Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Help desk is a general term associated with the concept of having a single

point of entry provided by an organization that is tasked to provide assistance

and handle client concerns. In principle, the help desk is the communications

channel and knowledgebase hub of an organization to its clients. Help desks are

growing in importance as more organizations must provide technical support for

their clients. The primary task is being the first level or line of contact that

responds instantaneously to its clients both internal and external. A help desk

staff, operator or agent controls the service experience, resolution and level of

client satisfaction of a given situation with the goal to help and accomplish client

satisfaction, productivity, retention, relations, guidance and lift organizational

image.

Researchers Masongsong and Damian (2016) noted that a help desk

system can be regarded as an information and support asset of an organization

or business enterprise whereby the main function is to reply and address user

request and concern in a timely manner. It is in this view that a help desk

systems is an important service provided by any organization where problems,

issues and requests are reported, managed, coordinated and resolved to the

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delight of its client.

Most organizations need a help desk of some degree. The scale and

characteristics of a help desk system is usually determined by measuring the

level of client service demands and organizational capacity and capability. In the

Information Technology (IT) arena aspect of the organization, help desks are

becoming the one answer to client IT concerns. Help desks can be synchronous

where the client has “real time” communication with a help desk system operator

and the asynchronous type wherein the client is the one looking for the solution

without seeking assistance from the help desk operator.

Most IT organizations both in government and business sector these days

adopt a web based help desk system to take the advantages of Internet

innovation as it can address both synchronous and asynchronous method of IT

technical support.

Moreover, adopting a web based help desk system can address the

increase in organizational IT support request capacity, capability, streamline

support request and provided strategic management tools for management

decision making in the form of reports as compared to the traditional phone call

or stand-alone system it provides.

In today’s Internet-driven high technology business environment, a web

based help desk system is becoming almost a necessity for any service-driven

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organization. It is the interface that works as a point of contact for client

interaction in place of face-to-face or phone call support where it can provide

technical support connection on a 24/7 basis. A web based help desk system is

more advantageous and available from practically anywhere so long as there is

Internet access.

As more organizations have access to the Internet including their

respective clients, a web based help desk system is a more viable and cost

effective choice to select than the traditional way of providing technical support.

The end goal of help desk system is to allow the organization to focus

more and track the issues that clients experience. The primary function of which

is to report the issue quickly and provide solution to employee problems in using

organizational resources and facilities (Hafifi & Ariza, 2012).

Additionally, the essential goal of customer service is to give better

general support of the client when they contact customer service, either through

email, or a telephone call. We need to guarantee that the client is contented with

the first support call they get combined with a solid and timely solution.

Preferably, help desk systems must be proactive and ready to determine issues

before it comes to the attention of the client.

Background of the Study

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 The Philippine National Police Information Technology Service (PNP-

ITMS) was established as a National Support Unit to provide the best service

responsive to and meeting the Information Technology requirements of both

operational and administrative units of the PNP.

The PNP-ITMS is responsible for the efficient Information Technology (IT)

utilization in the PNP, the development and provision of the PNP data resource

both computerized and non-computerized, computer and network infrastructure,

information systems development services, and the design and or the

improvement of PNP processes with the end-view of effectively responding to the

requirements of the PNP, and in harmony with the strategic plan of the PNP.

The PNP Help Desk Project was created at the PNP-ITMS to cater to the

increasing need of computer operation within the national headquarters of the

PNP situated inside Camp General Rafael Crame to have an immediate solution

to seemingly minor problems in their computers and peripheral devices. The help

desk was launched in December, 2013 and its existence and availability was

disseminated to all PNP units within Camp Crame. The number of callers

seeking assistance to solve minor computer operation problems has increased

since then. As disseminated, the PNP-ITMS 24/7 Help Desk provides technical

call support assistance to IT queries and/or request from PNP personnel who are

based inside Camp Crame, Quezon City. It gives the caller step–by–step

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instructions on how to address common problems in computer operation. If the

reported problem cannot be immediately resolved, then the concern is forwarded

to the computer technicians of PNP-ITMS for a more in-depth assessment of the

problem and physical inspection of the defective hardware, if necessary.

The PNP help desk program continues to increase in volume of IT

technical support services and begins to expand to serve the ever growing

demand from other PNP offices outside Camp Crame including Police Regional

Offices.

Project Objectives

The objectives of this project study are classified into two parts first to

identify and address the existing problems associated with the use of the existing

system that will receive all modes of contact and request for a help desk system;

and to develop a better system that meets the International Organization for

Standardization (ISO) 9126 requirement which is the software quality

characteristic.

This project is then developed to achieve the following objectives:

1. Identify and address the problems associated with the use of the

existing system;

2. Develop a proposed system that can centralize the recording and

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 efficiently track and monitor all IT support requests;

3. Develop a proposed system that can provide both synchronous and

asynchronous mode of IT technical support;

4. Develop a proposed system capable of receiving all modes of contact

(web submission, phone call, email and walk-in) and all modes of

request (service request, request for change and incidents and

problems) and

5. Ensure the proposed system observes the International

Standardization Organization (ISO) 9126 software quality

characteristics.

Significance of the Study

The following are the target beneficiaries of this project:

1. Network Management Division which will have the ability to

effectively manage the tracking of service requests and scale in

capacity and capability the day-to-day operations of the current Help

Desk being under the Division’s operational supervision;

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 2. Help Desk Supervisors and Staff which will have a better tool to

effectively and efficiently perform their IT technical support services on

a 24/7 basis to the delight of its customers;

3. PNP Offices also here to referred as the requestor or customer will

greatly benefit from this study who is the primary beneficiary of this

study being the clients and

4. Management will also benefit from this study as this will provide

information that will aid in the strategic review and analysis of IT

technical support services being provided and assist in achieving the

mission of the PNP-ITMS.

For Further Research. This study could serve as a reference material

that would give additional insights in developing better web-based help desk

systems.

Finally the study is also significant as it will enable the PNP to have a tool

to meet the needs of the PNP computer end users enabling the PNP to meet

their tactical, operational and strategic goals in the utilization of Information

Technology in support to the mission and vision of the PNP.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

This project study is delimited to the internal environments of the case

study organization PNP-ITMS. The focus is on the current IT help desk system

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being utilized and its work process, the handling IT requests such as the

receiving, organizing, tracking and management of IT technical support requests.

Participants in this study shall be limited to PNP-ITMS personnel including

those detailed in other PNP offices inside Camp Crame and those assigned in

the operations of the Help desk system at PNP-ITMS.

Furthermore, the proponent shall determine whether the proposed system

is able to address the issues with the use of the current system.

Finally, the proponent in the course of evaluating the software quality

characteristics of the proposed system shall adopt ISO 9126 software quality

criteria of functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability and

portability as the criteria being applicable in this type of project study.

In Wikipedia, the goal of the ISO 9126 standard is to address common

human inclinations that can influence the conveyance and view of a software

development project. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO/IEC_9126.

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 Chapter 2

RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter shows the related literatures and studies, the conceptual

model of the study, and the definition of terms used in this study.

Related Literature

The literature presented in this study gave insight to the proponent on how

to go about this project study.

Local Literature

The De La Salle University (DLSU) ITC Help desk website (n.d.) continues

to evolve as it provides more services to the University staff and students. The

web based system is part of the University website that provides online

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information and troubleshooting assistance to all DLSU IT resource users such

as student, faculty and staff. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from

http://helpdesk.dlsu.edu.ph/. The DLSU ITC Help Desk web based system is the

point of contact for DLSU users that require immediate technical support on a

number of IT related issues or concerns through a wide range of support services

such as:

● Offer Internet services such as e-mail, remote access, hosting of web

pages, etc.;

● Disseminate technical advisory on IT issues such as password recovery,

faults in software and hardware, computer viruses, operating system

trouble shooting etc.;

● Delivery and installation of licensed software for use;

● Troubleshooting of hardware and their upgrade including software

updates;

● Provide consultancy service on matters pertaining to IT infrastructure

specifications in line with procurement needs of the different DLSU offices;

● Continuous tracing of problems associated with network access;

● Maintenance and administration of the DLSU Help Desk web site and the

solutions database and

● Referrals to outside technical IT specialists that cannot be addressed by

the help desk staff.

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 In the business website of Amadeus (n.d.), the leader in IT solutions

provider to international tourism clients and travel industry in the Philippines cited

the significance of web a based help desk system in providing their customer an

online support specifically for travel agencies in the Philippines which keep them

in track of their customers travel concerns utilizing a secure 24/7 access

guaranteeing support assistance and problem resolution, the Amadeus e-

Support Centre helps Travel Agencies get more value and benefit out of the

Amadeus reservation systems. Retrieved from

http://www.amadeus.com/web/amadeus/en_PH-PH/Amadeus-Home/About-us/

Amadeus-Help-Desk-Services/1319548946915-Page-AMAD_DetailPpal?

lm=false

The Help Desk Service of Amadeus is committed to support to its clientele

on a 24/7such as:

● First level help desk support;

● Highly qualified support professionals;

● Quick and effective problem resolution;

● First Contact Resolution - 80% of problems resolved on first call

( Reservations & Ticketing Functionality related) and

● Customized service to different type of accounts.

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 In another business website of Customer Support Philippines (n.d.) where

it utilizes a web based help desk management system to provide services to

corporate business and small to medium enterprises engaged in consumer

electronics, technology and manufacturing businesses in the Philippines and

globally. Retrieved from http://www.customersupportphilippines.com/about-us/.

In the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services website (n.d.), the

PITON Company in their website utilizes a help desk management system to

service their local and international clients to address their customer technical

issues and be resolved immediately. The help desk system is crucial to PITON

in maintaining high customer satisfaction and retention levels. Retrieved from

http://www.piton-global.com/services/tech-support-help-desk.html.

Foreign Literature

In an article published in slideshare.com entitled “Help Desk or Service Desk”

connotes that a help desk is a centralized point of contact and resource where end

users can get assistance and support with IT matters.

In Wikipedia (n.d.) then again, a web help desk is portrayed as an online,

help work area utilized for following tracking support requests for the enterprise.

While principally utilized by Information Technology offices, the system is used in

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other situations, for example, in offices administration, personnel department,

and so forth. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help_desk.

Additionally, Wikipedia cited that a help desk system is considered an

asset of an organization that provide its customer with information identified with

an organization's products and services. Usually, a help desk system is

employed to examine the issues or give direction on the products, such as,

desktop computers, hardware or software usage. Companies employ help desk

system through diverse channels like call center, websites, instant messaging or

email. There are likewise in-house help desk intended to assist company

employees. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help_desk.

While the term "Help desk" refer mainly as the venue for company

employees to receive technical assistance relating to their organization's

utilization of IT facilities. Likewise, Help desk expanded in its definition and use.

Foremost academic institutions term the help desk to mean a service provided by

the institution in its academic library. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help_desk.

Brandon, J. (2012, February 1) in his Computerworld.com website article,

mentioned that Jarod Greene, a leading Gartner ITSM analyst stated that most

corporate help desks system are obsolete. Organizations are said to be glued in

tools that only report on the number of calls but do not have an idea about what

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he calls "feedback loops", which means the recurring problems within an

organization. This is said to be a critical issue due to the over 50% of the

perceived value of an IT organization comes from the help desk. Retrieved from

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2500484/enterprise-applications/the-new-

help-desk--agile--educational--efficient.html.

In the business website of SupportIndustry.com (n.d.), mentioned that a

customer support information website cited the advantages of web-based help

desk in reducing costs by directing the service and support delivery to its

customer to less costly methods such as web submission, email, self-service

help sites and collaborative channels like instant messaging. Retrieved from

http://supportindustry.com/.

Additionally, web based help desk system includes a knowledge base

feature incorporated into the help desk system. The purpose of having a

knowledge base in a help desk system is to consolidate and present information

that assists customers or users regarding issues, concerns, questions or

problems and provide the necessary solution in a form of an article. A knowledge

base is usually a repository of answers to frequently asked questions. It can also

contain troubleshooting details, how-to information and user guides. Instead of

submitting the same query by the user over and over again, the user can search

the online knowledge base of solutions thereby saving time and freeing help desk

operators to address other non-resolved concerns by other customers.

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Related Studies

Unpublished articles and published journals are found in this part of the

study. These contribute to the development of the proposed system. The

proponent also visited local websites as reference for the formulation of the

proposed study.

Local Studies

The proponent visited websites in the Philippines offering online IT help

desk services to its clients as reference for the development of the proposed

study.

Figure 1: De La Salle University (DLSU) Manila, ITS Help Desk website

The mission of the De La Salle University Information and Technology

Service (ITS) Help Desk website is to give their clients a central point of contact

where they can help them with arrangements on their questions on Internet or

network issues, procedural matters, and other IT concerns. It is also their

15
responsibility to ensure that their client’s welfare is a priority. Retrieved February

15, 2016, from http://helpdesk.dlsu.edu.ph/.

They further described that the web based Help Desk system objectives

are to:

● Assure there is necessary amount of information for our users in our

website;

● Gather information from our users to find out where and how our team

may be of help;

● Evaluate the efficiency (relevance and accuracy of content) and

usefulness (grade of benefit to users) of each of our web site’s pages, and

eliminate those with low visit frequencies and

● Evaluate the help desk service level by determining the management’s

methods of performing services.

Figure 2: UP Diliman, Interactive Learning Center Help Desk website

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 The University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Interactive Learning Center

(DILC) help desk website is a support ticketing system that receives a support

ticket system that assigns a ticket number to a certain support request. If a user

has already submitted a ticket, the user may use the number generated by the

Help desk system to track the status of their request. A valid email address is

required to submit a ticket in the UP DILC Help Desk System. Retrieved March

11, 2016, from http://dilc.upd.edu.ph/#contact.

Researchers Masongsong and Damian (2016) in their project entitled

“Help Desk Management System”, stressed the importance of a help desk

management system as the main customer support center of any organization

that provides its clientele information, administrative and technical support with

the end view that is to resolve customer issues and concerns in the course of

utilizing the organizational resources and facilities.

Cosidon (2016) stressed the idea of information system has developed in

the mid-1960s. All the more frequently, when information system is

characterized, the field of Information Science is constantly related, is a

scholastic field that deals with the era, accumulation, association, stockpiling,

recovery, and dispersal of knowledge. Moreover, Information System is an

accumulation of related components intended to bolster operations,

administration, and decision making in an organization. For the most part, an

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Information System should inform individuals in order for them to make keen

choices based upon the data coming from solid information.

Foreign Studies

The role of a Help Desk System once developed is to assist an

organization efficiently track, communicate, organize and report issues. By

utilizing a web based Help Desk System, the organization can have access to

information virtually anywhere at any given in time using Internet technology

(Izzat, 2012).

However, majority of companies still depend on a traditional help desk

system. This outmoded system allow users to accomplish a paper based form to

report their problem. In addition, some help desk providers allow users to log

their report through phone call or by sending an e-mail to the help desk center.

After a problem has been reported and evaluated, the chief technician will

distribute the task to a technician manually. When the problem is solved, the

technician will prepare an after activity report and keep a file for future

reference in case the problem is reported again. If the client did not make

any complaint after the problem has been solved, the help desk center will

assume the problem has been settled and closed (Akinnuwesi, et.al., 2014).

Similarly, help desks can be a customer support center in an

organization that provides information, administrative and technical

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supports to users, with the mission to solve problems that users encounter

in the course of using the organization resources or facilities. A help desk

could comprise of one person or group of persons that make use of

telephone devices or software applications to keep track of a problem status and

thus provide solution that satisfy the users. Help desks could also be seen

as an information and assistance resource service that supports the

functionality of an organization by responding to users’ requests in a timely

manner.

Hence, a help desk is the central hub where problems, complaints and

requests are reported, managed, coordinated and resolved.

A help desk software on the other hand is a solution application that is

used for managing the organization’s help desk. It is accessible to the customer

support personnel who could direct a request to a servicing department or office

(Akinnuwesi, et.al, 2014).

Help desk is characterized by the following properties: a) Help desk fulfills

the support functions for its customer; b) The help desk customers are people

that use the support of a help desk; c) The subject of support are products and

services; d) Help desk serves as a central point of contact for question and

problem reports; e) Help desk are solution oriented and g) The decentralized

help desk where it can be distributed transparently over several locations from

the user's perspective (Kiong, Y.S., 2012).

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 IT support services, particularly the IT help desk service, is an apparent

aim for improving the customer satisfaction of an IT department (Jäntti, 2012b).

Therefore, IT departments which prioritize improvements for IT support services

will have emphasis on the effects of customer satisfaction (Iden & Eikebrokk,

2013).

The main function of a help desk service is to provide a single contact

point, please refer Figure 3.0 for users to report IT problems.

Figure 3: All Modes of Contact and Request for Help Desk System

The help desk procedure usually starts when a user contacts the IT help

desk, the first contact is always made to the first-line help desk staff. In cases

where the first-line support is unable to resolve the problem, it is then escalated

to specialized IT staff, the second or third-line IT technicians depending of in the

level of technical support required.

Furthermore, help desk systems must have only one point of contact that

gives users easy and accessible contact for all IT related issue, problems and

ensures that confusion about who to contact for and its resolution escalation

confusion is diminished (Cabinet Office, 2011b).

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 The IT help desk service then is a very crucial interface between the IT

department and the business or organization (Cabinet Office, 2011b).

There are three (3) types of requests that are usually submitted to an IT

help desk; service requests, requests for change (RFC), incidents and problems

(Figure 3). A service request is a request for a standardized service, for example

a new screen, change of a password or a request to open an account in an IT

system. An RFC is a request for change according to the current state. For

example improvement suggestions or a new function in the business system

(Cabinet Office, 2011b).

Synthesis

The reviewed articles and materials contributed to the development of the

proposed software, and can be related to the present study in terms of the

following:

1. Both the reviewed materials and the present study agree that the

implementation of web-based help desk systems can perform tasks

easier and more accurate than the present system utilized by PNP-

ITMS.

2. According to the both materials, many firms are taking advantage of

the web-based technologies to give customers direct access to their

customer support knowledgebase. As such, PNP-ITMS should move

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 forward by converting their stand-alone systems to web-based in order

to take advantage of web technologies to improve efficiency.

3. In view of the reviewed materials, the web environment allows

consumers to recover from their mistakes and overcome some

difficulties associated with traditional media. The utilization of web-

based technology in upgrading the present help desk system will

enhance problems of accessibility, bottlenecks, interaction and

identification. It is clear that web-based technology systems are

becoming important nowadays than traditional desktop systems.

Hence, the related literature and studies have significant relationship with

the present study in the sense that both are discussing about the importance of

having a single point of contact in any help desk system and the benefits of

having a web based Help desk system as compared to the existing system

currently being utilized by PNP-ITMS in their IT technical support service.

Conceptual Framework of the Study

Conceptual framework used by the proponent as a visualization of how

the existing and the proposed system works. In order to provide readers a visual

understanding of the existing and the proposed system, the proponent provided a

diagram to illustrate the existing (See Appendix B) and proposed system used in

this project.

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 Figure 4: Conceptual Framework Proposed Web-Based System

Definition of Terms

For better understanding, the following terms were defined as how they

are used in the study.

Asynchronous Help desk is wherein the client is the one looking for the

solution without seeking assistance from the help desk operator.

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for

describing the presentation of a document written in a markup language.

Cause and Effect Diagram. Often called a “fishbone” diagram, aid in

brainstorming to identify possible causes of a problem and in organizing ideas

into useful categories.

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 Email is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one

or more recipients. Email operates across the Internet or other computer

networks.

Help Desk is a customer support center in an organization that provides

information, administrative and technical supports to users, with the view to

solving problems that users encounter in the course of using the organization

resources or facilities. For the purpose of this study, the Help Desk is the

technical support provided by PNP-ITMS to PNP offices in relation to IT concerns

only.

Hyperlinks is a reference to data that the reader can directly follow either

by clicking or by hovering. A hyperlink points to a whole document or to a specific

element within a document. Hypertext is text with hyperlinks enable users to

easily navigate their browsers to related resources.

ISO 9126 Software engineering product quality was an international

standard for the evaluation of software quality.

IT Service Management (ITSM) refers to the entirety of activities. It is

directed by organized and structured policies in processes and the procedures

performed by an organization in order to plan, design, deliver, operate and

control IT services that is offered to customers.

Knowledgebase (KB) is designed to organize and present your most

common customer questions or problems and an explanation of how to solve

24
them. A knowledge base usually stores troubleshooting information, how-to

articles, user manuals, and answers to frequently asked questions.

LAMP is an archetypal model of web service solution stacks, named as an

acronym of the names of its original four open-source components: the Linux

operating system, the Apache HTTP Server, the MySQL relational database

management system (RDBMS), and the PHP programming language.

MySQL is an open-source Relational Database Management System

(RDBMS).

PHP is a server-side scripting language designed for web development

but also used as a general-purpose programming language.

Software Framework is a universal, reusable software environment that

provides particular functionality as part of a larger software platform to facilitate

development of software applications, products and solutions.

Synchronous Help desk is wherein the client has real time

communication with a help desk operator.

URL refers to an information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource

Identifier (URI/URL) and may be a web page, image, video or other piece of

content.

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 Web-based Application refers to software program or information system

that is accessed over a network using HTTP protocol using a web browser tool.

Web Framework is a product system that is intended to bolster the

advancement of web applications including web administrations, web assets and

web APIs.

Web Browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and

traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) extends a private network of an

organization geographically across a public network, like the Internet. VPN

enables its users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if

they were privately networked within the organizational network.

XAMPP a free and open source cross-platform web server.

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 Chapter 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the methods and data gathering tools in order to

complete the study. The chapter also explains how the proposed web based

system is completed.

Research Design

The proponent adopted the descriptive method of research in this project.

The descriptive method is a fact-finding study that encompasses sufficient and

precise interpretation of data and their findings. The proponent utilized this

method to describe the present state or condition of the existing system as it is

used in the current IT help desk service of PNP-ITMS. The technique that was

utilized by the proponent under this method is the questionnaire and interview

technique that will explore the opinions of the respondents that represent the

whole population. The purpose of the proponent for selecting the descriptive

method is to describe the nature of a current state of condition of the existing

system during the time of the study and to identify the cause or causes of a

particular condition to happen. The proponent has chosen this kind of research

method considering the desire to acquire first-hand account and data from the

27
respondents in order to come up with a rational and comprehensive conclusions

and recommendations in the project study being conducted.

The proponent utilized both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in

the research study. The quantitative approach concentrated on getting numerical

discoveries using the survey instrument while interview and observation forms

part of the qualitative approach. The qualitative approach concentrated on

personal experiences, insights, observation and description of the respondents

involved in the study. This study adopted both approaches in order to address

the limitations of both research approaches.

During the conduct of the study the proponent will utilize the Fishbone

Analysis Visual Diagraming tool to help the proponent of this project study

analyze and determine the problem, cause and effect of using the existing

system in order to propose a better system (Appendix A).

The flow of the project study began with the qualitative approach by first

gathering of related literatures and studies on help desk systems. After which,

the proponent gathered information from the target beneficiaries of the proposed

system in the form of interview and questionnaire supplemented by studying

documentations such as reports and log records including the actual observation

of the operation of the current help desk system. The information gathered were

analyzed and visualized using the cause and effect diagraming tool (Appendix

A). These research activities form part of the requirements gathering and

28
analysis for developing the initial proposed help desk system model utilizing the

software prototyping model (Figure 5). After the prototype is finalized and

accepted by the target users, the proponent then utilized the quantitative

approach by conducting a survey of the target participants afterward interpreted

the results in order to determine whether the proposed system was able achieve

the objectives of this study.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of this study are the PNP-ITMS help desk operators,

supervisors and action offices located at the National Headquarters (NHQ) of the

PNP at Camp General Rafael Crame, EDSA, Quezon City and selected PNP

offices being clients herein referred to as in this project study as “Requester”

which will also form the target sampling data population.

The proponent will utilize Ten percent (10%) each from the target

population of PNP-ITMS personnel (20 of 200) and PNP-ITMS personnel

detailed to the selected PNP offices (15 of 133) where a total of 35 respondents

as the sampling data.

Data Gathering Instruments and Techniques

Gathering of data is necessary in this project study. Through careful

investigation and data collection, the need for developing the proposed system

29
was determined. Data gathering is important for it provided ideas on how to

effectively, accurately, and successfully implement the proposed system. The

proponent used questionnaire and interview guide as data gathering instruments.

The proponent further observed on how the current system operates in order to

serve the needs in developing the proposed system. The proponent also

reviewed documents to determine the throughput of the current system in order

to develop a better system.

Questionnaire. The questionnaire is suitable in this project study because

it enables the proponent in the construction of generalizations. Contingent on the

method of circulation, it can be rapidly done and information examination can

begin immediately. Survey questionnaire maintains a strategic distance from bias

that can affect the soundness and reliability of the data collated. The proponent

utilized interview to answer specific questions targeted at understanding the

context of the existing system and its attendant issues and further employed

survey questionnaires to evaluate and analyze the responsiveness of the

proposed system and software quality (Appendix I).

Interview. Interviews with users of the existing help desk system were

conducted to provide further insight about the results of the survey questionnaire

and to examine the current state of condition of the existing system and to

identify the cause or causes of a particular condition to happen. The proponent of

30
this project study asked questions to the respondents and users of the existing

system to obtain information and explore issues (Appendix I).

Observation. Observation is very ideal for any type of project. It is quite

difficult to gather useful information by questioning only the respondents or users.

The proponent observed the existing system and the attendant processes in

order to understand the context of user activity and determine the possible cause

or causes of a problem.

Studying documentation. The proponent conducted research on past

historical data of the current system to understand its procedures and the

features of the existing system that will be utilized in the development of the

proposed system.

Preparation of Instruments

Data gathering is the most important part in conducting the study. The

data gathered from the respondents were used as the basis to evaluate the

existing system and on how the proposed system was developed and evaluated.

The proponent shall utilize the software quality standard criteria of ISO 9126

such as: functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability and

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portability and whether the proposed system addressed the problems associated

with the use of the existing system in the conduct of the survey.

Data Gathering Procedure

In order to successfully complete the project study, the proponent has to

distribute the survey questionnaire to the respondents. The proponent being part

of the subject of the study, sought the approval from the Director of the PNP-

ITMS to distribute the survey questionnaire. Upon approval, proponent

distributed the survey questionnaire to the respondents identified in this study.

Ten percent (10%) each from the target population for PNP-ITMS personnel (20

of 200) and ITMS personnel detailed to the selected PNP offices (15 of 133). The

total respondents for this project is 35. Through this, the proponent was able to

get one hundred percent retrieval of the instrument.

Since the project study includes human participants and investigated PNP

systems, processes and personnel, certain ethical issues were addressed. These

ethical and security consideration is necessary due to the law enforcement and

government nature involved in this project study and to ensure confidentiality and

privacy as well as the security of the participants and the processes of the PNP.

These issues were identified early on in the conduct of the project study to

prevent future problems in the conduct of the project study. Among the issues

addressed in this project study were consent, confidentiality and data protection.

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 During the conduct of the project, the proponent prepared the survey

forms and interview instruments in a clear and concise manner. PNP personnel

who participated in the study were given ample time to query the proponent and

to respond to the survey instrument. This will ensure correct answers are

collected and negate possible errors.

Furthermore, the respondents were given a waiver regarding the

confidentiality of their identity and the information that they did not wish to

disclose such as their names. The respondents' cooperation was eagerly sought

after, and they were assured that the data gathered from them would be treated

with the strictest confidence, so that they would be more open. This was done

with the hope that this would promote trust between the proponent and the

respondents.

Finally, the respondents were given a waiver with respect to the privacy of

their identity and the data that they didn't wish to reveal, for example, their

names. And to ensure respondents' collaboration in this study, the proponent of

this study guaranteed that the information collated would be treated with

confidentiality.

Statistical Tools

Statistical treatment depends on the environment of the study, the

proponent used different statistical tools in analyzing the gathered data. It is also

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a tool to help the proponent interpret the unbiased.The analysis of the result of

the survey was achieved in this study with the aid of statistical tools and

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software. The proponent will utilize simple random

sampling of Ten percent (10%) each from the target population of both PNP-

ITMS personnel and ITMS personnel detailed to the selected PNP offices inside

Camp Crame to ensure unbiased surveying.

In order to determine the respondents for both PNP--ITMS and selected

PNP offices, the proponent assigned a number to each personnel and generated

the random numbers based on the target ten percent (10%) sample data of

respondents of the total population of each group required in this study using a

web-based random number generator tool.

P1 = N1 x 100

P2 = N2 x 100

Where:

P1 = 10% random sample data for PNP-ITMS

P2 = 10% random sample data for selected PNP Offices

N1 = Number of PNP-ITMS personnel

N2 = Number of Detailed ITMS personnel in selected PNP Offices

Frequency Distribution. This tool was used by the proponent to tally the

total number of respondents who will be favored for a particular statement.

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 Percentage. The proponent used percentage in order to determine which

part of the total respondents will answer or will prefer a particular statement.

P = N/T X 100

Where:

P = Percentage

N = Number of respondent who preferred for the statement

T = Total number of respondent

Weighted mean. The weighted mean was utilized in order to measure the

general response of the survey samples, whether the respondents agree to a

given statement or not as stated in the survey instrument.

Weighted Mean (WM) = ∑f(x)

where:

WM = weighted mean

∑f = summaries of the frequency of a particular numeric rating

N = the total number of criteria

Ranking. The proponent used this to assign the order of significance of

one variable to another.

Likert Scale. These criteria are used by the proponent in order to test the

quality of the system and responsiveness of the proposed system in addressing

the issues with the existing system.

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 Table 3.1: Likert’s Scale

Rate Range Verbal Interpretation

5 4.20 – 4.99 Strongly Agree (SA)

4 3.4 – 4.19 Agree (A)

3 2.6 – 3.39 Minimally Agree (MA)

2 1.80 – 2.59 Disagree (D)

1 1.00 – 1.79 Strongly Disagree (SD)

The Likert Scale is used to determine the equivalent of each criterion.

Each criterion is an attribute to show the effectiveness of the proposed system in

terms of responsiveness and software quality characteristics. In using the Likert’s

Scale, the operational feasibility of the proposed system will be determined.

Analytical Tools

Analytical tools are graphical or visual representations of a structure.

These tools are very important for the proponent since these serve as

communication and planning tools, define roles, provide an overview of the

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proposed system, promote logical procedures, demonstrate relationships,

facilitate trouble shooting and document the system for future use. To give

readers a quick view of proposed system design, the proponent presented the

use of analytical tools.

The various graphical models show the boundaries of the system and

the information used in the proposed system. This will provide the proponent

a better understanding of the existing and proposed system ( Kendall, K. and J.

Kendall, 2010).

Context Diagram is a software diagraming tool that illustrate the scope of

a system and displays system boundaries, external objects that interacts with the

system and the main information that flows between the entities and the system.

The proponent used this tool to visualize the interaction of the proposed system

with external objects based on the understanding of the proponent, interview of

users, studying documents and observation conducted on the existing system.

(Appendix C)

Data Flow Diagram is a software diagraming tool that assist in the

determination of the flow of data in a system excluding the media. In a data-flow

diagram, one can visualize within a system the flow of data between external

objects, processes and data stores. Using this software modeling tool , the

proponent can graphically illustrate the data processes throughout system in

its entirety. The proponent used this tool to visually examine the flow of the

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data between processes, data stores and external objects based on the

understanding of the proponent, interview of users, studying documents and

observation conducted on the existing system. (Appendix D)

Use Case Diagram is a software diagraming tool that illustrates the user's

interaction with the system and that shows the relationship between the different

USE Cases and the user in which the user is involved. Using a USE case

diagram can determine the different types of users of a system. The proponent

utilized this visual analytical tool to depict visually the behavior of the proposed

system and the user’s interaction with the proposed system and the different

USE cases where the user is involved based on the understanding of the

proponent, interview of users, studying documents and observation conducted on

the existing system (Appendix E).

System Flowchart is a software diagraming tool used to illustrate how the

data flows in a system and how are decisions done in order to control events of

the system. This is shown graphically by using symbols. The proponent utilized

this analytical tool to examine what happens to data and where it goes and the

decision to control the events of the proposed system is as intended based on

the understanding of the proponent, interview of users, studying documents and

observation conducted on the existing system (Appendix F).

Software Model

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 This section gives a description of the methods used in developing the

proposed system. The proposed system was developed using the prototype

software development model.

Figure 5: Software Prototyping model

The prototyping model in Figure 5 will allow for some early results to

assert (or negate) the assumption of the proponent on how to proceed with the

development of the proposed system at a technical leveled as compared to

waterfall model. From a risk management point of view, the proponent felt the

prototyping model provided less risk than other software development model

(Thakur, n.d.).

The information gathered in the software prototyping allowed the

proponent to set priorities and redirect plans inexpensively, with a minimum of

disruption. Because of this feature, prototyping and planning go hand-in-hand

which is advantageous to this study (Kendall, K. & J. Kendall, 2010).

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 Furthermore, an effect of the problem of keeping up to date with user

requirements is uncertain to some extent until user see something tangible. In

the traditional waterfall model, it is often too late to change an unwanted feature

once it is delivered. This condition was the basis for the proponent to use

prototyping in designing and developing the proposed system (Kendall, K. & J.

Kendall, 2010).

With prototyping employed in this study, the proponent also efficiently

shortens the time between the determination of requirements and the delivery of

a workable system. Moreover, adopting the software prototyping model instead

of the traditional software development life cycle (SDLC) might overcome some

of the problems of accurately identifying user information requirements (Kendall,

K. & J. Kendall, 2010).

This process begins with an initial quick design created using the general

aspects and functionality of the proposed system where the prototype of the

system is build. The prototype is then implemented and tested. Feedbacks are

collected from the users and provided to the proponent in order to incorporate

necessary modification to the prototype. This process continues until the user is

satisfied with the general functionality of prototype. Next will be the incorporation

of the aesthetics for the proposed system and checked with the users the

prototype process ends. The proponent utilized extreme prototyping which is

ideal for web development projects. Initially, a basic prototype is shown to the

40
client in html format with the basic requirements. At this point, a prototype

services layer is then added to simulate the proposed system processes. Once

accepted by the user, the proposed system process are integrated into the final

prototype. The workflow of prototyping ensures that the correct conceptualization

and requirements specification is evaluated and approved by the user.

Hereunder are the steps in the software prototyping model:

1. Requirements Gathering and Analysis. This is the first step in the

prototyping model beginning with requirements examination and the

prerequisites of the system are determined in detail. The target users are met by

the proponent keeping in mind that the objective of this stage is to determine the

requirements of the proposed system. The proponent utilized the data gathering

methods and techniques as discussed in this study including the analytical tools

to develop the concept of the proposed system (Thakur, n.d.).

2. Quick design. This is where prerequisites are determined and

identified, a preliminary design is made for the prototype model. The first

prototype initially incorporates only the essential qualities of the proposed

system, which gives a thought of the system to be developed to the client. A

quick design helps in building up the prototype model. The proponent utilized

LAMP open source web development platform and XAMPP a free and open

source cross-platform web server throughout the development of the proposed

system. Based on the data gathered by the proponent and the utilization of the

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analytical tools, the proponent developed the first prototype model of the

proposed system and presented it to the target beneficiaries (Thakur, n.d.).

3. Build prototype. The information collated from the quick design is

adjusted to form the first prototype, this represents a working prototype of the

proposed system. Based on the first prototype presentation, the proponent

adjusted the model based on the inputs from the target beneficiaries who viewed

the model (Thakur, n.d.).

4. User evaluation. The working prototype of the proposed system is

then shown again to the target beneficiaries for an extensive assessment while

keeping in mind of the end goal to determine its qualities and shortcomings and

figure out what should be included or discarded. Remarks and recommendations

are gathered from the clients and given to the proponent for enhancement

purposes. Again, in this stage, the proponent presented the working prototype to

be evaluated by the target beneficiaries for further refinement (Thakur, n.d.).

5. Refining prototype. When the customer evaluates the prototype and

is not contented, it is then refined incorporating the lacking requirements. This

suggests, that prototype model is to be refined further with the additional inputs

given by the customer. This procedure continues until such time that all of the

inputs given by the client are met. Once the client is satisfied with the prototype

model, a final system is delivered based on the last prototype. This stage is

where the working prototype was presented to the target beneficiaries where

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inputs are further incorporated. This stage repeats until client is satisfied with the

last prototype. Then a final system is delivered to the clients (Thakur, n.d.).

6. Engineer product. Once the requirements are completely achieved,

the customer accepts the last model. The final system developed is assessed

completely and normal maintenance in undertaken regularly in order to anticipate

and prevent future large scale system failures and to limit system downtime

during implementation. In the last the final system, the proposed system is them

deployed initially for testing purposes semi-live for system failure identification

and before commissioning for actual use (Thakur, n.d.).

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