Computer application in

business project

Computer reservation system

A computer reservations system, or CRS, is a computerized

system used to store and retrieve information and conduct
transactions related to travel. Originally designed and operated by
airlines, they were later extended to travel agents as a sales
channel; major CRS operations are also known as Global
Distribution Systems (GDS). Airlines have divested most of their
direct holdings to dedicated Global Distribution System
companies, and many systems are now accessible to consumers
through Internet gateways for hotel, rental cars, and other services
as well as airline tickets.
A PC reservation system is a system whereby publicly accessible
computers can be reserved for a period of time. These systems are
commonly used in facilities such as public libraries to ensure
equitable use of limited numbers of computers. Bookings may be
done over the Internet or within the library itself using a web
browser. PC reservation systems allow public service with reduced
staff involvement.

Typically a PC reservation system consists of both server and

client software. There both commercial and Open Source PC
Reservation products on the market.

Airline reservation system

1. A distribution Airline Reservation System stores the

following information

The flight details

It includes the originating flight terminal and destination terminal,
along with stops in between, number of seats booked/available
seats between two destination etc.
Customer Description
It includes customer code, name, address and phone number. This
information may be used for keeping the records of customer for
any emergency or for any other kind of information

Reservation Description
It includes customer code number, flight number, date of booking,
date of traveling

Let us assume that this distributed system is to be used following

application:

a. A request for booking/cancellation of flight from any source to

any destination, giving connected flights in case no direct flight
between the specified Source-Destination pair exist.

b. Calculation of high fliers (most frequent fliers) and calculating

appropriate reward points for these fliers.

In Global Distribution Systems, such as Amadeus, Galileo CRS,

Worldspan, or Sabre, codeshare results in the same flight details,
except for the flight number, being displayed on computer screens
excessively forcing other airlines flights to be displayed on
following pages where they may be missed by passengers
searching for required flights.
Much competition in the airline industry revolves around ticket
sales (also known as "seat booking") strategies. Travel agents have
a preference for flights which provide a direct connection. Code
sharing gives this impression. Computer reservations systems
(CRS) also often do not discriminate between direct flights and
code sharing flights and present both before options that involve
several isolate stretches run by different companies.

Criticism has been levelled against code sharing by consumer

organizations and national departments of trade since it is claimed
it is confusing and not transparent to passengers, but thus far
without any success.

Railway reservation system

In 1982,Government decided to set up a

Freight Operations Information Systems
(FOIS) later in 1986,Ministry of Railways
established the CENTRE FOR RAILWAY INFORMATION
SYSTEMS (CRIS), Chanakya Puri, New Delhi - 21 to be an
umbrella for all computer activities on Indian Railways (IR).
They also entrusted it with the task of design, development and
implementation of the FOIS, alongwith its associated
communications infrastructure. The Centre started functioning
from July,1987.It is an autonomous organisation headed by
Managing Director .CRIS is mainly a project oriented organisation
engaged in development of major computer systems on the
Railways. CRIS has acquired special knowledge and expertise in
the field of informatics. With such a rich practical experience, a
dedicated team of professionals and its own R&D effort, CRIS
aims to be a leader in this fast developing field. Indian Railways is
one of the most advanced ministries in India, with an innovative
and extensive IT environment. 

CRIS: The need

A separate organisation was considered better suited to take up all

computer activities on IR mainly for the following reasons :

 to avoid duplication of efforts by individual Railways.

 to ensure standardisation of computer hardware and software
on the Railways.
 to undertake design and development of major applications
on Railways requiring higher levels of expertise, faster
decision making and system wide applicability.
 to insulate the organisation from day to day working of the
Railways so that its objectives are not lost sight of.
  need for a combined effort of Railways and Computer
Specialists, considered best suited for the development of the
computer applications on Railways.
 need for development of expertise in highly specialised fields
like Operation Research, Simulation, Expert System,
CAD/CAM, Process Control etc.
 need for greater flexibility to keep pace with the fast
changing technology.

The following  are the main projects  that are handled  by CRIS  :

 Passenger Reservation System (PRS)

 National Train Enquiry System (NTES)

 Alpha Migration

 Internet Enquiries

 Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS)

 Advantages
   1. More served passengers due to shorter processing times; a safe
reservation; shorter queues in front of ticket windows (the traveller
can buy a ticket from any window regardless of the destination);
higher availability of tellers due to shorter financial processing
times.

2. A particular precision in services to the travelling public,

including a correct billing and safe reservation.
 
3. Secure, fast and fraud-preventing financial management.

4. Smaller manual effort.

  5. Short- and long- term statistics.

  
6. The ticket format, which respects European standards, gives the
traveller clear and complete information.