Essay: Online cruise travel package sales

Abstract
I am studying Level 5 Diploma in computing at MCC Training Institute Yangon Campus of NCC Education Organization. As a second year student, the project is taken as one of the subjects. So, I am doing this as my project. It is about a cruise travel package sales agency. In this project, an agency which sells travel packages for cruises was opened two years ago.
When the business was first started, the cruise travel packages are not very popular and it was unknown by almost all people. Because of the small business, the system was small too. It started with the manual system. The staffs have to write down data in books and record all the customer information details, cruise information details and other data. It was not a problem at first, but as the system become bigger the current system cannot hold all the data for the business.
The proposed automatic computer system is more convenient, easier and saves time. It also includes an online website to provide customers the best services. Customers can check the website 24/7 every time they free. The agency can also keep in touch with customers. Both customers and agency gain benefits. Producing reports can be resulted faster than the current paper works system. Customers can purchase packages more conveniently via online.
Introduction
Overview of the Computing Artefact to be developed
My business started with a cruise travel package agency named ‘Royal Heaven’ which is opened two years ago. The main branch is located on No.15, Shwe Gone Tine Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Now, about 50 branches are opened all over the country.
The current system is slow as it is a paper-based system and staffs have to record all information details in the books. When a customer buys a package, the staff has to register a new record in the book. It is not always convenient for customers to come to agency and buy travel packages. Some busy customers cannot come to agency just to buy packages. It so, we can lose customers. The whole work is complicated and busy.
If the customer had already bought packages at agency before, the customer record can be duplicated. It is hard to retrieve information when the staffs have to look for a customer’s profile. The staffs may have to check all the books. Besides, paper works has absolutely no security. They can be stolen, torn or damaged by accident, for example, coffee spills on the paper works accidentally and the whole data can be damaged. When the reports have to be produced, we have to wait a long time to finish the process and it is a time wasting, in a way, less efficiency more efforts.
Creating an online website is the best way not only to communicate with my original customers and new customers but also an advertising way to unknown customers about the agency. The proposed system is web-based and will provide a 24/7 hours online service. Customers will not have to come agency to buy packages. They can buy and purchase packages directly online via agency’s website. It is easier and also saves time instead of coming agency by self. The staffs will not have to record data in the books but in the databases. It is more accurate and more secure than paper-based. The whole system is fast and easier. It saves both the customer’s and staffs’ time, in a way, less effort and more efficiencies. The reports also can result in a short time without having to wait a long time. In conclusion, the proposed system is more efficient, more secure, more convenient, quicker and saves time than the current system.
Aims and Objectives
Aims
To solve the problems that the agency is facing and to benefit both staffs and customers.
Objectives
– To view package information to customers without having to register on website
– To provide online purchase service via website
– To available online purchase only after customer registration is done
– To available online purchase with any credit cards connected by different banks
– To provide customers 24/7 hours online service
– To see monthly top 5 most selling packages of agency
‘
Work Breakdown Structure and Gantt Chart
Work Breakdown Structure and Gantt Chart
Fig 1 Work Breakdown Structure
Fig 2 Gantt Chart’
Scope of the Project
Features to be developed
– Customer registration process
– Staff registration process
– Cruise information recording process
– Cruise travel package information recording process
– Cabin package information recording process
– Meals package information recording process
– Passenger detail registration process
– Search by destination
– Search by cruise
– Package selling process
– Voucher showing process
– Daily all packages sales report
– Daily new customer registration report
– Monthly Top 5 most selling cabin and meal package report
– Monthly Top 5 most selling cruise package report
Features not to be developed
– Customer cancellation of purchased package
– Online help services
– Customer feedback available
‘
Development Method
Explanation of Development Method
Choosing Model
Waterfall Model
Waterfall model is a sequential life cycle model. It is simple to understand and use. Each step needs to be completed before progression onto the next one in the waterfall model.
V-Model
V-Model is a software development system and process steps are bent upwards after the coding phase, to form the typical V Shape. It illustrates the relationships between each phase of the development life cycle and its associated phase of testing.
Why choose Waterfall Model
Waterfall model is simple and easy to understand. It is easy to manage. Phases are processed and completed one at a time. Works well for smaller projects where requirements are very well understand.
‘
Choosing Method
Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM)
SSADM is a waterfall method and includes six stages, feasibility study, analysis and requirements specification, design, implementation, testing and maintenance. Each step needs to be completed before progression onto the next one. This aims to ensure that all procedures associated with each steps are undertaken. It is easy to measure progress by referring to the objectives defined for each step. SSADM provides different views of the same system by using three techniques, Logical Data Modelling, Data Flow Modelling and Entity or Event Modelling.
Object-Oriented Analysis and Design Methodology
OOADM is a popular technical approach to design and analyze a system. It provides better stakeholder communication and product quality. Object-Oriented Analysis organize requirements around objects, which integrate both behaviors (processes) and states (data). It uses usecase models to describe scenarios for standard domain functions that the system must accomplish. It also provide a detailed description of how the system is to be built on concrete technologies.
Why choose Object-Oriented Analysis and Design Methodology
OOADM provides better stakeholder communication and a detailed description of how the system is to be built on concrete technologies. They primarily perform the functions such as finding the objects, organizing the objects, describing how the objects interact, describing the behavior of the objects, describing the internals of the objects.
‘
Detail Development Tools and Platforms
PHP
PHP Hypertext Pre-processor especially suited to web developers to create dynamic contents that interact with databases. PHP is a popular server side scripting language that is embedded in HTML. Popular databases such as MySQL, Oracle, Sybase and Microsoft SQL Server and many other databases are integrated with PHP. PHP supports a large number of major protocols. It also supports Java and distributed object architectures. Databases can be editable, delete able and modifiable by using PHP.
Java
Java is a class-based, object-oriented programming language and specifically designed to have a few implementation dependencies. Once a Java is written and run on one platform, it doesn’t need to be compiled to run on others. It is slow and requires big memory space to run.
Why choose PHP
PHP can be used to manage dynamic contents, databases, session tracking and even build e-commerce sites. It is C-like Syntax and easy to learn. It can not only create, open, read, write and close files but gather data from files, save data to a file, send data through email and return data to the user. With PHP, accessing cookies variables and setting cookies can be done. It can also be used to restrict users from accessing some pages on a website.
MySQL
MySQL is a relational database management system and stores data in separate tables rather than putting all data into a large depository. Doing so adds tremendous speed and flexibility. The tables are linked by defined relations making it possible to combine data from several tables upon request.
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft Sequel (MS SQL) is also a relational database management system and licensed under Microsoft Company. It allows user-defined composite types (UDTs) to be defined and used. SQL Server allows multiple clients to use the same database concurrently. It also allows stored procedures to be defined.
Why choose MySQL
It is inexpensive, very easy to use and requires no special user skills to build and create databases with MySQL. It can execute fast even while it handles a vast of data within databases. It is secure as permissions can be set to allow some or all privileges to individuals and passwords are encrypted. It is scalable and can hold a maximum memory amount of 8TB.