Rift Valley University

Department of computer science

Senior project proposal
Title: Transport scheduling management system
for South East Region Ethio telecom

Group member
Name Id
Biruk Ermias RVC/SDW/0059 /15
Solomon Mekonen RVC/SDW/0021 /15
Tsegaye Desalgn RVC/SDW/0055 /15
Desta godebo RVC/SDW/0050 /15
Girma Seyoum RVC/SDW/0043 /15
BuzyhuTilahun RVC/SDW/0026 /15

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Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE....................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................3
1.1. Overview...............................................................................................................................3
1.2. Background............................................................................................................................3
1.3. Statement of the Problem.......................................................................................................4
1.4. Project Objective...................................................................................................................5
1.4.1. General objective................................................................................................................5
1.4.2. Specific objective................................................................................................................6
1.5. Scope and limitations............................................................................................................6
1.5.1. Scope...................................................................................................................................6
1.5.2. Limitations..........................................................................................................................6
1.6 Constraints.............................................................................................................................7
1.7 Methodology.........................................................................................................................7
1.7.1 System Development Approach...........................................................................................7
1.7.2 Software Process Model Approach......................................................................................8
1.7.3. Data collection Methods......................................................................................................8
1.7.3.1 Mail Questionnaire............................................................................................................9
1.7.4. Tools....................................................................................................................................9
1.7.5. Language...........................................................................................................................10
1.7.6. Testing process..................................................................................................................10
1.8. Significance of the project...................................................................................................12
1.9. Feasibility Study..................................................................................................................12
1.9.1. Technical feasibility..........................................................................................................13
1.9.2. Operational feasibility.......................................................................................................13
1.9.3. Economic Feasibility.........................................................................................................14
1.10. Team Composition, Budget and Schedule...........................................................................14
1.10.1 Team Composition...........................................................................................................14
1.10.2.Cost Estimation/Budget/..................................................................................................15
1.10.3 Project Schedule...............................................................................................................17
CHAPTER TWO.................................................................................................................................18
2. Existing System...................................................................................................................18
2.1. Overview of the current system...........................................................................................18
2.2. Major function of existing system.......................................................................................19
2.3. Players and use-case of existing system..............................................................................19
2.4. Essential use-case diagram..................................................................................................20
2.5. Problem of existing system..................................................................................................22
2.6. Business rule of the existing system....................................................................................22
2.7. Some forms and documents used in the existing system.....................................................23

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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.1. Overview

Web based Transport scheduling management system for south Easter region application in
the whole records of vehicle information would manage details about different types of
vehicle, which have received the form of the manual system kept.
The system would be able to know the vehicle availability status based on proper login,
which would be provided to them. The management would be able to know the whole system
status on a single click and customized reports would be generated.
These projects “Transport scheduling management system” of give us the complete
information about the vehicle, the record of new and retrieve the details of vehicle available
in the system. We can issue the vehicle to the departments and show the maintenance time
records and can also check how many vehicles are issued and available in the park. In this
project we can maintain the late fine of vehicle who returns the issued vehicle after the due
date.

1.2. Background
Transport scheduling Management system enables to manage, control and improve the
transport system by arranging schedule in the number vehicles, operational time, and total
cost required for solving the operational performance of south Easter region ethio telecom.

South east region is one of ethio telecom region. The main office of the region is get from the
100km distance from the capital city of Ethiopia with in Adama town. Under this region there
are 11 departments. The whole departments require vehicle service to facilitate the day to day
activities.

Sourcing and Facilities department of south east region have120 different types of vehicle
like Toyota pickup, FTS, Isuzu, etc. Those vehicles are not only brought by ethio telecom but
also rental. This department works all vehicles scheduling for the departments by assigning
for six-month period of time using manual system.

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The current Manual transport system takes more effort and physical space to keep track of
paper documents, to find information and to keep details secure. When mistakes are made or
changes or corrections are needed, often a manual transaction must be completely redone
rather than just updated. Due to this the current Manual systems put pressure on the staffs to
be correct in all details of their work at all times, the problem being that staffs aren’t perfect.
With manual systems the level of service is dependent on individuals and this puts a
requirement on management to run training continuously for staff to keep them motivated
and to ensure they are following the correct procedures.  It can be all too easy to accidentally
switch details and end up with inconsistency in data entry or in hand written orders.  This has
the effect of not only causing problems with department but also making information unable
be used for reporting or finding trends with data discovery.  Reporting and checking that data
is energetic can be timely and expensive.  This is often an area where significant money can
be saved by automation. So we are focusing to solve the South Ester region ethio telecom
transport service by creating web based Transport Scheduling Management system in order to
enhance the management advantage and increase revenue.

1.3. Statement of the Problem

Transport scheduling management system is an essential element of successful deployment of

for the organization to achieve and support business goals. A lot of considerations have to be
taken into account to ensure that a proper scheduling approach can get the right workers to
the right place at the right time, with the right tools to fix the issues.

Likewise, a scheduling solution must enable the overall management to cope up with the
change in dispatching process, as well as to challenges that may arise such as work order
volume, the number of technician’s available and sudden change of priority.

The current Manual transport system works on sourcing and Facility department of South
East Region ethio telecom all vehicles scheduling for the departments by assigning for six-
month period of time using manual system. If the department faces another task queries can
be difficult to respond information is stored in different places and may even require that you
find the right person before being able to respond. Some of consistencies are:-

 System is dependent on good individuals.

 Reduction in sharing information.
 Duplication of data entry.

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Due to this the question for department raises why is not all business running fully integrated
systems?  There is always the obvious balance of cost and benefit, as an organization growing
it’s the time that they need to put in a new system, however this is also the time is that
significant pressure on existing system. So the proposed transport schedule Management
system is to help for administrate and execute transport activities to improve department
performance and reduce costs. By fulfilling the gap of the current manual operation system
helping the activities across south east region to get the maximum value from their planning
processes and dependencies.

Some examples of capabilities that can be gained by implementing in a web based Transport
Scheduling Management system as advanced planning and execution solutions are:- 

 Timetabling the right resources.

 Vehicle and staff scheduling.
 Costly to produce reports.

Based on results typical for the region the sourcing and Facility department can expect to
save on transport costs, planning and dispatch functions and improve Service Level
agreement by web based transport schedule system by following object orated system.

1.4. Project Objective

1.4.1. General objective

The general objective of the project is to develop a web based transport scheduling
Management system for SER Ethio telecom.

1.4.2. Specific objective

To achieve the general objective, the project will cover the following specific objective
 To develop and Implement vehicle scheduling.
 To develop and Implement vehicle control system.
 To prepare status, tracking information system.
 To develop and implement report generator.
 To develop and implement user friendly user interface.
 To develop a database to store vehicle schedule information, staff information, etc.

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1.5. Scope and limitations
1.5.1. Scope

This project is restricted only to automate operation system of SER ethio telecom transport
department, mainly to improve operational performance and easy to access centralized
database.
Our system will be including: -

 Sourcing and Facility Administrator add, update, delete, record, report, view, reject
and arrange vehicle scheduling data related information’s.

 Sourcing and Facility Administrator can track status of vehicles.

 All department managers are view, generate report, request, reject and assign the
vehicle for the department’s coordinator.

 All department coordinator is view available vehicles, add, update, delete, generate
report, request, reject and assign the vehicle their own section.
 Supervisors view, request, assign and generate report.
 Drivers view the assigned department, request maintenance and fuel.
 Staffs view the assigned vehicle, request and report vehicle.

1.5.2. Limitations

 The system is not including vehicle maintenance and fuel requisition.

 The system is not including leave management.
 Due to same vehicle don’t have GPS the system will not include GPS tracking
system.

1.6 Constraints
 The system will not include tasks other than the scheduling, for instance vehicle
maintenance, fuel request and leave managements will not be part of the system.

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1.7 Methodology

In order to accomplish this project on time and within the cost, we followed different
procedures which are described below.

1.7.1 System Development Approach

To achieve the objective of this project Waterfall Model Linier framework type is selected.
Waterfall model is a sequential development process where development flows steadily
downwards through the various phases of analysis, design, implementation, testing,
integration and maintenance.
We use some hardware and software environments, from those the following system
development tool was used: -

 Software Requirement

Applications Software Tools

Client Side Scripting HTML, CSS, JavaScript

Any Operating System MS Windows

Database Server MySQL

Web server Apache

Server-Side scripting PHP

Browsers Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome,

Editors Notepad++

User Interface Design HTML, CSS

Table 1.1 software environment

 Hardware Requirement

- Personal computer: 500GB hard disk

4GB RAM

8 GB Flash disc

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1.7.2 Software Process Model Approach

The system process consisting of 4 subsystems: -

 Vehicle request.
 Vehicle assign.
 Schedule management.
 Report generation.

1.7.3. Data collection Methods

In this study, different methods of data collection will be used. These methods are designed
in detail to ensure; higher response rate and better accessibility to respondents. We chose to
apply the Object Oriented System Analysis and Design (OOSAD) methodology throughout
the analysis and design process of the project.

1.7.3.1. Mail Questionnaire

The organization laid email address for every individual employee to communicate the day to
day activities. due to this, we use Mail questionnaire is the feasible method for data
collection. Because of more of Technical department staff works out of the office.

1.7.3.2. Interview Questionnaire

In this method, the questionnaires are read to the respondents and the answer is record by the
interviewer. This method is we chosen for the interviewer will contact team manager,
supervisor and specialists.

The most fundamental questions that are prepared for gathering the necessary information for
the operation workers are the following

1. How do you prepare vehicle scheduling?

2. How do you prepare vehicle control system?
3. How do you generate report and how much time does it take?
4. What problems are you faced in this system?

1.7.3.3. Document Review

We refer job description document of the operation department head, fleet inspectors,
operation supervisor and other related workers.

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1.7.4. Tools

Software requirement used for developing the project are:

 MYSQL

 PHP

 HTML

 JavaScript and CSS (Cascading style sheet version 3.0)

 APACHE

MYSQL: -To store users and schedule information on database and access the information at
the time we need.

PHP: - is a server-side programming language that used to develop website.

Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) version 5.0: - it is the predominant markup language
for developing web pages.

APACHE: - it is open source software and it is a HTTP web server notable for playing a key
role in the initial growth of the WWW and the most popular web server to host and handle
HTTP request from client machines to web server
IDE (integrated Development Environment)

2 Notepad++

3 MS word: for documentation

Browser

- Mozilla Firefox

- Google chrome

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1.7.5. Language

To develop the system, we will use HTML, CSS and JAVASCRIPT for the front-end
development. And we will use PHP for the back-end development. Also MYSQL for the
data storage.

1.7.6. Testing process

In our system these is the Process of executing a program with the explicit intention of
finding error that is making the program. Software testing can also provide an objective,
independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the
risks of software implementation.
For testing our system, we use the following level of testing methodology.

Acceptance testing: - Formal testing with respect to user needs, requirements, and business
processes conducted to determine whether a system satisfies the acceptance criteria and to
enable the user, customers or other authorized entity to determine whether to accept the
system.

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System testing: - is a level of software testing where complete and integrated software is
tested. The purpose of this test is to evaluate the system’s compliance with the specified
requirements.

Integration testing:- Testing performed to expose defects in the interfaces and in the

interactions between integrated components or systems. See also component integration
testing, system integration testing.

 Component integration testing: Testing performed to expose defects in the interfaces

and interaction between integrated components.
 System integration testing: Testing the integration of systems and packages;
testing interfaces to external organizations (e.g. Electronic Data Interchange,
Internet).

Unit testing: is a level of software testing where individual units/ components of software are
tested. The purpose is to validate that each unit of the software performs as designed. A unit
is the smallest testable part of any software. It usually has one or a few inputs and usually a
single output. In procedural programming, a unit may be an individual program, function,
procedure, etc. In object-oriented programming, the smallest unit is a method, which may
belong to a base/ super class, abstract class or derived/ child class. (Some treat a module of an
application as a unit. This is to be discouraged as there will probably be many individual
units within that module.) Unit testing frameworks, drivers, stubs, and mock/ fake objects are
used to assist in unit testing.

1.8. Significance of the project

The aim of our proposed system is to improve the overall management and services of
transport department for SER ethio telecom. The main significance of our project is list as
follow: -
 Control and manage the vehicle easily.
 Overcome the manual resource.
 Reduce error rate.

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  Save processing time.
 Improve delivery time.
 Provide reliable and fast approve of the requested vehicle.
 The process is fair, open and accessible to users by automating all tasks the same way
for all users.

1.9. Feasibility Study

We make analysis about the feasibility our system about vehicle ride out when there is a
complex problem or opportunity. It is considered as the primary investigation. In our study is
undertaken to determine the possibility of either improving the existing system or developing
a completely new system.

Need of the feasibility study: -

 It determines the potential of the existing system.

 It used to determine/finds out the problem of the existing system.

 To determine all goals of the new system.

 It finds all possible solutions of the problems of the existing system.

1.9.1. Technical feasibility

In this study of resource availability that may affects the ability to achieve an acceptable
system. This evaluation determines whether the technology needed for the proposed system is
available or not.

When we say our new system is technically feasible the proposed system needs easily
maintain and fix without requiring high experts because the system will be developed by
familiar programming language the project team members have learned programming
languages that required for the successful completion of the project such as java script, CSS,
HTML, PHP, and MySQL. Our new system can run on the existing computer system and
hardware

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The aspects of our study included the following factors.

 It must have a graphical user interface that assists customers that are not from IT back
ground.
 Platform independent.
 Easy to debug and maintain.
 inherent features for security
 Efficient data retrieval and maintenance
 The system is operationally feasible as it very easy for the End users to operate it. It
only needs basic information about Windows platform.

1.9.2. Operational feasibility

We will be concerned with the operability of the system after it has been installed. The new
system can provide sufficient service for the Staff, there was bulky process in giving service
in manual processing. This implies that the Staff cannot be satisfied for the service they get.
But this proposed system is automated consequently the staff can get sufficient service.

Therefore, the proposed system or the new system is operationally feasible because it can
fulfill the following requirements: -

 Satisfy the customer needs or requirements

 Provides the end users with timely, accurate, reliable, flexible and useful
information.
 We believed that our project would be workable and user friendly and it satisfies
the customer needs or requirements. Then our newly proposed project is
operationally feasible.

1.9.3. Economic Feasibility

Our system doesn’t cost much more and also the material to implement the system does not
cost great amount of money. Economic feasibility estimate based on the concept of
maintenance cost, development cost, developer cost, and other. The cost we are spending
while developing the system is less than the benefit. Finally, we can conclude that our project
has more financial benefit than the development cost.
These are of tangible or intangible benefits: -
 Tangible benefits: are benefits that are measured in quantity.

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  Saving human power.
 Reduce payment for worker. Since it reduces worker numbers.
 Reduce time consumption
 Organizational development

 Intangible benefits: are benefits that are measured in quality.

 Increase security.
 Work initiation
 Increase relationship between managers and the instructors
 Increase in the number of end users
 Attract end users
 Increase reliability

1.10. Team Composition, Budget and Schedule

1.10.1 Team Composition

No. Name Role

1 Tsegaye Desalgn Project Manager

2 Biruk Ermias Programmers
3 Desta godebo Software Architecture
4 Solomon Mekonen Developer
5 Girma Seyoum Database Administrator
6 BuzyhuTilahun System Analyst

Table 1.2 Team composition

1.10.2. Cost Estimation/Budget/

This describes the costs that are finished when we develop our software from initial stage up
to implementation stage.

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A. Hardware Requirements cost
No Requirement Quantity(pcs/pad) Price Per Total Cost
Unit
1 Pen 8 5 40
2 A4 Size Paper 1 150 150
4 Printing per page 200 1 200
5 Flash disk for backup 1(8G) 200 200
6 CD-ROM 2 7 14
7 Other 1000

Total 1,604 Birr

Table 1.3 Hardware Requirement Cost

B. Software Requirements Cost

No Requirement Price Per Unit

1 Microsoft Free

2 Notepad++ Free

3 Xampp Server Free

4 Internet explorer , chrome , Mozilla Firefox Free

TOTAL 0.0 Birr

Table 1.4 Software Requirement Cost

C. Professional Cost

No Requirement Price Per Unit

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 1 Project Manager 10,000.00

2 Programmers 20,000.00

3 Software Architecture 15,000.00

4 Developer 13,000.00

5 Database Administrator 12,000.00

6 System Analyst 10,000.00

TOTAL 80,000.00Birr

Table 1.5 Software Requirement Cost

1.10.3 Project Schedule

In the section we will try to assess the activities involved in constructing the system will be
completed in time and weather them being done will actually solve the problem as intended.
The project team members expect the project to be completed on time without any delay.

Schedule Table

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 Table 1.6 schedule table

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CHAPTER TWO

2. Existing System

2.1 Overview of the current system

South East Region sourcing and Facility department facilitates all transportation activities
and resources for the departments of the regions. This department manages all vehicle
requests from departments and assigns the vehicles based on the requests order for six-month
period of time using manual system.

Current Manual transport system takes more effort and physical space to keep track of paper
documents, to find information and to keep secure. When mistakes are made or changes or
corrections are needed, often a manual transaction must be completely redone rather than just
updated. If the department faces another task queries can be difficult to respond information
is stored in different places and may even require that you find the right person before being
able to respond.

Another impact of manual system for the sourcing and Facility department is the request from
other departments can be difficult to respond to as information is stored in different place and
may even require that you find the right person before being able to respond. Though, it has a
weakness, such as being too slow to request and assign vehicles. Also creating reports of
vehicles usage is time consuming.

The only strength of the current manual system is that it operates regardless of power outage
or network availability since it is done all manually.

2.2 Major function of existing system

The major functions of the existing manual system are managing and scheduling vehicles
based on requests from departments by arranging for six-month period of time using manual
system. Sourcing and Facility department manages all vehicle requests from departments and
assigns the vehicles based on the requests order for six-month period of time using manual
system. Sourcing and Facility Administrator filling status of vehicle information, collect
report and request from different department by using email, paper and telephone then
arranging vehicle.

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Department managers are request the vehicle form the sourcing and facility departments,
assign to own department’s coordinator and collect report from coordinator by using email.

The department coordinators are request the vehicle form the Department managers and
assign to own section and collect report from supervisor by using email and telephone.
The Supervisors request the vehicle form the Department coordinators and assign to own
staff and collect report from staff by using telephone. In addition to this to give travel
authorization for drivers and also drivers request maintenance and fuel from the sourcing and
facility departments.

2.3 Players and use-case of existing system

We have been selecting the players represents in our system, anything or anyone that
participate in the SER vehicle management system. In the existing system, there are different
players namely:
A. Staff
 Request and report vehicle to use.
B. Driver
 Received the travel authorization and request maintenance and fuel.
C. Supervisor
 Request new vehicle.
 Assign vehicle.
 Received and sent report.
D. Manager
 Request new vehicle.
 Assign vehicle.
 Received report.
E. coordinator
 Distributes vehicle to section supervisor.
 Request new vehicle.
 Received and sent report.
F. Fleet admin (Sourcing and Facility)
 Distributes vehicle to departments.
 Received report.

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2.4 Essential use-case diagram
Essential use case diagram is a simplified abstract generalized use case that captures the
intentions of the user in a technology and implementation independent manner. It identifies
the use case and actors of the existing system.
Elements of essential use case:
 Boundary
 Actor
 Use case
 Association

Boundary: system boundary can be a computer system, organization boundary, or

department boundary. The system functions and actor may change depending on the system
boundary location.
Actors: an external entity (person or machine) that interacts with or the system. An actor is a
person, organization, or external system that plays a role in one or more interactions with
your system.
Use cases: a use case describes a sequence of actions that provides something of measurable
value to an actor and is drawn as a horizontal ellipse.

Associations-Associations between actors and use cases are indicated in use case diagrams
by solid lines. An association exists whenever an actor is involved with an interaction
described by a use case. Associations are modeled as lines connecting use cases and actors to
one another, with an optional arrowhead on one end of the line. The arrowhead is often used
to indicating the direction of the initial invocation of the relationship or to indicate the
primary actor within the use case.

system process consisting of 4 subsystems: -

 Vehicle request.
 Vehicle assign.
 Schedule management.
 Report generation.

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 Request
vehicle

Staff Supervisor

Assign
vehicle

Fleet admin Manager

Generate report

Coordinator
Manage/view Driver
vehicles

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2.5 Problem of existing system

All tasks, which are worked in SER ethio telecom vehicle management system is, performed
fully non-automated system. All vehicle information is recorded by paper. The transport
department team has no modern database management system. So this leads to the following
problems:

I. Performance
 During employee communicate.
 Delay to produce different report.
 Take much time to find vehicle information.
 Registration of vehicle is inaccurate and inconsistency.
 Data is repeatedly stored in different file.
 Data is not secure due to store in hard copy.
 Data is not arranged.

II. Efficiency
 Need more paper and pen.
 Require more material, which used for print.
 Need more time
 Need number of Manpower

2.6 Business rule of the existing system

The business rule of the existing system is defined by the access level of the user who works
on it in different sectors of Manual system.

Business rules of the existing system are as follows.

 Sourcing and facility department assigned vehicle.
 Managers should request and assign available vehicles.
 Supervisors should accept vehicle requests and respond accordingly
 Staff members can request vehicles from supervisors and report upon
completion of task.
 Drivers received travel authorization and request fuel and maintenance.

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 2.7 Some forms and documents used in the existing system

South East Region Adama fleet and Facilities Department used different forms such as
Vehicle Requisition form, Vehicle Assignment form, Car Get pass form, etc.

I. VEHICLE REQUISITION FORM

VEHICLE REQUISITION FORM

Ref. No Date[DD,MM,YY]
To _____________________________
From _____________________________

1. Type of transport Service needed________________________________________________________

2. Number of employees /weight of freight to be transported ____________________________________
3. Place of departure ____________________________________________________________________
4. Place of arrival _____________________________________________________________________
5. Specific date/time needed _______________ From______ To_________ Total time_______________

Requested by Approved by
Name
Signature
Date [DD, MM, YY]

Contact phone
 Any requester should usethe assigned car& time properly, if any discrepancy happen we are not responsible for lose.

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 II. VEHICLE ASSIGNMENT FORM

VEHICLE ASSIGNMENT FORM

Work order NO. Date:

To: _____________________________ Phone _____________________

Plate number & date/time permitted 4- ( ___________ to __________ )

Driver name & phone

Place of origin

Place of Destination

Number of people /weight of freight to be transported

Route

KM out _____________________________ KM in_____________________________

Time out________________________________ Time in__________ Signature.________________

Dispatcher Name: ________________________________________________________________

Signature: ______________________________Date: _____________________

 ይህቅፅከሥራመልስወዲያውኑለስምሪትክፍልተመላሽመደረግአለበት !!

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