Final Draft

CHAPTER
Internship and Senior Project

1.1. What is Internship?
Internship refers to the employment of students nearing under- graduation, in firms or organizations, which operate on activities related to the respective students majoring subject. The course, CSC 499, is a compulsory subject offered by Independent University, Bangladesh, with the objective of enabling students to come into contact with real life applications regarding the knowledge and skills gained in both theoretical and practical courses of the University. The core courses of Computer Science offered by IUB are mainly theory-based and aid in providing a theoretical concept or base to the students so that they are equipped with sufficient knowledge for joining the work force after completion of Under- Graduation. Internship helps the students familiarize themselves with the experience of being employed in their field and effectively learning and applying the knowledge required to carry out their activities in the office.
1.2. What is Senior Project?

Senior Project is just an alternative scope provided to students majoring in CSC and intending to workout some project for some organization. In most of the cases students are given one project for some organizations where they fulfill the given tasks in handling database, networking, programming etc. The project concept could be given by any of the teachers and any supervisor could accept or reject such concept and could give project according their own will. Usually, realizing the capabilities of the student and the specialty he has, the supervisor gives the project work. Senior project also includes research work on any technical field associated with the CSC courses. Previously senior projects have been done on parallel programming, networking, human resource management of IUB, aerodynamics etc. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 68
At the end of the allocated period for internship, people doing the senior project submit a project report and show demonstration of the software product they have prepared as of project requirement. Later a viva-voce before a board the project documents and works are reviewed and the students efficiency and knowledge gathered from the project are questioned and evaluated.
1.3 The objectives of internship/ senior project

There are various reasons behind assigning students the course of Internship. The general objectives are outlines as follows: Helping students break free from the theoretical world of textbooks and class courses and leap into the real world of applications of knowledge. Enabling the students to effectively interact in a work environment within a hierarchy of employees. The efficiency in working in groups and under higher authorities is tested during this course. Helping students to express dependability, initiative, resourcefulness and professionalism in the tasks they are assigned. To evaluate the persons ability to communicate and operate under pressure, if required. To help students enhance their creativity and efficiency in dealing with projects related to their field of study. To enable students to pick up skills from the experience and projects of other employees to apply in their own tasks. It is extremely important for the person to be able to learn and apply the skill at the same time. Whether the internees have adequately fulfilled one or more of these objectives, supervisors evaluate them after the viva voce.
Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces
69
CHAPTER
Organization Profile
2.1. Introduction:
"School is a place which tries to produce good citizens to fit into society.. .. A University tries to produce people who will change the society into a better place for its citizens." This is the vision which inspired the founders of IUB in 1993 to create a private institution which will be a center of excellence, educating men and women who will be sought after for their expertise and their character. IUB being an organization is a perpetual entity. When an organization starts functioning, it tends to operate for good. But most of the organizations do not perform successfully. Information system, operational organization and flow, strategies are the central reason why firms succeed or fail. Yet, IUB came out to be successful in all these fields, since its inception. Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) started its operation in 1993. Since its inception it is growing like a learning organization. Considering all the environmental and other factors, it has emerged as a prestigious institution in Bangladesh. A significant number of students have transferred their credits abroad and quite a number of international students are pursuing their higher education at IUB. Graduates of this university, have added value to this institution, by rendering high quality service to their respective employers. Both nationally and internationally, IUB has earned recognition and reputation as a learning center for higher education. By this time, IUB has started operation in Chittagong as an off campus. This is a new approach in this region. The idea of opening up an off campus has mad the organization more challenging. In terms of Strategic Management the idea off campus can be named as related diversification. This can boost up IUB for its future growth within this region. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 70
The current mission is to achieve the goals of higher education and of sustainable economic growth in the country through a two-way relationship between community and university.
2.2. Brief history of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)

Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) started its operation since 1993 as a private university in Bangladesh. The Private University Act 1992 made it possible for IUB to function as a fully fledged university with right to award its own degrees. The idea of establishing IUB was based on the following three things: a) The present university degrees (In Bangladesh ) lack relevance to the economic, social and cultural context and offer poor opportunities for meaningful employment. b) The universities do not develop need-oriented skills. c) Over- production of graduates in humanities and social science. The new approach that IUB intended to offer is as follows: a) The new degree scheme will be based on forward planning. b) The new education plan will be devoted to train the graduates so that they can integrate theoretical knowledge with methods of application. c) The new degree plan will reaffirm the value of liberal education as the foundation of any knowledge to serve the society. In the spring semester of 1993, IUB enrolled 6 students to the different undergraduate degree programs and 6 faculty members were in the teaching position. Till December 1994, the enrollment reached at 107 and 17 of them dropped out or transferred their credits to abroad. From the beginning of 1995, the enrollment started increasing. In 1997, the first batch completed their convocation ceremony. The graduates of IUB started holding jobs in different organizations. The employers started recognizing the high quality of IUB graduates by their (graduates) services rendered to the different organizations. The idea of establishing IUB was to provide need-based, high quality and relevant education to the society.
71
2.3. The curriculum

The curriculum of IUB has been carefully designed to provide students with (1) communicative skills, (2) socio-cultural background, (3) applied skills or project based experience and (4) an area of sub-specialization. During the first year, students take courses on learning skills, national culture and electives in arts and science. To ensure international standards in teaching and to provide wide options for students to study abroad or acquire international experiences, IUB maintains peer relations with a large number of universities and institutions abroad. The program of study and the academic regulations of this university are based on the American course structure and semester system. Normally courses are offered in semester length of 15 to 17weekds in the autumn (August to December) and Spring (January to May). In addition, the university runs a summer session of 5 weeks duration during June and July when some of the basic and specialized courses are offered. Courses are offered simultaneously at Dhaka and Chittagong. IUB offers a 4-year Bachelors degree with honors in Business Administration (BBA), Social Science (BSS) and Science (B.Sc) in interdisciplinary areas of (1) Business, (2) Communication and (3) Environmental Science and Management. The University offers graduate level courses for the degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA) jointly with the Maastricht School of Management (MSM) of the Netherlands. In addition, the university will be offering graduate level courses for the degree of Master of Science (M.Sc) in Computer Science from Spring 2003 semester under the School of Communication.
2.4. The current mission, goals and strategies of IUB:

The mission is to achieve the goals of higher education and of sustainable economic growth in the country through a two-way relationship between community and university. IUB goals are to produce globally competitive graduates within the local environment, with knowledge and skills to provide leadership in enterprise, public service and welfare. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 72
To achieve the above mission, the university offers a three-pronged strategy: 1) High quality education in relevant subject to the youth in order that they may meet the challenges of the future. 2) Providing training, workshop and consultation to people in occupations in order to make them more competitive in their pursuits. 3) Support and sponsor research to find new guidelines for social progress and economic development.
2.5. The organization chart

IUB is yet to formally structure the Organogram, which has been proposed but not still approved by the board, is in redesigning phase.
2.6. IUBs Current performance and competition in tomorrow:1

About 36 private universities and few franchising institutions are currently functioning in Bangladesh. Most of the private universities and franchising institutions are functioning in Dhaka city. Students who have their 12 years of pre-university education may find different options to enroll themselves in any one of these institutions. So, the competition that IUB is facing today is becoming more and more intense. Statistics of enrollment and graduation at IUB since 1997-1999: Status Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Enrollment 254 379 639 626 656 463 Graduation 29 34 74 149 85 133
73
People who are directly or indirectly associated with IUB have become the spokesperson for this institution. The IUB community may develop a positive image of this institution in the society through these directly related people. In terms of the students who are completing the 12 years education in Bangladesh, IUB is enrolling a minimum number of students in its different programmes.
2.6.1. MBA Programme:

Started in Spring 1997 the MBA programme is offered jointly with the Maastricht School of Management (MSM). Previously known as the Netherlands International Institute for Management MSM is an international business school noted widely for excellence in management education and performance. IT emphasizes the key roe that good management plays in competition, growth and productivity. MSM aims to combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience. The IUB-MSM MBA programme is a 15-month 48-credit programme taught by faculty of IUB an MSM and other national and international professors. It has been developed specifically to meet the growing need of managers to understand and successfully undertake business in a rapidly changing world. It provides broad based business skills to enable graduates to operate specifically within the Asia-Pacific region. The intensive programme is best suited to men and women who are goal oriented and planning a challenging career in management.
2.6.2. Master of Science: IUB has introduced M.Sc. programme in Computer Science
from Spring 2003 under the School of Communication.
2.6.3. Master of Development Studies: IUB has planned to start the master of
development studies programme from Spring 2004 under SLAS.
2.7. Corporate strategy and business strategy: 2.7.1. Corporate Strategy:

Strategic decisions are being taken in the higher level management is called corporate strategy. In case of IUB, decisions that are taken by the governing council and academic council may be named as corporate strategy. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 74
2.7.2. Business Strategy: Strategic decisions that are taken in the department level
may be named as business strategy. In case of IUB, decisions that are taken in the Strategic Business Unit (SBU) level or different department may be named as business strategy.
2.8. Different Strategic Business Unit (SBUs) at IUB:1

A unit of the company that has a separate mission and objectives and that can be planned independently from other company businesses is called Strategic Business Unit. As SBU can be a company division, a product line within a division or sometimes a single product or brand. Plilip Kotler. In case of IUB, there are five SBUs as follws: a) School of Business (SoB) b) School of Communication (SoC) c) School of Environmental Science and Management (SESM) d) School of Liberal Arts and Science (SLAS) e) The Language Centre f) Extension and Continuing Education Centre (ECEC) The different departments at IUB are as follows: a) Vice-Chancellors Office b) Finance and Accounts Office c) Planning and Development Department (P &D) d) Admissions Office e) Registrars Office f) Library and Documentation Centre g) Purchase division h) Management Services Division i) Monem Computer Centre (MCC) j) Division of Student Affairs (DoSA) k) Printing and Publication Department
75
IUB is functioning through the interrelationships and interactions within these above mentioned SBUs and departments. These are located at the eight campuses and five administrative buildings.
2.9. IUB campus location:

Presently IUB has eight campuses at different roads at Baridhara and Bashundhara, and five administrative buildings including MBA building.
2.9.1. The Future Campus

A proposed permanent campus will spread over 411,000 sq. ft. with a ten-storied Academic building with 6 lifts and two basement parking lots with a capacity of approximately 350 cars. Additionally, there will be surface level parking for approx. 50 cars. A sate of the art IT center of 15,000 sq. ft., a resource library of 20,000 sq. ft. with audio visual equipment and science laboratories which will give students first rate opportunities in applied technology and research, have also been provided for. The campus has been planned for central air-conditioning with more than 50 classrooms, 4 galleries and an auditorium for 750 people. Adequate provision has been made for electronic communication and a PABX system for improvement efficiency and time management. It will be a self-contained facility with its own sub-station, water supply, state of the art security and fire extinguishing equipment. A court of knowledge with an amphi-theatre will connect the Academic and Administrative buildings to promote a congenial educational atmosphere and encourage students mingle with each other. A number of cafeterias, coffee shops, a gymnasium, medical clinic and bookstore are also planned to meet the recreational and daily needs of the students. A unique feature of this building is that the classrooms are serviced with split-level corridors for reduced noise. Student access to the building is from the east and administrative/public entrance will be from the north through a 60 feet wide road.
76
2.10. Basic Information at a Glance (As of 2001-2002 IUB Directory )

Vice Chancellor Prof. Bazlul Mobin Chowdhury Treasurer Mr. Abdul Hafiz Chaudhury, FCA Representatives, ESTCDT Mr. SM Al-Husainy Mr. Matin Chowdhury Mr. KZ Mahmud Mr. CM Murshed Mrs. Yasmeen Mursheed Mr. Wajid Ali Khan Panni Mr. Afroz Rahim Mr. Towhid Samad Mr. AKM Shamsuddoha Mrs. Nilufer Zafarullah Members of Constituent Institutions Mr. Mahmood-ul Haq Mr. Abul Ahsan Directors of the Degree Awarding Schools Prof. MA Raqib Prof. Borhan Uddin Prof. Haroun er Rashid Professor Dr. M Ali Hossain Representatives from Chittagong Mr. Amir Khosru Mahmud Chwodhury Mr. Habibllah Khan.
77
CHAPTER
Literature review on PROFS, Office Automation Systems and their objectives

3.1. What is PROFS (Professional Office Systems)? 3.1.1. First PROFS:
1982
- The National Security Council (NSC) staff at the White House acquires a prototype electronic mail system, from IBM, called the Professional Office System (PROFS). April-1985 - The PROFS e-mail system becomes fully operational within the NSC, including not only the full staff, but also home terminals for the National Security Adviser, Robert "Bud" McFarlane, and his deputy, Admiral John M. Poindexter.
3.1.2. According to Easylink global services limited:

Customers already have their own internal network / mainframe set up. We are just giving them the availability to communicate outside their network to others. A node is established that contains system information & options that are available. Users are assigned a Profs User ID that is associated with each individual logon. Incoming traffic is routed to a master" MBX, which will distribute internal mail based on the EasyLink "via" line. Additions of new users is updated through SFS and fed to the EasyLink PROFSUTIL database. This PROFSUTIL database does not exist in Node.
3.1.3. According to MSDN library:

This information is based on the Microsoft Mail for PC Networks gateway to PROFS. The GATEWAY field is part of the gateway architecture, not the PROFS address.
3.1.4. According to an ISO notice:

Electronic mail, electronic forms, calendering, and scheduling have become more and more an integral part of the effective operation of state government and educational institutions. With the implementation of the Kansas Data Network (KDN) it is mandatory that an Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 78
agency's office automation efforts not result in their isolation from other agencies or offices. The sending of documents and messages, as well as scheduling both inter and intra agency meetings is greatly enhanced by ensuring that each user on the statewide network can efficiently communicate with any other user. It is also advisable that the process to accomplish this be transparent to users as they send and receive electronic mail to and from other computer systems. Eventually, it appears as though the International Standards Organization's (ISO) x.400 will be the industry standard; however, that is not the present reality. In the meantime, the vast majority of non(c)IBM vendors have gateways between their products and IBM's Professional Office System (PROFS) actives of Profs at an university:
3.1.5. According to MIS book (Managing The Digital Firm, Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon):
Office Automation is the use of computer to speed up the performance of existing tasks. The most common form of IT-enabled organizational change is automation. The first applications of information technology involved assisting employees in performing their tasks efficiently and effectively. Calculating paychecks and payroll registers, giving bank tellers instant access to customer deposit records, and developing a nationwide network of airline reservation terminals for airline reservation agents are all examples of early automation. However, the concept of office automation or PROFS do vary from organization to organization, how much will be automation, the objectives do vary. About OAS If we talk with some solution providers, they will definitely be talking about ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solutions, which will require established database at all the nodes of an organization and will show a path to integrate all. For IUB we are not going to think of such custom software to implement and the design of the PROFS will not include integration of all the departments as it is not yet not possible to do, and for many change are expected within next five years, as IUB-Planning and Development, and the strategic deciders claim. Moreover, most of the departments are yet to construct and define role at each node. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 79
3.2. Objectives of PROFS:

The following objectives of PROFS have been identified, through studies on various websites, who took similar attempt to design a complete structured university office automation system:
3.2.1. Integration of systems at the data, function and institution level,

The objective is to provide quality data in a timely fashion through systems that are completely integrated. This will provide opportunities for operational efficiency and a base for decision support activities at various levels. Note: By purchasing an integrated suite of applications to support its human resource management and student administration functions, and adopting Oracle as a common database management system, the University may take major steps toward realizing this objective. 3.2.2. Collection of information at the source, The objective is to provide facilities for authorized users to enter information into the system directly, instead of passing the information (usually on paper) to another individual at another location to enter into the system. 3.2.3. Balance local and institutional information requirements, The objective is to address the various administrative and academic objectives of the faculties, as well as, provide the necessary support for the institutional level activities conducted by the Registrar's Office, Graduate Studies Office and Institutional Analysis and Planning (eg. the government claim, tuition and grant estimation, the ECEC etc). 3.2.4. Less paper driven systems, By collecting data at the source and providing wider electronic access (particularly to students and faculty), the intention is to reduce the paper driven aspects of the existing systems. 3.2.5. Streamline approval procedures, Often approval mechanisms become very routine in nature and may not meet the original approval objective. The intention is to question the existing approval procedures, and where possible develop less cumbersome procedures, perhaps employing exception processing and electronic approval. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 80
3.2.6. Better decision support systems, The objective is to provide a well-integrated suite of data and online modeling tools to support various decision-making processes around admissions, course and exam scheduling, degree audit, space planning, grant estimation, etc. 3.2.7. Integration of systems with office automation tools, The intention is not only to have data easily portable to word processors, spreadsheets, etc., but to use these tools as an integral part of applications. For example, admissions letters could be easily prepared in a word processor and triggered from the admission decision process where the applicants name, address, program etc. are merged into the letter. 3.2.8. Office Automation parts to be targeted initially: A number of useful business tools and utilities have evolved to satisfy the day to day needs of a busy workplace. These are packaged under the general heading of Office Automation, and can result in significant savings and efficiencies in our everyday working environment. 3.2.9. Electronic Diary lets us maintain an electronic diary that can be referenced by other people, though individual appointments can be marked as private. Uses a month at a glance layout with explosions for any day, it also allows conference meetings to be scheduled for multiple people with a single entry. Can also be used as an electronic Status Board, so you can quickly determine who is where, when, why and for how long. If used correctly, anyone can make an appointment for anyone else with confidence. 3.2.10. Personal Notebook is an electronic form of the jotter pad and the scraps of paper that always seem to flutter around a busy desk. This allows you to keep TO DO list and tid-bits of useful information at your fingertips, but unlike the scraps of paper you may be using now, this electronic jotter can not be misplaced! 3.2.11. Prospect System is a complete prospecting tool, allowing details of prospects name, address and phone details, interests and information on contacts to be stored. Actions can be set for specific days, and direct mail can be accomplished with production of labels or personalized letters. 3.2.12. Text Processing: If we need to be able to produce form letters, but dont need the power of a full blown word processing system, this provides a facility to use the
81
RUNOFF text processor, which supports boldface, underlining etc and can extract any information from your corporate database for inclusion within a document. 3.2.13. Task Management: Allows projects to be broken down into any number of tasks, which can be prioritorized, be dependent on other tasks, and be assigned to anyone within the organization for actioning. Any type of project can be controlled and managed, from a major construction, to software development, or just organize an office party. 3.2.14. Electronic Mail: lost messages will be a thing of the past with the comprehensive electronic mail system. We may establish our own mail lists for automatic distribution of messages, and recipients are warned that they have unread mail waiting. Mail may be scheduled for future transmission, which is a facility used extensively to warn people of impending diary appointments, internal audits, business alarm conditions etc. Of course, hard copies of any mail sent or received can be obtained, and the integration with the rest of the system means that Electronic Mail can become a powerful Quality Tool. 3.2.15. New Database Construction: For estate, store and purchase new database could be constructed to list down the details. At the same time the facilities department should use the same database to facilitate people. Since many databases are not available yet and query cannot solved instantly and involves bundles of papers and forms, online forms and mails will strengthen work force. Integration with the mailing and task manager will help to reduce pressure with paperwork.
3.3.Literature Review on Office Automation System:

Before going into the details of PROFS of IUB I would be giving a brief idea about the Information work and office automation in brief discussion for a clear thoretical evalutaion of the design. The review has been mostly focused on the writings of Kenneth C.Laudon and Jane P. Laudons Management Information Systems, Organization and Technology (Fourth Edition, p.574-594). 3.3.1.Three roles of the office within the organization: Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 82
Offices are groups composed of people who work together toward shared goals. In this sence, office work is complex and cooperative, and yet highly individualistic. It represents not a factory of collaborating workers so much as an orchestra of highly trained individuals. Office perform three critical organizational roles: They coordinate and manage the work of local professional and information workers within the organization. They link the work being performed across all levels and functions throughout the organization. They couple the organization to the external environment, including to its clients and suppliers; when we call an organization, we call an office. 3.3.2. Office Activities and Technologies: To fulfill the roles those I have just described, offices usually perform the five major office activities; these include managing documents, scheduling and communicating with people, managing information, and managing projects. These are illustrated in the table 3.1. 3.3.3. Office Automation Systems (OAS) can be defined as any application of information technology that intends to increase productivity of information workers in the office. Computer systems, such as word processing, voice mail systems, and video conferencing systems, that are designed to increase the productivity of information workers in the office specifies OAS. Todays office applications are based on an array of technologies: document management technologies, technologies for collaborative work, desktop data management technologies, and project management technologies, illustrated in the table below. Table 3.1. : Office automation: Roles, Activities and Systems in the automated office. General Roles of Offices Activities in an Office % of Effort Information Technology
83
. Coordination and management of people and work 2.Linking organizational units and projects 3. Coupling the organization to outside groups and people
1. Managing documents: Creating, storing/retrieving, and communicating image(analog) and digital documents 2. Scheduling individuals and groups: Creating, managing and communicating documents, plans and calendars. 3. Communicating with individuals and groups: Initiating, receiving, and managing voice and digital communications with diverse groups and individuals 4. Managing data on individuals and groups: Entering and managing data to track external customers, clients, and vendors and internal individuals and goups. 5. Managing projects: Planning, initiating, evaluating, monitoring projects Resource allocation Personnel decisions
40%
10%
Document management: Word processing hardware and software, Desktop publishing, Digital image processing Digital Calendars: Electronic calendars and schedules, Electronic mail, Goupware. Communications: PBX and digital phone equipment, Voice mail, Groupware
30%
10%
Data management: Desktop database for client/customer tracking, project tracking, and calendar information( personal information management) Project Management: Desktop project management tools CPM (Critical Path Method) and PERT (Project Evaluation and Review Technique) methods.
10%
(Source: 1990 Azimuth Corporation)
Table 3.2. Contemporary Office Technologies Office Activity 1. Managing documents 2. Collaborative work 3. Managing information 4. Managing projects Technology Document imaging/ workflow management Groupware, Email, electronic calendars Desktop data management (personal information managers) Desktop project managers
1. 2. 3. 4.
3.3.3.1. Managing Documents: Technologies that are used to create, process and manage documents are known as document management technologies. These technologies include word processing, desktop publishing, document imaging, and workflow management. This
84
technology also includes a computer language, type fonts, and graphics for high-quality laser printers and other output devices. 3.3.3.2. Document Imaging and Workflow Management Systems: One way to reduce problems stemming from paper-based workflow is to employ document imaging systems. 3.3.3.3. Document imaging systems are systems that convert documents ad images into digital forms so that they can be stored and accessed by the computer. Such systems stores, retrieve, and manipulate a digitized image of a document, allowing the document itself to be discarded with the help of a scanner. With imaging systems, the document will originally be stored on a magnetic disk, where it can be retrieved instantly. When it ceases to be active, it will be transferred to an optical disk where it will be stored for as many months or years as is needed. Optical disk, kept on-line in a jukebox (a device for storing and retrieving many optical disks), require up to a minute to retrieve document automatically. A typical large jukebox will store over 10 million pages (an 8.5 inches by 11 inches document usually requires about 50 kilobytes of storage after data compression). An imaging system also requires an index server to contain the indexes that will allow users to identify and retrieve the document when needed. Once a document has been stored electronically, workflow management can change the traditional methods of working with documents. Workflow management is the process of streamlining business procedures so that documents can be moved more easily and efficiently form one location to another.
3.3.4. Groupware: New Technology for Collaborative work

Groupware software recognizes the significance of groups in office by providing functions and services that support the collaborative activities of work groups. The goal of groupware is to improve the effectiveness of the work group by providing electronic links between its members. What happens in groups? Members of he group perform the following activities : Schedule meetings Hold meetings Communicate with one another Collaborate to develop ideas 85
Share the preparation of documents Share knowledge Share information on the work each member is doing
Groupware usually includes such functions as information sharing, electronic meetings, scheduling and E-mail. This technology requires the use of network to connect the members of the group as they work on their own desktop computers, often in widely scattered locations. Electronic calendaring tracks appointments and schedules in an office. Electronic mail (E-mail) allows the electronic exchange of messages between users in remote locations. Electronic meeting enhance the productivity of face-to-face group meetings or of meetings among participants in scattered locations.
3.3.5. Lotus Notes: The leading groupware software has been Lotus Notes from Lotus
Software, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Lotus Notes essentially share a database over a network to create information-sharing applications. The database collections of documents stored in a group and can contain free-form text, graphics, file attachments, and with additional software and hardware-sound, image, and video data. With a Notes database the user can search whole database as a group, so that the user does not have to know database organization or be concerned about such issues as numeric versus alphanumeric. Moreover, Lotus Notes can operate on a wide range of systems, including IBM-compatible microcomputer workstations running OS/2 or Windows, Macintosh computers, or workstations running UNIX. The data are stored in a distributed database, with servers at key locations wherever needed. Louts Notes runs is both LANs and WANs, using several popular network operating systems. The software supports a compound document that consists of different types of information acquired from separate sources such as graphics, database, spreadsheet data, and text-based programs. In Notes each application is a separate database. The system is delivered with predefined template applications that can be used as is or modified. Notes allow employees to share diary, which may be more effective than posting notices on bulletin boards. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 86
Presently Lotus Notes 6 is available with lot many features for client/server applications and collaborative networking and information sharing.
3.3.6. Group Collaboration via the Internet:

Organizations can use Internet for group collaboration and coordination, especially the Internet capabilities for E-mail, discussion groups, and information sharing on the World Wide Web. The Internet is much less expensive to use than proprietary products such as Lotus Notes and provides many groupware like functions. Both Lotus Notes and World Wide Web groupware has strength and weaknesses. Lotus Notes includes mature technology, powerful model for organizing information, integrated security but is a proprietary technology, and has weak user interface. On the other hand, World Wide Web has open architecture, easy to distribute, administrative independence of organization using it but includes immature HTML, undeveloped security, and limited document management.
3.3.7. Managing Projects: Desktop Project Managers

Offices are the organizations central point that coordinates the flow of resources to projects and evaluate results. Project management software breaks a complex project down into simpler subtasks, each with its own completion time and resource requirements. Once a user knows what is needed by each subtask, delivery schedules can be written and resource allocated.
CHAPTER
Methodology
4
87
6.1 Introduction:
In order to develop a Professional Office Systems Design (PROFS) for IUB, sufficient information had to be collected in order to bring about a systematic description of the sequence of activities involved in fulfilling the requirements of the system involved in various departments of the university. A collection of procedures, techniques and tools were used to help in the design of the completely new information and communication system. PROFS aim at providing an efficient mode of information exchange among the offices. In order to monitor the progress of system development, system analysis was done with the aid of various Process and functional Models. Work Flow Diagrams were used to monitor the flow of information within or/and among the departments of IUB and from one system to another. The models were used to clarify to the users and programmers on how the components of the systems fit together. Organogram and department structure diagrams were prepared to show the hierarchy of the actors in the organization. In addition to these models, Rich Pictures were used to produce a pictorial caricature of the organization.
6.2 Techniques for Fact Finding

The method used to gather information for this report was basically from primary sources. In order to make the report more concrete, some secondary data were also used. Primary data were collected form various meetings with organizations departments heads and other important actors in the organization. Observations and interactions with the participants in different departments also provided valuable primary information. On the other hand, secondary data were collected from various publications, yearbooks, catalogs, documents, forms, notices, meeting minutes of different departments.
6.3. Methodologies used for the system development and report presentation:
Firstly, as one of the most important things to know about building a new information systems is that this process is one kind of planned organizational change. Frequently, new systems mean new ways of doing business and working together. The nature of tasks, the speed with which they must be completed, the nature of supervision (its frequency and intensity), and who has what information about whom will all be decided in Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 88
the process s of building an information system, which deeply affect many parts of the organization. In order to understand the organizations structure, culture and politics, I have gathered some basic information from some documents, catalogs and university those given in the Organization Profile (Chapter 2.). This is presented with the apex of the structure of the corporate strategic planning and planning group, office information and the information system steering group. Secondly, in order to give a details idea about PROFS and Office Automation Systems, Chapter 3 is contained with a wide variety of literature reviews from various sources. Thirdly, Chapter 4, i.e. this chapter is included with the procedures and methodologies followed for doing the project, added with the software and hardware requirements for the software package that have been proposed as prototype before using an enterprise automation after construction of all the databases. Fourthly, as the organization must develop a technique for ensuring that the most important systems are built first, that unnecessary systems are not built, and that end users have a full and meaningful role in determining which new systems will be built and how, next step was the preliminary investigation. This step was done as the same way it is done as the first step of System Development Life Cycle. However, the intention of gathering most important and wide range of idea about the offices of IUB was to go for a Enterprise Analysis at the functional level in the requirement analysis phase. Therefore pleliminary investigation is given in the chapter 5 and requirement analysis in chapter 6. It must be told here that enterprise analysis is an analysis of organization-wide information requirements by looking at the entire organization in terms of organizational units, functions, processes and data elements; helps to identify key entities and attributes in the organizations data. As I have mentioned that it was an analysis at functional level I should have given Process/organization matrix to indicate in the organization participates in specific processes and the nature of their involvement. But, as I could only find out how one department depends on other and not he personnel involved in the process this could not be given. Moreover, the role of most of the officials are not clear, the SOPs are not set or maintained, Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 89
functions are not always done according to the same procedure rather somehow done. That forced me for a step to give them a satisfactory communication system that will reduce paperwork and can be tracked according the basic features of PROFS. Fiftly, for providing the solution I had two alternatives. Either provide a prototype by custom making or to use a software package solution. As the solution would be best solved by Loutus Notes being the best groupware I thought to prepare a prototype but that might create problem for the user will have to change environment. It is found that those organizations using Microsoft Outlook 2002, can directly go for using Lotus Notes. Therefore, in the designing and prototyping phases I have used the mixed methodology of prototyping and developing system with application software package. Last of all, I have provided the problems and flaws in systems of all the departments, the changes needed from organizational, IT and management point of view, for going for an enterprise solution for the university.
Software and Hardware Specification of Software package used as prototype:

The prototype of PROFS is a well known groupware. Its features, hardware and software specification are given below. The information is gathered from www.gateway.com.
Groupware:
Outlook 2002:
Complete email management Smart Tags in WordMail Rich formatting options Enhanced security
90
Description:
View, organize, and manage all of your personal and group information with a single integrated solution like Microsoft Outlook 2002. Outlook 2002 is the ultimate digital communication tool. It is now easy to work with e-mail, tasks, contacts, appointments, calendars, and more. It helps you to manage your time and tasks more effectively, so you can spend more time working. So stop worrying about being able to access certain information because this applications puts everything right in your face. And this application isn't short-handed when it comes to features. Outlook uses Word as the default e-mail editor, so you utilize Smart Tags for AutoCorrect, Paste Options, Addresses, Names, and there is a multitude of formatting options you can switch between like HTML, rich text, plain text, and more. AutoComplete Addressing recognizes the first letters of the e-mail address based on a previously sent e-mail and automatically completes the address for you. Also, Outlook offers support for Hotmail and other Internet mail providers. Outlook enables you to save several group calendars for easy access to team or conference room schedules. With easy color coding within calendars you automatically know whether an appointment recipient is available for a meeting or they are busy, tentative, or out of the office. If a meeting time is bad for a recipient now with version 2002, they can propose a new meeting time rather than just declining the request. And for every single appointment or task, a reminder window will pop and it allows you to easily snooze, dismiss, or open it to view. Outlook 2002 is the complete solution to managing
91
your everyday life.
System Requirements:
Pentium 133 MHz or higher processor required Windows 98, 98 Second Edition, Me, NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6 or greater, or 2000 or greater RAM requirements for Microsoft Outlook depend upon the operating system used, plus an additional 8 MB of RAM for each Office application running simultaneously: for Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition, 24 MB of RAM for the operating system; for Windows Me, Windows NT Workstation or Server 4.0, 32 MB of RAM for the operating system; for Windows 2000 Professional, 64 MB of RAM for the operating system Hard-disk space requirements will vary depending on configuration. 135 MB of available hard-disk space is required for the default configuration of Microsoft Outlook with 115 MB on the hard disk where the operating system is installed. Customers without Windows 2000, Windows Me or Office 2000 SR1 will require an extra 50 MB of hard-disk space for the System Files Update CD-ROM drive Super VGA (800 x 600) or high-resolution monitor with 256 colors Microsoft Mouse, IntelliMouse, or compatible pointing device Miscellaneous: Multimedia: Multimedia computer required for sound and other multimedia effects. A hardware accelerated video card or MMX processor will provide improved graphical rendering performance. Pentium II 400MHz or higher processor, 128 or more MB of RAM, close-talk microphone and audio output device required for speech recognition Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 92
E-mail & Internet: Microsoft Exchange, Internet SMTP/POP3, IMAP4, or MAPIcompliant messaging software for e-mail; Microsoft Exchange Server required for certain advanced collaboration functionality in Microsoft Outlook; some Internet functionality may require Internet access via a 14.4kbs or greater modem or a high speed connection, and payment of a separate fee to a service provider; local charges may apply
Graphics tablet recommended for handwriting input features
Specifications:
93
Table CD Drive Speed (X) : Format: Hard Drive Space Recommended : Hard Drive Space Req. (MB): Operating System : Processor Recommended: Processor Required : Processor Speed Rec. (MHz): Processor Speed Req. (MHz) : Ram Recommended (MB): Ram Required (MB) : Upgrade: Users : Version: x Mac OS (Min. version) : x Windows 2000: x Windows 3.x : x Windows 95: x Windows 98 : x Windows NT (Min. version): NOT SPECIFIED CD-ROM 135.0 135.0 WINDOWS PENTIUM PENTIUM 133.0 133.0 32.0 32.0 NO 1.0 2002.0 NONE YES NO YES YES 4.0
94
CHAPTER
Preliminary Investigation
5.1. About the project proposal:
Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) being one of the best private universities in Bangladesh runs its functionality by a number of departments in an organized way. About 300 permanent employees are engaged in various functionalities at IUB within those departments. But to allow them to work faster an office automation system design is asked to prepare and implement a part of it to give the organization a touch of IS development. The organizational bottlenecks are expected to be found out during this projects initial stage which would help to develop the organizational structure as necessary to fit the technology to organization, as we always say that an organization is a socio-technical entity.
5.2. Project Scope: 5.2.1. Context:

How does the project fit into IUB, it's context and what constraints are imposed as a result of the context? IUB has a strong network environment established among it's departments. All the offices and schools of IUB are connected by a fiber optic backbone of one Giga bit per second or 1000 mega bit per second. The entire system that would ultimately be established would be an ERP solution in some near future, which would be a TCP/ IP system. Moreover, this would work on the Internet as well. This would be supported by the IUB Internet connection, which is of 128 Kbps full duplex dedicated bandwidth. This will allow the exchange of information among the departments in a fast and efficient network environment. The software those support groupware, require the database created in all the departments of IUB. Although IUB do not have the same in all the departments. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 95
So, the design would be proposing a software that would satisfy most of the basic requirements. The findings will allow us to identify the number of new databases required in different departments. The current problems in information exchange will also help us in identifying interdependencies of the departments and their database sharing needs. Software like the Lotus Notes, or the mostly used Microsoft Outlook 98/2000/2002 could be effectively used at different stages before coming up with the ultimate solution of ERP which allows the best Office Automation capability. What possible current data could be designed in which way (web based, purchase some other software, which parts could be computerized etc.) will be revealed. So, considering the above facts, despite various constraints I believe that this design of PROFS would fit into the current context of IUB. Moreover, this project is not about going into direct cutover implementation rather a contextual research about IUBs current office states, those if asked to run with an office automation system what are things we must do, has to be found out by this project.
5.2.2. Information Objectives:

What customer-visible data objects are produced as output from the software? What data objects are required for input? Most of the departments exchange inter-office memorandum, notices, notifications, applications, forms, reports about queries, documentations in various forms and shapes are to be delivered from one department to another or within the department and tracking those are the software outputs those we could talk about in a nutshell. Depending on the departments functions the inputs vary those will be described in the requirement analysis and design phase later on. In brief the idea could be given like, Registrars office takes input of personal information of students, semester and course details with results received from the instructors; purchase office receive purchase requisition of employees and authorization for purchasing the demand; facilities receives the requisition for transport, room etc. all these are the input for various departments those we shall be knowing about.
5.2.3. Function and performance:

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 96
What function does the software perform to transform input data into output? Are any special performance characteristics to be addressed?
The software allows communication help among the personnel within or outside same department. This maintains personnel record, track information accessed in desktop applications, arrange meetings, allow form exchange. Its special performance chararistic is to allow automated document, comment and information of various forms to be exchanged among individuals. However, as it is not being an ERP solution for some databases to be created, OAS will be created satisfying the criteria of PROFS.
5.3. Introduction to Preliminary Investigation:

There are basically two purposes of this phase to answer only one very first question for any software project. The question is, Is this project worth looking at? Firstly, to define the perceived problems, opportunities and directives that triggered the project. Independent University, Bangladesh being one of the best private universities in Bangladesh have more than 2500 undergraduate students, 40 graduate students and not less than 300 regular/part time employees who are either under some schools or some official departments of the university frequently share a great deal of information among them. Moreover, the transaction processing, management reporting, decision supports and the bulk of office information are handled mostly in the traditional method. People have to wait for hours together in the registrars office for a single information, a purchase requisition of only 1000 taka worth takes 3 days to give response etc are making the people related to the organization feel dissatisfied about the organizations capabilities. Moreover, there has never been any attempt to find out how the organization is functioning. In the near future the university management have an intention to have systems interrelated with all the departments those will share the information among them in a quick and efficient manner. I was given the honor to look through the management and IT point of view about its way of developing an office automation system. Secondly, to assess the risk of pursuing the project. The greatest risks associated with pursuing this project are the need to change the organization structure, the hierarchy of personnel in workflow, workload, make the employees accept the new system etc. Moreover, automation includes a considerable training. Organizations where many Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 97
employees like guards, drivers, caretakers etc. employees are not well educated need training about the basics of automated operations and have point of entry to the system by some other individual. By now, I have already learned that the organization have never had any seminar or presentation to train about better coordination and control over their job functions, it would be hard to think that the organization will give much effort in this regard. It has been such may be because IUB does have some SOPs unwritten and just practiced or just suddenly imposed over the employees or students when situation occurred but those have hardly been formalized in blank and white. I must add that, even the Teachers Evaluation System which is one of the integral part of the university is not structured, the HR database have been developed previously which have not yet been implemented in the university. Similarly, many other flaws have remained a great risk in having a suitable solution for the design of the Office automation system, but yet for revealing and supporting those, the projects design proposition will give a way to start working for automating in more strategic way in the near future.
5.3.2. About establishing the project charter:

Establishing the project charter is part of the preliminary investigation phase which includes: Scope (How big is the project?) Preliminary requirements and constraints Project participants Budget Schedule
Previously I have mentioned about the first three points. Budget is not being considered here. I shall be maintaining Schedule as follows according to the prior supervision of my project manager.
98
5.3.3. Tasks during Preliminary Investigation:

The tasks those are done during the preliminary investigation are: Find the organization structure to learn about the organizations functions and workflows within and among the departments. Find the department structure and know about more specific details of workload and workflow along with how those are done. Find how the departments presently exchange the information among them and whether they have any automated system to process some of their functionalities. What are the weaknesses in the departments they can think about, related to information exchange, those if automated could give them benefit? Do they feel threatened if they are given with some computerized facilities to accelerate their work? If so, do they feel threatened about their knowledge about computers or they feel that they will lose control over some of their unstructured rights. Do they think that they need to have some change in their existing processes before 0going for automation or they will fit them into the offered system? (This question aims to their real psychological outcome of their feeling about the expectation from the automation) What kind of information do they maintain and what kind of information they do exchange but need not to be tracked all the time as having no future importance. These questions have not been used as structured questionnaire as in the initial stage and in the organization like the university where they do not always feel free to talk to a student coming up with such direct questions, unstructured questions have been used to come up with the answers of most of these questions. All the meetings done during the entire project were both formal and informal to get the best outcome of information. As I am as well Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 99
working from the insiders point of view my knowledge about the departments at some points helped and restricted to access to those information. From the next point onward I have added my findings about the workflows of the departments. In most of the cases, the hierarchy of the personnel in the department structure has restricting the right of the users in the access to various information. Identifying the role of each official, have been very hard to track down I have drawn the department structure and the proposed organogram of IUB those given in the appendix A. So, I shall describe all the raw information I have found and learned during my initial meetings with various personnel of the departments of IUB.
5.3.4. Findings during preliminary investigation:

The four schools, the language centre and the ECEC fall under the strategic business unit category those called as the SBUs which have been mentioned earlier. The different departments at IUB were also been investigated and the information are as well been discussed below in brief.
5.3.4.1. Undergraduate Schools of IUB:

As all the school are of same nature, and in the near future all of them will have separate lab facility and the office managers will manage office works of the schools. Therefore, I shall give a general diagram and working function pattern of the schools. Presently, the SoC and SoB has one office manager and one office in-charge designation respectively. The remaining schools and language centre do not have any individual of designation office manager or office in charge to do the official tasks. According to the diagram the structure of the schools are hopefully clear. Here, it should be mentioned that the office manager would maintain most of the communication with other departments related to basic office operations. The advisory task vested upon the instructors, or various tasks according to their designations are presently run directly with the related departments and information are provided by the departments according the practiced SOPs. Although there are no written form of SOPs for these functionalities but are well understood by organization members. Being the insider and as the report is being produced for the future use of the insiders I have not gone to the details of functionalities of the schools and the schools personnel. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 100
5.3.4.1.1.Interdepartmental information flow and the personnels contribution in the chain: Information exchange with library: The instructors are the major population of the schools who demand for books from the library through traditional means or over mail or phone. They may demand for purchase of books through librarian via mail and there is set format given from the library for this purpose. Instructors may also seek for journal and book information. Information exchange with ECEC: Instructors taking seminars or courses exchange information about their course time and place and are confirmed by the ECEC. Information exchange with Store and Purchase, Facilities and Maintenance: Instructors may seek for purchases through the purchase requisition forms. Instructors may seek for various facilities through the facilities request forms provided by the facilities department. Information exchange with personnel: The directors may ask for personnel (guard, house keeper, cook etc.) needed for the department including the need for new faculty where higher authority decisions approve this concern beforehand. They also seed for leave using the leave application form provided by the personnel branch. The increment information and teachers evaluation report are received from the personnel department. Information exchange with Finance and Accounts: The instructors may seek for their payment information from the finance and accounts department, including leave or some other facilities related with accounts and personnel are informed to the school personnel as of request. Official Information: There are various other strategic decisions taken by the VC and other strategic management are informed to the instructors through the paper based system. Method of Communication: Other than some cases like leave application, high rate of purchase demand, new course offers etc. All the instructor do not practically have to follow a strict chain of command Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 101
except the fact that they have to apply or forward form through director of the school. Therefore, there is open and direct communication practice among the various groups of instructors. The hierarchy of designation except for the directors does not make any strong communication gap among the instructors irrespective of schools they are related with.
5.3.4.2. Extension And Continuing Education Centre (ECEC):

ECEC is one of the departments at IUB, which works behind the scene to promote various kinds of educational activities including programming courses, seminars, workshops etc during the breaks of semesters. This department functions from the VCs office building, which includes only two individuals. The necessary communication are mostly related with outside IUB community as they have to arrange formal meetings with other institutions, invite personnel for the seminars of workshops etc. However, as the courses arranged by this department are mostly related with the instructors at IUB, there are some internal communications as well. The internal communication related with the Office Automation System is shown in the Appendix A. To ensure education for life, IUB has an Extension and Continuing Education Center (ECEC) to provide educational facilities to all those who are not registered as full time students but who wish to avail themselves of opportunities for specific training in particular areas. The center has been conducting short-term management courses for job seekers as well as for those already in employment. 5.3.4.2.1. Inter-Office Works: 1. Budget Estimation for year: Firstly the Director of Finance requests for budget estimation for the year, by a formal letter to the Director of ECEC. Secondly, The Director of ECEC forwards that letter to the Programme Officer who prepares the budget by making frequent consultation with his director. After preparing the budget, programme officer keeps on copy and forwards it to his Director. Thirdly, The Director of ECEC after providing his initials forwards the ECEC annual budget to the Director of Finance. 2. Off semester Course offers:
102
Instructors may request ECEC to provide room and budget sanctioning for the off semester course to promote the qualities of the students in some academic field. So, The instructor sends course offer request to the Director of ECEC. Director of ECEC forwards the letter to the program officer for details investigation about the scope of the course. Programme officer asks the instructor to provide course outline, duration and prospective students, time allocation etc, if such course offer could be provided necessary funding according to the yearly budget. Instructor sends the requested information to the programme officer. Programme officer makes the cost planning of the program and along with information about instructor information, cost, room allocation, facilities requirements etc. sends the details to the Director of Accounts. Programme officer also prepares notice about the course and sends copy to all the department heads, including DoSA, Media department, notice board and many others. The specific details of individuals who receive those are not specified in any rule. Programme officer is responsible for maintaining all the office documents and track records of the information exchanged among the offices of IUB. Existing Internal Paperwork processes at a glance: Maintain personnel record of employees including performance details Prepare Annual Budget for the department, Prepare Off Semester course schedule and inform accounts department and instructor, Prepare and distribute notice of course and inform all necessary individuals, Arrange seminar as of request by VC or other personnel, invite IUB and non-IUB personnel, Arrange seminar schedule and submit expenditure to accounts.
5.3.4.3. Registrars Office:

IUB registrars office department personnel are shown in the diagram of Registrars offices department organization chart. However, students do a significant amount of shelf
103
work and various important tasks for filing, reception and information providing at the office for which they are paid according to hours of work done. How the works are done: The admissions, registration and all other functionalities are related with all the departments of the university. Therefore this could be said as the center or the heart of the university, which directly deals with the core competency of the university. The registration processes are automated and students tuition waiver, students information, ID processing; more specifically starting from the first day to the last day of IUB all the information are stored in the registrars office database. However, for various other functions related with the student the functions are manual for some definite problems. Among the registrars office and accounts department they have no database connection and information flow between the two databases. But however, this is not the case that there is no paperwork. For traditional way of secured procedure maintenance paper reports are provided to the student those go to the accounts office and provide other report to the students. However, about inter department communication, they do use papers to exchange information about various defaulter list among accounts, library and various schools for information providing to the advisors. However, this could be done over a secured mailing system, which IUB does have and which is sometimes used for this purpose. Employee specific functions: The registrar does the overall supervision of the office including taking care of registration allowing, regulation maintenance about registration like cancellation, providing student certificates etc. He might assign any task to any of the personnel in the office. The Associate Dean deals with the admission related, tuition waiver and similar student related cases etc. and may assign job to any subordinate and take help directly from any superior of the university. The Assistant registrar is the most effective position for the time being. All sort of problems related with admissions, class schedule making, students transcript maintenance, graduation enlisting, and certificate database process etc., student problem solution all these are solved through him. It could happen within the Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 104
department with the help of any superior or subordinate or with the help of any other department. He has the full right to the database of IUB registrars office database. The new course offers and listings are sent to all the directors of schools and details of the courses are sent to all advisors and notice boards under his supervision. The grade sheet processing, honors listing, filing and other similar report making are done by the senior assistants. The junior assistants as well help in file maintaining in various aspects. However, all have the access to certain rights of the registrars office database depending on situations where the assistant registrar maintains the right giving and restricting. Computer programmer is presently developing new module of the database of registrars office. He supports solutions for the problems of the database. Senior Computer assistant does all the sorting of the filing and maintenance of the latter and applications etc. All functions are best understood and maintained by most of the personnel of this department, could be called as the most efficient and effective department of the university. This department does not have much interaction with the support employees of IUB if we consider that all clerical tasks are done by support employees.
5.3.4.4. Library And Documentation:

IUB library providing various kinds of references, journals, magazines, daily newspapers and many other documents for achieving greater standard of the university education system. It presently has an automated borrowing and cataloging customized software which is always being updated as of requirement. However, the library officials maintains its office works by paper based processes except for the requests and demand forms used by the instructors which is being exchanged through emails. However, all the instructors do not use email for such request or demand for books or journals. Therefore a secured email system might be enough to maintain the paper works with some secured way of version control so that any unfair intension of changing of document could be traced. Office work functions in a nutshell: Internally memos are passed from one official to another official as formal document.
105
Faculty requests for a book or document and receive it. At regular interval faculties are given reminder to return the books. If the faculty asks for a journal he has to take the initial of his/her head of the Department. Finance and Accounts departments receive a copy of defaulter list of students as memo. Some other internal information are also passed in the form of memo. Planning and Development department receives formal request from library department to restructure certain settings of library, which might include even the request to change the shape of the shelf.
With Registrars office memos are frequently exchanged which basically includes information about student. At a regular interval library sends the defaulter list of students (Who have not returned their book in time).
Library officials receive various forms provided by the facilities department and demand for the necessaries by filling up forms provided by the facilities department. Receive purchase requisition forms to be filled up for some requisition for library or for officials of library. Library officials fill up approval form by providing estimates of book price when they go for directly buying a book rather depending on purchase department to buy the book demand proposed by some instructor.
Receive purchase requisition form and inspection (quality assurance) form from purchase department. Since IUB does not have a legal department currently personnel branch is informed about any complain against any official or employee of IUB. (which has never occurred as yet).
Evaluation form filled up by the department head is sent to the personnel department. Library also provides clearance certificate to leaving employees or students that implies that he/she does not have any book of library. Vice Chancellor approves for any greater change required by the library and Accounts confirms the sectioning of the amount needed which is planned by the Planning and Development department.
106
5.3.4.5. Modren Computer Centre (MCC):

IUB has a well structured computer centre which includes a network administration room which contains all the servers setup, providing an office space for the network and other officials office space as shown in the diagram. Presently although there is a designation for manager of this department there is no one vested with that power. So, the director who also is the deputy registrar of the university is controlling the entire network, computers and web setup of the university. This centre is providing the mail facility to all the faculty members, officials and student. All have the scope to create site of their own as 3MB space is allocated for each. But very few of them are enjoying this scope. The people engaged in the store of the MCC, provide all sorts of hardware solutions. Presently three currently enrolled students are maintaining the system, network and web administration work of MCC. As the tasks of all the personnel of this department are well understood the functionality is not described in this section. However, all the demands for new computer components still suffer the complex purchase process of IUB. The director of the MCC claims that as the computer section is very sensitive and sudden purchases and requirements are to be satisfied within short time, as the IUB registration and accounts which are currently having there interrelated databases using the fiber optic backbone. Therefore, he should have separate budget or quick support from the accounts and finance department for providing better facility to all the people of IUB sharing information and facilities using the MCC in some way. A specific case: Director of MCC has mentioned that his request for sanctioning an amount 3,500 taka only for the purchase of some new component of the computer section included 13 signatures from various individuals of purchase and accounts division and which unfortunately then returned to him and asked to provide a statement of details including under which situation he had to take this purchase request. As the technical details are not well understood by the departments, this probably has happened. The MCC is also providing lab facility for the students taking the courses of communication; therefore this really is one of the most important departments of IUB. All the works are still run in a paper based system, as other departments will be incompatible if only they start using the mailing system for information exchange.
107
Works and regular functions: Issues notices about the MCC, Have one form where people submit there login and password for creating access to the computers and mailing system. They do not have any other form or format, which is regularly maintained among the individuals and the departments. They basically use the form of purchase division for purchases; leave form from personnel department, and form from facilities department. However, the orders and requests within and outside the department can be run by the use of mail and Microsofts office package. The login, password and other personal information can directly be found from the database of registrars office or MCC. All the personnel under this department currently work directly under the supervision of the MCC director, but the manager post (if someone is employed) can be made responsible for managing the department in more efficient way according to the supervision of the director.
Future Name and state of IUB computer Lab:

According to the Director of MCC, in the near future there would be huge change in the structure of IUB computer lab and computer facilities for lab and other schools. Although we presently have a small lab at the communication department at road 12, one at the business department at Park Road, there would be change of all those including the structure of computer centre.
Expected Changes:
As Mr. Abdul Monem paid the amount for the construction of IUB computer lab, initially it was name MCC according to his name. But in the near future it is going to be named CITS (Centre for Information Technology Services). Presently mainly the students use MCC and instructors and other employees hardly use the lab. Later CITS will provide enough facility for accommodating instructors, staffs and students. Presently MCC has a director but CITS will not have a director. Rather there would be one committee which will run the strategic part of it behind the scene and CITS will be headed by one manager only who will be having enough power to handle all the works and satisfy the needs for the CITS. Manager CITS will have direct communication with the VC Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 108
which will empower him to support better in providing management information and quick response to problem elimination in IS. Presently all the schools do not have lab of their own, but with the inception of CITS all the schools will also have a computer lab of their own that will give access to mail and all other facilities that MCC provides not. Each of these labs will work like a federal body, in a sense that the lab officer of each of the labs will have the power to have decision about the lab according to the direction of the director of the department. However, it is expected that all the department head or directors may not know the best utilization of the computer lab provided to the school, therefore, the lab officer might be given complete control over the lab that will give the freedom to use his knowledge of technology in the best possible way. CITS will provide all the hardware, software and network solution for the schools entire lab according to the request of the lab officers.
5.3.4.6. Vice Chancellors Office:

This part of the university is doing the strategic part of decision-making and university controlling. All the works are done in manual processing. However, all the documents written have a soft copy in the form of Microsoft word document, maintained by the Assistant director.
Workflow and functions:

Treasurer receives the filed documents about all the finance accounts and other details and gives strategic decisions in this sector. Still now the university has an honorary treasurer. So, he is shown as one under this department. Assistant Director is the main point of entry and exit of most of the information as he works directly with the VC and maintains all the paper works. The entire documents are sent outside the university or within the university are tracked by the assistant director as well. He mostly the messenger of facilities department for this purpose. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 109
Councilors of the various councils of the university receive the VCs given information through the Assistant director. They arrange various meeting for strategic decision making those include the department head of all the departments. These meetings could be about students placement test to convocation arrangement or teachers training to teachers evaluation. The assistant director records meeting minutes. This department maintains the information and various committees formed at any time. There are numerous committees formed at various times, for instance, before the convocation various committees are formed those include Ceremonial, Technical, Hospitality, Cultural event, Transport, Press and Publication. All these committees are given with a number of tasks to make the convocation ceremony a successful one. For various meetings and conferences or for the guest sometimes venue or hotel reservations are to be done, which is initiated from the assistant director. Sometimes waiver for penalties about the students case are handled by the department according to the order of the VC. Various demands are requested to the facilities department for the meeting which is the basic mode of taking decision. Letters are given to the junior assistant to forward those to the messenger, who is under the facilities department.
5.3.4.7. Finance and Accounts Office:

This departments functions are related to all the employees, students and the instructors of the university who exchange information as a person or through a department. So, supporting all those involves a lot of functions those run in some three sectors. Namely, Accounting: Those involve expense. Financing: Those involve revenue. Budgeting: Those involve planning and estimation of the cost associated with the various departments and for the overall development and training. Functions:
110
Student related (financing): Keep the record of the semester fees, penalties, associated number o f courses and the students all sort of payment records whether cash or check etc. Provide the defaulter list to registers office if payments are due. Notify the students about the same. Keep track of the tuition waiver, scholarship payments etc those are initially informed by the registrars office. Registrars office send the new student details at the beginning of the semester to update their database. They receive these information in the paper based form or in other document form via floppy discs.
Budget: Prepare the annual budget and prepare the booklet on it. Prepare budget for all the departments. Accounting: They pay the month payment to all the employees of the university. Provide information about their scale, increments, allowances etc. They pay the same at the time of such case occurrences. Adjust the leave and payments. Sanction the amount for purchasing goods by the purchase department for an amount more than 1000 taka if such budget exists.
How do they function?

In the department there is no IT efficient personnel who understand about the best utilization of the available software which is of visual basic at the front end and oracle at the back end. Therefore, most of the internal procedural documents have remained paperbased. Moreover as they need to verify the bills/forms received and submitted by the various departments and the employees, they need to maintain those in the paper based process. They exchange information with other departments using paper or floppy but never have used the mailing system for the formal works as they have not acculturated this practice in the department. Some of the employees believe that if at least one programmer is always associated with the department then they will have effectiveness in providing more query responses and quickly update the simple requirements to be incorporated within the system. There is a huge flaw that has been revealed by a case study of people visiting the office during the time of observation. One student mentioned that he is supposed to receive more than 2000 taka from the accounts department. On the other hand accounts have 1200 Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 111
taka receivables from his as he has done work with the DoSA. However, during the time of providing him the clearance certificate he has been given the clearance certificate based on his academic transactions but not other paper works. In such case he is losing 1000 taka as he believes it will take him two days to complete the entire transaction that will include 2 days of time, by then the time of submitting the clearance certificate will be over. If it has happened such that he has a payable of amount 2000, then the university is losing the amount. There are various such flaws in such paper based works.
5.3.4.8. Personnel Department:

The personnel department of IUB otherwise could be called the (Human Resource )HR department. This department does the same functionality as the typical personnel department should do. However, for the PROFS point of view the information I have gathered are about their functionality, information exchange with other departments and management office works. Functionality: They maintain the personal file of all the personnel of the university, those previously used to be maintained by the current accounts and finance department. Basic information regarding the personnel like their personal number, name, address, designation, joining date, date of increment etc. are stored in the accounts automated database which is of oracle and developer. So, those periodically updated with the personnel department as they recruit new personnel for the university. A point might be asked to important that the ID of the personnel are not based on higherarchy those confuse people. For example the VCs personal number and a drivers personal number are quite very near digits. There might be better number of filing so that those could be maintained in a better way as the personnel faces problem to sort a file out. For the recruitment process the personnel department prepares an ad and sends it to the media and publication department. They sent the same to some newspapers. The response of people opting for the position mentioned in the ad come to the personnel department. Personnel then prepare a board for the viva with prior order of the higher authority. However, some of the recruitment process functions are solely dependent on the department heads decision. The confirmation about the viva board meeting is Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 112
notified to the board and as well the people facing the viva. The job confirmation and other procedures are as well done by the department till the person joins in the university. For certain training arrangement for the employees of the university personnel is responsible. The department does not put any public or general notice. The employee evaluation and report process is partially done by them. This process is partial because the assistant to the VC is directly related with the gathering of the employee evaluation. He then submits the same to the personnel department (in case of teachers). In case of the other employees this task is sometimes done by the personnel department as well. The evaluation report is sent to the respective employees. They provide the leave application form which is then signed by the respective department head or immediate personnel responsible for the leave and then the personnel checks if he is eligible for the leave and based on that the authority takes decision about leave. This information is then maintained and also notified to the accounts. The accounts department then stores the information about that leave in paper based form but adjusts with payment system of the employee. However, although it is said so, it is found that it is not practiced in this prompt fashion although accounts have a good database. Personnel department is in fact working in every step as the support and/or with the support of the accounts department. Previously Mr. Ruhul Amin during his senior project developed an HR management system which has not been implemented yet. What is the form of functionality (Paper based or computer based)? The teacher evaluation system in which the students evaluation is done, the data input are process by an access database and maintained in file based system which is not an efficient one. Students of the software engineering course have developed a better software with C# and oracle, has not been offered to implement. Moreover, the peer evaluation process is not yet structured which undergoes a complex process. Therefore all these are mostly paper based.
113
All the information exchange with other departments and within the office, are maintained in the paper based form.
5.3.4.9. Store and Purchase Division:

This probably is one of the most slow, very important and least understood department at IUB where only one person is given a lot of responsibilities to satisfy the demands. Functionalities: Prepare the yearly budget with approximation of the cost for the year and submit the same to the accounts for the preparation of final budget. Maintain a store which could be called as technically non existent and no inventory management system is followed. So, the simplest requests are even delayed for some weeks or moths. Provides and maintains Store and Purchase requisition form which they call SRPF. After receiving any demand by the SPRF they provide the service as of demand by purchasing the product or by giving that from the store if available. In some cases they forward the demand to the chairman of purchase division to get the amount sanctioned by the accounts department, if it includes some greater expense than usual (more than 1000 taka). They exchange various information using the inter-office memorandum. How do they function? All of the information exchange are done by the paper based exchange of information. They do not have any paper based system that can track all the inventory and they do not as well track when and to whom some service have been provided. Some of those information are maintained as they stack the memorandums and the forms those ultimately reach them after the amount sanctioned by the accounts department. If some of those memorandums or forms do not return to them then responded by accounts, they do not care about those information. Such a case is might raise confusion if at some point of time they are asked to give details about any of those demand requests. If some department demands for certain office utilities or to contact arrange printing dockets or booklets by some departments those will be directly provided to them by the supplier. And Purchase division sends the same to the respective department. But they supplier is most of time not paid instantly, rather Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 114
delayed for weeks for the complexity with the amount sanction and receipt from the accounts. If such a case persists, it would rather be wise to make it subsection of the accounts department or allow them to work parallel with the accounts department.
5.3.4.10. Facilities and Maintenance: Functions:

This department has a number of functions as they provide all sorts of facilities and maintain the resources. However, they have a complex way of handling the situation. They have all those paper based forms those they provide to the employees of the university and they fill those up and submit it to them providing some service or solution. These services require some purchase involved, those depending on the nature of cost are handled in different manner. According to my observation there is hardly any standard followed to provide the support required by the various demand form specifications. They hardly do maintain those paper work and/or just disperse those forms to the respective senders. Automation will create a lot of problem in the department as they need to handle a lot of drivers, housekeepers and other people who do not have any idea about the use of computers. The current head of the department does not know how all the forms they provide to the various employees really go through various hands and why. Same form can be used for various purposes but which is not really done like that. At the same time they provide various forms for the same purpose. Even why so many fields are there in the form and why those are not even necessary or sometimes become too essential could not be understood well. I have passed about 12 working hours that included 4 meetings. It took about 2 hours for proper explanation about the Approval Sheet , which is one of the forms, they receive filled out for some service. They always depend just on situation about what do, doing for the sake of completing the task. They are still confused about how many forms they are using right now and when which one to be used. As the say We just give one form to support the purpose but do not have any structured way of doing things. For all those problems I came to realize that although I found that they have six types of forms currently and they receive a lot of memos and they cannot even categorize them, which will require many more hours discussion to prepare only the forms in a standard way to be used in any way (manual, web based or mail attachment).
115
The estate officer needs database: Most importantly, as the estate officer is in
charge of all the belongings of IUB, he should have a database (could be paper based) to know about the estate condition at any point of time. Problems arise such that people are asking for 100 chairs but he thought he can provide 60 at that time. In reality he might give 200 chair support but he did not have in mind that those could be brought from some other class rooms those are not being used at that period when those chairs are asked for. Therefore even for him we need to prepare a database. The messengers do not keep any record of the letters and applications. But he should be maintaining a record to track received and sent documents. We might want to provide him this option so that we as well can be confirmed about whether we have received any expected mail. All the current functions are fully paper based still now within and among the departments.
5.3.4.11. Planning and Development (P& D) department of IUB:

P&D is one of the departments, which is not directly related with the teaching or registration but the entire construction, and development of newer departments of IUB. Presently one director is supported by one assistant director, three sub assistant engineers who are from civil, mechanical and electrical engineering. A senior assistant who keeps the communication smooth with other departments helps all the individuals of this department. The diagram is the present departments structure and will possibly remain same for the next five years as the interviewed P&D director mentioned during the interview. Functions: Five years physical development plan Feasibility study Resource Analysis Philanthropic support Construction Facilitate governing council by reports on P & D activities Investment report for construction and development of departments (e.g. Change in the library shelves and floors) Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 116
Ensure Maintenance of estate (This is not suppose to be one of the functions of this department rather a task of facilities and maintenance department.) This function is done by this department because they have the technical expertise do so. Some other similar tasks of F&M is done by P&D as it seems that other departments think that the P&D department gives faster response for problem solving approaches. Office Works and control: The director is on the overall control and work distribution within his department but all the individuals have freedom to consult with him directly. Therefore, the assistant director is a support and not a substitute to run the show during the absence of the director. About the work or regular practices I found that there are 1. Staff Meeting (At 14 days interval on Sunday and in the first hour). 2. Mostly work with the VC directly and the Finance and Accounts department. As mentioned previously, all the individuals of the department have direct access to the director. So, the director is well aware of all the works and decisions taken within the department. The senior assistant maintains all the track of papers coming inside or going outside the department. However, since there exists an open communication system within the department and within the organization the track record of all the papers are not possible to maintain by that single individual and it is not practiced strictly as well. For lack of SOPs set by the organization, department head maintains and sets it as required. The head of the department said, I enjoy horizontal management and open system which give me maximum awareness about status of my office functions and easy decision making is possible. There I also run my department like an autonomous body where only VC is consulted and finance is concerned about the expenditure. How are the functions maintained? All the official documents are maintained manually. The department has computers and optical fiber backbone but this is not yet been used for official purpose effectively and regularly.
5.3.4.12. Media and Public Relations:

This is one of the departments, which establishes the name fame of IUB through various public medias.
Functions of the department:

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 117
Send and inform various event features of the university to the medias. This includes ceremonies like convocation, certification, seminars, fair etc. Prepare an annual report on the university information. They include information like how many schools are there in the university, how many students, courses offered etc. those information are provided by the registrars office. Prepare souvenir of convocation. Prepare Whats On, a monthly magazine published at the beginning of the month containing information about various affairs of IUB. Quarterly they publish IUB Updates. Prepare IUB directories. (Although they did not prepare the first and only directory (2001-2002) but an organizations media and publication department is supposed to prepare the same.) Press releases are sent to the press and publication medias. Requirement ads are sent to medias, as requested by any department with prior authorization vested on them. Although personnel branch does the recruitment process but they sent the recruitment details to media department to be sent to the Newspapers. Media department as well make a daily journal about the daily publications about the university.
5.3.4.13. Student Relations:

This is the department which controls the regulation among the student community. According to the proctor who is the head of this department has defined the functions of the department as follows.
Student Activities:
During various eves and events of the university the students have various extra curricular activities, co-curricular activities along with their curricular activities. Therefore, they are molded and motivated by this department. The senior student relations officer maintains this part of the job.
Functions : This includes a lot of observation among the student community. According
to the IUB code of conduct if any of the students is found guilty of charge they are given Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 118
punishment according to this department heads decision, who is always the proctor. He might have some meeting with other instructors or officials of the university if such severe case occurs. But, so far such case has not yet occurred.
Procedure:
Most of the information exchanges are done by inter-office memorandum which is paper based.
5.3.4.14. Division of Student Affairs (DoSA):

The Division of Student Affairs is an alternate name given to IUB's students' devotional work and their excellent skills in different fields. DoSA is the heart of IUB. Its main aim is to excavte the students hidden qualities and provide them a comfortable and cooperative ground for the nourishment of their skills. DoSA makes the students feel that, they are not only good at thier Academic fields but also masters of many diverse qualities. It arranges lots of activities through out the year. Annual Activities of DoSA Organizing Intra IUB Shahrookh Memorial, Cricket Tournament , Victory Day (December 16) , Freshers' Day , Art & Photography Exhibition , Pahela Baishakh, Picnic , Food Festival , Movie Night on Valentine's Day , Blood Donation , Flood Relief Program, Int'l Mother Language Day, (February 21) and many other activities.
Office works: Most of the works involve notices, interoffice memorandum, filling up
requisition form provided by other departments and most of the time they do not need to keep the record of information in the state of database. This part of the university is mostly controlled by the Students Relations Officer who takes help from various personnel of the university (Off- the record) which might include the VC as well. Most of the tasks are paper based but they prefer to exchange files or memos through an internal mailing system.
119
5.4.3.15.Center for Social Science and Public Policy Research (CSSPPR):

I have tried to know about this part of the university but none could say anything about its functions. It has emerged conceptually and practically there are people related to this department but they could not be interviewed as they were too busy and were not much available in the university. However, according to IUB peoples information they are related with various research of social science those are important for the development of the university environment of relations. They will not need something more than ability to exchange information with others with a mailing system and to upload their findings of research into the Internet.
5.3.4.16. University Relations:

This is such a section of the university which includes only two individuals who with their efficiency in developing relationship with other institutions, develop the strategy and stucture of the university. For instance, IUB MSM development is the contribution of the Vice President of this department.
Functions:
As we are discussing mainly about the internal information, the individuals do not have much interaction and exchange of information within the university. Rather they maintain the communication with foreign countries or other institutions. For instance, IUB MSM MBA program have been initiated by this department. Prepare plan for the seminar for the new developments or development plans. Organogram and Department structure diagrams are provided for a better understanding of the current existences of the departments, those might be used during the time of making the database schemas.
120
CHAPTER
Requirement Analysis
6.1. Overview of the system
Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) is introducing the idea of fully integrating all the departments of the university. IUB would be the first university that have planned to design the functional level integration of all of its departments. IUB has been maintaining the registration, accounts and library database for last few years but yet remained mostly paper-based to communicate among the departments. In order to satisfy various functional information at various departments, one department depends on the other department heavily. The paper based information exchanges are often too time consuming to print, create redundancy of function for producing same output, lose Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 121
information etc. In some departments development of database is mandatory but has never been realized as the slow processes have been managed in hard situations. Efficient people know their functions well but are being blamed for their information requirement unsatisfied at the right time. So, for an efficient response from the personnel of all the departments, to make them well informed at all time, an office automation system requirement at functional level have been aimed to gather in this phase. This is perfect time to invest in technological infrastructure to ensure competitiveness in this volatile industry.
6.2. Requirement Specifications with department functionality scope

The university SBUs and departments name have been mentioned earlier. The requirement specification of these departments is given below.
6.2.0. Approach for requirement specification:

For functional requirement collection, their specifications, nonfunctional requirement collection and requirement evolutions, I have followed a sequence of steps those expressed in the diagram below. Functional requirement means those requirements which can be implemented by software tracking. Requirement Specification holds all the related information related to that requirement needed by the user. Requirement evolutions reflect those requirements, those were asked by the client, but will be generated by different modules.
122
e q u ir e m e n t d e f in it io n a n d s p c if ic a t io n
R V
e q u ir e m e n t a lid a t io n
P r o c e s s
D o m a in E n t r y U n d e r s t a n d in g
P r io r it iz a t io n
R C
e q u ir e m e n t o lle c t io n
C R
o n f lic t e s o lu t io n
la s s if ic a t io n
Figure: The requirement specification approach.
6.2.1. Requirements of Schools (SoB, SoC, SESM, SLAS):

The schools mostly exchange their information with the registrars office. With all other departments the schools exchange information where the instructors exchange information with other departments (mostly through director of school) rather than the schools do for the basic purpose of student dealings. The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are,
123
1. Information Exchange with Registrars office: o School Receives: Advisors receive student transcripts prior to advising schedule. Advisors receive course schedule/ Tally sheet of courses and daily updates during registration days. Advisors receive students enlisted under his/her advisory. Instructors receive student list for his/her section. Notices. (Includes all purpose notices.) Inter Office Memorandum. ( Includes all requests and applications ) Credit transfer and graduating student application.
o School Sends: Course Offers Instructor availability for courses Student registration form filled and signed by the advisor. Add-drop form with approvals. Student Major/Minor declaration form initials. Instructors send final grade sheet at the end of semester. Advisors approval for course withdrawal. Course instructors approval for I grade for a student. Grade change form to change a students grade that has been given as the final grade previously. Notices. (Includes all purpose notices for making informed) Inter Office Memorandum. (Includes all purpose memos.)
2. Information Exchange With ECEC:

o From School: Instructors offers for semester courses or seminar with course/seminar contents, duration details. Approval of the director for off semester courses. 124
o To School: Instructor receives course duration, place and time notification. Department head and instructors receive notification about the course. Students presently view notice board which is the same notification mentioned in the previous point. This should be continued if notification is automated via mail or all students of IUB should get the mail notification about it. Invitation for seminar and presentations. 3. Information Exchange With VC Office: o From School: Applications from the instructors through director of school.
o To School: Notices for meeting and minutes. Teachers evaluation time informed to the instructor. Application responses to the instructors. Strategic decisions forwarded as taken by the governing body.
4. Information Exchange With Finance and Accounts: o From School: Instructors request for payment related information. Budget.
o To school: Instructors receive payment related information.
5. Information Exchange With Store and Purchase: o From School: Purchase requisitions for purchase or to be provided from store using Store and Purchase requisition form (SRPF). o To School: Purchase request response and approval form.
6. Information Exchange With Facilities and Maintenance: Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 125
o From School: Request for facilities support by filling up forms.
o To School: Confirmation of request acceptance or regret for unavailability of requested support. 7. Information Exchange With Personnel: o From School: Personnel requirements for the department (includes need for new instructor, guard and house based facilities) Leave application. o To School: Personnel selection board information. Personnel information provided to the director and faculties necessary. Leave application response. Instructors receive the teachers evaluation report for the semester.
8. Information Exchange With MCC: o From School: Fill up form provided by MCC for login and password for networked computers, email and booking from for different faculties. o To School: Provide access to the computers, email with login and password information and some information about its facilities. 9. Information Exchange With Library: o From School: Instructors demand for new books Request for issuing book for instructors (Usually instructors have to go to library). Query about book or documentation availability. Application approval for students privileges for extra book issuing or for keeping the book for longer period than usual time limit. Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 126
o To School: Remainder for book return at year end or for other adjustments (audit etc.). (Case: Currently bar code reader is being used in the library but all the books bar codes have not been stored in database. Instructors have been requested for return all the books for allowing the barcode being read and stored in DB. ) Query response for book or documentation availability. 10. Student Relations: o From School: Decision support for disciplinary cases against students. Request for student workers.
o To School: Disciplinary action information against students. Student worker information.
Other non-functional requirements and evolutions are, 1. Forms should be user friendly. 2. Redundancy must be avoided. 3. Advisors should have read access to the student database at the registrars office. 4. New advisor status must be available before providing him the access to database of registrars office. 5. After registration period write or modify access of instructors will void the registrars office information updates. So, read access at all time and write access during registration period should be given.
6.2.2. Requirements of ECEC:
127
ECEC promote various kinds of educational activities including programming courses, seminars, workshops etc during the breaks of semesters. The departments information exchange is significantly related with Accounts and finance. The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, 3. Budget Estimation for year: Director of Finance requests for a budget estimation for the year, by a formal letter to the Director of ECEC. The Director of ECEC forwards that letter to the Programme Officer who prepares the budget by making frequent consultation with his director. After preparing the budget, programme officer keeps on copy and forwards it to his Director. The Director of ECEC after providing his initials forwards the ECEC annual budget to the Director of Finance. 4. Off semester Course offers: The instructor sends course offer request to the Director of ECEC. Director of ECEC forwards the letter to the program officer for details Programme officer asks the instructor to provide course outline, duration
investigation about the scope of the course. and prospective students, time allocation etc, if such course offer could be provided necessary funding according to the yearly budget. Instructor sends the requested information to the programme officer. Programme officer makes the cost planning of the program and along with
information about instructor information, cost, room allocation, facilities requirements etc. sends the details to the Director of Accounts. Programme officer also prepares notice about the course and sends copy to all the department heads, including DoSA, Media department, notice board and many others. The specific details of individuals who receive those are not specified in any rule. Programme officer is responsible for maintaining all the office documents and track records of the information exchanged among the offices of IUB. Existing Internal Paperwork to be automated: Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 128
Prepare Annual Budget for the department, Prepare Off Semester course schedule and inform accounts department and Prepare and distribute notice of course and inform all necessary individuals, Arrange seminar as of request by VC or other personnel, invite IUB and Arrange seminar schedule and submit expenditure to accounts.
instructor,
non-IUB personnel, Information Exchange with MCC: MCC provide access to mail to the personnel of this department. MCC have to mail the notices of all the courses and seminars to all faculties and students those used to be posted on the notice board. Information Exchange with Media and Public relations; ECEC provide information to be sent to the press. Media department send ECEC where the information have been published.
Information Exchange with Store and Purchase, facilities: ECEC fills up the form store and purchase department or facilities department for demands. Store and facilities departments sent actions taken in response to the request included in the forms.
6.2.3. Registrars Office:

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, Among the registrars office and accounts department they should have database connection and direct information flow between the two databases those include student information. All the advisors should be given read and partial write access to student information for advising. Library and registrars office database should have access to one another to read student list and defaulter list report could be acquired wherever necessary without Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 129
depending on the response coming from the other department. However, library should not have any access to registrars office database except for some limited file. All the forms should be kept online or given along with the mailing system Outlook 2002 that will reduce load on office reception. Internal Functions: o Prepare Admission Status report and send to Registrar, Associate Dean and VC. o Maintain student job status file and send to accounts at the end of month. o Sell admission form and send report and cash to accounts. o Receive and maintain admission form files. o Prepare placement test question by instructors and arrange examination schedule. o Publish notice for placement test and others. o Prepare class roster for the semesters and load into database and send to advisors. Make tally sheet and send to advisors of schools. o Prepare transcription reports from the database and send to advisors. Send student transcripts to the student addresses. o Prepare ID of students and distribute with verification of the semester courses enrolled by the students. o Certification for scholarship awarder owners. o Prepare graduation certificate. o Admission information maintenance and distribution. These to be uploaded in the IUB website for all. o Arrange credit transfers of students toIUB. o Pre convocation paperwork. o Prepare convocation year book. o Internal memorandum.
6.2.4. Library And Documentation:
130
Office work functions in a nutshell: Internally memorandum to be sent by mail and format are to be prepared. Faculty request for a book or document and receive it. At regular interval
faculties are given remainder to return the books. These are to be done via email and stored separately at the end of semester. Database of library could be accessed by accounts for getting defaulter list, Planning and Development exchange memorandum for changes in the With Registrars office memos are frequently exchanged which basically or, these could be sent to account using email. library. This to be done using email. includes information about student. At a regular interval library sends the defaulter list of students and registrars office need to send enrolled student ID for removing the paperwork need to do for the students at the beginning of the semester. Library will change the ID text to barcode and give student authorization for borrowing books by reading those using bar-code reader. Library officials receive various forms provided by the facilities department and demand for the necessaries by filling up forms provided by the facilities department. Online forms of facilities will remove this paperwork. Receive purchase requisition forms to be filled up for some requisition for library or for officials of library. Library officials fill up approval form by providing estimates of book price when they go for directly buying a book rather depending on purchase department to buy the book demand proposed by some instructor. These form to be automated. Evaluation form filled up by the library head is sent to the personnel Library also provides clearance to leaving employees or students. Access department. Personnel departments such files should come in digital form. share of database with account will no longer require them to provide clearance.
6.2.5. Monem Computer Centre (MCC):

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 131
Issues notices about the MCC, this to be sent to all personnel via email. Have one form where people submit their login and password for creating access to the computers and mailing system. On the IUB web site, this feature to be added like web portals.
6.2.6. Vice Chancellors Office:

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, Assistant director have to send documents within (various departments or Invitation to be sent to head or departments and other personnel for counselor of counsels) or outside university. meetings and arrangement order to facilities and maintenance, Purchase division. Database for meeting minutes. Database for committees formed at various times and their functionalities. Maintenance of application from students and employees. Various demands are requested to the facilities department for the meeting
which is the basic mode of taking decision.
6.2.7. Finance and Accounts Office:

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, Student related (financing): o Accounts need access to registrars office database, library and record all the transactions with all the departments of university including DoSA. Therefore, any employee or student can get clearance directly from the accounts department. o Keep the record of the semester fees, penalties, associated number o f courses and the students all sort of payment records whether cash or check etc. o Provide the defaulter list to registers office if payments are due. Notify the students about the same.
132
o o
Keep track of the tuition waiver, scholarship payments etc those are New student details to be updated at the beginning of the semester.
initially informed by the registrars office.
Budget: Prepare the annual budget and prepare the booklet on it. Prepare Accounting: Response to employees about payment is presently possible
budget for all the departments. Database for budget records. by the existing database. Require database for tracking expenses related with DoSA, Purchase, Facilities and other departments those are still paper based. The department do not use internet mail for information exchange with other departments. With enough security in the mailing system information exchange using email is necessary. Accounts database should use the student information database at the registrars office to reduce redundancy of student personal information.
6.2.8. Personnel Department:

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, A human resource management system has been developed previously which is needed to be implemented after testing. This will allow the department to maintain the personal file of personnel of he university. They will be maintaining the personal file of the personnel and accounts will share the basic information needed for them. Sent ad to for the recruitment process using email to the media and Personnel prepares a board for the viva with prior order of the higher Notice for training arrangement - to the employees using email and board Maintain teachers and employee evaluation in the personal records, which publication department. authority and maintain record using Microsoft Office package tools. notices. has not yet acquired any standard for implementing in a database. After making SOPs database is to be created. Leave application form should be kept on the web for giving access to all. Processing registration of any employee. 133
6.2.9. Store and Purchase Division:

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, Functionalities: Prepare the yearly budget with approximation of the cost for the year and submit the same to the accounts for the preparation of final budget, which to be maintained in a database required to develop. Maintain a store which could be called as technically non existent and there is no inventory management, that as well requires a database including the details of suppliers, their associated transactions etc. Provides and maintains Store and Purchase requisition form which they call SRPF. SRPF need to be kept on web so that anyone can get it. The entire movement and approval of SRPF would be done web based. They exchange various information using the inter office memorandum.
6.2.10. Facilities and Maintenance:

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, Demand form for facilities and approval form are to be made web based to provide access to all the personnel of the university. All the forms will be exchanged online among the purchase, facilities and accounts department. These mails need to be backed up at regular interval while emptying the inbox of the email account. A separate database is to be made for the estate officer. This database will be under the control of the Planning and development department. The estate officer will have read access to it along with the facilities head. Support staffs who are ignorant about computer uses need a point of entry to the internet by some personnel at this department.
6.2.11. Planning and Development (P& D) department of IUB:

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are,
134
A simple mailing system for exchange of inter-office memorandum, doc files and access to the web for automated forms of other departments.
Other requirements are not specified as the department believes that their involvement with various projects has be paper based as the automation of those would create problem in their current functional procedures.
6.2.12. Media and Public Relations:

This is one of the departments, which establishes the name fame of IUB through various public Medias. The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, Encourage the department in using email to exchange information with other departments. All the updates and journals should be uploaded on the IUB website and that will reduce the cost publishing the journal and will attract students and employees as they all will be using the IUB web site for gathering various forms or checking frequent mails.
6.2.13. Student Relations:

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, According the functional details mentioned in the previous chapter, as Most of the information exchanges are done by inter-office memorandum, effective use of email will do the work.
6.2.14. Division of Student Affairs (DoSA):

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, Most of the works involve notices, interoffice memorandum, filling up requisition form provided by other departments and most of the time they do not need to keep the record of information in the state of database as they dont require it later on.
135
They require a setup for email that will back their email drafts and email they received in separate folder. Their notices will be sent to the web administrator who will upload the notice online or send the same to all the email account holders of the university.
6.2.15. Center for Social Science and Public Policy Research (CSSPPR):
The departments functionalities are not clear from the preliminary investigation. During the requirement analysis as well none were found to describe the requirement of this department from PROFS point of view.
6.2.16. University Relations:

The main functional requirements and specifications in this department are, Provide email and fax functionality to the department to maintain effective communication with other institutions. Seminars and meeting arranged by the department are to be informed to all invited personnel via email. Static web page will contain achievements of the department. This would be done by the media and publication department.
6.3. Feasibility:
Before suggesting solution to the current problems of the university departments we need to determine whether the system is feasible, or archival, on the basis of the organizations resources and constraints. The following are three major areas of feasibility: i) Technical Feasibility: It is important to consider whether the proposed solution can be implemented with the available hardware, software and technical resources. The proposed solution I have suggested is technically feasible at present as all the offices have computers with Microsoft Windows Operating System and hence, even they have Microsoft Office 2000 package installed and have access to the IUB web site and email account. However, for networking facilities and client server environment, all related offices personnel will have to be provided with network systems and IUB server is powerful enough to support client machines. Store and Purchase, facilities and maintenance offices and all the students and Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces 136
instructors should have access to IUB computers. Employees unable to access or ignorant about computer use need to be trained or should be supported by a point of entry to the system. ii) Economic Feasibility: It might be stated that the project design includes a prototype which will not outweigh the benefits. The university offices have to procure simple materials, programs or software. The main and only amount needed, is the purchase money of integrated enterprise solution. I shall have introduced online employee application of university on the internet, it will be economically feasible more and hence we are not indulging in that for the time being, as the university did not ask for it. The proposed system design will allow single point of entry of information about students, instructors, officials and employees of the university reducing the redundancy of information. It will allow quick retrieval of information, reduce inter-dependencies among the departments, updating and many other operations those aim at effective communication. The fast processes, will undoubtedly benefit the departments to a great extent and they should be prepared to spend some amount of money from the funds to enjoy the benefits. Saving of time is definitely a part of economic feasibility because according to the old saying Time is money. And it is must for academic institutions with discipline and restricted time schedule. One of the greatest benefits in long run for economic feasibility is the reduction of paperwork. This will allow: Cost saving, as we have documented, can be significant. Paper reduction is clear. Linked closely to paper reduction is floor space. Time saving is another benefit. Work management is enhanced. Office services can be dramatically improved with quick response. Reduction on messenger workload.
137
iii) Operational Feasibility: It is important to consider whether the proposed solution is desirable within the existing managerial and organizational framework. It seems quite obvious that the endusers will be eager to test the new system integration because it is their way to escape monotony involved in their current job, which is often include redundancy of information and error prone. However, we might expect that convincing the user to get friendly with the new system would be very difficult if they deny changing the existing system. As for our conversion technique, we may make use of the PARALLEL STRATEGY where both the old system and its potential replacement will be run together for a time until everyone is assured that the new system functions properly. In case of the related offices of university, this conversion will be lead to no technical, operational or economic difficulties as it is very much possible to effectively run both MSWORD and MSOUTLOOK software and other databases used at the various departments. Training is another concern here. The university has different existing software at different departments. All the officials do not use the MicrosoftOutlook2000 or web-based forms. So, extensive training and orientation will be needed to make the system operationally feasible. Necessary training option will be provided by the developer who will be integrating all the departments based on my design. So, system will be feasible for all the three consideration and Im confident about that.
138
CHAPTER

7.1.Introduction:
It has been mentioned in the chapter three while defining PROFS that electronic mail, electronic forms, calendering, and scheduling have become more and more an integral part of the effective operation of state government and educational institutions. The sending of documents and messages, as well as scheduling both inter and intra agency meetings is greatly enhanced by ensuring that each user on the statewide network can efficiently communicate with any other user. It is also advisable that the process to accomplish this be transparent to users as they send and receive electronic mail to and from other computer systems. Eventually, it appears as though the International Standards Organization's (ISO) x.400 will be the industry standard; however, that is not the present reality. This has been integrated with more functionalities to facilitate the inter office communication and decision support systems.
7.2.Goals of the PROFS design and problem elimination:

PROFSs preliminary investigation and requirement analysis has been done to seek for a possible ERP solution design at the functional level knowing the fact that present automation at offices does not satisfy the requirement at aiming such design. The ultimate goal was to seek for the best solution that would set a milestone to move for such goal at the data level. The constraints those led to the design being proposed would be described at later chapter.
139
The prototype design using Microsoft Outlook 2002 includes the automation of functional dependency for information exchange among SoC (School of Communication), Registrars Office, Library and MCC (Monem Computer Centre) and ECEC.
7.3. PROFS design:

In order to propose this design two alternative system building methods have been used, those include prototyping and selecting software package. Prototyping is used as some uncertainties have been revealed about requirements and design solutions. Software package is selected to be Microsoft Outlook 2002 that comes with Microsoft Office Package provides flexibility, user-friendliness, hardware, software resources, database requirements, installation and maintenance effort, documentation, vendor quality and least cost. As the Lotus Notes being the best groupware, supports Microsoft Outlook 2000/2002, in near future with all the databases established at IUB would allow moving to the use of Lotus Notes. All the requirements are supported by this software package. The following design specifications are given from the prototype development cycle methodological point of view.
7.4. Design Specifications: Outputs:

Contents: Email message Text message Meeting minutes Defaulter lists Meeting and other Forms Applications and letters. Schedule Auto responses to sent Contact information Database information Office documents and Calendar Schedule 140
messages.
invitations
journals
Task list and task order Sent items by mail Outbox status Instant messaging Organization charts Printed document all of
received
the above reports
141
o o
Medium: Computer Monitor Printed on paper when needed o o Timing: During everyday office hours.
oInput
Origins: The input contents are same as the output if not changed by the receiving end. These may originate at of the users interface that using Microsoft Outlook 2002 sending the mail to the desired email account. Flow: The flow is maintained by the users forwarding the contents of his message those could be traced by using flag. Data Entry: Address book and mail accounts information, mail account setup data for SMTP and POP3 are the only data entry required for the package. The following design specifications are given from the application package development cycle methodological point of view. This includes the steps: 1. Tailor user requirements to package features 2. Train technical staff on package 3. Prepare physical design 4. Customize package design 5. Redesign organizational procedures.
7.5. Tailor user requirements to package features:

The problems and solving approaches using prototype, among the departments are: Between Library and Registrars Office: o Library and Registrars office has two separate databases. Both of the two maintains student information but in separate table and field format that does not help sharing access to tables. Therefore, during each semester students have
Internship And Senior Project
142
to renew the library access showing their billing statement or ID cards. Moreover defaulter list is exchanges using floppy discs or by printed copy. It takes about 3 weeks to provide ID card to all the students after the semester commences. If the enrolled students list is sent to the library along with new students pictures using mail the students do not have to wait for three weeks to have the access to the library books. The defaulter list can as well be exchanged using mails as those would be sent in text format. These could be converted to any requirement parameter to fit the others database. Therefore, during the prototype testing phase library head has agreed to exchange all those with registrars office, using Microsoft Outlook 2002. o The department exchange paper-based inter-office memorandum that takes time to reach and receive response. A mailing form for inter-office memorandum solves this problem. o Both the departments post notices on the notice board those remain unmarked by students and employees. Parallel to the notice board posting and currently used kiosk at the university if the notice is sent to all the email users of IUB, it notifies all. o Meeting arrangement and other formal invitations are paper-based. Distribution of these costs printing, manpower and long time to reach all. These all could be done by sending email of different formats. o Any official issuing book would be given remainder to return after a regular interval using email which is not possible presently when they are not available. Between Library and SoC: o Instructors requesting for new book purchase is done using formal memorandum or applications. It is often found that the paper is lost or reply is not given accordingly. For such cases email would give a solution if an auto reply is prepared or auto remainder is set for reply. o Instructors are often requested to return the books at the end of semester or at the end of the year. When they are not available the email would notify them even if they check the mail from outside campus.
143
o Students are often enlisted under defaulter list for not returning the books to the library. An email would notify them. Between MCC and other departments: o MCC has forms for creating new email account and computer login access those is to be received by students, instructors and officials from the MCC. After one day they applicants are confirmed login and password. This often discourage interested people seeking for access as they feel uncomfortable in physical interaction. This problem would be removed if IUB website allows users to create both the accounts from any remote location. At the beginning of the semester registrars office would sent the new student IDs to be stored in the login database. Through the website students will insert their ID number and will provide a password. The ID would be verified and will be provided access to computers and emails. Parallel paper work would be used for those who would seek for access creation by filling up form at the computer lab by their physical presence. Similar would be the case for instructors and officials as personnel department would be sending the personal number and personal information of the newly joined officials. This would be done to promote the use of email among the university community. Between ECEC and other departments: o Course offer by the instructors and course offer notices are all paper works. Email will give quick and easy exchange of such offers and notices. o Seminar and meetings arranged by ECEC will invite using email forms. Within the departments: o In order to forward letters, applications, forms, notices and interoffice memorandum many copies are prepared and forwarded with the department from on person to another. This includes bulk of paper work and delivery personnel hours. All could be solved only by online exchange using email. o A person seeking to meet other often spoils a lot of time if personnel found unavailable. A daily schedule transparent to one another will reduce such problem which is given in Microsoft Outlook 2002.
144
o Many documents are prepared to be edited by other officials those are printed out many times and corrected many times. A mail seeking to reply by editing the documents reduce such many times printing and editing. Easy solution for accounts that is not provided in prototype: o Both registrars office and accounts department maintain student database at different format those depend on one another during registration as registered student information and defaulter list is exchange using floppy or printed data. As the database format is difference share of database do not solve the problem. Moreover personnel of one department do not know the working procedure and database pattern of the other although they frequently exchange student information. Using email attachment can be exchanged in text format those can be fed into the database of any format as required. o Other official documents those are being paper based has to exchanged via email and are to be traced.
7.6. Customization of package design and Application Package Interfaces:

The customization of the package design is described below graphically. 1. Welcome screen of Microsoft Outlook
145
2. Tools Email AccountsAdd a new Email Account POP3 At this point insert the following information as shown below and press Test Account Settings. Then press Next Finish. Now Microsoft Outlook 2002 is ready for use. This will extract all the emails from the inbox of IUB account allowing enough space to new emails to be accommodated in the mail server space.
3. From File New
The following options appear.
146
4. By pressing on contact, we can add new contacts in details and display according to category.
5. From Favorites we can add IUBs website address as shown below.
147
6. From Tool menu we can choose forms given as default or create form using visual basic editor for inter-office work. Using this all the inter-office form use could be automated.
7. We can choose forms for appointment, contact, distribution list, journal entry, Meeting Request, Messaging, Note, Post ,Task and Task request along with the standard default form which is they typical mail writing form. We can also design forms for office works.
148
8. Using Actions menu we can create mail messages of various formats including HTML, using Microsoft Access Data Page, Excel Worksheet, Microsoft Word, plain text, rich test or using stationeries.
9. Clicking on the More Stationary menu option we can create invitations. We can download more such themes. Using E-mail Signature option we can put signature at the end if some invitations are sent from any particular department.
149
10. Tools Options . We can change options for all the setting of E-mail, Calendar, Tasks, Contacts, Notes those provide tracking all the records, remainders, interval for mail sent/receiving etc.
11. Setting journal option keeps record of all the Email Message, meeting request, task request arrival time and response giving time. It also records at what time what office documents have been used.
150
12. Below are the journal entries for office file use time.
13. Tasks can be assigned using tasks form and total days or hours taken to complete the task is recorded as soon as the task result is returned. The Owner name cannot be changed in any case once the task is forwarded to the enlisted contact(s). The reminder will remind of task according to the reminder time settings.
151
14. Group Schedules can be prepared by clicking on the Schedules icon on the taskbar and those time will be shown busy, office or tentative on the calendar. Calendar view can be 100% day or office hour only or can be customized.
15. From the tools menu we have option to use instant messenger of .net passport of msn. It would require an msn account for having instant chatting or file transfer. This would as well be recorded in the journal entry if customized accordingly.
152
16. Going to ToolsOptionsAutoArchive, we can set rules to manage the older files to be stored in separate location for managing the mailbox size.
17. Customized form for Inter-Office Memorandum of IUB.
153
18. Customized form for Notice sending at IUB.
The above mentioned functional facilities of Microsoft Outlook 2000/2002 satisfy all the needs for the previously mentioned requirements. There are more advanced functionalities those facilitate in security, file management, task management, meeting arrangements etc. Customized forms could be used for all those who would be using this as their default mail client.
7.7. Why choose Microsoft Outlook 2002:

Presently about all the desktop office application means the use of Microsoft Office Package software. The tracking of these files along with the exchange of these are very easily done by Outlook 2002. It has been previously mentioned that Lotus Notes supports Microsoft Outlook 2002. I have also described briefly about Lotus Notes early this chapter. Considering that all the database requirement of IUB has been satisfied and we want to integrate all those with specific rights to different personnel at different departments, we shall easily be able to install Lotus Notes Server and Client with greater security without being threatened of incompatibility problem. We may keep Microsoft outlook as client with Lotus Notes server as well.
154
According to www.lotus.com/inotes under the caption IBM Lotus iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook the future benefits of Microsoft outlook as primary mail client are given below. Advanced functionality within a familiar interface: To protect the network and boost its reliability with the power of IBM Lotus Domino server, when end users have grown accustomed to using Microsoft Outlook, an immediate conversion of organizations mail client would not only be disruptive to users, it might not be in our current IT budget. Now, with IBM Lotus iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook, our organization can help improve the reliability, scalability and security of its messaging infrastructure in Outlook by upgrading from Exchange server to Domino 5 or 6 server without having to change from the Outlook client.
Dig: iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook allows users to leverage the advantages of a Domino server with their supported Microsoft Outlook client.
iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook is a collaborative server solution that delivers the leading messaging, calendaring, scheduling and personal information management services of Domino technology to Outlook 98, 2000 and 2002 clients. We can benefit from the optional failover and load balancing for mail, simplified administration and a broad choice in server platforms. This platform flexibility is designed to let us integrate Domino
155
technology with our entire existing supported infra-structure and avoid being locked into Microsoft solutions. Our end users can continue to take advantage of many of the familiar Outlook mail, calendaring and scheduling features they use now, while leveraging enhanced Domino functionality like full-text search capability for their mailboxes and native support for Internet standards (SMTP/MIME and HTML). Outlook features including e-mail, rich text, free and busy time search, and directory lookups remain available. Offline accessibility iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook leverages the world-class offline support of Domino, including disconnected access to e-mail, calendaring and scheduling through Domino Off-Line Services without changing the user experience. Mobile workers can compose or read e-mail messages and respond to calendar invitations while they are disconnected from the network, helping to save time and money. Changes and actions would be synchronized and implemented the next time they connect to the network. Reliability and scalability With iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook, we can leverage Domino technology to help enhance the performance of our entire messaging infrastructure and help ensure our organizations ability to grow and stay competitive. iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook is designed to decrease our network down time by using Domino server clustering. This optional feature can deliver optimal availability with failover for messaging, as well as dynamic workload balancing across the server cluster. On Windows NT and Windows 2000 operating systems, server clustering can complement and extend Microsoft Cluster Server without depending on it. With iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook, our enterprise can also benefit from Domino network compression, which can help improve the performance of our network and help make client-server interactions more efficient. Network compression can reduce network usage by decreasing the number of bytes sent during transactions. Internship And Senior Project 156
iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook lets us take advantage of the new Domino search processor, which results in closer integration of text and field retrieval, as well as faster Boolean processing. Anti-spam technology, which can give IT administrators more control over stopping spam at the firewall. This helps reduce the amount of spam that reaches end users. Features include the ability to log the receipt of spam; the ability to add a field to messages indicating that they are from known spam sites; the ability to use that field to filter, flag or run reports on messages; and the ability to delete messages believed to contain spam. Although spam cannot yet be completely eliminated, leveraging the Domino advanced antispam solution with iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook can help to significantly reduce spam traffic at the server, allowing users to be more productive, and save money and time. Notes and Outlook interoperability iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook supports interoperability capabilities between Notes and Outlook users, including the ability to send and receive e-mail and perform free and busy time lookup and basic calendar functions. For example, iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook allows Outlook and Notes users to view each others calendar information and exchange meeting invitations. This convenient function is designed to facilitate efficient communication and collaboration through messaging applications that might otherwise be incompatible.
Low-touch deployment with Domino Off-Line Services With Domino Off-Line Services enabled, you can deploy iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook enterprise wide using one simple configuration formwithout touching users desktops. Once configuration is complete, a URL is generated to which end users can easily connect and complete the three-step setup process to begin taking advantage of Domino messaging features in Outlook. Its so intuitive that little or no training is typically required. Central administration Internship And Senior Project 157
Centralized administration in Domino 6 is designed to let us manage the server infrastructure from a single point, reducing or eliminating the need to visit client desktops. It also lets us deliver enterprise standards to end users and effectively manage more servers and users. Optional server health monitoring also helps us manage more servers more effectively. Flexible client configuration For users who dont require offline access, iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook gives us the option to store data only on the server, thereby helping to minimize the footprint on the users workstation. This feature can give users more control over what is put on their desktop. IBM Lotus iNotes Access 6 for Microsoft Outlook at a glance End-user minimum hardware requirements (same as current requirement) Intel Pentium P133 processor or higher 48MB RAM 100MB disk space End-user software requirements (Same as current requirement) Microsoft Outlook 98, 2000 or 2002 (not required for Outlook Express) Microsoft Windows 95, 98, 2000 or Windows NT with Service Pack 4 Administrator software requirements Domino server 5.0.5 or higher (6.0 recommended) Domino Administrator Client 5.0.5 or higher (6.0 recommended) Web browser access: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Version 5.0 or higher Netscape, Version 4.5 or higher
158

Final Draft

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Final Draft

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CHAPTER

Internship and Senior Project

1.2. What is Senior Project?

1.3 The objectives of internship/ senior project

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

2.2. Brief history of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

2.3. The curriculum

2.4. The current mission, goals and strategies of IUB:

2.5. The organization chart

2.6. IUBs Current performance and competition in tomorrow:1

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

2.6.1. MBA Programme:

2.7. Corporate strategy and business strategy: 2.7.1. Corporate Strategy:

2.8. Different Strategic Business Unit (SBUs) at IUB:1

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

2.9. IUB campus location:

2.9.1. The Future Campus

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

2.10. Basic Information at a Glance (As of 2001-2002 IUB Directory )

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

Literature review on PROFS, Office Automation Systems and their objectives

3.1.2. According to Easylink global services limited:

3.1.3. According to MSDN library:

3.1.4. According to an ISO notice:

3.2. Objectives of PROFS:

3.2.1. Integration of systems at the data, function and institution level,

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

3.3.Literature Review on Office Automation System:

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

(Source: 1990 Azimuth Corporation)

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

3.3.4. Groupware: New Technology for Collaborative work

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

3.3.6. Group Collaboration via the Internet:

3.3.7. Managing Projects: Desktop Project Managers

6.2 Techniques for Fact Finding

Software and Hardware Specification of Software package used as prototype:

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

your everyday life.

Graphics tablet recommended for handwriting input features

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

5.2. Project Scope: 5.2.1. Context:

5.2.2. Information Objectives:

5.2.3. Function and performance:

5.3. Introduction to Preliminary Investigation:

5.3.2. About establishing the project charter:

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

5.3.3. Tasks during Preliminary Investigation:

5.3.4. Findings during preliminary investigation:

5.3.4.1. Undergraduate Schools of IUB:

5.3.4.2. Extension And Continuing Education Centre (ECEC):

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

5.3.4.3. Registrars Office:

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

5.3.4.4. Library And Documentation:

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

5.3.4.5. Modren Computer Centre (MCC):

Design of PROFS and Application Package Prototype Interfaces

Future Name and state of IUB computer Lab: