Professional Documents
Culture Documents
We, Derrick Laud Masope and Wyatt Afutu, hereby declare that this project work is our own
original work, and that due acknowledgement has been given to quotations and ideas
We accept full responsibility for any mistake in this work. This was written under the
We wish to register our deepest and sincerest gratitude to Almighty God for His care,
faithfulness and mercies over our lives and in whose grace and wisdom we have conducted
our affairs.
We also want to take this opportunity to show our gratitude to all those who extended their
help to us in diverse ways. Even though we can not mention all names here, know that we
Our sincere appreciation to Mr. George K. Akorfu, our supervisor (Head of IT Department),
for his guidance and support; also Mr. Isaac K. Nti and Miss Abigail Annan, who have
helped us do this work successfully. Thank you very much for your support.
Special thanks to Rev. Michael Awotwi for his encouragement and moral support during our
Finally, we acknowledge our indebtedness to the authors of the various articles and web
pages we consulted.
ABSTRACT
With the growth and advancement in computer technology over the past decade, there have
been incentives to replace outdated manual and other paper systems with electronic
Information systems.
We present an analysis firstly on the Information systems, with regards to Front Desk
Information Management Systems in Ghana. Our analysis identifies some major problems
which makes the manual or paper system slow, inconvenient, zero degree of security.
We also suggest some solutions, the paramount being the adoption of an electronic front desk
information system.
We conclude that for fast, accurate, reliable, easy and convenient data retrieval and usage, the
adoption of a Front Desk Information System (FDIS) for Wisconsin International University
We dedicate this project to our various beloved parents, Mrs. Elizabeth Ayiku (Wyatt Afutu
mother) and Mr. and Mrs. Masope-Crabbe (Derrick’s parents), who made a lot of sacrifices
to make us what are today. This work is also dedicated to our all our friends especially Jerry
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………….. ii
Acknowledgement ………………………………………………………………. iv
Declaration ………………………………………………………………………. v
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction ………………………………………………………………...1
CHHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
Appendix
B. Codes …………………………………………………………….. 44
Glossary …………………………………………………………………… 51
References …...………………………………………………………………. 53
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Looking for a particular student in the university with over thousand students can be both
frustrating and tiring. Not having any idea whether the student has a lecture or is in the hostel
or is not on campus can also be frustrating. In another instance a parent who has no idea of
his ward’s identification number or he uses a surname that is among a list of about four
hundred records can also be hectic. Or even consider a case where your ward is a foreign
national. The analysis on this situation is real and can be very difficult in an organization or
university without any form of information system specially designed for the retrieval of
information for visitors and strangers.
The ability to manipulate static documents and information are the main?? in this season of
phenomenological, scientific and technological age. The usage of software and databases has
reduced the stress on paper work and has created the avenue for fast, reliable and accurate
access to information by the click of a button or the press of a key.
In these few years, the emergence of computers, programming languages and
analysis/synthesis techniques, are used to retrieve data in any format for the perusal of users
and students.
Nowadays, we have a rich repertoire of modeling techniques that allow for quick view and
updates to the world of data and information at different levels of complexity and proximity.
In response to this computerized age, most organizations and institutions are adopting latest
technique to have quick access to information at the first point of call to their facility. Some
organizations could retrieve detailed records and reports on their staffs and further query
them for their usage. Another way is just to ask for short information that can give you a fair
idea of where you are and what you could access at a point in time.
In view of this, Wisconsin International University College should not be left out in the
search for information using the latest technique available so far as information technology is
concerned.
The university should create the comfort and ease the stress of visitors, students and strangers
by embracing the idea of a FRONT DESK INFORMATION SYSTEM that seeks to create
conducive atmosphere for both students and their respective seekers.
As computer science students, we want to take up this challenge for ourselves and the
university in general to develop an equally interesting and attractive and interactive package
for Wisconsin International University.
Also having to move all the way to book an appointment is a very difficult and frustrating
thing to do.
Having to deal with a lot of paper work such as processing and manipulation data can be
difficult.
1.4 Methodology:
A systematic approach to information gathering was used for data collection. Our sources of
data are the internet, articles on the subject matter also our primary sources of data are from
the questionnaires, interviews and research granted.
1.4.1 Questionnaires
Questionnaires were sent out to individuals and organizations who volunteered to give out
their ideas and opinions on the need for an information management system as a front desk
on the campuses of Wisconsin International University College, Ghana.
1.4.2 Interviews
To supplement data obtained from questionnaires and existing documents, face to
face interviews were held with a representative sample of people at the university and the
students’ representative council, students and all the front desk personnel in the school.
1.4.3 Existing Documents
Other existing document which has in-depth information on front desk information system
was also analyzed for further knowledge on the latest trend in the act of information
management.
Other sources, such as the Internet, magazines, journals, articles and periodicals were also
consulted.
combination of academic work project was very difficult and the forced us to limit the scope
Secondly, it was tedious for us to frequently visit or contact all the stakeholders involve in the
study, the objectives of the study, methodology used. Chapter two reviewed existing
literature on Front desk Information Systems, while Chapter three will focus on the
methodology and design of the project. Chapter four will includes the implementation
process. Finally Chapter five which is the concluding chapter talks about summary,
included.
CHAPTER TWO
In every human endeavor, getting access to good information and on time enhance
performance and gives good impression of the source. Information and how they are
distributed and used are very important especially to those who need it most. What is more,
lessons from the past enable one to minimize mistakes and be in the right position to advance.
SYSTEM as; “an electronic management system that uses encryption to allow a user to
call or retrieve information per defined parameter via the computer using a designed
FRONT DESK INFORMATION SYSTEM would also mean that “an information system
that works or take a source path from a remote access or server for usage at the first point
Most information systems are based on the concept adopted by the owners or the policy of
that institution or even the users of that system. Another fact is that, information system can
A review of the literature revealed that there are two different types of FRONT DESK
and verify information, by direct entry using a paper or a book that has been designed for
such purpose.
Such systems are very slow to use and information retrieval is very frustrating and
cumbersome. Most organizations are less productive based on this method since it slows
Electronic information systems, used computer based databases and software to capture, view
and update, search, process, query and generate report as many times as needed. It mostly
comes with picture facility and remote access oriented. Thus, the source is on a server whiles
Electronic information systems, can be upgraded when the needs of the organization changes.
The integrity of an information system used in producing information or request via any
means is fundamental to the acceptance of the results of that information provided is very
accurate and reliable. Information systems should therefore be sufficiently transparent and
comprehensible so that those who give the information can be sure of what they are giving
For any front desk information systems, be it electronic or using traditional paper to be
considered transparent and comprehensible, some important criteria must be satisfied on bio
o Age
o Sex
o Profession
o Marital status
o Etc….
With the Introduction of computer technology, several countries are now replacing outdated
paper based information systems to paperless or electronic Front Desk Information Systems
(FDIS) with the aim of increasing information accessibility by just some few seconds. In
addition to this new trend are programming languages that make it possible to design and
The new trends in Front Desk Information System for educational purposes consider such
data on a students as; Index number, Name, Sex, Programme, Department, Year of entry,
This information makes it possible to check on any student at any time by either a parent or a
visitor. It also tracks visitors, date, time and purpose. In summary, it gives enough
The new trend for Wisconsin International University is to look at a system running on a
server strategically positioned so that all client users will tap information from it and
manipulate it. This Remote-Access technique even gives security check to entry into the
school. The sketch below shows how the proposed case will look like and the flow of
information.
Fig 2.1 A SKETCH OF REMOTE ACCESS OF A FDIS
Administration I.T Department
Business Dept.
firewall
Internet
OFFICE
firewall OFFICE
SERVER
OFFICE
CHAPTER THREE
Fig 3.1
This is the table that records the attendance of all employees. This entity has feature to
replace the old manual way. Instead of writing or signing the attendance book, one need to
only do so via the Ethernet. Some of the attributes of this entity are date of reporting,
Fig 3.1.1
3.1.2 Appointment
This is also another entity in the database. The role of this is to keep records of all
appointment made with the University. The appointment table also has features such as
Fig 3.1.2
Student registration table is the entity in the database that keeps records on all students. This
captures the records of freshmen every semester and allows continuing students to modify or
This entity has records of all the contact numbers of the entire lecturer and the most frequent
contacted client. This table entails full details of all the workers and has attributes such as the
name, address and contact number.
Fig 3.1.4
FDIS is a Direct Retrieval Electronic (DRE) Information System which provides a platform
for simplifying the data analysis procedure not only in organizations but also in schools and
where information plays a major role in productivity and service delivery. Its strength lies in
In consequence of this assertion and other factors, the Wisconsin International University
College’s FDIS has several security requirements such as user authentication and access
control incorporated into its design architecture, thus making the system ,not only secure and
• Student Registration
• Appointment
• Report Center
• Log sheet
SRS is the system which is responsible for managing the registration process. It provides
GUI interfaces where students or data entry personnel’s can enter records as well as update
records.
made. It allows you to configure and customize appointment scheduling using the automated
system. Not only can you automate your front desk needs, but your customers can make or
cancel their appointments online, using any wireless device, or over the phone. This offers
your customers a flexible and user friendly approach for making or canceling appointments at
VUS manages activities regarding data loading and updates made on them. It allows for the
usage of a search criteria to fetch the data. It however depends on your user privilege and data
accessibility. It provides interactive GUIs for users to effectively use the system
RS is the system responsible for consolidating the details automatically and generating a
report for usage. It works in conjunction with SRS and VUS and provides a user-friendly
interface for displaying the results of a student or even a user. It also provides facilities for
Log sheet is a special aspect of the design procedure that tract all users with their passwords.
It is a system check on the database administrator and those who enter into the system at any
ODM plays an important and indispensable role in the operations of FDIS. ODM is that part
of FDIS that enables the FDIS System Administrator to interact with the database.
This chapter discusses the database design architecture underlying ODM. It provides
information about entities, attributes, queries, and other database objects relevant to FDIS.
An entity is an object with a set of easily identifiable properties. Entities serve as the
Database tables have a name (which often is the name of the entity from which it was
derived), fields (each attribute of the entity), and records (a collection of fields).
Put together, the design structure of a simple database could be seen as:
A DBMS called the FDIS DB Manager (ODM) was installed to manage system data.
ODM offers an opportunity for data about students to be retrieved, added, updated,
deleted, sorted, and traversed easily and quickly. ODM was also stored data
regarding users, copy, changes and other information relevant to the system.
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) application was developed to allow student’s bio-
data to be used on the screen. The application also provided a functionality which
enabled only the Database Administrator to access data as and when required.
and access control functionalities was built into the system. Secondly these security
features help prevent unauthorized access into the system. Consequently, a user who
attempts such procedure would be denied access into the system and then prompted
The system would offer facilities to allow reports ranging from students Registration
Details, log sheet to track users and visitors and statistics per day or month to be
printed.
FDIS can be implemented with the hardware, software, and other IT resources currently
• 64MB memory.
Dreamweaver offers much flexibility in syntax than most languages, thus making it relatively
literally place controls (labels, text areas, text boxes, list boxes, etc) on the screen without
having to write lengthy codes to generate such. Consequently, a programmer could develop a
and as such offers such advantages as code re-usability, realistic modeling and resilience.
web server package facilitated the designing of the project work. It is embedded with
languages.
number of databases. It is used to design the database (Back end) for storing,
web pages.
Furthermore, to make the system user friendly, technical aspects of the system (such as
coding) would also be encapsulated (or hidden) thus providing easy-to-use interfaces for
The FDIS has been tailored to function within the existing organizational and operational
framework of the University. That is to say, all major procedures undertaken by the database
administrator has been taken into cognizance and has consequently been incorporated into the
system accordingly.
However that may be, the system could also be implemented for other organizations.
Although the initial cost of developing and implementing FDIS on a large scale is relatively
high, it is believed that its benefits far outweigh its initial investment cost. The University can
equally produce this in large quantities for others who may need it.
CHAPTER FOUR
The implementation of a project is about the most important phase in the life of this project.
This Chapter discussed both the high-level and low-level design aspects of FDIS and
proceeds to discuss how each design aspect has been integrated into a working system.
Testing and deployment of each of the programme components, therefore the system was
Fig. 4.4 Screen Developed For the Student View and Update Page
The View and Update screen
Fig. 4.5 Screen Developed For the Data Retrieval Page
FDIS, as has already been discussed, is an integration of several subsystems or modules, with
each module performing a different role. The preceding section outlined the screens of each
of the modules. Even so, each module does not work in isolation, but rather is dependent on
However that may be, each module has been developed to be used during a given phase in the
information management process. And so, for example, the Registration Subsystem would
be used during new Registration Exercises, and not during information retrieval.
Although the entire system ( Registration, Retrieval, Manipulation, Reports and FDIS DB
process, some subsystems [Data retrieval and Time table management], however, would be
accessible to the System users only during those times the system is in use on the network.
Although FDIS is yet to be tested on a very large scale, it has been subjected to several minor
but effective in-house tests, all in an attempt to determine whether system requirements have
been met. Notable among the tests was one where the system was installed for usage at a
primary school. The essence of the test was to determine how effective and efficient FDIS
Another notable test simulated the usage of Wisconsin International University as a case
study to give vivid understanding on the implementing environment and the immense benefit
objectives were found to have been met. On the whole, majority of the users were surprised
not only that computer technology could be used for tracking and fast tracking information
flow, but also at how it simplified information management procedures at the front desk.
Most students were eager to try out the system also because the entire concept of Electronic
Although no major problem was encountered during the test, the system would function to
appreciation once a very good networking environment has been put in place. It was noticed
that the university could take advantage of such a project to blend it with their wireless
access. Thus through an internet based database system, you can check and have access to
Questions asked ranged from the ease of use, feeling of anonymity, security, and interface
design.
CHAPTER FIVE
Growth and advancement in computer technology, in recent times, have affected literally
every aspect of human life. What is more, the 21st Century has seen an increase in the
development of systems to handle several important tasks which, hitherto, were done
manually.
Even so, an important institution which has been influenced by computer technology in the
past few years is information security and accessibility. Several systems and methods have
been devised, while researchers are still exploring new and better ways of conducting
information analysis, with the recent being electronic front desk information systems.
Although front desk information systems seek to simplify information handling techniques
while reducing processing cost, designing a secure and reliable electronic system is a huge
challenge in that the system to be developed should, amongst other things, protect the privacy
of the user, seeker and the beneficiary, and also be comprehensible to and usable by the entire
It is upon this background that FDIS, an electronic Front Desk Information System has been
developed. The system, as presented in this write up, was developed after having studied the
tool. Although FDIS offers a number of advantages over the conventional paper-based
system in Ghana and many institutions, it is not infallible. Strange to say, a major concern has
not been how to protect the system from outside attack (i.e. from hackers), but from inside
fraud. That is from a system administrator who has access to all the database keys, passwords
and the entire system, and might thus alter information in the system. We recognize that
information is very powerful and highly contentious and that needs to be protected. As such
we suggest that FDIS be protected through a distributed group of individuals – none of which
can act alone. No one individual should have the right to stuff the server change or delete a
detail.
However that may be, FDIS undoubtedly offers convenience to the user and administrative
ease to institutions administrators as they can get results out more quickly than conventional
Even so, for electronic FDIS to become more widely accepted in Ghana (and Africa, for that
matter), the users and students should be educated in its use, and the university should make
noise about it. Secondly, electronic FDIS systems should be opened to experts in system
analysis, computer programming and high-grade security for scrutiny. It is only when FDIS
systems are certified by industry experts that public confidence would be increased.
APPENDIX A
FDIS
Data Dictionary
This Data Dictionary is a condensation of FDIS Database Manager (ODM), taking over 30
references pertaining largely to field names or attributes.
It is hoped that users would find the material useful and practical.
Data Definition
Name: Address
Description: Refers to the address of a student.
Type: Text
Maximum Number of 50
Characters:
Range of Acceptable Values: Alphanumeric
Name: Age
Type: Number
Name: LastName
Type: Text
Maximum Number of 50
Characters:
Range of Acceptable Values: Alphanumeric
Name: Level
Name: MiddleName
Type: Text
Maximum Number of 50
Characters:
Range of Acceptable Values: Alphanumeric
Name: Mother’sName
Type: Text
Maximum Number of 50
Characters:
Range of Acceptable Values: Alphanumeric
Name: Password
Maximum Number of 50
Characters:
Range of Acceptable Values: Alphanumeric
Type: Image
Maximum Number of -
Characters:
Range of Acceptable Values: -
Name: PollingStationName
Maximum Number of 50
Characters:
Range of Acceptable Values: Alphanumeric
FDIS
Codes
1. Connecting to the database
<?php
mysql_connect('localhost','root','deenwyatt') or die ("connection failed");
mysql_query("use frontdeskinfo");
?>
<?php
# FileName="Connection_php_mysql.htm"
# Type="MYSQL"
# HTTP="true"
$hostname_drpassword = "localhost";
$database_drpassword = "frontdeskinfo";
$username_drpassword = "root";
$password_drpassword = "deenwyatt";
$drpassword = mysql_pconnect($hostname_drpassword, $username_drpassword,
$password_drpassword) or trigger_error(mysql_error(),E_USER_ERROR);
?>
2. Login 2
$loginFormAction = $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];
if (isset($_GET['accesscheck'])) {
$_SESSION['PrevUrl'] = $_GET['accesscheck'];
}
if (isset($_POST['username'])) {
$loginUsername=$_POST['username'];
$password=$_POST['password'];
$MM_fldUserAuthorization = "";
$MM_redirectLoginSuccess = "Appointment.html";
$MM_redirectLoginFailed = "index.htm";
$MM_redirecttoReferrer = false;
mysql_select_db($database_drpassword, $drpassword);
<?php
//include ["login.php"];
//$Id = $_POST['Id'];
$LastName = $_POST['LastName'];
$FirstName = $_POST['FirstName'];
$OtherName = $_POST['OtherName'];
$DateOfBooking = $_POST['DateOfBooking'];
$AvDateOfAppointment = $_POST['AvDateOfAppointment'];
$NameOfCompany = $_POST['NameOfCompany'];
$ContactNumber = $_POST['ContactNumber'];
$Purpose = $_POST['Purpose'];
$NameOfPerson = $_POST['NameOfPerson'];
mysql_connect("localhost","root","deenwyatt");
<?php
$StudentID = $_POST['StudentID'];
$LastName = $_POST['LastName'];
$FirstName = $_POST['FirstName'];
$OtherName = $_POST['OtherName'];
$Sex = $_POST['Sex'];
$Level = $_POST['Level'];
$Programme = $_POST['Programme'];
$Nationality = $_POST['Nationality'];
$Student_Status = $_POST['Student_Status'];
$MaritalStatus = $_POST['MaritalStatus'];
$PostalAddress =$_POST['PostalAddress'];
$ResidentialAddress =$_POST['ResidentialAddress'];
$Telephone = $_POST['Telephone'];
$Mobile = $_POST['Mobile'];
$Email = $_POST['Email'];
mysql_connect ("localhost","root","deenwyatt");
mysql_query("use frontdeskinfo") or die ("Database not in use");
<?php
$Date = $_POST['Date'];
$EmployeeName = $_POST['EmployeeName'];
$TimeIn= $_POST['TimeIn'];
$TimeOut = $_POST['TimeOut'];
mysql_connect("localhost","root","deenwyatt");
<?php
$Date = $_POST['Date'];
$EmployeeName = $_POST['EmployeeName'];
$TimeIn= $_POST['TimeIn'];
$TimeOut = $_POST['TimeOut'];
mysql_connect("localhost","root","deenwyatt");
<?php
$db_name="frontdeskinfo";
$table_name="studentreg";
$studentid=$_POST['studentid'];
}
//else {
//echo "<h1>Please enter the right year</h1>";
//}
?>
<?php
$uploaddir = 'c:\xampp\htdocs\project\uploadfolder\.';
$uploadfile = $uploaddir . $_FILES['userfile']['name'];
print "<pre>";
if (move_uploaded_file($_FILES['userfile']['tmp_name'], $uploadfile)) {
print "Picture uploaded Suceessfully. ";
} else {
print "Click on browse buttom to upload files! \n";
}
print "</pre>";
?>
Glossary
Attribute → This refers to the property of an entity.
clicked.
(DBMS) organization
Domain Integrity → The process of ensuring that only a valid range of values
Entity Integrity → The process of ensuring that each row in a table can be
Referential Integrity → The process of ensuring that all the values in a foreign key
to another program
References
50.
2) The World Book Encyclopedia, (D) World Book Inc. 2000, 120 – 122.
3) The World Book Encyclopedia, (E) World Book Inc. 2000, 158 – 160.
4) Trelease, S.F., How to Write Scientific and Technical Papers, M.I.T. Press,
7) Ericson, John, the Importance of Good Visuals, In: Publish or Perish, Hills, P.J. (Ed.),
8) http://www.darwinmag.com/read/thoughts/column.html?ArticleID=406
9) http://istresults.cordis.lu/index.cfm/section/news/tpl/article/BrowsingType/Features/I
D/75526 2005
10) http://www.macromedia.com/go/dreamweaver8_releasenotes
11) http://www.macromedia.com/go/dreamweaver_devcenter
12) http://www.php.net/manual/en/
13) http://dev.msql.com/docrefman