SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT

Case Study : Gasoline Pump Control System

Documents:

Requirements Specification

Work Breakdown Structure

Quality Assurance Plan

Test Plan

Configuration Management Plan

Case:
You are the project management team that will develop new software for gasoline pumps as described in the case study document.  You and your team must develop several document for the system:a software requirements specification, a work breakdown structure, a software quality assurance plan, a software test plan, a software configuration management plan.

Case Study Document: 
A computer-based system is required to control the dispensing of gasoline, to handle customer payment, and to monitor tank levels.

Before a customer can use the self-service pumps, the attendant must enable the pump. When a pump is enabled, the pump motor is started, if it is not already on, with the pump clutch free. When the trigger in the gun is depressed, closing a microswitch, the clutch is engaged and gas is pumped. When it is release, the clutch is freed. There is also a microswitch on the holster in which the gun is kept that prevents the gas from being pumped until the gun has been taken out. Once the gun is replaced in the holster, the delivery is deemed to be complete and the pump is disabled.

A metering device on the gas line sends a pulse to the system for each 1/100 of a gallon dispensed. Displays on the pump show the amount dispensed and the cost.

There are two kinds of pumps. The normal kind allows the user to dispense gasoline as needed. The sophisticated pump, imported from New Zealand, allow the customer to preset either an amount or a volume of gasoline. Gasoline will then be pumped up to a maximum of the required quantity.  

Transactions are stored until the customer pays. Payment may be in cash, by credit card, or on account. A customer may request a receipt and will get a token for every $5 spent. Customers sometimes abscond without paying and the operator must annotate the transaction with any available information (e.g., license plate number, etc.). At the end of the day, transactions are archived and may be used for ad hoc inquiries on sales.

At present, two grades of gasoline are dispensed from five underground pumps. Each pump takes its supply from one of the two tanks, one for each grade. The tank level must not drop below 4% of the tanks capacity. If this happens, the pumps serviced by that tank cannot be enabled to dispense gasoline.

There is a single computer that controls all the pumps at the station (up to 16) as well as accounts for all transactions. Transactions are archived by transferring data to a centralized corporate computer.

Walamitien Herve Oyenan