See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/340645694

Smart Pigeonhole Alert System with SMS Notification

Article in International Journal of Computing Sciences Research · April 2020

DOI: 10.25147/ijcsr.2017.001.1.38

CITATIONS READS
2 2,516

4 authors, including:

Taiwo Gabriel Omomule Ajayi Olusola Olajide

Adekunle Ajasin University Adekunle Ajasin University
20 PUBLICATIONS 79 CITATIONS 90 PUBLICATIONS 102 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Segun Orimoloye
Adekunle Ajasin University
14 PUBLICATIONS 45 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Taiwo Gabriel Omomule on 15 April 2020.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 International Journal of Computing Sciences Research (ISSN print: 2546-0552; ISSN online: 2546-115X)
Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 267-287
doi: 10.25147/ijcsr.2017.001.1.38
https://stepacademic.net

Short Paper
Smart Pigeonhole Alert System with SMS Notification
Taiwo Gabriel Omomule
Department of Computer Science, Adekunle Ajasin University
[email protected]
(corresponding author)

Sekinat Bolanle Adekile

Department of Computer Science, Adekunle Ajasin University
[email protected]

Olusola Olajide Ajayi

Department of Computer Science, Adekunle Ajasin University
[email protected]

Segun Michael Orimoloye

Department of Computer Science, Adekunle Ajasin University
[email protected]

Date received: November 21, 2019

Date received in revised form: April 1, 2020
Date accepted: April 7, 2020

Recommended citation:

Omomule, T. G., Adekile, S. B., Ajayi, O. O., & Orimoloye, S. M. (2020). Smart
Pigeonhole Alert System with SMS Notification. International Journal of Computing
Sciences Research, 4(1), 267-287. doi: 10.25147/ijcsr.2017.001.1.38

Abstract

Purpose – Most organizations are outdated in managing information with the use of
conventional pigeonholes as message boxes for each member to track staff incoming and
outgoing mails. Several challenges are experienced due to loss of relevant mails, untimely
delivery and acknowledgement of incoming mails as well as late feedback. This paper
proposes a mobile pigeonhole alert system using a sensor device to send an alert to the
intended pigeonhole users notifying them of the arrival of a message as well as the need
for timely feedback.

Method – Hardware and software implementations were carried out using JAVA
programming language to program a sensor, hardcoded on a micro-controller. A well-

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original work is properly credited.
structured questionnaire was designed and administered to 200 pigeonhole users (i.e.,
lecturers) in an academic institution to elicit information about their perception of the
usability and performance of the system. The data collected were subjected to statistical
analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software for correlation and
regression analyses between the usability and system performance.

Results – Statistical results showed that the system performed as expected based on
users’ satisfaction, realization of system objectives and the significant values obtained
from statistical analysis. Comparative analysis of the system also showed an improvement
over other existing works.

Conclusion – Information system is an essential aspect of any organization which helps

with the dissemination and retrieval of information among members. Hence, the
designed system has facilitated the work of office clerks as well as the pigeonhole users
by reducing the stress of daily pigeonhole check-in and allows quick feedback mechanism
for smooth record and operation to urgent mails.

Practical Implications – An efficient platform for information retrieval and notification has
been developed. Users found it convenient to manage memos, letters and other relevant
documents without delay and in a timely fashion.

Keywords – alert system, information exchange, messages, performance, pigeonhole,

sensor device, usability

INTRODUCTION

The world’s economic trends in business require organizations to respond quickly to

demand and opportunities through competition and continuous expansion of domestic
and international markets and by being innovative as well. This requires organizational
members to move beyond and achieve higher frontiers which are achievable only by
having the right information (Opoku, 2015). Information plays very important roles in the
life of every organization and its identification involves realization of the pivotal roles of
information in achieving various organizational goals and strategically plan for it (Opoku,
2015). Therefore, its benefits and management has attracted the attention of industrial
practitioners and academics as well. Most organizations manage this information through
the implementation of effective information systems across different levels of
management. On the other hand, the purpose of an information system is processing,
memorizing, and transmitting appropriate information in place, and the best information
system is one that performs these functions effectively within little computational cost
and time.

268
 All systems including computer systems consist of accepting raw data as inputs, using
stored programs for processing the data and producing outputs as timely information.
The process of transforming inputs into outputs is known as information management
(Shaqiri, 2015) which can be seen in both technical and management perspective
(Robertson, 2005). From the technical perspective, information management is seen as
managing web content document, records, digital asset, learning systems and enterprise
search to improve information need of an organization (Reddy et al., 2009). From
management perspective, information management is referred to as managing the
organizational, social, cultural and strategic factors to improve information in
organizations (Robertson, 2005).

There are various roles of different information systems across several domains of
applications in an organization. One of them is Management Information Systems (MIS).
MIS are a kind of computer information systems that collect and process information
from different sources to assist better decision making across all levels of management.
MIS provide information in the form of pre-specified reports and displays to support
business decision making (Heidarkhani et al., 2013). One approach which organizations
can utilize computing capability is through the development of efficient and effective
management information systems. MIS is a system using formalized procedures to
provide management at all levels in all functions with appropriate information based on
data from both internal and external sources, to enable them to make timely and
effective decisions for planning, directing and controlling the activities for which they are
responsible. The emphasis of MIS is on the uses to which the information is put. Planning,
directing and controlling are the essential ingredients for management (Adeoti-Adekeye,
1997). In essence, the processing of data into information and communicating the
resulting information to the user is the key function of MIS. It should therefore be noted
that MIS exist in organizations in order to help them achieve objectives, to plan and
control their processes and operations, to help deal with uncertainty, and to help in
adapting to change or, indeed, initiating change. Management Information System (MIS)
is one of the most important tools in any organization, which aims to provide reliable,
complete, accessible, and understandable information in a timely manner to the users of
the system (Al-Mamary, Shamsuddin, and Aziati, 2014).

MIS is a flow of procedures for data processing based on the computer, and
integrated with other procedures in order to provide information in a timely and effective
manner to support decision making and other management functions (Bin Haji Sidek,
2010).The authors in (Ensour and Alinizi, 2014) opined that in order for organizations to
advance into the future, they must adopt the technology utilization approach, which is a
mandatory requirement for such organizations which seek excellence per performance.
Moreover, the importance of MIS comes from the benefits that are generated by that
system such as providing useful information in a timely manner, improved labor
productivity, cost savings, providing information without any delays and mistakes, and
improve the management of work (Al-Mamary et al., 2014). One of the effective ways of
managing information dissemination and retrieval in an organization is the introduction

269
of Pigeonhole concept where information in the form of mails is delivered for the perusal
and usage of different staff in the organization.

Pigeonhole is an internal information exchange system used for communication in an

organization. It is a creative, informal and traditional way of dropping and picking
messages in a set of small open-fronted compartments usually used in a workplace or
other organizations where letters or messages may be left for individuals. The chain of
exchange is a kind of ‘give-and-return’. It is a bi-directional ‘pick-and-respond’ information
transmission mode (Ajayi et al., 2018). It can exist in wooden box or metal shelf or take
any other form with several rectangular holes in it which is usually been used in offices or
large organizations. Pigeonhole works like a letterbox where letter or memo for specific
person will be placed in their letterbox in a typical organization or post office. The
authors in Ajayi et al. (2018) stated that each staff in most big organizations has his/her
own pigeonhole to receive any important letter or memo related to the official duty. Each
staff has been allocated a pigeonhole for any letter or memo from within or outside the
department, unit or faculty. Unfortunately, the current conventional pigeonhole system is
unable to inform the staff on any urgent letter and this leads to significant delay in
responding to such message. The main weakness of the current system is that staff needs
to check their respective pigeonhole every day but due to the routine commitment or
unforeseen circumstances, the pigeonhole cannot be possibly checked every day.

The system proposed by the authors in Ajayi et al. (2018) intends to computerize the
traditional way of dropping and picking messages in a set of small open fronted
compartments usually used in a workplace or other organization with a two-way
communication between the office clerk and the staff via a mobile application. The clerk
sends messages via his/her mobile app to the staff notifying them of the availability of
memos, letters and other documents in their pigeonhole and the intended staff sends
feedback concurrently. Several problems have been identified in this method as untimely
delivery and responses to messages, poor feedback, time and effort are wasted in
checking up pigeonholes on daily-basis and sometimes clerk’s unavailability. Therefore,
this paper proposes a pigeonhole alert system using sensor device as an improvement to
the stated problems in the work done by Ajayi et al. (2018) to detect the presence of a
mail in the pigeonhole with the use of a sensor device and a short messaging system to
alert the staff on their mobile phone of the need to pick up their mails.

To back up the submission of this paper, a germane question was raised in form of
Research Question.

1.1 Research Question

i. What association exists between the departments and the idea of using mobile
pigeonhole system?

From this research question, the following hypotheses were formulated:

270
1.2 Research Hypothesis
Hypothesis 1
H0: There is no significant relationship between the usability perception of the
lecturers in the departments and the system performance.

H1: There is a significant relationship between the usability perception of the

lecturers in the department and the system performance.

Hypothesis 2

H0: There is no significant impact of the designed system (performance) on the

department’s mail management.
H1: There is a significant impact of the designed system (performance) on the
department’s mail management.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Mobile computing has been applied in several pigeonhole platforms in which several
researchers have also proposed different techniques and technology to enable timely
delivery and access of information across these platforms. A web-based announcement
system was developed in Curran and Craig (2001) to provide timely information to
students. The system was developed using Java programming language that can deliver a
message from web-based interface (electronic form) and sent to a group of students. The
system was closely related with Mobile Notice Board project for the delivery of urgent
information to students but could not ascertain a feedback module in the deployment.

Mohammad and Norhayati (2003) proposed an SMS service system for student
collaboration on campus with focus on quick message communication and delivery
among students on campus. Simplewire wireless message protocol and ActiveX SMS
software development kit serve as the development tool for visual basic. The system was
able to send messages but without mobility. The authors in Al-Ali, Rousan and Al-Shaikh
(2003) proposed a system to monitor and control patient body temperature and blood
pressure. It was achieved using temperature sensor and signal conditioning circuit,
microcontroller, LCD display and GSM modem. The systems contributed immensely to the
use of SMS technology for message delivery but were limited by high implementation
cost.

Furthermore, Al-Ali et al. (2004) used the same technology to develop a house
monitoring system to ease the ordering and delivering of house equipment using SMS
technology via mobile phone. The system was developed using C programming language
and the hardware and software implementations consist of 8-bit microcontroller
interface and driver circuit for connection between device and microcontroller, LCD
display and GSM modem. Kadirire (2005) presented a platform where teachers in schools

271
or presenters at conferences can interact with audience via SMS. The system uses java
servlets, a Tomcat Servlet container, an oracle database, HTML and an open source SMS
gateway which runs on a UNIX platform. When an SMS message is sent to the SMS
gateway using an SMS centre number provided, the servlet running on the Tomcat server
receives and creates small frames called stickies that housed the SMS text. Each stickie
has a thread that initiates the SMS between the teachers or presenters and the
participants.

An SMS technology that supports classroom interaction between students and

lecturers is proposed in Markett et al. (2006). The aim was to bridge the communication
between lecturers and students in a classroom environment. Students send SMSes via
their mobile phone which are viewed, replied and addressed by the lecturers through a
developed software connected with a modem. A class website developed was used as
the interactive platform between the students and the lecturer after which the SMSes
have been published on the website. The system was developed using Java programming
language to provide a GUI that models the users’ real mobile phone. However, cases of
failure in remote connection between the students and lecturers were recorded. An SMS
tool to exchange information in medical area is proposed in Obea et al. (2006). The work
was developed as a Radiological Information System (RIS) where physician can send
messages to their patients. The idea was to configure RIS system to send SMS when the
examination is scheduled and to send another SMS later to remind the patient of the
appointment. The system offered an easy medium for timely information delivery

In the work of Shahjahan et al. (2008), a vision-based on-line traffic information

system is presented to monitor and detect levels of traffic congestion on certain roads in
Dhaka City and to make this information available to the travelers. Multiple Web Cams
were installed on designated roads. The system captured digital images of the traffic,
analyze these images and reach a clear decision about number of cars. Users were able to
reach this data by using the short messaging service in their mobile phones. Basically, the
system is divided into three independents and interacting modules: the image capturing
module which automates the capture of images, the digital image processing module
which processes the images and the short message service (SMS) server module which
receives SMSs from a user and reply back to him by an SMS.

A GSM-based notification speed detection system for monitoring purposes is

presented by Sabudin et al. (2008). The motivation was to improve on the existing black
box system that only notifies drivers through alarm systems and information is recorded
in the black box in order to detect speed effectively. The system includes both hardware
and software designs. The hardware design was carried out using microcontroller,
PIC16F873, LCD DISPLAY and GSM Mobile Phone. On the other hand, the speed detector
is the programmable equipment designed using the JAL (Just Another Language)
software. The design integrates a new black-box system with the GSM notification
system to send alert information to traffic authorized personnel or Transport Department
through Short Message Services (SMS). An m-banking system using the m-commerce

272
technology to provide various banking services to the customers by sending SMS in a
two-way communication for the banking sector is presented by Jamil and Mousumi
(2008). The system consists of five modules: Interfacing Module, SMS Technology
Adoption Module, SMS Banking Registration Module, Service Generation Module and
Data Failover Module. Four major services such as balance enquiry, balance transfer
between authenticated customers, deposit payment and bill payment were provided
without physically going to bank thereby saving customers’ time. Wahab et al. (2009)
developed an integrated e-parcel management system using GSM network. The system
notifies user of the upcoming parcel reach in a university via SMS. Their work offered
robust platform that enhanced quick message delivery and retrieval that is useful for the
day-to-day activities of the university.

In the work of Katankar and Thakare (2010), a Short Message Service using SMS
Gateway is proposed. The system suggested a multi-level local authentication to the SMS
gateway service. The application and mobile carriers are connected via TCP/IP. SMPP was
used as the SMS protocol that is secure and sustain greater message volumes 10,000/min.
The software was designed using Visual Basic 2005 while the database connection was
written using Query based on SQL. SQL was used to store the record and to retrieve the
record. The security of the system was done via a web interface for authentication and an
encryption method for securing the data. However, there were inadequacies in
messaging functionalities and old encryption algorithm was adopted which is easily
vulnerable to brute force attack.

In Ensour and Alinizi (2014), an SMS application system along with its corresponding
server is developed. The system was developed to avoid the reliance of content delivery
SMS application of student examination results to SMS Gateway Provider and the
commercial SMS application developer which can be managed totally by the users. The
Rational Unified Process (RUP) was used to iteratively do the system development during
each phase. The system promoted SMS technology in school. However, cases of network
traffic on the server affect system performance at peak times. A mobile interface for
community health information tracking system (CHITS) was developed by Manguni et al.
(2010). The system provides cheap and effective remote connection to the CHITS server
for synchronizing real time data. The system was developed using JAVA2ME. Data was
collected and compressed using the jgz java library with deflate based compression
algorithm to minimize the amount of SMS messages to be sent. SMSLib serves as a
platform through which a server phone was connected to the server to receive messages
through designed protocol that assures availability and reliability. A cost effective way of
transferring data remotely with the use of SMS was established but there were
limitations in the amount of data that an SMS can carry and manual copying of database
file when not using the remote mode.

A framework for the design of a mobile-based alert system for outpatient adherence
in Nigeria is proposed in Okuboyejo, Ikhu-Omoregbe and Mbarika (2012). The aim was to
ensure adherence to long-term therapy in outpatient condition for effective treatment

273
and reduce or curb the prevalence of diseases. A system for mobile technology that will
provide an easy way of complying with drug regimen was developed. The system utilizes
Short Messaging Service (SMS) via mobile phones to provide reminders at dosing times.
However, the system was limited by the inability to deploy and evaluate a prototype
application within its scope, so the system was not tested.

In Jamaruppin (2014), a pigeonhole notification system using telegram

messenger is proposed to help lecturers get notification about the presence of mails in
their pigeonholes and to give warning notification when the volumes of their pigeonhole
reaches certain level of fullness. The system is a combination of hardware and software
that operates together on giving the notification to the pigeonhole owner. The main
hardware used was Raspberry Pi while Infra-Red sensor and Ultrasonic sensor were used
to detect mails. The main software was telegram messenger while Linux was the
operating system to the Raspberry Pi and Python was the language used to command the
system. Interview was carried out to get the system requirements and questionnaires
were used to collect data in evaluating the performance of the pigeonhole system. Thirty
(30) respondents who are lecturers of the institution were randomly sampled. The results
from data analysis showed that majority of the respondents chose that the best
alternative for mail notification is via SMS.

Krishna, Anurag and Prabhune (2014) proposed a short messaging service as an

alternative for pushing information to build efficient information passing systems in
academic institutions. The system was targeted at improving existing levels of
communication between teachers and students of an academic institution. A total
solution architecture was proposed. The architecture consists of a central database
server to store and forward requests, a networking interface to send SMS successfully
and a client end application to read and acknowledge the SMS. The system was
implemented using Open Source API and a middleware where one can build a service
wherein students do not have to pay for student information services. The system
provides a high degree of security and confidentiality and generates timely information
needed in decision support system of the institution. However, there are possibilities for
network failure and response of the entire architecture therein. In Norhairi (2015), an
intelligent pigeonhole with e-mail notification using wireless system was proposed. The
work focuses on incorporating electronics technology into conventional mailboxes as a
solution for providing convenient mail notification and retrieval. Arduino UNO and
Infrared Sensor were incorporated by linking the user’s pigeonhole with e-mail facilities
and this enables the users to be notified whenever a new mail is delivered, and
pigeonhole is full. The system provides an easy and effective platform for sending e-mail
to notify the users about important new mails reaching their pigeonhole or mailbox.

A smart pigeonhole system was proposed through sending notification by short

messaging system in Abdullah (2015). The aim was to develop a time-saving system for
resident to get a notification about arriving mail via short messaging system on their
phone. The system was implemented using several hardware components including

274
infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors and arduinoyun board. Infrared sensors were used to
detect the presence of the mail into the box while the ultrasonic sensor was used to
detect the level of fullness of the mailbox. The system achieved SMS notification for
pigeonhole mail arrivals, but the sensor could only be powered by electricity. Cases of
power outage followed by subsequent mail arrival would limit the system functionality.
Asmida (2015) developed a pigeonhole smart box for university application to assist
lecturers who use pigeonhole to receive SMS notification once students drop their
assignment in their pigeonhole. Microcontroller Arduino, IR sensor and GSM module
were used in building the system. Microcontroller Arduino and GSM module were used
for wireless transmission. The installed sensor in the pigeonhole smart box start
functioning once it detects the document/assignment received and automatically send an
alert signal via SMS notification to the lecturers’ cell phone.

Pramanik et al. (2016) also developed a GSM-based Smart home and digital notice
board using a GSM SIM900 module that provides its users with a simple, fast and reliable
way to put up important notices in an LCD where the users can send a message to be
displayed in the LCD. The system consists of a 32-bit ARM based microcontroller LPC2148,
GSM SIM900 module, an LCD, a motor and an android application for user interface with
the hardware. SMS messages are sent through an android application to the GSM SIM900
module which has a SIM card inside it. However, cases of network failures may
significantly affect the system performance. The development of an intelligent
pigeonhole using GSM is proposed by Binti Wahab (2016) to notify users when any
document arrives inside their pigeonhole using Short Messaging Service (SMS). The basic
idea was to monitor software and the main components of the hardware are SIM900A
GSM Modem, PIC 16F877A and infrared sensor (IR) system. The implementation utilizes
the programming of the control system with Microcontroller PIC16F877A acting as the
main process that controls the system when the input gives signal until it produces an
output. The system provides a two-way transmission between users and PC16F877A
Microcontroller.

Wahab et al. (2016) also developed an electronic pigeonhole system integrated with
GSM network to send a notification of any upcoming load. The system was needed to
send short message service (SMS) notification to designated users when a new letter is
placed in their pigeonhole. A detection circuit that contain voltage regulator, Infrared
sensors and microcontrollers to acknowledge the existence of new post items was
integrated with a GSM modem to transmit SMS to specific user. The system was attached
to a metal pigeonhole and tested. Notifications were immediately sent to intended users
for further action. However, the implementation was too costly and there is no possibility
of ascertaining good performance of system on wooden pigeonhole platform. Duru,
Ochonu and Okoronkwo (2017), proposed a mobile phone controlled wireless electronic
notice board that can be used to circulate information in places such as schools, offices,
homes and other establishments. The system includes a reliable and an authentic wireless
display of SMS on LCD with a mobile phone and microcontroller using GSM Technology.
The microcontroller is interfaced to a GSM Modem via MAX233 level converter to convert

275
RS232 voltage levels to TTL voltage levels and vice versa. A 20x4 LCD display is attached
to the microcontroller for display. Microcontroller coding was done using embedded C
with the help of Mikro C integrated development environment (IDE). The system offers
flexibility and control of information to its users remotely as information is transmitted
over a wireless network.

In a similar study, Ajayi et al. (2018) presented a mobile pigeonhole alert system. The
authors were motivated to develop a system which allows easy and enhanced
communication between the administrator-in-charge of messages (office clerk) and the
recipients (academic staff) to ensure proper dissemination of information. The aim was to
ensure quick notification, delivery and responses to mail in an academic institution. The
system implementation was accomplished using Java and XML components of Android
Software Development Kit (SDK). The authors’ contribution bridged the gap between the
administrator and the user of the pigeonhole by ensuring a feedback mechanism to alert
the user of a mail when not attended to. However, the system involves human
intervention in which the administrator in charge of the mail would have to send
notifications to staff. Also, training is required when there is a change of administrator on
how to use the system.

METHODOLOGY

The mathematical model for the proposed system was adopted from the model
proposed in Ajayi et al. (2018). The general idea of the pigeonhole principle states that
when there are k pigeonholes and there are k+1 mails, then there will be 1 pigeonhole
with at least 2 mails (Sengothai, 2016). The idea sounds trivial, but its uses are numerous.
Thus, this idea is explored to coin a model that supports the implementation of this
research. A conventional pigeonhole system consists of one or more pigeonholes for
each staff in an institution. Let represents pigeonholes and a variable denoting
staff:

Equation 1

where Equation 1 represent one or more pigeonholes for one or more staff while k is the
count number for upper bound value

Equation 2

where and represent alert and message respectively. Equation 2 indicates zero
or more alerts for every message available to the staff in his/her pigeonhole. The map
function for the pigeonhole process is presented as follows:

Equation 3

indicating that for each staff, there exist exactly one pigeonhole for message delivery

276
 Equation 4

Equation 4 denotes that any staff can have one or many messages.

Equation 5

Equation 5 denotes that there exist one or many alerts for each message received in the
staff pigeonhole. In equation 6, when an alert is not received on the staff mobile phone,
then no message is received. A message is only received when one or many alerts are
confirmed on the phone.

Equation 6

Equation 7

In equation 7, indicates the staff response to the message available in their pigeonhole.
When the staff responds to the received message, then no new message is found in the
pigeonhole. Otherwise, when no response is received, one or more messages are left in
the pigeonhole unanswered.

3.1 Circuit Diagram

The circuit diagram of the proposed system is presented in Figure 1 as follows:

Figure 1. Circuit diagram of the proposed system

This pigeonhole circuit sends a message to the user about the arrival of a mail. The
circuit is powered by a rechargeable battery of 6volt. Once the system is powered, a high
bright white light comes up from the Light Emitting Resistor (LER) which is used to
trigger the Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) to detect the arrival of a mail in the box. The
sensor then sends a signal to the micro-controller which is ATmega8. The micro-controller

277
then sends a signal to the GSM-Module on the arrival of a mail. The GSM-module uses SIM
800 module that is designed as a data communication equipment. It comprises of the
ground (GND), the receive data (Rx) which is an input device, the transmit data (Tx)
which is an output device and an antenna to detect network signal. Once the micro-
controller sends a signal to the GSM-module, the Tx sends a message to the user whose
number is registered on the SIM module for a mail arrival in the pigeonhole. The
capacitors are used to regulate the frequency of the circuit. When the light from the LER
fails to come up, the LDR will become non-conducting and the presence of a mail will not
be detected.

3.2 Sensor Module

The sensor module consists of several hardware components that work together to
ensure the smooth running of the system. Figure 2 shows the sensor module as follows:

Figure 2. Sensor Module

The components housed in the sensor module include Switch, Battery, Light Emitting
Diode, Light Dependent Diode (LDD), GSM Module, Micro-controller, Capacitor, and
Transistor:

3.3 Pigeonhole Interface

The actual pigeonhole implementation is carried out on both wooden and metal
platform for testing.

a. Wooden Pigeonhole Implementation

Figure 3 shows the implementation of the sensor module using a wooden pigeonhole.

Figure 3. wooden pigeonhole implementation

278
b. Metal Pigeonhole Implementation
Figure 4 shows the implementation of the sensor module using metal pigeonhole.

Figure 4. Metal pigeonhole

implementation
3.4 Statistical Treatment of Data

In this research, data were collected by questionnaire administration to respondents

in order to infer a significant relationship between the independent and dependent
variables. These data were further subjected to statistical analysis using Correlation and
Regression Analyses respectively.

3.4.1 Correlation Analysis

Correlation analysis assesses the linear relationship between two variables, providing
a measure of both the strength and direction of the relationship. Correlation makes no
assumption on causality in the relationship. It assumes only a linear relationship, and
variables with a strong nonlinear relationship may show poor or absent correlation.
Correlation can be performed on both parametric and nonparametric variables. The most
commonly used parametric method is the Pearson product-moment correlation which is
adopted in this research while Spearman rank order correlation and Kendall methods are
the commonly used nonparametric methods. In certain situations, the correlation
relationship can be linear to a certain extent beyond which it may disappear or remain
linear but at a different degree (Shi and Conrad, 2009).

3.4.2 Regression Analysis

Regression analysis assesses the relationship between one dependent (observed)

variable and 1 or more independent and (explanatory) variables, with an implied causal
relationship. Regression goes beyond correlation by inferring relationships between
variables, allowing modelling of causal relationships, and predicting the value of the
dependent variable from a given value of independent variables(s). Unlike correlation
analysis, which makes few assumptions, regression analysis is based on several
underlying assumptions. Regression analysis includes both linear and nonlinear
regression. Linear regression involves a linear model, which is linear with respect to its
parameters. Linear regression models may be simple (a single independent variable) or

279
multiple (two or more independent variables). Non-linear regression deals with
exponential, power, or more complex relationships (Shi and Conrad, 2009).
Thus, the independent variable is the perception of the lecturers across various
departments. These perceptions are the factors that constitute their views about the
designed system while the system performance serves as the dependent variable. In this
case, the independent variable is the computed value for the performance of the system.
The computed value denotes the perception or view of the respondent (lecturers) who
answered the questions about the systems performance during system testing. Thus, the
average success rate (ASR) and average failure rate (AFR) of the designed system are
presented in Equations 8 and 9 respectively:
where = number of lecturers Equation 8

where = number of lecturers Equation 9

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The system was tested on both wooden and metal pigeonhole platforms and a
structured questionnaire was developed and administered to two hundred (200)
lecturers across nine (9) departments of the faculty of Science of a tertiary institution to
elicit information about respondents’ perception and system performance during testing.
The data collected are presented in Table 1 and the graphical representation is shown in
Figure 5 as follows:
Table 1. Data Collection
Departments No of Successful Failed % of % of
SMS Delivery Delivery Success Failure
Sent Rate Rate

Computer science 24 23 1 95.8 4.2

Physics and electronics 21 18 3 85.7 14.3
Plant Science & Biotech 27 25 2 92.5 7.5
Microbiology 17 17 0 100 0
Biochemistry 25 23 2 92.0 8.0
Mathematics/Ind. Math 20 17 3 85.0 15.0
Animal & Env. Biology 22 21 1 95.5 4.5
Chemical Science 26 24 2 92.3 7.7
Earth Sciences 18 17 1 94.4 5.6
TOTAL 200 185 15 833.2 66.8

From the data presented in Table 1, the ASR and AFR values are presented as follow:

280
 The average success rate of the system under testing was 92.5% while the system
failed with an average failure rate of 7.5%. This was attributed to cases of network failures
in which messages were not timely delivered on the respondent’s mobile phone.
However, the analysis of result was carried out using regression analysis of respondents’
perception about system performance as presented in section 4.1 as follows:

120

100

80

60

40

20

Successful Delivery Failed Delivery % of Success Rate % of Failure Rate

Figure 5. Success and Failure Rates of Messages sent by the various Departments

4.1 Analysis of Result

With respect to Research Question 1, Table 2 shows the descriptive statistics of the
given data. It shows the relationship between the central tendency (mean) and the
variability (standard deviation). The result shows that over half of the selected
respondents agree on the idea of the designed system.
Table 2. Descriptive Statistics
Mean Std. Deviation N
system_testing 2.3827 .29829 200
Department 5.0000 2.55841 200

Analyzing Research Hypothesis 1, Table 3 shows the correlation between the

departments. The Pearson correlation coefficient shows a positive correlation between
the usability perception of the lecturer’s across various departments and the
performance of the designed system because there was no negative value in the result.

281
 Table 3. Correlation Measure
System testing Department
system_testing 1.000 .774
Pearson Correlation
Department .774 1.000
system_testing . .000
Sig. (1-tailed)
Department .000 .
system_testing 200 200
N
Department 200 200

For the Research Hypothesis 2, Table 4a shows the regression coefficients that
describe the significant relationship between the independent variable and the
dependent variable. Therefore, the p-value of 0.013 was used to determine the
significance of the system testing. Since the p-value is lesser than 0.05, then there is a
significant association between the lecturers’ usability perception and the system
performance. Hence, the objectives of the system were achieved. However, if the value is
greater than 0.05, it means the system did not meet the expected objectives.

Table 4a. Regression Coefficients

Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized t Sig.
Coefficients
B Std. Error Beta
(Constant) 1.931 .063 30.633 .013
department .090 .011 .774 8.024 .000
a. Dependent Variable: system_testing

Table 4b shows the model summary. It is shown that the R Square is 89%, which
means that more than almost all the lecturers from each of the departments are in
support of the designed system.

Table 4b. Model Summary

Model R R Square Adjusted R Std. Error of the
Square Estimate
.774a .890 .590 .19094
b. Predictors: (Constant), department

282
 Table 4c. ANOVAa
Model R Df Mean Square F Sig.
Regression 2.347 1 2.347 64.380 .026b
1 Residual 1.568 43 .036
Total 3.915 44
a. Dependent Variable: system_testing
b. Predictors: (Constant), department

Table 4c shows the significant of the model. Since the significant value on the table is
0.026, it shows that the system model is significant since the value is lesser than 0.05.

4.2 Comparative Analysis

Table 5 shows the comparative analysis of this work with other existing works. The
results derived showed that our system is efficiently analyzed and effectively
implemented. Hence, it is an evidence for improvement on other existing results in the
reported studies.

Table 5. Comparison of current work with the result of the existing works
Author Sensor Messaging Platform Programming Pigeonhole
Mode language
Mohammad Not used SMS Software VB None
and Norhayati
(2003)
Markett et al. Not used SMS Software JAVA None
(2005)
Bin Hajj Sidek Not SMS Software Rational None
(2010) Unified Process
Manguni et al. Not used SMS Software JAVA None
(2010)
Krishna et al. Not used SMS Software DBMS None
(2014)
Abdullah (2015) Infrared/ SMS Hardware C++ Metal
Ultrasonic
Wahab et al. IR /LED SMS Software None Metal
(2016)
Ajayi et al. Not used SMS Software JAVA Wooden
(2018)
Current LED/LDD SMS Hardware/ JAVA Wooden/
Research Software Metal

283
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Information system is an essential aspect of any organization which helps with the
dissemination and retrieval of information among members. Study shows that most
institutional organizations make use of pigeonhole as a message box for each member of
such organization. An organization increasingly adopts information technology to move
their operations and services to a new level by embracing information systems to ease
information dissemination within the organization. Hence, the designed system has been
able to ease the work of office clerks as well as the pigeonhole users by reducing the
stress of daily pigeonhole check-in and allow quick feedback mechanism for smooth
record and operation to urgent mails. It is recommended to organizations for their data
processing, file administration and management. However, the work can be improved by
estimating the levels of resistance, frequency, wavelength, voltage, and power
dissipation of the LER that will enhance the output of the LDR in detection. This will
undoubtedly enhance the coverage level of the sensor-based system.

IMPLICATIONS
Practically, the research has contributed significantly by providing an easy platform
and efficiency in information retrieval and notification. Users found it convenient in
managing memos, letters and other relevant documents without delay and in a timely
fashion. Theoretically, the research has also contributed to the existing body of
knowledge in the application of mobile computing and sensors in management and
organization.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author acknowledges the contributions of the co-authors in data collection and
practical analysis of results. The research has not been funded by any institution rather
funding was provided by the author and co-authors.

REFERENCES

Abdullah, N. B. (2015). Smart pigeonhole system by sending notification through short

messaging system (Unpublished manuscript). Faculty of Computer Systems and
Software Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia.
Adeoti-Adekeye, W. B. (1997). The importance of management information systems.
Library Review, MCB University Press, 46(5), 318-327.
Ajayi, O. O., Adetuyi, T. E., Omomule, T. G., Orogun, A. O., & Orimoloye, S. M. (2018).
Design and implementation of mobile Pigeon-Hole Alert System (PHAS).
Communications on Applied Electronics (CAE), 7(16), 10-16.

284
Al-Ali, A. R., Al-Rousan, M., & Al-Shaikh, M. (2003, June). Embedded system-based mobile
patient monitoring device. In 16th IEEE Symposium Computer-Based Medical Systems,
2003. Proceedings. (pp. 355-360). IEEE.
Al-Ali, A. R., Rousan, M. A., & Mohandes, M. (2004, April). GSM-based wireless home
appliances monitoring & control system. In Proceedings. 2004 International
Conference on Information and Communication Technologies: From Theory to
Applications, 2004. (pp. 237-238). IEEE.
Al-Mamary, Y. H., Shamsuddin, A., & Aziati, N. (2014). The role of different types of
information systems in business organizations: A review. International Journal of
Research (IJR), 1(7), 1279-1286
Asmida, A. (2015). Pigeonhole smart box for university application: A project report
submitted at the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Malaysia. Retrieved
from www.eprints.utem.edu.my
Bin Haji Sidek, S. F. (2010). The development of the Short Messaging Service (SMS)
Application for the School Usage. Proceedings from 2010 International Symposium
on Information Technology System. Development and Application and Knowledge
Society, ITSim’10(3).1382–1386. doi: 10.1109/ITSIM.2010.5561647
Binti Wahab, N. S. (2016). Development of intelligent pigeonHole using GSM. Technical
Report submitted to the Department of Electronic Engineering Technology
(Telecommunication) Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), 1-45. Retrieved
from http://eprints.utem.edu.my/20378/
Curran, K., & Craig, R. (2001). A Short Message Service Online Application for Delivering
Urgent Information to Students 1st Joint IEI. In IEE Symposium on
Telecommunications Systems Research.
Duru, C., Ochonu R., & Okoronkwo C. O. (2017). Design and implementation of a wireless
noticeboard with interface for remote update. International Journal of Scientific &
Engineering Research, 8(5), 530-535.
Ensour, H. S., & Alinizi, T. M. (2014). The impact of management information systems
(mis) technologies on the quality of services provided at the University of Tabuk.
International Journal of Network Security & Its Applications (IJNSA), 6(2), 1-20.
doi:10.5121/ijnsa.2014.6201
Heidarkhani, A., khomami, A. A., Jahanbazi, Q., & Alipoor, H. (2013). the role of
management information systems (mis) in decision-making and problems of its
implementation. Universal Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 3(3), 78–89.
Jamaruppin, M. E. (2014). Pigeonhole notification system by utilizing telegram
messenger (Unpublished manuscript). Faculty of Computer Systems and
Software Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia. Retrieved from
http://iportal.ump.edu.my/lib/item?id=chamo:92007
Jamil, M. S., & Mousumi, F. A. (2008, December). Short messaging service (SMS) based m-
banking system in context of Bangladesh. In 2008 11th International Conference on
Computer and Information Technology (pp. 599-604). IEEE.
Kadirire, J. (2005). The Short Message Service (SMS) for schools/conferences. Recent
Research Developments in Learning Technologies, 977-981. Retrieved from
http://www.formatex.org/micte2006/

285
Katankar, V. K., & Thakare, V. M. (2010). Short Message Service using SMS gateway.
International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering (IJCSE), 2(4), 1487-1491.
Krishna, V., Anurag, R., & Prabhune, S.S. (2014). Short Messaging Service as an alternative
for pushing information to build efficient information passing systems in academic
institutions. Paper presented at the 2014 Conference on IT in Business, Industry and
Government: An International Conference by CSI on Big Data, CSIBIG2014, India. doi:
10.1109/CSIBIG.2014.7057006
Manguni, R., Navarro, M. L., Rosario, K., & Festin, C. A. (2010). ChitSMS: Community
Health Information Tracking System Using Short Message Service. 3rd International
Conference on Human-Centric Computing, 2010, 1-6.
doi:10.1109/HUMANCOM.2010.5563329
Markett, C., Sanchez, I. A., Weber, S., & Tangney, B. (2006). Please turn ur mobile on:
Short Message Services (SMS) Supporting Interactivity in the Classroom. Computers
and Education, 46(2006), 280-293.doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2005.11.014
Mohammad, M. A., & Norhayati, A. (2003, January). A short message service for campus
wide information delivery. In 4th National Conference of Telecommunication
Technology, 2003. NCTT 2003 Proceedings. (pp. 216-221). IEEE.
doi:10.1109/tcst.2003.1188339
Norhairi, A. H. (2015). Intelligent pigeonhole with e-mail notification using wireless system
(Unpublished manuscript). Universiti Teknikal, Melaka, Malaysia.
Obea, J. V., Pardo, I., Villa, I., Masoliver, E., Boix, X., Lopez, A., Andujar, S. , & Fernandez, J.
(2006). SMS: A new tool in the radiological information system information exchange.
EuroPACS, Trondheim.
Okuboyejo, S. R., Ikhu-Omoregbe, N. A., & Mbarika, V. W. (2012). A framework for the
design of a mobile-based alert system for outpatient adherence in Nigeria. African
Journal of Computing & ICT, 5(5), 154-161.
Opoku, M. O. (2015). Information management and organisational performance: A review
of literature. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(6), 62-70
Pramanik, A., Rishikesh, Nagar, V., Dwivedi, S., & Choudhury, B. (2016). GSM based Smart
Home and Digital Notice Board. In 2016 International Conference on Computational
Techniques in Information and Communication Technologies (ICCTICT). doi:
10.1109/ICCTICT.2016.7514549
Reddy, G. S., Srinivasu, R., Rikkula, S. R. & Rao, V. S. (2009). Management information
systems to help managers for providing decision making in an organization.
International Journal of Reviews in Computing, 5(1), 1-6.
Robertson, J. (2005). 10 Principles of Effective Information Management. Step Two Design
Pty Limited.
Sabudin, E. N. MohdMuji, S. Z., Wahab, M. H. A., Johari, A., & Bin Ghani, N. (2008). GSM-
based notification speed detection for monitoring purposes. In 2008 International
Symposium on Information Technology. doi:10.1109/itsim.2008.4631934
Sengothai, R. (2016). Generalized pigeonhole principle and its applications. International
Journal on Recent and Innovation Trends in Computing and Communication (IJRITCC),
4(11), 19 – 21.

286
 Shahjahan, M. D., Kafi M., Nahin, M., Mayen U., Shamim A., & Murase, K. (2008). An
Implementation of on-line traffic information system via Short Message Service
(SMS) for Bangladesh. IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN)
(pp. 2612-2618). doi:10.1109/ijcnn.2008.4634163
Shaqiri, B. A. (2015). Management information system and competitive advantage.
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(1), 204-208.
doi:10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n1p204
Shi, R., & Conrad, S. A. (2009). Correlation and regression analysis. Annals of Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology, 103(4), 35–41. doi:10.1016/s1081-1206(10)60820-4
Wahab, M. H. A., Al’ Hafiz Riman, A., Kadir, H. A., Sanudin, R., Johari, A., Sidek, R. M., &
Ahmad, N. (2016). GSM-Based Notification System for Electronic PigeonHole.
International Conference on Networked Digital Technologies (NDT)
2010: Networked Digital Technologies, Part II, CCIS 88 (pp. 619-630).
Wahab, M. H. A., Nor, D. M., Mutalib, A. A., Johari, A., & Sanudin, R. (2009). Development
of Integrated e-parcel Management System through GSM Network. In 2nd
International Conference on Interaction Science 2009 (pp. 2-6).
doi: 10.1145/1655925.1656121

287

View publication stats