Kelly agrees a schedule with the operators and advertisements are placed within the newspapers. However, the operators do not pay for them. Instead, the Company receives commission from the tour operator in payment.
At various times during the year, a mail-shot is sent out to passengers that have travelled with one of these operators previously, and also to those who have simply asked for details or brochures of the holidays, to inform them of forthcoming trips. The mail merge system is used for this purpose.
The range of holidays available is kept in a filing system and it is the teams job to collate those that they feel might be appropriate to their customers, rather than sending out the full list to everyone. Because of the lack of a proper database solution, this is a very time consuming and inefficient method of communicating the information.
The Problems
No current booking information – At present the lack of an electronic solution for saving information on bookings being made means that manual instructions are required using hand-written booking forms. These forms contain all the information relevant to the individual holiday, including the names and addresses, personal details, holiday booked, number of passengers, value of holiday, insurance (if taken), pick up point (if applicable). This information is then extracted and compiled into a manual report and sent to the individual tour operators for their information. A manual reconciliation is then made and sent to the accounts department for them to raise an invoice for commission. The new system, using macros will enable this process to be automated and create a more sophisticated and detailed set of reports.
Only manual inventory information available – Details of all the holidays available are held in brochures kept in the filing cabinets. Therefore when a telephone enquiry is made, the member of staff has to put the customer on hold, extract the brochure and return. The new system will enable them to call up the information on screen whilst maintaining contact with the customer. This improves customer service and efficiency.
Not enough fields – The mail merge system currently in use only allows the team to merge letters with names and addresses and print out labels. The new database will enable them to take all the historical information they have about their customers on file in cabinets and match it to information they have been able to store about the holidays their tour operators are running in the future. The database will be able to store all the information that the team feel important to know about their customers such as name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, age, demographic profile, past holidays taken with them, how much they paid, which travel company they travelled with, special requirements etc.
Inability to search – The current system does not enable a search facility other than in an alpha sort way. The current system requires staff to search through filing cabinets manually. The new system will be fully searchable by running macros enabling them to cross-match requirements and historical data with information held on holidays planned by the tour operators.
Lack of reports and analysis – The current system is unable to provide any reports. The new system will enable Kelly and Claire to keep a record of commission due from the holidays as well as being able to calculate things such as what holiday is the most profitable for them to advertise down to the least profitable. It will also help them determine which holiday is the most popular with their readers.
Slow source of information – Although the information on the historical background of the passengers is available from the filing system and mail merge, it is extremely slow to obtain. The new system will allow access to all the information speedily, which means it is more likely to be used, which in turn will help to sell more holidays.
No printed reports – At present any printed information has to be constructed manually from information gathered. This also is time consuming and consequently less accurate. The new system will be constructed to enable the reports generated to be printed out from a networked laser printer.
Only manual reports can be sent to other parts of the Company via courier – As previously mentioned all reports generated are of a manual nature. Consequently they can only be sent via courier to the regional office. The new system will produce reports that will be transportable via the WAN to all parts of the business including the accounts department who will be able to generate invoices from the information provided.
Poor security – The current system has no real security as the information is kept in filing cabinets and mail merge. However this is not a major problem at present as there are few reports of any value or sensitivity being created. Once the new system has been installed and it is creating new, informative and potentially sensitive reports, security will become more important. This will require a multi-level security system with restricted access for junior staff and full access for managers and senior staff.
The Requirements
A database is a collection of related information and provides a means of storing, and managing data or information. Users of a database must be able to easily navigate around it and therefore it needs to be user friendly. The new database will allow you to sort and select any item of information and cross-reference easily. It will be able to produce complex lists and reports and change the order that data is displayed in.
Before the database is up and running consideration needs to be given to what you want the database for and a consultation period needs to be considered. To make my database user friendly I will ensure that any data will only have to be entered once and that no duplicate fields are created.
I shall be introducing a relational database, which is made up of several tables all with a unique identifier and this is termed the primary key and linked through the use of a common field, known as a foreign key.
Users will be able to input data via an opening form that will give them the option of selecting the next data input form they require. The benefits of entering data directly on to a form are that it is more user friendly than filling in cells in a datasheet. The form will be designed and presented on screen in an attractive manner.
The users will be able to add new customers, travel agents and holidays offered easily via the relevant forms with each of them being allocated their own individual ID number, which is automatically generated by the system. This will allow travellers to be associated with the travel company and retain information on all trips offered. This will enable a report set up and printed, the reports will show the booking made for specific destinations. In addition the user will be to maintain contact with the customer, via the company’s Help Desk Track IT, whilst having all the details available on the screen.
Company Policy dictates that all members of staff are issued with passwords consisting of eight characters that are changed every 48 days. This prevents anyone from gaining access to data that they are not authorised to see. The password software currently in use is Active Directory Windows 2000.
Information on the database may need to be edited, for example a customer moves house and their address changes but still want to receive information on forthcoming holidays. Whilst some editing changes are not of a confidential nature it will be necessary to enforce restrictions on editing personal and financial information. To rectify a potential breach of confidentially or the deletion of data, accidentally or intentionally, there will have to be a way of verifying users. This will ensure that they can only gain access to data, which they are permitted to see, for example Read-Only, Read/Write or No Access. Therefore an “Access Directory” will specify each users access level, the Systems Administrator can only change this directory.
The database at present holds a vast amount of data, all this is kept in a filing cabinets which makes searching for data very laborious and time consuming. The new database will enable the user to create queries along the standard queries that I shall include in the database with the use of Wizard, this will speed up the process. The queries will allow the user to search the database for specific data, and create basic reports. In the new database all queries and reports will have control placed on it and will allow for alignment sizing and formatting.
The new database will be have macro and queries that will enable the user to make complex calculations from certain fields with the click of a button and running the query and producing a formatted report. This data could then be used for creating a presentation or imported into Excel.
The user interface is the methods in which a human user and a computer communicate; these will ultimately contribute in producing a successful system.
Therefore I must consider who is going to use the system and what tasks they need to perform.
The user interface will be the opening screen that every user has to encounter each time they log on to the database. It is essential that the screen design is user friendly and able to be used by everyone, even the employees who are visually impaired. Such considerations would need to include; the use of a clear sharp font and size such as Arial, strong contrasting colours which aide clarity for the user. Providing this facility for visually impaired members of staff is known as Access Technology.
My design of the opening form should be easy to understand and the labels on the form must be meaningful to the user. The form should be able to be completed in a logical order for example: Title, Initial, Surname. A default value should be written in when possible.
I must ensure the appearance of error messages are also be carefully worded and thought also needs to be given to provide the user with help and likewise the wording needs to be carefully planned.
Newsquest Media Group Ltd operate a documented Security Policy that is reviewed an annual basis or more frequently if required. All staff at News Shopper are required to sign in agreement to all that is stated within the policy. Any deliberate breach of the policy will be reviewed and disciplinary action taken where nece
. Access to Administrator level password must be treated professionally and ethically at all times. Any IT staff that use an administrator level password to read confidential or personal information (that would not normally be available to them) may be in breach this policy and subject to disciplinary action”.
It is company policy that back up procedures is carried out every night. The reason for this is to protect the data held on the database, which is crucial to both News Shopper and its travel and insurance companies. The backup cycle is carried out automatically each evening at 6pm; this process takes approximately 4-6 hours. This consists of copying all files to disk and then transferred to magnet tape. It is the Systems Administrators responsibility to ensure the rotation of tapes and keep back up documentation up to date.
Once a week the tapes are taken off premises to a secure site where they are locked in a fire proof safe. In the event of the severs being stolen or destroyed it could take up to 4 days for the replacement servers to be installed, and an additional 2 days for the installation of the backup tapes and software. This would cost around £350,000.
Justification
The new database will make the job of the user much more efficient, to create the new “user-friendly” database I will have to solve the problems that I have found with the current system. The new database will have to have a lot more field for the data this will give a better background information on the customer. By linking the fields this will be a great benefit to the user and will enable the to search for very specific data, for example customer who when on holiday in July, for two weeks, to Spain, for £500.
Not enough fields
The new system will solve this problem by having a very large amount of data storage and a lot of 256 GB of RAM. This will enable the database to hold a wide range of fields, and will have great impacts on the amount and type of data that he database can hold on particular customers.
Although the manual databases can have as many fields as required, the current has the problem of filling the data once entered on the forms. The new system enables users to enter the data onto user friendly templates and then store them onto the network, this will enable them to gain access to the data from home (or out of office hours) they would do this through the company’s RAS Remote Access System.
Inability to search
The current is very ineffective when specific information has to be found within the filed information, this is because the information is in cabinets and is arranged alphabetically by the users of the system. The main problem with the system is the lack of speed went file and data have to be found. The new database will solve this by having pre written command buttons, which enable the user to make immediate searches, and had have all the information that they require within seconds. Therefore in the long run the new system will save the user a lot of unnecessary effort and work.
This is an explanation of how the database will be able to search.
Fields and Records Databases can be searched using filtering techniques where criteria, such as surname and/or forename, are used to find particular pieces of information. These are called simple and complex searches.
A simple search looks at one criterion. For example, in the database shown here, SURNAME = "GILL" would find Narinder Gill. The same search looking for "SMITH" would find both Smiths.
A complex search narrows down the search by looking at two criteria:
Surname="Smith" AND Forename = "Pete", to find Pete Smith.
Another example of this method of searching Fields and Records databases is dealt with in the Data caption setion
Free Text databases work using two possible methods.
1. Keywords such as "" or "" can be searched for, and all the results appear on screen as excerpts showing where to get the relevant information. These keywords would need to be defined as the was made.
2. The whole text can be searched for particular words. This makes more sense if several words are searched for at the same time. For example, in a Free Text database about the Antarctic, searching for "ice" is likely to give many results. Searching for "ice", "icebergs" and "spring" is likely to give far fewer results as it narrows down the subject. Using "OR" instead of "AND" will widen the subject out again.
Lack of reports and analysis
The current system is unable to provide any reports at all because no data is stored that has any reporting value. The new system will enable Kelly and Claire to keep a record of commission due from the holidays, the new system will have that capability to do this by calculating the data that they have had entered on the database. This is also effective form the financial security of the company because all information can be check and made very accurate so that there users get paid more money than they should get. as well as being able to calculate things such as what holiday is the most profitable for them to advertise down to the least profitable. The new system will enable them to create a report on all sales and profit. This information is capable of being used for presentations.
Slow source of information
The new system will solve this problem with the aid of a fast Intel Pentium 4 Processor. A processor is the engine at the heart of the computer and determines how fast it can operate. The more power of the processor determines the rate at which it can carry out tasks and format information. This means that there will be a quick source of information available to the user of the database, making the job more time effective.
No Printed reports
The new System will be able to tackle this problem, this because the database already holds the data that is needed to produce a report that can be printed off.
Poor Security
With the current system there is no specific security policy, therefore the current system is constantly open to unauthorised people gaining access to the data that is held in the filing cabinets.
However, the company has an IT Policy that every user has to sign. The current Security Policy states that, “Members of the IT team are responsible for managing the company’s Technology system. This involves use of administrator password, which provides full access to specific systems. Access to Administrator level password must be treated professionally and ethically at all times. Any IT staff that use an administrator level password to read confidential or personal information (that would not normally be available to them) may be in breach this policy and subject to disciplinary action”.
Therefore all users of the database will have password that enables them access to the database. A password is a unique string of characters that a user types as an identification code to restrict access to computers and sensitive files. The system compares the code against a stored list of authorized passwords and users. If the code is legitimate, the system allows access at the security level approved by the IT manager.
With all this the database will be secure enough to stay to the rules of the “Data Protection Act”. This is the 1984 Act of Parliament guaranteeing certain rights to individuals and control of the use of personal data held on a computer. The most well known of the rights is that of examining a computer record held by a- company by the individual in the data record.
Why the DPA was brought in
The power of the computer
During the second half of the 20th century computers were getting more powerful and easy to use. Companies, government and other organisations began to use them to store large amounts of information about people, such as their customers, clients and staff. with this information can be quickly set up, searched, edited and accessed and take up less space than paper records.
Personal data on computer
Instead of paper records, computers were also being used routinely to keep personal data about people. This information included:-
Names
Addresses
Financial information
Medical records
Criminal records
Employment history
For example, being a member of a sports club would mean that your name, age, medical details and payment record would be stored on a computer file.
Ease of access to the information
The information stored could be far more easily and flexibly used than if it was stored on paper. For example, a database could be searched to find all customers living in a particular area, to target them for "special offer" advertising. Searches of databases like this are much faster with computers and, in particular, information can be matched from one database to another far more than if it is stored on paper. The section has more on searching.
Communications networks
Storing information about people on computers which are linked to communications like the or private company networks has also become important. This allows databases to be used across an organisation and be shared between organisations very quickly.
Misuse of information
With more and more organisations using computers to store and process personal information, there was a danger the information could be misused or could get into the wrong hands.
Concerns
A number of concerns arose about how this information could be used:-
Could it be easily copied?
Could it be changed with little evidence being left?
Who could see this information?
How accurate was the information?
Was it be possible to build up detailed files on people without their knowledge or permission?
The new system is able to make copies of the whole database. To make sure that no information from the database is lost or damaged back up procedures is carried out every night. The reason for this is to protect the data held on the database, which is crucial to both News Shopper and its travel and insurance companies. The backup cycle is carried out automatically each evening at 6pm; this process takes approximately 4-6 hours. This consists of copying all files to disk and then transferred to magnet tape. It is the Systems Administrators responsibility to ensure the rotation of tapes and keep back up documentation up to date.
