Chapter 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM

2.1. Introduction of Existing System

The existing system of class scheduling system is a manual system. It uses different stages and it
goes through different processes. Scheduling the class is done by the department. The
department will assign group of peoples from its staff members, making them responsible for the
generation of the schedule.

Know let us see how the responsible bodies(scheduler) prepare Scheduling; the scheduler collect
all course information includes name of course with its course code and ECTS (total credit hour)
from each batch and obtain the number of class rooms available in each building from the data
collected and registered in the manual. He/she collect name of assigned lecturers for a given
course for each batch and section.

After finishing collecting the above resources the scheduler start to prepare schedule by writing
it in Microsoft word, then the scheduler prepare a table in Microsoft access for each batch(year)
and sections, the table have educational time (2:20-6:20 and 7:30-11:30), educational days
(Monday – Friday), instructor(which deliver the course) and Venue (Room). then Scheduler
creates a schedule by drag from list of courses and drop in to tables for the section that he
already created, when he finished this, the schedule distribute for each batch and section by
posting in announcement boards.

As we see the task is processing by the Microsoft word and access, even they are not using the
whole futures of Microsoft access the scheduler use the access for tabling purpose not for
automatically generating schedule or for using algorithms to generate schedules, So this project
emphasis to more computerize the existing system of Bohoo University classroom Scheduling
system.

2.1.1 Players in the existing system

Players (Actors) in the existing system of Boohoo University classroom scheduling system are:-

 Department: Responsible to assign scheduler from the staff members for preparing the
schedule. The department is also responsible to assign lecturers for the semester’s
courses.
 Scheduler: Responsible for collecting resources (student (year and section), course
information, instructor and room) from department and preparing schedule based on
collected information.
  Instructor: Responsible for teaching the course for the students based on the schedule
given. And also responsible to select a course they teach for the semester. If they didn’t
select a course, the department head will select one for them.
 Students: Receives the schedule information and act accordingly. And they are
responsible for learning the courses.

2.1.2 Major functions/activities in the existing system

In the existing system functions the scheduler collects necessary information from the
department to making class schedule, and then generates a schedule using those resources as an
input. Since the existing system is manual (paper based) the scheduler prepare the schedule
manually by using their own method, because of absence of permanent method it consumes lot
of time to prepare (process) the schedule.

After finishing the process of scheduling, the scheduler may not be sure whether the schedule is
correct or there is clash of classroom, instructor and time, because the existing system is manual
that means there is no a mechanism to see schedule conflicts at the time of preparing the
schedule.so the output of the existing system is not always exact. The generated (manually
prepared) schedule will be posted to the announcement board or around department for the
students and others that needs the schedule.

2.1.3 Business rules

It is a principle or a policy in which the proposed system operates accordingly. It deals with
access control issues. Is the guideline or rule that the system uses to achieve its objective. The
following are rules that govern the system to complete each task.

BR1: Authorize to the System: Users must have a valid user name and password for their
respective privilege, the Users Name should be unique and each users should enter their user
name & password to get access to the system

BR2: the user uses the system properly.

BR3: only the system admin can create, delete and give password to the users account.

BR4: Correct Information: the department head must submit any information correctly.

BR5: Uniqueness: A student (year and section), Instructor, Room, Faculty and Department must
have unique ID.

BR6: The schedule always prepared before the beginning of each semester.

BR7: Each course should have a unique course code

 BR8: The Administrator should administer the system and give accesses (views) to those system
users by creating account as per their priority to the system and update their password.

2.1.4 Report generating in the existing system

The function of existing system is to announce for students and instructors of Boohoo
University to view the tentative class schedule for each year and section students. Therefore
there is a report to be generated.

2.1.5 Bottlenecks of the existing system

Since the existing system is paper based (manual) it may have some drawbacks for the users.

The drawbacks of the existing systems are the following:-

 Performance (Response Time): The system doesn’t have a quick response time for a
single request made by customer since most activities are manual.
 Input: In the existing system data was obtained from each department by paper report.
 Security and Access control: the system does not have any access control mechanism to
protect the data from accessing by any individual and no data security mechanism to
protect the stored data.
 Efficiency: Since the existing system is manual it didn’t provide efficient data.when the
system generates a report most of the time it does not generate correct result.

2.2 Proposed solution for the new system

There are three methods of software developments. These are web based, networked, and
desktop applications. From this we select web based (Online) software development methods,
because these new system is used for BU classroom scheduling, So in order to facilitate the
insertion and retrieval of information, in addition to this the ability to be accessed at anytime
from anywhere we select this Web based (Online) software development method, by developing
easy and attractive Graphical user interface the users can easily understand and used the system.

We proposed that the new system should be automatic (computerized). Converting the manual
system to be automatic makes the system to function better than the old one. Even if it has
similar functionality and scope, new system is better to reduce the drawbacks of the existing
system because new system is automatic. When converting the system from manual to
automatic, we will consider using database, server and network connections. We are proposing to
develop a website application that runs on a server and uses the database to manipulate data.
Network connection is vital in the new system and nothing will be available without it. We will
use the network to connect the department and scheduling staff so that the information pass
between them is in real time. We are using the connection so that the information that is
distributed will be reliable and on time for the user. To avoid loss of any information our
proposed system provide Backup mechanism, the administrator of the system can take a backup
of the systems database. Since our system is automatic it avoid conflict of schedule and notify
for scheduler if clash of schedule at the time of preparing schedule. In addition to this our system
will show the overall activities that are done in the system to the Admin by using History Log
function. The above mentioned points are the solutions for the problems of the existing manual
system that describe under the problem statement.

2.3 Feasibility Analysis

Feasibility study is an assessment of the practicality of a proposed project. It provides the
historical background of the project and description of the product or services successfully. It
includes some areas of study which are described below.

2.3.1 Operational feasibility

Our proposed system is operationally feasible to operate what to do and provide the necessary
operations for what it is proposed. Measure how much the proposed system solves the existing
system problems. It solves the identified problems and is advantageous for users to get better use
of functionality. The new system operationally feasible because it produce automate scheduling
system for the university, Make the system easy to use for the users because is it fast processing
and produce schedule with in short period of time. Techniques it makes operable computerized
system it makes automatically.

2.3.2 Technical feasibility

Technical feasibility is the measure of the practicality of a specific technical solution and the
availability of technical resources. In technical feasibility we should notify that our new system
can implement with current technology .This system has been developed using PHP as front end
and MYSQL as back end. A project possible to use many front and back end, but we selected
PHP and MYSQL because we are familiar with them and easy to use. So our project will be
developed by applying this current technology it gives technically feasible.

2.3.3Economic feasibility
The purpose of the economic feasibility assessment is to determine the positive economic
benefits to the organization that the proposed system will provide. Economically our system that
we are going to develop is useful in minimizing the cost of the scheduling papers and other
wastages (because it is automated system) and reducing time wastage since the user select their
department and course year section and can see their schedule without searching the dashboard
that manual schedule is present. So the proposed system has advantages in getting the right
schedule without wastage of time and cost. Since it is automatic class scheduling system so it
reduce paper cost for preparing schedule manually, reduce time
Wastage because preparing schedule by manual existing system is difficult, it consumes more
time.it also reduces scheduling staff man power that was prepared by somebody by replacing
computer based. Economic feasibility addresses the following things:-

Tangible cost benefits: Tangibles are items which can be quantified in monetary terms and with
certainty. Examples: equipment costs (paper and other stationary materials), man power. Those
benefits that are easily quantified from our system that inquire the university will get are:

 Decrease response time(time to prepare schedule)

 Increased service
 Reduced expenses

Intangible cost benefits: those benefits that are believed to be difficult or impossible to quantify.
From our system the following are intangible benefits:

 Improved employee and user moral

 Better services to for university community

As we have stated in the above, implementing the new system will be feasible and create a good
working environment to the university. Because of this, we are interested and initiated to do this
system.

2.3.4 Political feasibility

The system to be developed is not conflict with any government rules and regulations, because it
gives services for the students, instructors as well as for our campus departments effectively and
efficiently. Any students and instructors and also other campus communities can use it without
any interfere and proposed system have no negative impact on others. Therefore, the system is
politically feasible.

2.3.5 Schedule feasibility

This project is expected to be completed in two semesters of 2012 academic year. Some parts of
the project component to be completed in the first semester are up to design and the rest of
activities such as implementation, testing and maintenance would complete in the second
semester including other minor activities.

2.3.6 Legal Feasibility

The project team members built the system without violating rules and regulations of the
governments as well as the organization. The system being built is for the sake of productivity of
the organization, so that the project is legally feasible. Legal feasibility determines whether the
proposed system conflicts with the legal requirement or not. A project may face legal issues after
completion if this factor is not considered at the first stage.
2.4 Requirements of the Proposed System

2.4.1. Functional requirements

The Functional Requirement Specification describes what the system should do; how the system
does. It is described in the Design Specification. Functional requirements which are observable
tasks or processes that should be performed by the system. For example, functional requirements
of our system should be usable and more accessible for a user’s in the Bohoo University. These
groups of requirement depend on functionality that the system should support for the user. The
functional requirements that will be provided by the new system include the following activities:

1. Generate schedule: - Our proposed system should allow for scheduler to generate the class
schedule for the class batch of the departments.

2. Update schedule: - Should be able to update the schedule for already prepared schedule.

3. View schedule: - Our proposed system should display the schedule for users.

4. Manage account: - checks the username and password of the administrator, scheduler or user
(department head) to enter (login).

5. Manage all data: - the system allow for the department head to record, delete and update all
information that are essential for generating schedule. Student year and section, classroom,
course, instructor such data are stored or managed by department head.

6. The System will show the overall activities that are done in the system to the Admin by using
History Log function.

7. The system provides all required information (course, instructor, student (year and section),
semester, time (start and end) and academic year) for scheduler when he/she prepares the
schedule.

2.4.2. Non- functional requirements

Non-functional requirements describe user-visible aspects of the system that are not directly
related with the functional behavior of the system. These requirements do not directly affect the
performance of the system but are nevertheless important. They are concerned with security,
performance, usability, maintainability, reliability, modifiability, efficiency, portability,
testability, understandability.
Non-functional requirements in our system include the following: -

1. System modification: the system can be modified when the authorized body needed to
modification. The system is designed with the approach of object oriented so it is not static it can
modify simply.

2. Maintainability: the system that we are developing should be easy to maintain. The system
we are developing is easy to add new feature. Our system support maintainable and changes can
be made easily. These changes may be necessary for the correction of faults, adaptation of the
system to a meet a new requirement, adding of new functionality, developer can modify and
maintain at any time effectively. The system will develop using modularity principle, so it is
very easy to maintain.

3. Response time: the new automated system will have a great response time than the manual
system. Response time is the total amount of time it takes to respond to a request for service. So
In our system, the service time is the time it takes to do the work you requested generally the
response time in our system is mostly short. Because it is automated so it process with in short
period of time automatically.

4. Security: the new automated system will ensure the security of access throughout the system.
It secures the entire user accounts and makes the selection process with high degree of security.
To secure the user account (username and password) we will use encryption technique to encrypt
the account.so our system will be secure.

5. Reliability: The data base will have used in this system is robust, reliable and safe. So users
will have to wait for the output in a very short time.

6. Platform independent: This application can be accessed from any type of platform. This is
because the system is going to be implemented in HTML (Hyper Text mark-up language) PHP
which fully support any platform.

7. Availability: The database used is available in any time. This because it is web based
automatic system any one access any time any were.

8. Memory efficiency: There is no case redundancy in the database so it will not take extra
memory space. System that we are gaining to develop have database that stores data without
redundancy of data because it can’t accept redundancy data. So it is memory efficiency.

2.5 Hardware and Software Requirements

2.5.1 Hardware Interface
2.5.2 Software Interface

2.5.3 Security and Access Permission Control Plan

Security and Access Permissions: - The system provides or contains user name and password
for each users based on their privilege. This performs the following activity: -

 Authenticated user with predefined access right will only enter to the information related
to database.
 Every users should use strong passwords especially admin.
 User must enter valid user name and password to login to system. Without this, access to
the system is denied.
 System allows only registered users to access scheduling system and also allows the users’
to view their own profile not the other users’ profile.

2.6 Cost Budgeting

In order to achieve our goal, we planned costs for the tasks which will be performed for the
future until the end of the project documentation. Cost/benefit analysis identifies the total costs
for completing the given task or project.

Descriptions Measurement unit Quantity Price per Unit Total price in birr

Desktop computer Number 2 6000 12,000

A4 sized paper Pack 1 80 80

Printing Page 100 2 200

Mobile card Card 5 50 250

Pen Number 5 5 25

Windows OS Number 1 3500 3500

Microsoft word Number 1 3000 3000

Dreamweaver Number 1 990 990

Contingency (10%) 2000

Total 22,045