CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
An
Automated customer service has tremendously transformed the way people look at
life and business, from manual business, networking, to e-commerce, it has
altered the way business is steered globally; among the many other things,
standing in queues to pay bills or to be attend to which is the toughest,
especially where customers are much like in ATM stand, Super market, Shop rite
etc.
Customer service is the
act of taking care of the customer's needs by providing and delivering
professional, helpful, high quality service and assistance before, during, and
after the customer's requirements are met. Customer service is meeting
the needs and desires of any customer.
Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. Everyone in the organisation is providing one or all of these. Kurtenbach (2000) explains that those who are successful in customer service rank their customers experience as the top priority. Customer satisfaction is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation.
1.2 STATEMENT OF
PROBLEMS.
On the
course of research, it was discovered that the existing billing
system for Dorik Systems being manually operated is characterized with a lot of problem such
as:
i.
Poor accounting report.
ii.
Poor security
iii.
In adequate report for (Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Yearly account) which affect
decision making.
iv.
Miss calculation of figures when goods are much.
v.
Constantly running out of stock.
vi.
Lose of goods due to the expiring date.
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objective of this research work is to develop a
client billing software program with modification to existing software and
eliminating the entire obstacle in previous versions of the numerous existing
clients billing software program. The software will be able to do the
following:
i.
Prepare daily account
of all transactions with clients.
ii.
Provide security to the
system.
iii.
Produce analyzed report
for (Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Yearly report) for decision making.
iv.
To automate calculation
and stop using calculator.
v.
Auto notification when
running out of stock.
vi.
Auto notification of
expiring date of goods.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Like any other application development, the
significance of this project is
i.
To make billing in
business much more easier to the owner.
ii.
To enhanced effective
security in billing system.
iii.
The software is intended to stop the manual
means of calculation (i.e the use of pen and paper) and will be automatic.
iv.
It help the investors
to make good decision.
v.
. This will be
facilitated by the development of automated technique ie.client billing
software .
.
1.5
SCOPE OF STUDY
This project work or study is aimed at designing and
implementing client billing software for Dorik Systems.
Furthermore,
it is also aimed at saving the management, Dorik Systems trouble and
difficulties in running their business manually.
1.6 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
At
different stages of this research, some hiccups were encountered that
speed-humped the project. Among them are;
i.
Inadequate fund to
finance the project
ii.
Constraint of time:
this is as a result of the research work colliding with academic work schedules
thereby reducing the time for doing the research.
iii.
The employees at the
case study were reluctant to disclose some vital information needed but after
much persuasion, they eventually obliged.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TECHNICAL TERMS
Automation: automation is the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a
system operate automatically.
E-mail:
the term electronic mail is used to describe various systems of sending and
receiving data electronically via the telephone network or other data network,
through a central computer, without the need to post letters.
Online:
this means directly connected to the computer and under the influence (control)
of
a
central computer or computer network.
Offline this
means directly connected to the computer and not under the control of a central
computer or computer network.
Internet Service Provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for access, using, the
Internet. Internet service providers may be organized in various forms such as;
commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privately owned.
Web Browser (commonly referred to as a browser)
is a software application for retrieving,
presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide
Web.
WEB BASED:
simply means the services that are rendered over the internet/ World Wide Web.
Flowchart:
this is the diagrammatic representation of the program components using
standard symbols.
Software:
this is the program that control the computer operation
Hardware:
this is the physical parts of a computer system.
Database: a
collection of interrelated data stored with controlled redundancy to serve one
or more application.
Microsoft visual Basic:
this is software, which allow you to develop your own software.
SYSTEM:
this is a combination of related things or parts that form a complex whole. It
is also a method or procedure.
MANUAL:
this is a physical way of doing things using human skill, hands or force
(rather than mechanical).
GOODS:
these are merchandise or movable property.
BILLING:
presenting of an account of money owed.
METHOD:
this is a manner in which one conducts technique.
COMPUTER:
this is a machine that computes, processes data.
COMMODITIES:
these are merchandise, goods, item that is bought and sold.
CLEARANCE:
this means release of something.
INCOME:
this is a profit or an amount of money received in payment for goods or
services.
PROCESSING:
this means subjecting to a series of procedures.
DESIGN:
this is means making plans for something.
IMPLEMENTATION:
this means execution, carrying out, or performing something.
Hacking:
is an unauthorized access to computer
data, to use a computer or other technological device or system in order to
gain unauthorized access to data held by another person or organization
Security: this
is an act of safeguarding a file or a document in order not to allow
unauthorized access.
Operating System;
This is an executive program that governors or coordinates the activities and
operation of various components of the computer. They are the interface between
the user and the computer system. They are system manager.
Methodology:
a methodology is a collection of procedures, techniques, tools and
documentation aids which will help the system developers in their effort to
implement a new information system.