ICT: Long Project Design - Travel Agency

Long Project - Design

The database will be made in Microsoft Access. The other option is to use is to use Microsoft Excel to do the database but it wouldn’t allow me to do a relational database. I need a relational database so that information doesn’t need to be entered over and over again like what Michael has to do at the moment. I also looked at various advantages for using Access, which I’ve stated below. Furthermore, making a database will accomplish the criteria of being efficient and being able to be used over many years.

To meet the needs of the user for an effective solution to his problems, I will need to make a database system that has forms, reports and queries. Additionally, I will also need to make mail merged letters for him. The forms are to solve his organisation problems and time wasting for editing, searching etc. The queries and reports are to solve his time wasting problem in finding things for himself and for customers. My solution will also have to fulfil all of Mr. Long’s desires and all of the performance criteria.

For my database, I will have the fields: ID, first name, surname, address, telephone number, and date of birth for the Customers table. This is so that it is clear and the different bits of information is organised. The logo will be given to me by Mr. Long. It represents the travel agency so people can easily recognise it. This is also one of the desires Michael had.

Part of the performance criteria is to have 4 different tables to store information in. For the Destinations table, I will have the fields: Destination ID, Destination, Airline, and Airport. I think this is enough details for the different destinations and the only ones that are needed. For the Hotels table, I will put the fields: Hotel ID, Name, Address, and Hotel Grade. Furthermore, for the bookings table, I will put the fields: Bookings ID, Departure Date, Departure Time, Arrival Date, Arrival Time, Customer ID, Destination ID, and Hotel ID. This is because the information on customers, hotels and destinations will be linked to the bookings table through relationships. This way, the data doesn’t have to be entered all the time. This is an automated process which is one of the performance criterions. The field I use will also fulfil some performance criterions.

One of the criterions is to have tables linked so that it is a relational database. For the relationships, the customers, destinations and hotels tables will all be linked to the bookings table. The Customers ID field from the Customers table will link with the Customer ID field on the booking table. The Destination ID field on the Destinations table will link with the Destinations ID field on the Bookings table. And finally, the Hotel ID from the Hotels table will be linked to the Hotel ID in the bookings table. That performance criteria will now be achieved.

For every one of the tables, a form will be made for it. This is because the user wants to be able to access data quickly and easily. By making a form, the information can be accessed, searched, edited, created and deleted easily and quickly. That desire will be achieved. Also, forms can be user friendly with the use of buttons which will make it easy to use. This was one of the desires. For all the forms, I will use the same background to give it a consistent and professional design. Michael desired this. I will also include the company logo to make the forms recognisable. The forms will display all the fields of the table so every bit of information is available for the user to see. I will also make buttons for the user to easily use to the system because it was one of the desires. This way, the user only needs to click on the buttons on the forms for their processes to be carried out. The buttons and logo will be at the same place for each of the forms. The bookings form will be a sub-form within a form. This is so that information on all of the other tables can be displayed in the bookings form. Furthermore, all of the forms can be reused by updating the information on them. By editing the information in the forms, the information in the tables will also be changed so the data will always be up to date.

This is a preview of the whole essay

On all of the forms, I will have the Previous record and Next record button. This is because it will make it easier for the user to browse through the records that are there. Also, I will include the print and undo record buttons so the user can print a record and undo one at the click of a button. Furthermore, I will add save record, add record, search record, run word, run excel, close form and delete record buttons. This will save the user time because all they have to do is click the button instead of going through menus after menus. The run word and run excel button are just in case the user needs to access those programs for things such as calculating prices in excel or writing a simple letter in word. Furthermore, for the Destination form, I will also include a Print Destination Report button because Mr Long wants to be able to print a holiday list and I think the button will be able to save him time doing so. It will also solve the problem of photocopying flights to give to customers which is time consuming. Additionally, I will include a Print Hotels Report button on the Hotels form so it can be quickly printed and given to customers. I will also include Luxor Hotels, Cairo Hotels and Hong Kong Hotels buttons so that when a customer enquires about hotels in the countries that they’re interested in, the user can pull up that information with ease. The buttons themselves will open hotel queries that I will make. I will put all the buttons and logo on the forms in the same place so there’s a consistent design.

I will make a hotels query for each country that is on offer so that the user can quickly get hotels for a particular country rather than going through a list and picking out the relevant ones that are wanted. I will also make a customers query template because Mr Long would like to be able to enter an area and all his customers in that area will come up. I will show Mr Long how to change my template query in the user guide. Also, I will make a query template for destinations so that the user is able to find all the flights available to a particular destination. The instructions for doing this will also be in the user guide. Because Mr. Long wants to know all the customers that are born before 01/01/1955, I will make a query for customers who are born before 01/01/1955 because it needs to be known so that it can be merged with the letter Mr. Long wants to send out. All of these queries can be reused because only the criteria in the queries need to be changed.

A main menu will be made where there will be buttons that, when clicked, will open the other forms. This will make my database system easier to use. The main menu will have the same background as the other forms. It will contain a Customers, Hotels, Destinations and Bookings button. I will need to add the logo in it as well. The name of the travel agency will also need to be put on so that it is easily recognised. These will fulfil some of Mr. Long’s desires.

To make the heading, I will use Microsoft Word. I will choose the font Palace Script MT. After that I will copy it over to paint. In paint, I will fill the surrounding with turquoise. When that is done, I will copy it over to my main menu.

I am going to create forms for each of the tables. The font for my forms will need to be clear and easy to read so it will prevent Michael and his staff from reading anything wrong. Also, I’ll make the database user friendly so the end user, Michael Long and his staff wouldn’t have any troubles to get the hang of it. On the database, the fields must have the correct type of data. For example, the field ‘First name’ must have the type of data: ‘text.’ This will minimise the mistakes being entered because you wouldn’t be able to put a date of birth in a first name field. The colour of the database will need to be according to the end user’s preference and I will make a questionnaire to find out a little more about Mr Long’s preferences. For the DOB field, I will need to put a validation on it to stop the user from putting in any future dates. This will minimise incorrect data being entered. I will also add queries to allow the user to access certain information quickly as speed is highly wanted. I will also need to put a password onto the database or tell Michael how to do it himself to stop strangers from accessing the database. I need to do this because Michael requested some sort of security system.

In my Analysis, I stated that my database should be able to give print outs for the customers on flights and hotels available. To do this, I will need to make reports on the destinations and hotels available so they can be printed off and given to customers. The reports will all have the same style design (corporate) to make it easily recognisable and associated with this business. I am also going to make a customers report because Mr. Long wants to be able to print a destinations, hotels and a customers list. All these reports can be reused because whenever a piece of information in changed in any of the forms or tables, the reports are automatically updated.

I am going to make mail merged letters in Microsoft Word because Mr. Long wants an easier and more efficient way of sending letters. For the mail merge letters, I am going to put: Lee’s Holidays at the top of the letter. Then I am going to put the logo on the top left of the page. This is so that when the customers receive the letter; they will know who it’s from straight away. I am then going to insert the date on the right hand side so that every time the letter is needed, the date on the letter is automatically changed. This is another automated process which makes it easier for the user to use. I will also make a margin on the left, running all the way down the page. In the margin, I will have the name of the owner, the address, the telephone number and the fax number. After that, I will include the fields: Customer ID, First Name, Surname, Address, Area and Telephone using the mail merge help feature. Then I will write up the contents of the letter talking about the special offer Mr. Long is offering. At the bottom of the letter, I will put Mr. Long’s signature. He requested this. The font of the letter will be Papyrus and the font size will be 10. All of this will fulfil the performance criteria for the mail merge letters. These mail merge letters are reusable because the template can be used over and over again. The query just needs to be changed and then the mail merge letters will change.

I will make a first draft of the database a show it to Mr Long so he can give me some feedback about it. He will also be able to give me any preferences that he would like to have such as the layout the functions of the buttons.

Why Microsoft Access is suitable for this project:

Before I use Microsoft Access to actually build the tables, forms, and other objects that will make up the database, it is important to take time to design my database. Whether I am using a Microsoft Access database or a Microsoft Access project, good database design is the keystone to creating a database that does what you want it to do effectively, accurately and efficiently.

In Access, I am able to:

Make queries to filter information
Make sub forms to display information in related forms
Make command buttons to link to other forms and carry out tasks for the user
Make a main menu for my travel agency database
Make validations to stop wrong DOB from being entered and to stop wrong departure date being entered

Why Microsoft Word is suitable for this project:

Input text – include fields and relevant addresses
Merge text from databases – include information the customer requests
Importing and editing pictures – make the letter look interesting and provide any information only pictures can give.
Use colour – make the letter look more attractive and interesting
Use clip art – make the letter look more professional
Font, font size and colour – make the letter look more professional and interesting. Also, make certain important information stand out more.
Add borders - make the letter look more professional.

I will draw the design of my on forms and tables a piece of A4 paper. After I have done all this, I will test it to see if it works properly. Also, I will need to decide on the colours I will use for the database and see if the colours are acceptable to the client. The colours the client wants should be used for the background and the name of the travel agency.

Testing

When I have finished the database, I will carry out this test and give it to someone else to do just to double check it to see if I missed anything. I will need to check that:

All the hotels, customers and destinations are correct – recheck to see if there are any mistakes or missing pieces of data
The validations to see if it comes up when an inappropriate date is entered – enter a future date for the DOB field and see what happens, enter past date for the Departure Date field and see what happens
Command buttons to see if they work properly – click on each button and see if the right process is carried out
The password works correctly – entering the password and seeing if the database opens after
All the queries give the correct results – carrying out the queries myself
All the results of the DOB query goes onto the mail merge letters – check the query results and letters
All the desires and performance criteria has been fulfilled – check the performance criteria and desires and then seeing if my solution has done all of this
The end user is happy with the solution – asking Mr. Long

User Feedback Questionnaire

1) Do you like the current colour of the database? If not, please state the colour desired.

Yes No, change to _____________

2) Is the database easy to use?

Yes No

3) Are you happy with the logo and name or do you want me to change the sizes and positions?

Yes, happy No, change it

4) Are you happy with the way the letter looks?

Yes No

5) Would you like more buttons on the forms?

Yes No

6) Are there any particular queries you would like me to make?

Yes No

7) Are there any other additional things you need the database to have or do? If so, please state on the lines below.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

User Feedback:

Having showed my initial design to Mr. Long and giving him my questionnaire, he has provided me with the following input to improve the design and layout, making it more user-friendly and appropriate to his needs.