CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

 Record Keeping is the process of collecting, inputting, storing, classifying, summarizing and interpreting data.

Record keeping has two facets – financial record keeping and managerial record keeping. The basic purpose of financial record is to assist decision makers in evaluating the financial strength, profitability and future prospects of a business. Managerial record keeping in contrast is tailored to the needs of a particular company. It helps the executives to measure success in carrying out their plans, to identify problems requiring executive attention and to attain company objectives. The purpose of record keeping is to produce financial statement about a business entity. Therefore in this study, we narrowed down to the record keeping system as been practiced by the business centre of Caritas University Enugu. Nearly all the tasks manually performed by man some years back can now be done in matter of seconds with computer technology. Since the invention of the “wonder machine”, there has been a change from the manual way of carrying out certain tasks to a faster and more reliable computerized method.

 1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The business centre of Caritas University Amorji Nike Enugu was established with the institution in January 21, 2005. Justifiably, the business centre of Caritas University have the problem of keeping adequate record of financial transactions, workers file and managerial documents accrued by the purpose of planning, accuracy, timely data processing and security. They do this in manual means with its associated problems of insecurity, high cost of operation and long period of time used for processing data. The design and development of computerized record keeping system in the business centre will no doubt bring about immeasurable relief from the problems associated with manual system of record keeping. Therefore, the study is aimed at producing an efficient computer software package that can handle the record keeping system of the business centre.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

            Business centre of Caritas University is to an extent manually operated. The recording of sales of tickets and cash received are done manually in a book, which looks/appears rough. Thus, the books or files are exposed to physical damage by ants and pests, accumulation of dust particles; this makes the contents to be lost, misplaced or even altered. The long queue of students waiting to be attended to, on daily basis, the fatigue, time wasting in daily reports of accounts to the management can be reduced or even eliminated with the introduction of the proposed system.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

             The purpose of this study is to develop software that can be used in keeping records of sales and cash received or spent. Also to promote efficient and quality services to customers.   

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

             This study is primarily aimed at computerizing the manual system of accounting and record keeping as used in the business division of Caritas University Enugu. It will help in a good number of ways to ease the queuing method in the business centre.

1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

             The major objectives of this study is aimed at developing an automated record keeping system others include

1. To save time (fast inputting and accessing of records)
2. To enable the management to plan ahead
3. To reduce fatigue of the staff
4. To ensure accuracy in the records
5. To ensure safety of the documents/records, because the system will be passworded to reduce access.
6. To ensure integrity of the records
7. To ensure consistency of accounts and reduction of error due to        damage
8. To reduce forgery and loss of records by theft
9. To promote efficient and quality delivery of services to customers

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

            The scope of the study covers the university as a whole and users/customers from outside the university community

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

           This work is limited to business Centre University Enugu due to time and resource constraint.

1.8           DEFINITION OF TERMS

Automation: This is the use of control system such as computer to control and process data, reducing the need for human intervention

Database: This refers to a large store of related data on a computer that can be access and modified by the user.

Password: This is a secret code that a user must type into a computer to enable him access it or its applications. This is made up of numbers, letter, special character or a combination of any of the above categories.

Record System: The act of using a computer system to store and update information/data sequentially in order to keep file security.

Computerized: To convert a based system to start using a computer system to control, organize and automate something.

Research: A careful study of something, especially to discover new facts or information about it.

System: Set of computer component (that is, the assembling of hardware, software and peripherals to function together.)