Project On: System Design and Development of ACI Foods Ltd.

Page 1

Letter of Transmittal
28 August, 2012 Mohammed RashedUzzaman Lecturer, School of Business North South University, Dhaka. Course: MIS205 (sec: 14) Subject: Submitting the project paper on system development of ACI Foods limited Dear Sir, We are honored to present you our project paper on the topic: System Development of ACI Foods Ltd. As you have assigned us to do as our project as a partial requirement of the course. We are looking forward for your sincere judgment regarding this report. We are delighted while getting the opportunity to work closely with Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) Limited which provides us with the opportunity to learn about their versatile and much diversified arena. We tried our level best to fulfill the requirement of this project by engaging ourselves seriously and giving our best effort to prepare this report. Working hard for this project make us able to understand the core concepts of Management Information System which we think will be very useful in our professional life. Our kind acceptance and any type of appreciation would surely inspire us. If you need any further information, we will be available at your service at any time. Sincerely yours,

Nur Mohammad

ID: 083 004 030

Md Arafat Shikder

ID: 103 0574 530

NoushinAkterID: 101 0044 030

MdEiakubJamil

ID: 103 0109 530

Page 2

RunaAkhter

ID: 103 0588 530

S.K Siam Ali

ID: 103 0716 530

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

At first, we thank to almighty Allah who has provided us the great opportunity to complete this

report successfully. This is our humble attempt to present gratitude in writing this project; we have truly drawn upon our own experience as the student of MIS: 205(Management Information System). Secondly, we would like to express our gratitude to our MIS 205 faculty instructor Mohammed RashedUzzaman (RZZ) for the valuable guidance and support. We really appreciate what he has taught us in the whole semester and we would like to express our heart-felt gratefulness for that. After conducting our interview that we would needed for almost all aspects of our MIS concept and we will forever grateful to our honorable faculty for that. Finally, we would like to add few more words saying that, this report is prepared by novice and naturally, there could be unwilling errors and omissions which are extremely belong to us. Hence, we have taken help from different people for preparing our report without their help, completing the report perfectly would not have been possible. Now here is a petite effort to show our deep gratitude to those helpful persons. Our sincere thanks go to IftekharHossain, Business manager, ACI limited, Dhaka , Mr Adnan Hossain, and Product Executive for their openhearted closeness and helpful cooperation for collecting our necessary information in preparing our report. Last but not the least, we would like to thank all our group members and others whose names are not mentioned here, but directly or indirectly offered suggestions and guidelines to the completion of our work. We warmly thank them for their kind contribution.

Page 3

Origin of the Report:

This report was assigned to us by Mr. RashedUzzaman, course instructor of MIS 205. The title of the course is Management Information System (Managing the Digital Firm). The objective of the course is to allow/enable the students the ability to develop, design and implement Management Information Systems for an organization. This system development was taught in the class but through this report we got the opportunity to work on practical level with the knowledge we gained from this course. While doing this report we could understand the concepts of the course more clearly, we can say the report was an eye opener for us students as through this report we were highly benefitted. For many of us it was a new experience to work on practical level, for example taking interviews.

Objective of the Report:

The objective of this report is to develop, design and produce an information system solution to an organizational problem. This is called system development. Here in this report we first identified the problems occurring in ACI limited then we tried our utmost to give them proposals that how we can solve their problems through a proper system development. In this report we mentioned the steps of a system development. Through this report our knowledge and command on this course became clearer.

Purposes for Choosing ACI Foods Limited:

We chose ACI foods limited because after visiting the MIS department of the company few times we identified several specific problems due to which they are not being able to utilize their resources efficiently. This is why they are also being unable to provide their customers with the

Page 4

best way. We also identified few problems in their staff record maintenance, equipment maintenance and also in their supply system. Compared to the amount of advancement of technology taking place nowadays their website had some lacking too. After viewing all these problems we decided to work on ACI FOODS LIMITED and provide them with a proper information system.

LIMITATIONS:

As ACI is very successful and versatile company, making appointment with the busy executives was quite tough. As the interview was conducted with different executives, we have to visit ACI for several times. Not all the dates were convenient for all the six group members. As Tejgaon is an industrial area, so attending the executives just on time after a sudden call from ACI was nearly impossible because of the huge traffic jam on that part of Dhaka City. Some of the executives were so busy that it was hard on our part to convince them to give us some time. Due to the absence of adequate financial data estimating the accurate project cost was not possible. The officials were sometimes unable to answer our questions because of the strict confidentialities they have to maintain. Some better suggestions have to be ignored because of there budget constrain

Sources of Collecting Data:

Our informations we gathered are collected from different sources:

Page 5

a) Primary Sources: Interviewing some executives of Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) Limited. Information from distributors, retail outlets and from the company b) Secondary sources: Websites. Different articles and reports Various books related our report.

Page 6

Introduction:
Our report on System Development of ACI Foods Ltd. We know that, ACI is one of the most successful companies in our country. Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) Limited is one of the leading conglomerates in Bangladesh, with a multinational heritage. We have a mission to achieve business excellence through quality by understanding, accepting, meeting and exceeding customer expectations. We follow International Standards on Quality Management System to ensure consistent quality of products and services to achieve customer satisfaction. In this report we tried our best to design a proper system development by which ACI will be benefited. The SDLC is a process used by a systems analyst to develop an information system, training, and user (stakeholder) ownership. Any SDLC should result in a high quality system that meets or exceeds customer expectations, reaches completion within time and cost estimates, works effectively and efficiently in the current and planned Information Technologyinfrastructure, and is inexpensive to maintain and cost-effective.

Page 7

BACKGROUNG OF ACI: Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) Limited is one of the leading conglomerates in Bangladesh, with a multinational heritage.ACI was established as the subsidiary of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in the then East Pakistan in 1968. After independence the company has been incorporated in Bangladesh on the 24th of January 1973 as ICI Bangladesh Manufacturers Limited and also as Public Limited Company. This Company also obtained listing with Dhaka Stock Exchange on 28 December, 1976 and its first trading of shares took place on 9 March, 1994. Later on 5 May, 1992, ICI plc. Divested 70% of its shareholding to local management. Subsequently the company was registered in the name of Advanced Chemical Industries Limited. Listing with Chittagong Stock Exchange was made on 22 October 1995.

Basic Information
Company Name: Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) Limited Business Type: Manufacturer, Distributor/Wholesaler, Other Address: 245, ACI Centre, Tejgaon Industrial Area Brands: ACI Number of Employees: Above 1000 People Company Website URL: http://www.aci-bd.com

ACI FOODS LTD: Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) Limited is one of the leading
conglomerates in Bangladesh, with a multinational heritage. We have a mission to achieve business excellence through quality by understanding, accepting, meeting and exceeding customer expectations. We follow International Standards on Quality Management System to ensure consistent quality of products and services to achieve customer satisfaction. The necessity of pure food in consumers mind especially in the commodity food business has pushed ACI to fill up the market demand by producing food products. ACI Foods limited is engaged in manufacturing, marketing, and distribution food products and condiment under the brand names of PURE and FUN. Our portfolio covers practically basic spices, mixed spices, cereals, edible oil, snacks and confectionary categories. We are focusing on improving the food habit of

Page 8

consumers through providing more ready to cook products and ready to eat as well. ACI foods limited exports Pure and Fun Brand products to Australia, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and many other countries to come into the list.

Mission Statement:
ACIs mission is to enrich the quality of life of people through responsible application of knowledge, skills and technology. ACI is committed to the pursuit of excellence through worldclass products, innovative processes and empowered employees to provide the highest level of satisfaction to its customers.

Vision:
TO REALIZE THE MISSION ACI WILL: Endeavor to attain a position of leadership in each category of its businesses. Attain a high level of productivity in all its operations through effective and efficient use of resources, adoption of appropriate technology and alignment with our core competencies. Develop its employees by encouraging empowerment and rewarding innovation. Promote an environment for learning and personal growth of its employees. Provide products and services of high and consistent quality, ensuring value for money to its customers. Encourage and assist in the qualitative improvement of the services of its suppliers and distributors. Establish harmonious relationship with the community and promote greater environmental responsibility within its sphere of influence.

Our Values:

Quality Customer Focus Fairness Transparency

Page 9

 Continuous Improvement Innovation

BUSINESS PORTFOLIO:
ACI already introduced many businesses and almost in every sector they are successful. They have:

ACI Formulations Limited Apex Leather Crafts Limited ACI Salt Limited ACI Pure Flour Limited ACI Foods Limited Premiaflex Plastics Limited Creative Communication Ltd. ACI Motors Limited ACI Logistics Limited ACI Godrej Agrovet Private Ltd. Tetley ACI (Bangladesh) Ltd. Asian Consumer Care (Pvt.) Ltd. ACI Consumer Electronics

From this business portfolio in this project we have worked with ACI FOODS LTD.

JOINT VEVTURE AND SUBSIDIARIES:

ACI has lots of joint ventures and subsidiaries like: ACI Formulations Ltd. ACI Agrgochemicals Apex Leathercrafts Limited ACI Salt Limited ACI Pure Flour Limited

Page 10

ACI Foods Limited Premiaflex Plastics Limited Creative Communication LimitedACI Motors Limited ACI Logistics Limited Joint Ventures:

HIARARCHY OF ACI LTD

Page 11

Dr. ArifDowla, Managing Director& Chairman

Management Committee: Dr. ArifDowla Dr. F.H.Ansarey Mr. Syed Alamgir Managing Director Executive Director , Agribusinesses Executive Director, Consumer Brands Chief Operating Officer, Pharmaceuticals

Mr. M. MohibuzZaman

Mr. Muallem A. Choudhury Executive Director, Finance and Planning Mr. SabbirHasanNasir Executive Director, Logistics Mr. PriyatoshDatta Director, Quality Assurance Financial Controller

Mr. PradipKarChowdhury

Page 12

Ms. Sheema Abed Rahman Mr. AbdusSadeque

Director, Corporate Affairs

Director, Marketing & Sales Director Director General Manager, Operations

Abdul MuyeedChowdhury Juned Ahmed Choudhury Mr. Imam Ahmed Istiak

PRODUCTS OF ACI:
From the country of hospitality, presenting ACI Pure Spices. We believe the value of spices lies in the natural trait of spices, volatile oil is very is essential for retaining natural color and aroma of spices. Our unique Impact Classifying Milling technology with its temperature control grinding feature, keep the volatile oil of fresh spices intact. Famous Bangladeshi brand, ACI Pure Spices takes pride in delivering all the natural goodness of spices so that you can serve great tasting foods to the ones you care.

Descriptions Products Pure Chilli, Pure Chilli is grinded form the best variety of chilli. It provides bright red color with high hotness. INGREDIENT: Chilli.NET WEIGHT: For Export- 100g, 200g, 400g, 1000g. For Loacl- 15g, 50g, 100g, 200g, 500g, 1000g. Export Pack Local Pack Pure Chilli

Pure Coriander Pure Coriander is enriched with natural food value which makes the food tastier and more desirable. INGREDIENT: Coriander.NET WEIGHT: For Export- 100g, 200g, 400g, 1000g. For Loacl- 15g, 50g, 100g, 200g, 500g, 1000g.

Page 13

Export Pack Local Pack

Pure Turmeric Pure Turmeric With its natural aroma Pure turmeric endow the food with beautiful golden yellow color. INGREDIENT: Turmeric.NET WEIGHT: For Export- 100g, 200g, 400g, 1000g. For Loacl- 15g, 50g, 100g, 200g, 500g, 1000g.

Export Pack Local Pack

Pure Cumin Pure Cumin makes the curry intensely flavorful making the food irresistible. INGREDIENT: Cumin.NET WEIGHT: For Export- 100g, 200g. For Loacl- 15g, 50g, 100g, 200g.

Page 14

Factories:

Figure: ACI Food Industry ACI, Advanced Chemical Industries Limited, is one of the leading conglomerates in Bangladesh. ACI Foods Limited is a subsidiary company of ACI Ltd. incorporated in 2006. ACI Limited is the first company in Bangladesh to have attained the ISO 9001 certification for Quality Management System and ISO 14001 for Environmental Management System. It is now in process to have ISO 22000 for Food Safety Management System for ACI Foods Limited. ACI Foods Ltd. has established a modern factory equipped with suitable machineries and equipment for safe food production. ACI Foods Limited is already exporting processed food products to Australia, Saudi Arabia and Middle East Asian Countries. ACI also represents the world renowned product range of Colgate, Nivea, Tetley, Godrej&Dabur in Bangladesh through distribution and forming joint venture.

Page 15

Export Areas:
We have turned out International market label product. As a result we are exporting our products in foreign market. Sell abroad Countries are United Kingdom (UK), Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai, KSA, Australia, Cyprus, Singapore, USA

Page 16

Map: Export Areas of ACI

FINANCIAL PLANNING:

Finance and Planning:

ACI Finance and Planning function is the nerve center of the conglomerate. Being the nature of the structure, ACI Finance and Planning plays the centralized role in all kinds of financial and accounting services. Meaning it handles financial and accounting matters of not only ACI Limited but also of all of its subsidiaries supporting the mission and vision of the Group. The major areas of its activities include:

New business management:

ACI finance is pioneering in introducing and implementing state of the art financial tools like electronic banking, integrated accounting systems, better foreign exchange management through

Page 17

hedging, derivatives etc. To allow us to excel in our performance ACI Finance has strong rapport with all the international and major local banks, non-financial institution including leasing companies. Driving force of Finance is its motto which is "to become most value adding business partner". To drive this vision, ACI Finance proactively helps business in providing right and timely information, analysis, budgetary management and participating in cross-functional team. The Planning function not only compiles and coordinate the company plan of the conglomerate but also instrumental in feeding the CEO and top team different macro and micro economic situation of the country as well as world in large. These in-depth analyses help the company to make correct and pragmatic decision as a part of strategic initiative. The new business development area is one of the most exciting areas in ACI. Here we keep a track on potential areas of growth being envisaged in the country, these are followed by rigorous analysis and subsequently matching these with ACI's competence. This allows ACI's growth engine to get enough fuel to take its course forward.

Training:
Training activities of ACI is focused on transforming its human capital to achieve business excellence by increasing the bandwidth of ACI workforce. To win present and future challenges we identify knowledge and skill sets that are pivotal factors and we design a variety of programs so that achieving such success by using creativity, agility, flexibility, skill diversity and IT technology becomes a custom. We scan external environment for comparing industry practices, benchmark best practices and implement competency management programs to offer outstanding services to our valued customers. Enormous and spontaneous shared efforts are made with the strategic intent of achieving excellence in delivering customized services to meet the ever changing development needs of the human resources. We design strategic learning roadmap consisting tailored learning strategies for each of our employee clusters of the business divisions, based on a shared vision, to make us a proud member of a learning organization. We adopt best technology based modules, methodologies, facilities, in-house and external faculties/trainers to ensure the best return from human development investments. Corporate Values of ACI are embedded in the process of designing, developing and delivering each activity of Training Department throughout the organization.

Distribution:
The company maintains strategically located sales centers in nineteen different locations across the country. It has developed an advanced distribution system through its more than 300 skilled and trained manpower and a large fleet over eighty vehicles. The distribution system is capable of handling continuing volume of diverse range of products from the various businesses. The

Page 18

company's distribution centers are highly streamlined, computerized and automated. We are capable of maintaining a cold chain for some specialized range of products such as vaccines and insulin. The combination of this advanced function and multidimensional capabilities made it possible to handle hundreds of products efficiently.

Corporate Publications:
There are many people who contribute to the success of ACI. Through teamwork and leadership,

ACI has become a strengthened organization that works cooperatively to achieve its mission. Corporate publications include BEAMS - a quarterly newsletter that communicate stories about the various activities of the diverse business and functions to promote awareness among the ACI family members- and Synergy that aims towards enriching HR knowledge to enhance employee motivation and work culture.

HR Department of ACI:

Page 19

ACI HR works with a vision for creating a work-environment to foster creativity, innovation and productivity for achieving business excellence through dynamic and dedicated people. We believe that Human Resources are the most important asset of the organization. We identify the training needs and provide trainings accordingly to develop the knowledge and skills of our human resources. Thought Leadership and Team Building meetings are conducted on a regular basis. We provide an enabling working environment to unleash the full potential of the employees and a performance based career progression. We have a value based culture where dignity of the individual is the highest priority. We believe in empowerment and delegation. We organize different social events like Family Day, Cricket Tournament, and Badminton Tournament etc. with an objective to strengthen the bondage among the employees. We practice modern HR Policies and procedures for Recruitment & Selection, Manpower Planning and succession planning. We use a combination of qualitative aspects and Balanced Score Card for performance appraisal. We have attractive policies regarding car loan, gratuity, provident fund and hospitalization. We offer performance bonus, leave fare assistance, festival bonus and workers profit participation fund during different times within a year. ACI is a place to learn, grow and contribute for improving the quality of life of people.

Quality Policy :
ACI's mission is to achieve business excellence through quality by understanding, accepting, meeting and exceeding customer expectations. ACI follows International Standards on Quality Management System to ensure consistent quality of products and services to achieve customer satisfaction. ACI also meets all national regulatory requirements relating to its current businesses and ensures that current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) as recommended by World Health Organization is followed for its pharmaceutical operations. The management of ACI commits itself to quality as the prime consideration in all its business decisions. All employees of ACI must follow documented procedures to ensure compliance with quality standards. The pool of human resources of the company will be developed to their full potential and harnessed through regular training and their participation in seeking continuous improvement of work method.

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC):

The Systems development life cycle (SDLC), or Software development process in systems engineering, information systems and software engineering, is a process of creating or altering information systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these

Page 20

systems. In software engineering, the SDLC concept underpins many kinds of software development methodologies. These methodologies form the framework for planning and controlling the creation of an information system. The SDLC is a process used by a systems analyst to develop an information system, training, and user (stakeholder) ownership. Any SDLC should result in a high quality system that meets or exceeds customer expectations, reaches completion within time and cost estimates, works effectively and efficiently in the current and planned Information Technologyinfrastructure, and is inexpensive to maintain and cost-effective.

In general, an SDLC methodology follows the following steps: At first we need to take a proper decision that why we can change the existing system, how we will set up the new system and how it will be more benefited for the organization. The existing system is evaluated. Deficiencies are identified. This can be done by interviewing users of the system and consulting with support personnel. The new system requirements are defined. In particular, the deficiencies in the existing system must be addressed with specific proposals for improvement. The proposed system is designed. Plans are laid out concerning the physical construction, hardware, operating systems, programming, communications, and security issues. The new system is developed. The new components and programs must be obtained and installed. Users of the system must be trained in its use, and all aspects of performance must be tested. If necessary, adjustments must be made at this stage. The system is put into use. This can be done in various ways. The new system can phased in, according to application or location, and the old system gradually replaced. In some cases, it may be more cost-effective to shut down the old system and implement the new system all at once.

Page 21

 Once the new system is up and running for a while, it should be exhaustively evaluated. Maintenance must be kept up rigorously at all times. Users of the system should be kept up-to-date concerning the latest modifications and procedures.

Planning

System Analysis

System Design

Programming

Testing

Conversion

Production & Maintenance

Page 22

Planning:
Planning is a most important element to run anything properly. In case of SDLC, it is very important to specify everything before starting the main operation. We need a specific budget to run this new project, need to get permission from the legal authority, find out the existing problems and how to solve it out, when the new system will be implemented, how many operators needed etc. So, if there is not any proper planning then everything will be disrupted.

System Analysis:
Systems analysis is the study of sets of interacting entities, including computer systems analysis. This field is closely related to operations research. It is also "an explicit formal inquiry. In System Analysis more emphasis is given to understanding the details of an existing system or a proposed one and then deciding whether the proposed system is desirable or not and whether the existing system needs improvements. Thus, system analysis is the process of investigating a system, identifying problems, and using the information to recommend improvements to the system. The tools of the system and the method of development enforce a discipline on the designer to follow the steps strictly as stipulated. The possibility of a mistake is almost ruled out. The success of MIS lies in meeting the information needs of the various personnel in organization across all levels of the management. The system analysis with its structural analysis and design approach ensures appropriate coverage of the sub systems. The data entities and attributes are considered completely keeping in view the needs of the systems in question and their interface with other systems. It is driven by business concerns, specifically, those of system users. Hence, it addresses data, process, interface, and geography building blocks from asystem user perspective. Emphasis is placed on business issues, not technical or implementationconcerns. System analysis plays a central role in the development of MIS. Since the MIS is a conglomerate of various systems, a systematic approach in its development helps in achieving the objectives of the MIS. Each system within the MIS plays a role which contributes to the accomplishment of the MIS objective The system analysis begins with the output design which itself ensures that the

Page 23

information need s are considered and displayed in appropriate report or screen format; the subsequent design steps are taken to fulfill these needs. In the system analysis, we ensure the positive approach in technical standpoint, financial standpoint and organizational standpoint. We have tried to meet the technical excellence, financial ability and organizational possibility through this project of ACI Foods Ltd.

Feasibility Study:
This study is used to determine whether the project should get the go-ahead or not. If the project is to proceed, the feasibility study will produce a project plan and budget estimates for the future stages of development. The aim of our feasibility study is to see whether it is possible to develop a system at a reasonable cost. At the end of the feasibility study a decision is taken whether to proceed or not. A feasibility study contains the general requirements of the proposed system. 1.

Technical standpoint:
After analyzing all the factors of the ACI, we finally find out the equipments which are needed to set up an effective communication and process system they have not that much. We tried hard to maintain the actual technical class of the desired system and to make it more useful. Technically the given solution is enough strong or not for the ACI is the main theme of the point. If the organization authority says that the technical part is all right then the project goes to the next step. Basically in a technical standpoint, what kind of devices and equipments should be needed is stated. The whole MIS system needs certain devices and other equipments to set up the whole MIS system. To implement the technical solvency, here all the equipments are chosen according to the need of the organization network and for the comfort of the users. They have around 40 computers in the whole MIS department that are not enough for the new system. For new system, we estimated that at least 100 computers are needed in the MIS department included all others departments. We need to buy more technical equipments like Computer, Router, Switch, Printer, Fax machine, Wi- max modem, UPS, Photocopier etc.

2.

Financial Standpoint:
In financial analysis, we found that ACI Ltd is one of the financially strong companies of our country. Their financial condition is very good. Since, they have already using SAP

Page 24

software so estimated new system set up cost is 5000000 taka. From our conversation with the ACI authority we discovered that they are agree with this amount.

We finally figure out the best possible price which is needed to be more logical and meets the financial ability of the organization. We tried hard to maintain the best price analysis of the desired system equipments, tools and implement charge in order to the overall financial ability of the organization. At this level we need to justified that the given Budget is enough logical or not. If the organization authority mentions that the financial budget is accepted then the project goes to the next step. During the preparation of the budget, it should be followed that the price of the estimated equipment should not be a lot for the organization and it should be strongly followed that how much the affected organization has the financial ability.

3.

Organizational Standpoint:
In the organizational standpoint we found that they have lots of problems like:

They have not any proper inventory management system MIS department is not well established to manage everything effectively We identified is that they do not have any system that can track the entire staff schedule of the centre. For example the human resource management does not use any system to record the accurate hours worked by the staffs. Mostly in Bangladesh it is seen that if a staff wants a one day off they would not inform the management, they will ask their colleagues to do the duty. This is a major problem because if two staffs are appointed to look after the happenings of a single floor and then one is not coming then everything should be done by one staff thus work is not done efficiently and patients are also not getting the proper care.

We also identified that they do not have any system for recording equipment maintenance. When new equipment is bought, for how long it is being used, the name of

Page 25

the staffs that are in charge of these equipment etc, are not recorded and organized properly. We found their website incomplete in the sense that they provide very few information through their website. It seemed to us that in this era of technology there is a chance of improving the website which they could not utilize. In the website they only provided the history and background of ACI their offered discounts, their services and newsletter. There was no financial information provided. Therefore, to solve out these regular problems and increase the sell of ACI Foods, our new system design is well fitted.

System Design:
System analysis describes what a system should do meet information requirement, and system design shows how the system will fulfill this objectives. The design of an information system is the overall plan or model for that system. Like the blueprint of a building or houses, it consists of all the specification that gives the system its from and structure. The system designer details the system specification that will deliver the function indentified during system analysis. This specification should address all of the managerial, organizational, and technological components of the system solution. The System Design Document (SDD) describes: (1) The functional and nonfunctional requirements recorded in the Requirements Document, (2) The preliminary user-oriented functional design recorded in the High Level Technical Design Concept/Alternatives document, and

Page 26

(3) The preliminary data design documented in the Logical Data Model (LDM) are transformed into more technical system design specifications from which the system will be built. The SDD is used to document both high-level system design and low-level detailed design specifications. The SDD describes design goals and considerations, provides a high-level overview of the system architecture, and describes the data design associated with the system, as well as the human-machine interface and operational scenarios. The high-level system design is further decomposed into low-level detailed design specifications for each of the system's components, including hardware, internal communications, software, system integrity controls, and external interfaces.

Page 27

Existing System Design:

Marketing Department

SAP

Central database Server ISD

HR

The existing information system of ACI Foods Ltd is mostly done manually. When a visitor visits the ACI Ltd then he or she needs to talk to the information manager. Actually, instantly they cannot provide all types of information because there is no proper database management system. From this diagram we see that they use SAP software but they are not using it effectively. We know, SAP is very famous software worldwide. They control everything by central database and its connected with HR Department, Marketing Department and Information Service Department.

Page 28

SAP:
They use world renowned SAP software. The original name for SAP stands for "Systems Applications and Products." The original SAP idea was to provide customers with the ability to interact with a common corporate database for a comprehensive range of applications. Gradually, the applications have been assembled and today many corporations, including IBM and Microsoft, are using SAP products to run their own businesses.SAP applications, built around their latest R/3 system, provide the capability to manage financial, asset, and cost accounting, production operations and materials, personnel, plants, and archived documents. The R/3 system runs on a number of platforms including Windows 2000 and uses the client/server model. The latest version of R/3 includes a comprehensive Internet-enabled package.SAP has recently recast its product offerings under a comprehensive Web interface, called mySAP.com, and added new e-business applications, including customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM).As of January 2007, SAP, a publicly traded company, had over 38, 4000 employees in over 50 countries, and more than 36,200 customers around the world. SAP is turning its attention to small- and-medium sized businesses (SMB). A recent R/3 version was provided for IBM's AS/400 platform.

New System Design:

We proposed a completely new system design for ACI Foods Ltd so that they can manage everything digitally and very easily. In this system design we included all departments of ACI.

Page 29

Central Database

SAP
Server Marketing Department Inventory Management Finance & Accounts

CRM
Backup

Human Resource

Server
SCM

DBMS ISD

Website

Page 30

Description of New Database:

Management and organizations facing constantly changing problems, diverse managerial styles, and ever present information needs offer a challenging context for developing computer based information systems. MIS uses computer technology to provide information and decision support to managers, helping them becomes more effective. Developments in the young computer industry are changing corporate management style. From this new system design we see that each and every department of ACI Ltd. All departments are well connected with central database. There are enough informations about all of the departments that are needed inside and outside of the company. Marketing department is the most important department because the whole products are produced everyday has no meaning actually if there is not any proper marketing system.

CRM:
We know CRM is also a very important thing.CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, is a company-wide business strategy designed to reduce costs and increase profitability by solidifying customer loyalty. True CRM brings together information from all data sources within an organization (and where appropriate, from outside the organization) to give one, holistic view of each customer in real time. This allows customer facing employees in such areas as sales, customer support, and marketing to make quick yet informed decisions on everything from cross-selling and up selling opportunities to target marketing strategies to competitive positioning tactics. Once thought of as a type of software, CRM has evolved into a customercentric philosophy that must permeate an entire organization. There are three key elements to a successful CRM initiative: people, process, and technology. The people throughout a companyfrom the CEO to each and every customer service rep-need to buy in to and support CRM. A company's business processes must be reengineered to bolster its CRM initiative, often from the view of, how can this process better serve the customer? Firms must select the right technology

Page 31

to drive these improved processes, provide the best data to the employees, and be easy enough to operate that users won't balk. If one of these three foundations is not sound, the entire CRM structure will crumble. ACI has no informations about their customers like how many customers actually they have, how many customers are added every day, customers personal information etc. We know, new customer collection is ten times more costly than customer retention. So, by this new system it will be very easy to maintain everything properly.

Supply Chain Management:

It is also very important factor in case of product or service related industry. ACI has no proper supply chain management system. The concept of Supply Chain Management is based on two core ideas. The first is that practically every product that reaches an end user represents the cumulative effort of multiple organizations. These organizations are referred to collectively as the supply chain. The second idea is that while supply chains have existed for a long time, most organizations have only paid attention to what was happening within their four walls. Few businesses understood, much less managed, the entire chain of activities that ultimately delivered products to the final customer. The result was disjointed and often ineffective supply chains. Supply chain management, then, is the active management of supply chain activities to maximize customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It represents a conscious effort by the supply chain firms to develop and run supply chains in the most effective & efficient ways possible. Supply chain activities cover everything from product development, sourcing, production, and logistics, as well as the information systems needed to coordinate these activities. The organizations that make up the supply chain are linked together through physical flows and information flows. Physical flows involve the transformation, movement, and storage of goods and materials. They are the most visible piece of the supply chain. But just as important are information flows. Information flows allow the various supply chain partners to coordinate their long-term plans, and to control the day-to-day flow of goods and material up and down the supply chain. By this new system, they can contact anytime any supplier in the whole world.

Page 32

Finance and Accounts:

This department is mostly responsible for all types of budgeting, payments, buying and selling activities. So, if there is no information about all employees and financial conditions then the whole company will suffer seriously.

Accounts & Finance Department performs three basic functions, viz. Accounting, Finance and Receipt and Payments.

a) Keeping the books of accounts in accordance with the rules. b) Internal check of transactions affecting the receipts and expenditure. c) Tendering advice to the Management in all matters involving corporate finance. d) Compilation and control of budget (including Treasury operations) consultation with other departments. e) Investments of surplus funds as per the Government of Maharashtra Directives. f) Debt Servicing. g) Ensuring no financial irregularity in the transactions.

Receipt and Payments a) Collection, and deposit of Receipts. b) Preparing payment schedule and arranging payment to the Vendors, employees accordingly. c) Making payment to the bonafide payees. Management Information Reporting Preparation and Submission of Periodical Cash Flow Statement bringing out actual receipts and payments as compared to the Budget. Preparation and submission of Quarterly Projected Cash Flow Statement based on Fund Requirements of Operative Departments, Debt Servicing Liability, Administrative and Establishments Expenditure vis-a-vis anticipated Marketing, Estate Collections to VC & MD for information.

Page 33

Human Resource Management:

This department is responsible for hiring and firing. So, all kinds of personal records need collect and manage carefully. ACI has not any proper Human Resource Management system. Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization. HRM can also be performed by line managers.HRM is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training.HRM is also a strategic and comprehensive approach to managing people and the workplace culture and environment. Effective HRM enables employees to contribute effectively and productively to the overall company direction and the accomplishment of the organization's goals and objectives.HRM is moving away from traditional personnel, administration, and transactional roles, which are increasingly outsourced. HRM is now expected to add value to the strategic utilization of employees and that employee programs impact the business in measurable ways. The new role of HRM involves strategic direction and HRM metrics and measurements to demonstrate value. By this new system they can collect all types of information about employees.

Inventory Management system:

By their previous database system, they cannot tell instantly how much products they have and how much are sold out. So, it is a serious problem for production department. Inventory management is the process of efficiently overseeing the constant flow of units into and out of an existing inventory. This process usually involves controlling the transfer in of units in order to prevent the inventory from becoming too high, or dwindling to levels that could put the operation of the company into jeopardy. Competent inventory management also seeks to control the costs associated with the inventory, both from the perspective of the total value of the goods included and the tax burden generated by the cumulative value of the inventory. Balancing the various tasks of inventory management means paying attention to three key aspects of any inventory.

Page 34

The first aspect has to do with time. In terms of materials acquired for inclusion in the total inventory, this means understanding how long it takes for a supplier to process an order and execute a delivery. Inventory management also demands that a solid understanding of how long it will take for those materials to transfer out of the inventory be established. Knowing these two important lead times makes it possible to know when to place an order and how many units must be ordered to keep production running smoothly. Calculating what is known as buffer stock is also key to effective inventory management. Essentially, buffer stock is additional units above and beyond the minimum number required to maintain production levels. For example, the manager may determine that it would be a good idea to keep one or two extra units of a given machine part on hand, just in case an emergency situation arises or one of the units proves to be defective once installed. Creating this cushion or buffer helps to minimize the chance for production to be interrupted due to a lack of essential parts in the operation supply inventory. Inventory management is not limited to documenting the delivery of raw materials and the movement of those materials into operational process. Finally, inventory management has to do with keeping accurate records of finished goods that are ready for shipment. This often means posting the production of newly completed goods to the inventory totals as well as subtracting the most recent shipments of finished goods to buyers. When the company has a return policy in place, there is usually a sub-category contained in the finished goods inventory to account for any returned goods that are reclassified as refurbished or second grade quality. Accurately maintaining figures on the finished goods inventory makes it possible to quickly convey information to sales personnel as to what is available and ready for shipment at any given time. In addition to maintaining control of the volume and movement of various inventories, inventory management also makes it possible to prepare accurate records that are used for accessing any taxes due on each inventory type. This new system will be very effective in case of inventory management

Page 35

Website:
The website of ACI is not updated. There are lots of information are not visible here. For a companys success an effective website is badly needed. Its possible to create a Web presence without a full site thanks to things like Yelp and other social media outlets. However, you dont control any of those. You have no say on how theyll let you connect with customers. You cant create an email list on Twitter. By relying on *other* sites to house your conversations youre severely handicapping yourself. Without a real Web site, you lose your ability to:

Differentiate yourself Create authority and street creed with customers and within your industry Spread ideas Get social Take advantage of Universal Searchs ranking power Benefit from the engines bias to show local results Share your company story and information Hows your own community Save costs by answering frequently asked questions Target your specific neighborhood (defined by zip code, points of interest, ideas, etc) Build an email list.

Here, in this new system design the whole functions of ACI Foods are connected smoothly. We are confident enough that, if this system is implemented then ACI will must be benefited and their sell will be boom.

Page 36

Server:
In most common use, a server is a physical computer (a computer hardware system) dedicated to running one or more services (as a host), to serve the needs of the users of other computers on the network. Depending on the computing service that it offers it could be a database server, file server, mail server, print server, web server, gaming server, or some other kind of server. In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients". The clients either run on the same computer or connect through the network. ACI has a backup server also. In case of any unwanted crash in the whole system then they can protect it by using backup server.

Security System:
Our whole system is well secured. If anyone wants to visit our website then at first he or she needs to be registered and then can log on. Besides, our internal security system is also well secured. One employee can not access to the whole information system. If one department chief wants to check out of another departments information then he needs to get permission from the IT officer. Otherwise he cannot access to the new system.

Programming:
A programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely. The earliest programming languages predate the invention of the computer, and were used to direct the behavior of machines such as Jacquard looms and player pianos. Thousands of different
Page 37

programming languages have been created, mainly in the computer field, with many more being created every year. Most programming languages describe computation in an imperative style, i.e., as a sequence of commands, although some languages, such as those that support functional programming or logic programming, use alternative forms of description. The description of a programming language is usually split into the two components of syntax (form) and semantics (meaning). Some languages are defined by a specification document (for example, the Cprogramming language is specified by an ISO Standard), while other languages, such as Perl 5 and earlier, have a dominant implementation that is used as a reference. ACI Foods Ltd has many departments. So communicate with those departments and also with the customer, we need to program software. So HTML will be a good option for ACI. Therefore, in case of programming we used HTML. HTML, which stands for Hypertext Mark-Up Language, is the language for describing structured documents as well as the language used to create web pages in the Internet. The language is based on an existing, international formatting standard SGML, Standard Generalized Mark-Up Language, which is used for text processing. HTML is a simplified version of SGML.

Significant Features:
HTML files are written in ACSII text, so the user can use any text editor to create his/her web page, though a browser of one sort or another is necessary to view the web page. HTML is case insensitive with its language commands. The characters within the document, however, are case sensitive. The language consists of various "tags" which are known as elements. These allow the browser to understand (and put into the desired/specified format) the layout, background, headings, titles, lists, text and/or graphics on the page. The elements are classified according to their function in the HTML document. There are head elements and body elements. The head elements identify properties of the entire document, while body elements actually mark text as content and show a change in the appearance in one way or another. Most elements have a beginning and an ending which encompass the text the user wishes to mark with the tag. All HTML documents must begin with the element and end with the element. Some of the other elements which may be used are tags to create lists--both ordered lists as well as unordered lists.

Page 38

The user may also create larger or smaller, bolder, italicized, or underlined text. Attributes may be used along with the elements. These perform functions such as placement of text, indication of the source files of images, and identification of links to the document or part of the document.

Reasons for using HTML:

Easy to use Loose syntax (although, being too flexible will not comply with standards) Supported on almost every browser, if not all browsers. Widely used; established on almost every website, if not all websites. Very similar to XML syntax, which is increasingly used for data storage Free - You need not buy any software Easy to learn & code even

TESTING:

System Testing

Unit Testing
Acceptance Testing
Testing is time consuming. Testing can be broken down into three categories:

Page 39

System Testing:
System testing means test the functioning of the information system as a whole. It tries to determine whether discrete modules will function together as planned and whether discrepancies exist between the way the system actually works and the way it was conceived. System testing of software or hardware is testing conducted on a complete, integrated system to evaluate the system's compliance with its specified requirements. System testing falls within the scope of black box testing, and as such, should require no knowledge of the inner design of the code or logic. As a rule, system testing takes, as its input, all of the "integrated" software components that have successfully passed integration testing and also the software system itself integrated with any applicable hardware systems. The purpose of integration testing is to detect any inconsistencies between the software units that are integrated together or between any of the assemblages and the hardware. System testing is a more limited type of testing; it seeks to detect defects both within the "inter-assemblages" and also within the system as a whole. So it can be very complex for ACI as it has a lot of depots and it is very difficult to find out the accurate system result. But still it is a good way to test the whole system.

Unit Testing:
Unit testing or Program testing consists of testing each program separately in the system. It is widely believe that the purpose of such testing is to guarantee that programs are error free, but this goal is realistically impossible. In computer programming, unit testing is a method by which individual units of source code, sets of one or more computer program modules together with associated control data, usage procedures, and operating procedures, are tested to determine if they are fit for use. Intuitively, one can view a unit as the smallest testable part of an application. In procedural programming a unit could be an entire module but is more commonly an individual function or procedure. In object-oriented

programming a unit is often an entire interface, such as a class, but could be an individual method. Unit tests are created by programmers or occasionally by testers during the development process. Ideally, each test case is independent from the others: substitutes like method stubs, mock objects, fakes and test harnesses can be used to assist testing a module in isolation. Unit tests are typically written and run by software developers to ensure that code meets its design and behaves as intended. Its implementation can vary from being very manual to being formalized as part of build automation.

Acceptance testing:
Acceptance testing provides the final certification that the system is ready to be used in a production setting. System tests are evaluated by users and reviewed by management. When all parties are satisfied that the new system meets there standards, the system is formally accepted for installation.

Page 40

In engineering and its various sub disciplines, acceptance testing is a test conducted to determine if the requirements of a specification or contract are met. It may involve chemical tests, physical tests, or performance tests. Software developers often distinguish acceptance testing by the system provider from acceptance testing by the customerprior to accepting transfer of ownership. In the case of software, acceptance testing performed by the customer is known as user acceptance testing (UAT), end-user testing, site (acceptance) testing, or field (acceptance) testing.

Conversion:

Conversion is the process of changing from the old system to the new system. Four main conversion

Parallel Strategy

Direct Cutover

CONVERSION

Pilot Study
strategies can be employed:

Phased approach

Parallel strategy:
In a parallel strategy, both the old system and its potential replacement are run together for a time until everyone is assured that the new one functions correctly. This is the safest conversion approach because, in the event of errors or processing disruptions, the old system can still be used as a backup.

Page 41

In a parallel conversion, the old system continues to be used at the same time as the new system is introduced. Both systems run in parallel for a predetermined amount of time. People use both systems but increase the amount of time that they use the new system until it is in use the majority of the time. Then the old system is discontinued. A parallel conversion allows for a comparison of the new system to the old so that you can benchmark and quantify its effectiveness. A parallel conversion also minimizes the risks of operational and data-processing failures because the old system continues to function with the new system. The challenges of a parallel conversion revolve around the management and costs of running two separate systems. The duplication of effort associated with running two systems can be costly. With large, complex systems, this would be prohibitive. If the old system is an option, some users will not use the new system and continue to access the old system. The benefits of the new system will be delayed as long as the old system continues to be used. The parallel approach is considered the least risky conversion approach. Nevertheless, the cost and potential confusion of running two systems at once makes it a poor choice for large, complex systems. It is a good choice for smaller systems that use the existing infrastructure.

Pilot conversion
In a pilot conversion, the new system is introduced in a single unit or location for a set period before it is installed in other parts of the organization. The pilot conversion allows an organization to test out a new system in a controlled way. It limits the amount of disruption and harm a new system can produce in an organization. By concentrating on one site or department, you can work out all of the details and potential problems before the new system is introduced to the organization as a whole. The success of a pilot installation can be used to overcome user resistance and sell the new system to the rest of the business. You can use the experience of a pilot installation to decide whether or not to continue with the system deployment and what approach to use.

Page 42

With a pilot conversion, the selection of the site is critical. If you select the easiest site with very positive conditions for adoption of the system, you may hide some potential problems. The inverse is also true; the most difficult site may dissuade the acceptance of the new system. A pilot conversion creates additional burdens for the IS staff in the maintenance and support of two different systems that may or may not be able to effectively communicate with each other. This approach also runs the risk of delaying the full implementation of a new system because the pilot is constantly being improved.

Phased conversion:
The phased strategy introduces the new system in stages, either by functions or by organizational units. In a phased conversion, a new information system is broken down into smaller functional components that can be brought into operation one at a time, with each one adding more improvements and functionality to the overall system. A phased installation is gradual, incremental, and easier to manage than the other installation approaches. A phased approach keeps the risk fairly low by spreading the conversion out over time. A phased conversion can also work with a phased systems development process. This slow and steady approach limits the potential of system errors and the costs associated with system failures. With a phased conversion, a completion point can be difficult to define because it takes place over such a long period of time. The old and the new systems must be able to work together seamlessly, which may require additional programming and development. Phased installation works well with systems that are building on existing systems or enhancing those systems. This approach manages the risks and costs more easily in the short term, but it can become a never-ending project; by the time all the components have been introduced, it is time to install a new system.

Page 43

Direct cutover conversion:

The Direct cutover conversion strategy replaces the old system entirely with the new system on an appointed day. It is very risky approach that can potentially be more costly than running two systems in parallel if serious problems with the new system are found. In a direct cutover conversion, the old system is discarded and the new system takes over all at once. Also known as the plunge, abrupt cut-over, or the "big bang" approach, it is essentially turning the old system off and turning the new system on. This approach can be the least expensive of the different methods and can occur in the quickest time. Users and management have a high interest in making the new system work because, by design, there is no turning back. A direct cutover conversion may be the only option if the old and new systems cannot co-exist in any form. The greatest risk is the impact that errors and failures would have on the organization. The timing of this type of conversion is a key element of its success.

Production and maintenance

After the new system is installed and conversion is complete, the system is said to be in production. During this stage, the system will be reviewed by both users and technical specialists to determine how well it has met its original objectives and to decide whether any revision or modifications are in order. In some instances, a formal post implementation audit document is prepared. After the system has been fine-tuned it must be maintained while it is in production to correct errors, meet requirements or improve processing efficiency. Changes in software, hardware, documentation or procedures to a production system to correct errors meet new requirements or improve processing efficiency are termed maintenance. There are lots of maintenance could be needed in the different phases like software maintenance, website maintenance, feedback analysis, etc.

Page 44

User Training:
Training is very important task in case of each and every productive work. So, those people will use this system they need to be well trained up before using. Otherwise they cannot use the system properly and the system will not be productive. Production and maintenance consists of three parts: Operate the system Evaluate the system Modify the system Operate the system: After the final conversion is completed we will teach the users the way of operating the whole system that has been set up. Evaluate System: Evaluation is a systematic determination of a subjects merit worth and significance, using criteria governed by a set of standards. When whole system is run fully fledged and the system starts getting user friendly we will evaluate the system and we will see whether all the functions are taking place as it is suppose to. While evaluating the system we will also make sure that it is fulfilling its main purpose for which it was installed. Modify the system: A modification is a change made to something usually only a small or slight change. If any problem occurs the whole system or part of the system during the using period then it will be modified or replaced.

Page 45

Recommendation:
The project on ACI Foods Ltd and its system design was very helpful for us and we have learned many things from this practical work. Our proposed systems for ACI will take care of all the requirements of the departmentsand is capable of providing easy and effective storage of information related to indoor or outdoor people, staffs record, appointments, and other inquiries. The system also provides the facility of backup as per the requirement IT can deploy thus it can be seen that IT can help the profession in improving its quality of service and thus automatically increasing the preparedness and defensiveness. Of course, it is of vital importance that the software must have the right type of modularity and openness so that it is manageable, maintainable and upgradable. The hardware should also be reliable, available and have the necessary performance capacity. Certainly, computers with their intrinsic power can play a major role in ACI. Moreover computers can be a great tool in the hands of the system management in improving services, lowering the cost, and ensuring optimal utilization of customers.

Page 46

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Reference lists:
Kenneth C. Laudon, Jane P. Laudon. Management Information System- Managing the Digital Firm. 10th Edition. www. Acifoods.org.bd
IftekharHossain, Assistant Manager, MIS Different dealers and outlets in Dhaka city.

Page 47