DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTERIZED DATA BASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (A CASE STUDY OF THE NIGERIAN CEMENT COMPANY PLC, NKALAGU PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT)

ABSTRACT

          The world in its development has gone through three evolutionary stages- The Stone Age, The Jet Age and Currently the Computer Age.

          The Computer Age is a stage that is geared towards reducing the utilization of manual human labour in work places. Amongst its aims is the reduction of paperwork in offices, that is, the creation of a paper-less community.

          The manual processing of large volume of data proves way for scores of errors due to the instability of human accuracy; kills a lot o time; and most importantly makes file loss and misplacement incidentally high.  These factors pose a great problem to the successful running of offices and large firms of which THE NIGERIAN CEMENT (NIGERCEM) COMPANY PLC, NKALAGU, EBONYI STATE is not an exception.

          This project deals extensively with the design and implementation of a computerized information storing and retrieval (as well as manipulation) system, for employees and customers of the above mentioned firm.

          This system is centrally at one thing- facilitating the company’s tasks. A lot of materials relevant to the topic were used during the course of this project’s compilation including questionnaires and oral interviews. The system can also be put into use by other cement manufacturing companies and related firms with little modifications.

TABLE OF FIGURES

Fig. 1.1:      Basic steps of data processing

Fig. 3.1:      Organisational structure of NIGERCEM Plc

Table 3.1:    Employee record formats

Table 3.2:    Customer record formats

Fig. 3.2:      Information flow diagram

Table 4.1:    File structure formats

Fig 4.1:       Procedure charts

Fig. 4.2:      System flowchart

Fig. 5.1:      Program

flowchart

ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK

          The project is composed of seven chapters.

Chapter one is the introductory chapter, which includes:

          Introduction, Statement of the problem, Purpose of study, Significance of the study, Delimitation and Limitation of the work and Definition of terms.

Chapter two is the literature review for the project.

Chapter three analyses the existing system and the present form of data processing.

Chapter four deals with system design and requirements of a system recommended for this exercise.

Chapter five contains the system implementation and evaluation.

Chapter six, which is the documentation, guides the user on how to use the software.

Chapter seven is the recommendation and conclusion. The reference and appendices is the final part of this project.

It would be advisable for the reader to make references to the last segment of the first chapter in case of words not comprehended.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page

Abstract

Organization of the work

Table of figures

Table of contents

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

1.1     Statement of the problem

1.2     Purpose of the study

1.3     Significance of the study

1.4     Scope of the study

1.5     Limitations

1.6     Assumptions

1.7     Definition of term

CHAPTER TWO

2.0     LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER THREE

3.0     DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM

3.1     Fact-finding method used

3.2     Organisational structure

3.3     Objectives of the exiting system

3.4       Input process, output analysis

3.5     Information flow diagram

3.6     Problems of the existing system

3.7     Justification of the new system

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0     DESIGN OF THE NEW SYSTEM

4.1     Output specifications and design

4.2     Input specifications and design

4.3     File design

4.4     Procedure chart

4.5     System flowchart

4.6     System requirement

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0     IMPLEMENTATION

5.1     Program design

5.1.1    Program flowchart   

5.1.2    Pseudocodes

5.2     Source program

5.3     Test run

CHAPTER SIX

6.0        DOCUMENTATION

CHAPTER SEVEN        

7.0     RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

7.1     Recommendation

7.2     Conclusion

          Appendices

          References

CHAPTER ONE

1.0    INTRODUCTION

          In many offices, records are traditionally kept on paper and in file jackets. However, as the amount of records increases, the volume of paper work involved also increases.  This will in turn result in problem of storage spaces. It becomes generally more difficult to manage such a system. Also retrieval of information becomes cumbersome.

          On account of these shortcomings computerized information storage and management is fast replacing the traditional and methods which NIGERCEM will not be left out.

          Personnel department in NIGERCEM, they compile and keep records of its workers and customers. The issue of host worker is a problem often faced by NIGERCEM. This problem can be reduced by the use of a well-designed and implemented data base management system.

1.1    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

          This project deals with the development of a computerized data base management system with NIGERCEM as a case study. A lot of companies in Nigeria especially those that encounter direct correspondence with numerous customers are computerizing their operations and NIGERCEM being a firm that fits into the above description will not be left out cement companies like Dangote, Portland cement and Eagle Cement Port-Harcourt have recorded a lot of improvement and considerable levels of efficiency in dealing with customers and other operations due to effective computerization.

          Record processing in NIGERCEM Nkalagu is done manually while the records are kept in files. The personnel department handles the workers’ file while the finance division handles the customers’ files.

          Workers’ files and customers’ file are so large that to say that offices are not spacious enough to contain them would be an understatement. Most of the time when references is to be made on these files, it will be found that some of them are already damaged due to physical constraints as excess heat or moisture. Others are left at the mercy of vermin’s like mice, cockroaches and termites. A lot of relevant information is lost in this way.

1.2    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

          The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a safer way of keeping these information and to keep a breast of the latest technology in vogue and to enhance performance. Also, to carryout a research on transforming the personnel department of NIGERCEM Plc manual record keeping into a computerized system. The implementation of this system would neither bring about workers’ redundancy nor deny them benefit but will enhance efficiency and proper storage system. 

1.3    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

          The design and implementation of a Data Base Management System (DBMS) for NIGERCEM Plc will do the following among others:-

-        Save time in information retrieval

-        Prevent data from corruption and destruction

-        Help save useful space that will be otherwise used to store volumes of files containing records.     

1.4    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The areas covered by the project are the data bank handle by personnel department and a part of the customer records handled by the finance division. Other areas like fiscal transactions, stock taking and quality control are not included in the scope of this project.