteristics.

Actor Goals:

Classify clothes into different categories


UC-004 Update Company Clothes Database

Project Constraints4. Mandated Constraints

Security is one of the constraints of the system. The clothes

recommendation system has to make use of a lot of customers’

personal details in order to make clothes recommendations.

Therefore, a high security has to be maintained in the system in

order to protect the customers’ privacy. The security will be using

SSL.

Since the system requires the Company Sales Database which is

created by other system within our company. The Company Sales

Database must have enough sales information for our system to

process the popularity of the recommended clothes.

Customers should have network connections and web browsers with

Java installed in their personal computers.

All staffs are well-trained to teach new customers about this system.

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5. Naming Conventions and Definitions Company Sales Database

A company sales database stores data about the company sales. This

database is created by other systems inside the company. The

company sales database provided information about the popularity of

the recommended clothes.

Company Clothes Database

The company clothes database is a database that stores the clothes

items that the company sells, including shirts, skirts, socks, etc. When

there are new clothes, the database will be updated. This database

works with Purchasing History Database to provide information for

Matching System.

Customer Database

A customer database is a database which stored the data of the

customer. The customer database exists because storing the

customers’ data can help the system to provide the most suitable

service to them. This database also provides email address for the

system to generate personal newsletters.

Purchasing History Database

A Customer Purchasing History Database is a database which records

each and every purchasing history of an individual customer. This

database is also created by other systems within our company. This

database will be updated when the customers bought new clothes by

other systems. This database should have enough information for our

system to process the matching.

6. Relevant Facts and Assumptions The system can be accessed through both the Internet and the

terminals in the shop. Since one way of accessing the system is

web-based method, customers can login to our system anytime

anywhere.

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If customers purchase the clothes in our system through the Internet,

they can choose to pick up the clothes at our physical shops or can

have a deliver service, which belongs to another customer service

system inside the company.

The online payment in our system is provided by other trustful 3rd

parties, such as HSBC. And our system is not obligated to any

transaction problems.

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Functional Requirements7. The Scope of the WorkFunctional Requirements

7. The Scope of the Work

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8. The Scope of the Product

List of Use Cases:1. UC-001 Set up membership account

New customers set up their own accounts through the Internet or

terminals inside the shops.

2. UC-002 Retrieve Customer Data

Existing customers can update or change their personal data and

their own preferences from time to time.

3. UC-003 Request Recommendation

Customers request personal clothes recommendations from our

system.

4. UC-003 A1 Request Recommendation Alternative for Sold Out

Company does not have enough inventories for the recommended

clothes that customers would like to buy.

5. UC-003-E1 Print Receipt Discount Coupon

Customers would like to print the transaction receipts or they would

like to print the discount coupon for them to use next time at our

physical shops.

6. UC-004 Update Company Clothes Database

Fashion specialists classify the new clothes purchased into different

categories of clothes and then update the clothes into the Company

Clothes Database according to the categories.

7. UC-005 Maintain Terminals and Webpage

Technicians repair the terminals and web servers when they are

broken down or errors occurred. And they also make necessary

updates to the hardware or software from time to time.

8. UC-006 Send Personal Newsletter

The system generates personal newsletters, which contain the

recommended new arrivals and other pre-written fashion articles,

twice a month. Then, system sends them to the customers’ email

addresses.

9. IUC-001 Log in and Verify Customer

System handles customers’ login and verifies them by checking the

password entered.

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9. Functional Requirements

Use Case ID UC-001

Use Case Set up membership account

Actors Customer[P], Customer Database[S]

Description New customers browse webpage, enter personal data, enter login

name and password and receive confirmation of registration.

Pre-conditions Webpage is shown with welcome screen

Flow of Events 1 The system requires the customer to enter his/her personal

data.

2 Customer enter their personal data

3 The system checks whether the customer have registered

before from customer database.

4 If the customer have registered before

4.1 The system shows the message that the customer have

registered before.

4.2 Go to step 1

5 Customer database send back the message that the customer

have not registered before.

6 The system requires customer to enter the log in name and

password.

7 Customers enter the log in name and password

8 The system checks if the log in name is used

9 If the log in name is used

9.1 Go to step 7

10 The customer database send back the message that the log in

name is not used

11 The system sends the customer data to the customer database

12 The system shows the confirmation message of registration to

the customer.

13 The system shows the homepage

Post-conditions The registration is accepted by the system

Alternative flows Customer already registered, log in name used

Priority High

Non-Functional

Requirements

The personal data should be encrypted.

The system should be ready for people to register most of the time

Assumptions The customer understands the languages we use in the webpage.

7. Th

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8. The Scope of the Product

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Source Questionnaires, Document Analysis

Use Case ID UC-002

Use Case Retrieve Customer Data

Actors Customer[P], Customer database[S]

Description Existing customers may change personal data, fill in types of

clothes they want and preferences on clothes.

Pre-conditions Screen of editing personal information is on.

Flow of Events 1. Include IUC-001 Log in and Verify Customer.

2. System asks if the customers want to change personal data

3. If customer wants to change previous saved data

3.1 System shows previous customer’s personal data

3.2 System requires the customer to fill in what types of

clothes they are seeking, like jacket, vest, sweatshirt,

cardigan, tee shirt, shirt, polo shirt, jeans, pants, dress, etc

3.3 Customer enters the types of clothes he wants

3.4 System requires the customer to fill in preferences the

customer wants, like long-sleeved, short-sleeved, hooded,

wrinkled, slim-typed, baggy, newly arrived, etc

3.5 Customer enters the preferences of clothes he wants

3.6 Customer enters other data that he would like to change.

3.7 Customer confirms all the changes.

3.8 System saved the new data and sends back updated data

to Customer Database

Post-conditions Main menu is on again

Alternative flows /

Priority High

Non-Functional

Requirements

All required information, like weight, height, clothes types and

preferences, are “correct & truth” so that system can generate right

recommendations later.

Assumptions Customer’s basic information will not have much change but their

preferences on clothes will change from season to season.

Source Market Analysis

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Use Case ID UC-003

Use Case Request Recommendation

Actors Customer[P], Matching System[S], Customer database[S],

Purchasing history Database[S], Company sales database[S],

Company clothes database[S]

Description Customer logs in, requests for clothes recommendations.

System displays the suggested clothes to customer.

Pre-conditions The main menu is displayed with clothes recommendation option.

Flow of Events 1. Include IUC-001 Log in and Verify Customer.

2. System displays a choice menu.

3. Customer selects for a clothes recommendation

4. Customer inputs some primary constraints, such as type of

clothes.

5. System retrieves necessary data including customers’ preferred

clothes types, physical characteristics, company purchased

clothes from Customer Purchasing History Database and

Customer Database and Company Clothes Database respectively.

6. System sends all the retrieved data to the Matching System for

processing the recommendations

7. Matching System sends back the recommendation results.

8. System retrieves sales data from the Company Sales Database.

9. System calculates popularity of recommended clothes based on

sales data and sorts the received recommendation results in

decreasing order of popularity.

10. System displays recommended clothes.

11. If Customer inputs some additional constraints, such as the price

range of the clothes.

11.1 System removes the irrelevant results from the list.

11.2 Go to step 10

12. Customer chooses clothes for purchase.

13. If the clothes are sold out, execute to UC-003-A1.

14. Customer enters the transaction details.

15. If Customer wishes to print the transaction receipt and discount

coupons for next time, extend to UC-003-E1

16. Thank you screen is on.

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Post-conditions The main menu is displayed again.

Alternative Flows Company may not have enough inventories at that time.

Customer want to print receipts or coupons

Customer adds more constraints while recommending clothes.

Priority High

Non-Functional

Requirements

The system can display 100 recommended clothes items for one

customer at one time.

The system can generate the recommended clothes list within 2

seconds.

Assumptions The customers’ purchase records and details for their physical

characteristics are available

Source Customer Services Manual

Use Case ID UC-003-A1

Use Case Request Recommendation Alternative for Sold Out

Actors Customer[P], Matching System[S], Customer database[S],

Purchasing history Database[S], Company sales database[S],

Company clothes database[S]

Description The clothes that the customer has chosen are short of inventories.

Customer needs to place a special order for buying the clothes.

Insertion Point UC-003; flow 17

Pre-conditions System notices that the chosen clothes is sold out at that time.

Alternative Flow

of Events

1. System informs customer that the clothes is out of stock

2. System asks customer of whether to reserve the clothes

3. If customer chooses to reserve the clothes

3.1 The clothes is automatically reserved

3.2 The system displays an acceptance screens and sends notification

email to customer when the clothes is available

3.3 Go to step 4

4. The system reminds manager to place an order for the sold-out item

Post-conditions The main menu is displayed again.

Priority High

Non-Functional

Requirements

Sold out items will be repurchased less than a week.

Assumptions /

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Source Customer Services Manual

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Use Case ID UC-003-E1

Use Case Print Receipt Discount Coupon

Additional Actors /

Description Allows customer to print the transaction receipt and the discount

coupons for them to use next time.

Extending Use Case UC-003 Request recommendation

Extension Point UC-003; flow step 20

Guard Condition Transaction Receipt and Discount Coupon printing options are

chosen and enabled.

Flow of Events 1. The system ask the customer if he/she would like a printed

transaction receipt and discount coupon

2. If customer wants a transaction receipt

2.1 Print statement

2.2 Go to step 3

3. If customer wants a discount coupon

3.1 Display different types of discounts coupons

3.2 Customer choose one desired discount coupon

3.3 Print the chosen discount coupon

Post-conditions Return to UC-003 and continue on flow step 21

Alternative Flows /

Priority Medium

Non-Functional

Requirements

Statement and discount coupons can be printed out within 20

seconds

Assumptions /

Source Interview of customer services

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Use Case ID UC-004

Use Case Update company clothes database

Actors Company Clothes Database[S], Fashion Specialists[S]

Description Fashion specialists classify new clothes and update the detailed

information to Company Clothes Database according to the

categories.

Pre-conditions Company has purchased new clothes

Flow of Events 1. New clothes arrive

2. System sends acknowledgments to the fashion specialists.

3. Fashion specialists classify the new arrivals into different

categories of clothes.

4. If the new arrivals are classified to be a new category

4.1 Fashion specialists create a new category

4.2 Acknowledgments are sent to the front-line shops

4.3 Go to step 5

5. Fashion specialists definite the suitable targets for each clothes

and write a short description about the clothes.

6. Fashion specialists update those clothes with the detailed

information into Company Clothes Database according to the

categories.

Post-conditions Those new clothes are sent to the physical stores.

Alternative Flows The new arrivals are classified to be a new category

Priority Medium

Non-Functional

Requirements

System allows many fashion specialists to input the new arrivals’

information at the same time.

Assumptions Fashion specialist can correctly categorize all new clothes

Source Business Operation Manual

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Use Case ID UC-005

Use Case Maintain Terminals and Webpage

Actors Technician[S]

Description Technician repairs the terminals and web servers, and makes

necessary updates to the hardware or software.

Pre-conditions Terminals or web servers occur errors or broken down

Flow of Events 1. System sends acknowledgements to technician

2. Technician checks the problems of terminals or web servers

3. Technician repairs the terminals or web servers by replacing

some hardware or reinstalling the software.

4. If the errors cannot be fixed immediately

4.1 Technician informs the head office for replacement

4.2 Technician places a notice to both staff and customers

4.3 Go to step 6

5. Technician reconfigures the terminals or web servers according

to the latest company’s policies

6. Technician documents the errors details and sends a copy of

the documentation to the head office for reference.

7. Technician allow customer to use the terminals or to access the

web servers again.

Post-conditions Terminals or web servers are repaired and updated

Alternative Flows Errors cannot be fixed immediately.

Priority Medium

Non-Functional

Requirements

The system can send acknowledgements to technicians within an

hour when errors occurred

Assumptions Technician performs system maintenance monthly

Source Interview, Document Analysis

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Use Case ID UC-006

Use Case Send Personal Newsletter

Actors Customer[P], Customer Database[S], Matching System[S],

Company Clothes Database[S], Purchasing History Database[S]

Description Bi-weekly Newsletter is distributed to customer. Content of

newsletter includes personalized recommendation and pre-written

fashion articles.

Pre-conditions System meets the scheduled time to distribute the newsletter

Flow of Events 1. System retrieves mailing list of customers who have subscribed

to newsletter.

2. System retrieves customer data and new arrivals information for

matching from Customer Purchasing History Database,

Customer Database and Company Clothes Database.

3. System sends all the retrieved data to Matching System

4. Matching System sends back recommendation results.

5. Recommendation results are embedded into pre-written

newsletter templates.

6. System prepares and distribute newsletter to customers.

Post-conditions System has sent the emails to customers.

Alternative flows /

Priority Medium

Non-Functional

Requirements

The system prepares newsletter at least bi-weekly.

The appearance and the content of the newsletter should be

attractive to customers as a way to promote the store instead of

spamming customers.

Assumptions Customers have email address for receiving newsletter.

Customers have set up accounts and input necessary information

for the recommendation process to be feasible.

Source Customer Services Manual, interviews with managers

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Use Case ID IUC-001

Use Case Log in and Verify Customer

Description Customer logs in; system verifies the customer and checks the

password.

Including Use Cases UC-002 Retrieve Customer Data;


Pre-conditions System notices that customer entered into webpage or terminals.

Alternative Flow of

Events

1. System asks customer to input account number and password.

2. Customer enters account number and password.

3. If account number does not exist or password is incorrect

3.1 If customer enters incorrect password 5 times

3.1.1. Customer account is locked for an hour.

3.1.2. The process ends and main menu displays again.

3.2 System displays error message.

3.3 Go back to step 1

4. System displays the welcome back message.

Post-conditions System is back on the next flow step right after this included use

case was invoked.

Alternative Flows Customer inputs wrong account numbers or passwords

Priority High

Non-Functional

Requirements

The system can verify the customer for login within 2 seconds.

Assumptions Customer can understand the language we used.

Source Operational Procedures Manual

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NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

10. Look and Feel Requirements

10.1 Interface:

The system should be simple and user-friendly. It should contain clear

instructions to guide users. This shortens the time for the customers and

staff to learn how to control the system.

10.2 Style:

The system should have a stylish design. This helps to create a more

fashionable image of the company.

11. Usability Requirements

11.1 Ease of use/learning:

The system must be simple. People with little computer background

should also be able to operate the system without difficulties. This allows

the system to serve a greater range of customers

11.2 Personalization:

The system can provide customized clothes recommendation to

customers. The selection criteria will be based on the customers’

purchase history, their physical characteristics and preferences.

11.3 Access considerations:

The online purchasing system can only be accessed by registered

members and administrators. This ensures that the personal information

of the customers is protected.

12. Performance Requirements

12.1 Speed:

The system can update all databases real time so that both customers

can staff can get the most updated information from the databases.

The Matching system should be able to give clothes recommendation to

users within 2 seconds.

12.2 Availability:

The system must be available 24 hours through the internet; so that the

users can order the recommended clothes at any times that they want.

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13. Operational Requirements

13.1 Technical Environment:

The system must be able to retrieve and integrate data from various

databases. This is because the clothes recommendation is made based

on many different data (e.g. customers’ preference, purchasing history).

Therefore the system should be able to process a large amount of data.

13.2 Physical Environment:

The system must be accessible through web browsers and the terminals

in the stores. This allows users to assess to the system more easily and

brings them convenience.

14. Maintainability and Portability Requirements

Regular maintenance would be carried out by the technicians. Regular

maintenance can keep the system in a good repair so that when the

customer need to access through the machine or the Internet and the

administrators need to retrieve data from the customer, they can do in a

very smooth way. Another advantage would be that the data can be kept

well and would not be lost. We have a disaster recovery plan. If the

servers are damaged and data cannot recover, we will use the backup

data which is stored separately to recover the lost.

15. Security Requirements

15.1 Access:

Customers would have their own login name and password. They can

use their login name and password to access their own account but not

the others. Only the administrators have the right to access the

customers’ data and are authorized to login into the database.

15.2 Privacy:

SSL would be used when data are being transferred over the Internet in

order to prevent unauthorized people to retrieve the data so that

customers’ privacy can be protected.

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Documents

Information Systems-Clothes Recommendation Systems