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1. Analysis

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 Background
Incarmusic is a stockist and installer of Car Audio and Security, DVD and Navigation
products. Recently they have expanded into car rentals. They currently have 6 staff
employed. I am creating a car rental booking system which can be used by the company and
its customers to organize the car rentals.

1.1.2 Problem Definition

They currently use a paper-based system to take down all the information about the lessee.
This is obviously inefficient compared to a computerized system. The lessee either walks
into the shop or phones them so they can exchange information. The information is taken
down in a book/diary. The problem with this is that the information book can easily be lost or
damaged. This means all information about the current lessees of the cars is lost. Using a
computerized system will allow information about the lessee to be stored electronically and
in one place, decreasing the risk of it being lost. This also enables the lessee to be
contacted more easily as his information such as contact details will be easier to locate, as a
search can be carried out by the computer, rather than searching through a whole book.
Also, if bookings are cancelled it creates an unorganized system that can confuse the users,
as they will be unable to understand who has rented, what time they have rented for, and
what car they have rented. An electronic system will help organize this information and allow
bookings to be easily modified, added or deleted.

1.1.3 The User(s)

There will be 2 categories of people who use the system. The client will use the system to
create bookings and view their bookings. The user’s knowledge with IT will vary, considering
that the users will be people of different IT backgrounds. Then there is the staff, which will
include the admin. The general staff who will use the system to view the bookings made by
the clients, and their different wants, for example, what car they want, and for how long. The
admin may have increased control of the system, such as being able to view the personal
details of the clients, and/or contact them. The staff has great knowledge and experience
with computers with a lot of their business being carried out online. This will mean the staff
will find it easy to use.
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1.2 Investigation of user needs and acceptable limitations

1.2.1 The current system analysis

1.2.1.1 Initial Interview

How does the current system work?

“A client contacts us via telephone and we use a diary to take down information relating to
the client, like their name and contact details. Then we note down the type of car they want,
for how long, and quote them a price.”

How many people take down this information?

“At the moment all employees take down this information, depending on who’s available to
go to the front of the shop or answer the phone.”

What are the limitations of the current system?

“The obvious limitation is that the bookings are on paper in a diary. This can be
time-consuming and/or result in the diary going missing. This means that all the bookings
and contact information will be lost. Also, if someone cancels a booking, it creates a messy
diary as their original booking will need to be crossed out. This also creates confusion as it
will be difficult to understand who has booked what car for what time. The diary can also
become messy if a customer wishes to update or change some information, as the original
information would have to be crossed out or scribbled over.”

What happens when a previous lessee wants to rent again?

“Their information is noted down again. It can become too confusing if we search the book
for their information again. We search for bookings by date so it’s easier to write the new
booking on the current date.”

What do you think will improve the current system?

“Using an electronic system will make everything a whole lot easier. I would like a place that
would store all customer information and contact details. Having a website where the client
can book the car rental themselves would also make it much simpler to organise.”

What are the problems with creating a new system?

“The problems with creating a new system are that everyone including staff and customers
would have to learn how to operate the new system. Also, customers without access to the
internet will not be able to use the system.”

What are the best ways to avoid the problems associated with creating a new system?
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“The system could include a tutorial on how to use it, so everyone can learn. Alternatively, I
could teach my staff on a ‘tutorial’ day. Unfortunately, customers at home would have to
figure out how to use it by themselves if a tutorial is not included.”

What are the benefits of a new system and how does it help improve the current one?

“A new system would create a much simpler way for my staff to organise the bookings and
understand who and what has been booked, as all of this is in one place. It will be easier to
add, delete, update, and read bookings, both for customers and staff. As I mentioned before,
the current system is paper-based so adding, deleting, updating and reading bookings is
quite complicated. The new system would also make everything much quicker.”

What are the inputs and outputs and what forms do they take?

“The inputs include the client’s name, their contact details (email address and phone
number), the duration they want to rent the car for, and the car they want. These are all
taken down on paper. The outputs are only the cost the customer must pay for the use of the
car. This will be a deposit payment before the use of the car and the rest of it is paid after.”

Are there calculations needed?

“Yes, there are calculations needed to work out the price for the renting of the car.”

Will there be personal details entered?

“Yes, the client’s personal details like, name and contact info will be inputted into the
system.”

What is required to protect this type of data?

“If the client is required to create an account using a password, it can protect confidential
information and ensure it is only accessed by the right person.”

Is there any hardware or software being used in the current system?

“We use both hardware and software. However only hardware is being used currently when
doing car rentals. We use computers or telephones to contact the client.”

What type of errors are do you come across and how are they resolved?

“The only error that we normally have are when incorrect details are provided. This is
normally resolved by contacting the customer and requesting the correct data. However, if
the incorrect data is the contact details, it becomes very difficult to resolve.”

The initial interview highlights that inefficiency of the current system Incarmusic are using
and the need for an electronic one. The paper-based system creates unorganised bookings
procedures and leads to messy file storing. However, client confidentiality does not seem to
be a problem and Incarmusic would like to keep it that way by making sure the website has a
login system.

1.2.1.2 Questionnaire

1.2.1.3 Observation

Observed: Akhtar Moosa

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What do the staff do?

The customer walks in:

● The staff greet the customer.

● Asks the user which type of car they want.
● Check whether the customers’ desired dates are available and tell the customer.
● The customer and staff come to an agreement of the car the customer wants and
what dates.

If the customer phones the store the same procedure occurs over the phone.

What does the staff note down?

● Customer’s first name and surname.

● Customer’s contact number.
● Details of car customer want to rent.
○ Registration number
○ Model
○ Make
● Details of rent.
○ Booking from date.
○ Booking to date.
○ Invoice

1.2.1.4 Investigation of documentation

1.2.2 DFD of current system

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1.2.3 Data sources and destination

Data Explanation Source Destination
Client Information Personal details Client Written down in the
and contact details diary.
so they can be
contacted in case of
data error
Rental Information Information about Client Noted down in diary
which car they want
and for how long
they want to rent
for.
Price This is the price Staff Told to client by
that is calculated staff
using a combination
of the car type and
rental duration
Car Type What type of car Client Incarmusic staff
the client wants and Car Holding
Company

1.2.4 Entity-relationship diagram and entity descriptions of the current system

The current system used by Incarmusic does not use a database or linked files, thus there
are no entity relationships
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1.2.5 Discussion of problems within the current system

The system which is currently used by this company has a few problems including:

● The process is all paper-based. Therefore, there is a risk of these documents

being lost or misplaced. This can result in original documents no longer being
able to be used or found.
● Paper-based information is also viable to be stolen, which can lead to personal
information being available breaching the right to a person’s personal
confidentiality.
● This system can also create unorganised diaries, which can lead to confusion
amongst staff about the lessees and their cars. This creates an inefficient system,
as this can slow down the booking process.
● Finally, the booking can only be done by entering or calling the shop and this
means the customer cannot book themselves.

1.2.6 The proposed new system analysis

1.2.6.1 Second Interview
Why do you want a new system?

“The current system is really inefficient and unorganised. I want a new one to make the
booking procedure simpler so that it can save time and potentially money.”

What are the functionalities you want to be included in the new system?

“I want the users to be able to book appointments online so that they do not have to call us.
When booking I want them to be able to pick, what car and for how long they want the car
for. Depending on what the user picks, I want the price to be calculated and shown to the
customer, so they know how much it is going to cost. After they have confirmed the booking,
I would like it if an email confirmation goes out to let me know so I can contact the car
holding company to make sure that the car is ready for the time the user has asked. I would
also like it if the user is contacted via email to confirm the booking making them aware of the
required documents they need to bring in order to pick up the car”

Are there any colour schemes and logos that must be included?

“Yes, it needs to include the same colours of Incarmusic and the logo that we used.”

What functionalities do you want the admins to have?

“Not much more than what the customers have. Though I would like it if we had access to all
the bookings made on one page.”

What details do you want to be stored?

“I want the price, car type, duration of the rental, and the customer’s details to be stored.”
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1.2.6.2 User Needs

The second interview highlights various core functionalities that the user requires in their
new system. Having the system allow the user to book, edit and delete appointments, can be
solved using a simple CRUD database, where the option to create, read, update and delete
all bookings are available to the admin. The option to create, read, update and delete will
only be available to the customer for their booking. The user also wants a confirmation email
to be sent to both the manager and the customer detailing specific information catered for
them. However, the user made no mention of email before this, which means I will have to
include an account registration system for the customer asking them for their email. This will
allow me to send confirmation emails to them. The user also made no mention of what
happens if the customer decides to delete a booking. I have decided I will include a
confirmation email for when bookings are created, deleted and updated. Finally, the colour
scheme of my website must match that of Incarmusic’s whilst also including the logo. This
can be done by including CSS styles when coding my website.

The user’s requirements for the user:

● Create, delete, update and read all bookings.

● Email confirmation sent out to him that is specific.
● View raw data such as all bookings made, and customer details.

The user’s requirements for the customer:

● Create, read, update and delete their booking.

● Receive confirmation email regarding their booking and any changes made to it.
● Preview price for bookings.

The user’s requirements for the website:

● Include same colour scheme

● Include the same logo
● Include the same font
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1.2.7 DFD of proposed new system

Level 0 for System:

1.2.8 Data Sources and Destination

Client Information Customer’s name, Customer Customer Table

email address,
login details and
telephone number

Car Type The various types Staff Vehicle and

of cars that are on Vehicle Type table
offer and in-store

Rental Details What car, duration Customer Rental Table

and who has
booked

Price The cost of the rent Staff Rental Table

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1.2.9 Entity-relationship diagram

The entity-relationship diagram shows that one customer can have many rentals and one
rental has one customer. It shows that one rental includes one vehicle and one vehicle is
registered to one rental. Finally, it shows that one vehicle has one vehicle type, but one
vehicle type has many vehicles.

1.2.10 Data Volumes

There are currently 7 staff members with 3 being managers. There are only 3
PCO/rental cars available but that may increase. On average, 15-20 customers walk
in every day, but only 5-7 want to rent a car. The duration for which a customer
wishes to rent a car varies from person to person.

The new system will aim to make the statistical data easier to comprehend and
understand as the raw data will be readily available.
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1.2.11 Analysis Data Dictionary

Field Name ​Example

Customer First Name Jon

Customer Second Name Jones

Telephone 07865421234

Email ​[email protected]

Car Type Toyota Prius Hybrid 2014-15

Duration 2 weeks

Price £140

Pickup Date 23/08/19

Drop Off Date 6/09/19

1.3 Constraints

1.3.1 Hardware Constraints

The new proposed system will not require any high-level hardware specifications:

● Intel Atom processor

● 1GB RAM
● Keyboard
● Mouse
● Monitor (1024x576)

1.3.2 Software Constraints

● Windows 7
● Microsoft.NET 4.0
● Browser:
o Google Chrome 17.x
o Internet Explorer 8
o Mozilla Firefox 10.x
● Microsoft Access
● SQL

1.3.3 Time Constraints

The deadline for this is project is May 31st 2020. Before then, I need to complete the design
for this system and have tested it to make sure it is fully operational so that it can be used by
Incarmusic.
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1.3.4 User’s Knowledge of Information Technology

Incarmusic has a website and online shop which means all staff have above-average
knowledge and ability on a computer. This also means they can carry out some complex
tasks on a computer. However, the system will be easy and simple to use so both the staff
and customers can use the system.

1.3.5 Who will be allowed to use the various parts of the system
The staff will be allowed to use all parts of the system. This will allow them to create, read,
update and delete all bookings. The customers will be allowed to use some parts of the
system, only related to their own booking and account. They can create, read, update and
delete their booking and modify their account.

1.4 Objectives

1.4.1 General Objectives

The new system needs to be completed by May 31st 2020 so that Incarmusic can begin to
use the system. I hope to make the system simplistic, and very easy to use. This will make it
easier for both the staff and customers to use the new system. It also needs to include a
similar appearance to the Incarmusic website, including the same colour scheme and logo.

1.5.2 Specific Objectives

1. The client should be able to register using their personal information, creating an
account.
1.1. The client should be able to update or modify the personal details.
1.2. The client should be able to delete errors they made regarding personal
information.
1.3. The client should be able to view their account’s information.
2. The client should be able to create a booking to rent a car.
2.1. The client should be able to modify the booking.
2.2. The client should be able to delete the booking.
2.3. The client should be able to view the booking.
3. The staff should be able to make bookings for customers.
3.1. The staff should be able to modify customers bookings.
3.2. The staff should be able to delete customers bookings.
3.3. The staff should be able to view all bookings that have been made.
4. The system should allow both staff and customers to log in to their own account.
4.1. The system should allow both staff and customers to log out of their own
account.
4.2. The system should allow the user to change the password.
5. The system should be able to prevent double bookings.
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2.0 Design
2.1 Overall system design

IPSO Chart

Input Process

Customer Customer
● Personal details ● Login to system
● Contact details ● Choose vehicle
● Choose rental duration
Staff
● Personal Details Staff
● Contact Details ● Login to System
● View Bookings

Car Agency
● Receive an order for the rental car

Storage Output

Customer Customer
● Customer Table ● View own personal details
● Rental Table ● View booking and booking
information
Car Agency ● View price
● Vehicle Table
Staff
● View all bookings

2.2 Modular Structure

Customer
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