Stock Management System with RFID and Barcoding functionality
- Project introduction
1.1 Background, purpose and scope
- Background of the company and customer:
Synertech is a company located in South-Africa, since 2003. They describe their vision as the company applying living technology to create business value for their global clients through efficient automated data solutions. Their mission is to achieve their vision by being a superior global consulting and automated data capturing solutions firm through strong partnerships with their clients and suppliers. (Synertech (Pty) Ltd- Synertech Vision and Mission. 2014)
Synertech’s Core Values include the following: • Innovation and excellence They develop innovative solutions of the highest quality that meets with each of the client’s requirements. • Integrity They do business in an ethical, honest and professional manner. They honour all commitments and promises and build trust with their clients, suppliers and workforce. • Commitment They make every effort to deliver solutions that are relevant, cost effective and that add value to their client’s business, within the agreed time frames. • Team work They attract, develop, and retain a competent, creative and highly motivated workforce who make every effort to deliver a solution of excellence.
(Synertech (Pty) Ltd- Synertech Vision and Mission. 2014)
Synertech provides solutions to clients like, inventory management, asset tracking, automated maintenance records, aircraft components and maintenance history tracking, firearm and weapon tracking, tool control, document management, safety equipment regulating, personal protective equipment control and audit, hazmat management, weighbridge automation, control of pharmaceuticals, smartshelf technology, temperature sensitive item management and ground support equipment control. (Synertech (Pty) Ltd- Who we are. 2014)
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Purpose of the project: The type of system will be a stock controlling system that collects stock data, stores stock data, process stock data and delivers an output. All the information of a stock item will be added as the stock item enters the stock facility, the information about the item will then be stored in the system. An employee which is authorised will have the ability to add, view, edit and delete the stock item. This system will allow the company to have control over their stock in their stock facility, as well as be able to generate reports from the system.
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Scope of the project: The system will provide the company with all the necessary information about all the stock items currently stored in the physical stock facility without having to physically search through each item in the stock facility.
Benefits of this system is that the company can have live feed of their stock available in the stock facility. An employee’s questions about whether a stock item is available or not, or details about the stock item can be answered immediately by using the system.
An employee will no longer have to go through the whole stock facility to counting all stock items and collecting information manually. The goal of this system is to be able to provide the company with a computerised system that will keep all records of stock. This system will improve efficiency, accuracy and productivity of the employees working with the stock facility. The system will also help with the administration of how many items are still available.
1.2 Aim and objectives
The aim of this project is to create a manual to automated stock management system.
Objectives • Conducting research on the following subjects: o Stock management systems. o Barcoding technologies. o Radio-Frequency Identification technologies. o Similar projects on stock systems. • Develop the User Requirement Document. • Design and develop the manual input stage of the system. • Implement the manual stock system for the client. • Design and develop the barcode input stage of the system. • Prototype the barcode system. • Installing all required hardware for barcoding. • Design and develop RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) input of the system. • Prototype the Radio-Frequency Identification system. • Installing all required hardware for Radio-Frequency Identification. • Perform System Testing.
- Requirements
Functional Requirements:
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System Interface : Minimalistic design, and as simple as possible
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Input: • Add stock items • Update stock items • Delete stock items
• Add employee • Delete employee • Update employee
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Process: • Provide information when stock facility runs out of certain stock items. • Run a comparison of whether recorded stock items are still in the stock facility (RFID enabled).
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Output: • Be able to pull report • View total stock items • View stock items • View employees
Non-Functional Requirements:
- Validation: employee ID check, Completeness of data being input, basic validation of input data before recording it in the database.
- Accessible goal: First demonstration in September
- Security: Onsite server needed in secure room where the database will be stored
- Administrator Security: Admin only, are allowed to authorise employees to use the system
Technical Requirements:
- Current Software: no completed and working software available
- Current Hardware: currently have one basic office setup with an already installed RFID (radio frequency identification) reader
- Future Software: Basic desktop setup with the new Stock system installed as a desktop application
- Future Hardware: one basic desktop, a secure server, a RFID reader, RFID antennas
- Developing language: C#
- Database: Microsoft SQL Server