Project in System Analysis and Design

Time Tracking and Billing System

Submitted by: Johnver Balili Mary Ann Bautista Marithony Caballes Euanne dela Cruz Jeffrey Gutierez Elizabeth Alyx Ledesma Arlyn Magnipis BSA 22A1

Submitted to: Ms. Marife Grace Darilay

January 13, 2012

Chapter 1 THE INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the background of the study which shows the origin of the problem from macro to micro point of view; the recording and tracking of time accumulation and the billing per hour rate, to the summary of the records of registered customers; the objective of the study which includes the general and specific goals of the study; and the scope and limitation of the study which shows the extent and constraints of the contents of the research.

Background of the Study In many industries, and in particular in the service industry, internal and external cost estimation, planning, reporting, payment of salaries, and customer billing rely on the exact recording of time and effort spent. Recording time needs to be efficient and flexible, and with a minimum of overhead added JAM2 PISO NET is a newly opened internet shop. It opened during October and due to its late-year opening its owners decided to come up with a promo to boost its sales. This promo includes accumulation of the rental time of registered customers. Clients who reach 100-300hrs of accumulated computer rental time are entitled to prizes such as cell phones and other gadgets. Computer rental fee is P15.00 per hour or P1.00 per 4 minutes charge. The owners used manual time tracking system in the initial recording and MS Excel in subsequent recording of the accumulated time of the customers. Problems that arise during the implementation of the promo regards with keeping

of records of the accumulated time of the customers and its corresponding billing. According to owners, there are instances when the papers where the time is logged in are lost and times when the customers cheats on logging in the time they have accumulated in renting the computers. Generally, the problem of the owners is the recording and tracking of the accumulated time and the correct billing per customer. Applied Research in System Analysis (ARiSA) is an IT consulting company. Their goal is to leverage quality management on software and information systems engineering. They provide seminars, methods, and development tools supporting the efficient production and maintenance of high quality software. In most of the projects ARiSA is involved in, customers get billed based on consulting time. Therefore, an exact accounting of the time spent on a project is important. Until recently, employees recorded the time spent on projects in personal time tracking sheets. With the number of projects and employees growing, it was more and more difficult to get an overview of the time spent. The effort required to update the individual time sheets with new tasks and activities was increasing as the time needed for creating reports based on the distributed reports. The researchers aim to propose a system which can help the staff of the internet shop have efficient, accurate and secured way of tracking and recording the accumulated computer rental time and the corresponding billing per hour rate of their registered customers.

Objectives of the Study

General Objectives The research aims to develop a Time Tracking and Billing System to provide means for efficiently collecting time spent on renting computers and their equivalent

billing per hour rate of the JAM2 PISO NET. This goal will be reached when every user of the system can record date, time (from, to), task, and activity in an efficient way. Efficient means it should just take a few seconds for creating and saving a record. The system will also allow user management to implement features allowing generating detailed reports based on the recorded time. This goal is reached if detailed reports can be produced allowing specification of time duration, date, and customer ID for control and time summarization. The system will provide better management of information.

Specific Objectives

Specifically, the system aims to: Enhance access security Improve system accuracy by avoiding discrepancies and errors and by having accurate and precise information Increase system efficiency by requiring less resources and work Provide detailed reports of customer billing and time accumulation Provide manageable and easy to use Time Tracking and Billing System

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The research project focuses on the Time Tracking and Billing System of JAM2 PISO NET (see Figure1). The system functions only to accumulate time and compute the bill per hour rate. It includes the starting and ending time and peso rate per hour of computer rental. It also includes the date when the registered customer rented a unit

and the duration of his rental. Qualifications for membership are at least one hour of computer rental and proof of identification. The proposed system includes authorization process regarding to creating, editing and deleting records. It also includes automated Log In system to provide security. The system provides easier process of printing reports. This system can be used in Windows 7 Operating System and can also run on previous versions of Windows, using Microsoft Access2007. The persons that can use this system are the owners, customers and system administrator. The system can only be used by the client and cannot be redistributed in any manner. The system cannot perform other functions such as reservations and inventory. The research is conducted during the school year 2011-2012.

Locale of the Study

Figure 1 Location Map from NCST-Dasma to JAM2 PISO NET

Figure 1 presents the location of JAM2 PISO NET. The place is located in Brgy.8-2 Galicia II, Mendez, Cavite. JAM2 PISO NET is a few feet away from INKTank Mendez Branch and is within a residential area, but right along the highway. From NCST one can reach the vicinity via bus (Mendez).

Significance of the Study

Many of the business today are cost specific; maximizing profits and minimizing expenses. The application of time and billing system is vitally necessary in many industrial areas. Rapid growth of the information technology has made this possible for most industries but there are businesses that are kept in the dark due to lack of finance. Industries, particularly the service industry is highly dependent on correct time recording because all internal and external cost estimation, planning, reporting, payment of salaries, and customer billing rely on exact recording of time and effort spent. Inaccurate time logs result to considerable costs and time lost to finding the faults, correcting them and re-updating information and records. The researchers came up with the study to help JAM2 PISO NET to come up with a good Time and Billing System. The study will help the owners of the said shop to organize and avoid erroneous records. The research will assist the owners to correct documentation of records and accurate accounting for profits. The research may also serve as a guide for future reference of upcoming researchers with related topics.

BLOCK DIAGRAM (EXISTING SYSTEM)

Identifying Customer

Manual recording of Start Time

Manual recording of End Time

Tallying of Time Duration

Paying of Bills

Figure 2 Existing System Block Diagram

The Figure 2 shows the existing paper system of JAM2 PISO NET in block diagram form. Starting from the identifying of the registered customer, the owner or the cashier manually records the starting time on any piece of paper. After the customers computer rental, the owner or the cashier then manually notes down the end time below the starting time. The owner or the cashier then computes and tallies the total time duration of the registered customer. The customer then pays his bill. The cashier receives the customers payment.

CONTEXT DIAGRAM (EXISTING SYSTEM)

Cashier
Cash payment Rental Information Start Time End Time

Customer
PC Rental Cash

1.0

Report

Manual Recording and Paying of Invoice

Owner

Figure 3 Existing System Context Diagram

The Figure 3 shows the existing paper system of JAM2 PISO NET in context diagram form. The customer rents a computer unit and the system provides the customer rental information. Meanwhile, the cashier manually records the start time and end time of the customers computer rental. The customer then pays cash and the cashier receives the payment. Daily reports are then handed to owner.

BLOCK DIAGRAM (PROPOSED SYSTEM)

Identifying Customer

Recording of Start Time

Recording of End Time

Recording of Time Duration

Paying of Bills

Issuing of Receipt

Figure 4 Proposed System Block Diagram

The Figure 4 presents the proposed Time and Billing System in block diagram. The researchers propose that the recording of start time, end time and time duration be automatic or computerized. The researchers also propose issuing of receipts after payment of bills by the customer. Identifying of customers will be done in a Log-In process. The cashier or the owner will then record start time and end time using the automated system. Time duration with corresponding bill per rate hour will be computed automatically. Customer will then pay the bill. Detailed receipts will then be issued to the customer.

CONTEXT DIAGRAM (PROPOSED SYSTEM)

Cashier
Cash Payment Receipt

Customer
Billing Details

1.0
Timer Start Log In Log Out Timer Stop Receipt Report

Time Tracking and Billing System

Owner
Figure 5 Proposed System Context Diagram

The Figure 5 presents the proposed Time and Billing System in context diagram form. The researchers propose that customer identification will be done in Log-In process for verification and security. The researchers also propose automated Start Time and End Time logs with the use of a computer unit or a server. The system starts the timer when the customer Logs In and ends the timer when the customer Logs Out. The proposed system then process the information to come up with the total accumulated time of the customer. The cashier provides billing details to the system which will be presented in the form of a receipt to the customer. The system will then provide a daily report which will be handed to the owner.