Database Management System: Parcel Collection System
PROJECT TITLE
The Improvement of UUM Kachi Parcel Collection System.
PROJECT AIM
The purpose of this assignment is to make improvement of parcel collection as we received many complaints about services provided by UUM Kachi Parcel. We design and develop autonomous QR System. The QR System must be capable to ease the customers to collect their parcels. To make this a reality the project will be documented as closely and as accurately as possible, thus providing subsequent groups with all the knowledge required to continue the development of this system.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
- To find out the main problem of the current process.
- To improve the quality service of parcel collection.
- To shorten time of customer’s collection.
- To develop the relationship with customers
- To be able to create the effective QR System.
- To improve the security of the parcel collection.
- To define business rules of UUM Kachi Parcel Centre.
- To design Entity Relationship Diagram.
COMPANY BACKGROUND
Uni Storage was established in 2009 as an Entrepreneurship -Techno Research at the School of Computer Science, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, known as UniStorage Malaysia and operating at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Master Campus, 11800 Penang, through the University’s Entrepreneurship Center (EPIC).
UniStorage provides Mail and Courier services through receiving, processing, storage, packing and distribution activities or submission of student items and campus citizens while in the university. In addition, UniStorage provides various program of transfer of knowledge through various programs including Training of Entrepreneurship Students, Agro Product E-Commerce, Workshop of Custom Affair such as Basic Course, and others with Government and Non Government Departments Government (NGOs) such as the Malaysian Customs Senior Officers Association (PERKASA), local Communities to assist Customs Customers’ Customs, especially import and export trading activities.
Increased e-commerce among university graduates is increasing from time to time.
UniStorage has a network of various local and international shipping and logistics companies. Through this network, UniStorage bridges customers with industries through local trading. Various local and international companies are equivalent to nearly 3,000 branches worldwide. There are also Departments and Non-Governmental organizations available to assist these industrial activities to be realized in universities, particularly in several Public Universities. UniStorage customers can fulfill their satisfaction with the services offered.
UniStorage-UUM located at UUM Parcel Center, Universiti Utara Malaysia was inaugurated by Yg Berusaha Prof. Madya Dr. Hendrik Lamsali, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs and Alumni, Universiti Utara Malaysia by offering a variety of services based on mail and courier activities, payment counters, bus tickets, photocopies, scanning and others at UPC and its branches at Universiti Utara Malaysia. ‘Learn & Earn’ is a concept that is run in the UPC to facilitate informed consent in the local community.
CURRENT SYSTEM
The customers can be divided into two types which is registered customer and unregistered customers. To be registered customers, they need to login UUM Parcel website and fill the information required such as email, name and matric number.
As Courier sent parcels to the UUM Kachi Parcel Centre, the staffs will key in data such as customer’s matric number, name, IC number, tracking number, company of the goods, date of arrival and types of the item into Microsoft Excel. Then, staffs will directly email the registered customer to inform the arrival of their parcels. For unregistered customer, they can check by using tracking number.
Next, customer can collect their parcels at UUM Kachi Parcel Centre counter by giving their matric number and tracking number. The staff will find the parcels based on that information. Customers need to sign the list name as the confirmation of receiving parcels. The staffs then will update the parcels records that had been received by the customers. Customer payment based on charged based on the figure 1.1.
BUSINESS RULES
- One staff can handle many parcels
- Each parcel can be handle by one staff
- Each parcel has one parcel detail
- Each parcel detail for each parcel
- One customer can make many payment
- Each payment can be done by one customer
- One customer can have many parcel
SYSTEMS FEATURES
UUM Kachi Parcel Centre use Microsoft Excel as their main system to store data that relate to the customer and parcel. Staff will key in data into Microsoft Excel and print out as hardcopy. The hardcopy are only use to identify which customer has pick up their parcel and which are not. Also for softcopy data. Staff will update which parcel has been picked.
The weaknesses of current system are the different between registered and unregistered customer are only based on low payment charged and receive email from UUM Parcel Centre of arrival parcel for registered customer. There is no specific specialties for registered customers. Most of customers also complaints that they need to queue up and wait for a long time until customers turns come. They also need to check their name in the list name which is one copy only for a date of arrival parcels.
FUTURE REQUIREMENT
The future requirement that we want to suggest in order to improve the parcel collection system at UUM Kachi Parcel Centre is once the staffs received parcels delivered by courier, the staffs will record the data stated on the parcel which are customer’s name and phone number. The staffs also will add another information such as services charge for the parcel (based on weight) and the code of the parcel stored for every parcel in QR Code form. Then, the staffs will generate QR Code for every parcel and send the messages to the customers about the arrival of their ordered items and link for QR Code image by using customer’s phone number.
For the collection, customers can collect their parcels as soon as they receive message and QR Code link from UUM Kachi Parcel Centre. Once the customers arrive at UUM Kachi Parcel Centre, customers will scan the QR Code using QR Scanner provided at the counter. After the QR Code scanned, it will automatically view the data of the parcel stored in QR Code form. The staff will collect the parcel at the shelves and pass it to the customer. After that, the staff will receive the payment based on the charge decreed by UUM Kachi Parcel Centre. Then the staff will update the changes in the status of the parcel and record the receiver name.
BUSINESS RULES
- One staff can handle many parcels.
- Each parcels can be handled by one staff.
- Each parcel has one detail.
- Each detail for one parcel.
- Each parcel has one QR Code.
- One QR Code refer to one parcel.
- One QR Code for one customer.
- One customer can have many QR Code.
- One customer can make many payment.
- Each payment can be done by one customer.
