A Web based complaints monitoring and management information system

Abstract

The concept of a Web Based Complaint Monitoring and Management Information System revolves around distributed database management and web technologies. The research work is focused towards exploiting state of the art technology evolving a practical computer based system for Military Engineering Services. The main components are databases, Interfaces, and data transfer through Wide Area Network using normal civil/military telephone lines. The database of the system contains data regarding complaints registered by the complainee, stores held/consumed and workers available/detailed. By monitoring activities this system provides an efficient and effective tool in identifying and minimizing the leakages of material resources, managing the human resources, ensuring complaints are honored, and ensuring time management. The system is capable enough in supporting the top management to give rapid and fast decisions based on the facts provided by the system. The software is developed using real time replicated concepts of distributed data base management system. Advantages of a replicated system are locality of reference, reliability, availability, and best load distribution with minimal cost of communication. The distributed system consists of three different nodes: Data Node, MIS Node, and DSS Node. Data Node is designed to capture the data at base level. In an MES organization it can be identified as Chowkis. All complaints made by complainee are entered at Data node. Similarly detailing of worker, issue of stores, time recording for completed and uncompleted jobs, and recording of reasons for uncompleted tasks are done at this level. Data Node contains replicated database. Management Information System (MIS) Node is a step higher to data node. It provides summaries to the Garrison Engineers for equipping them with real information as a tool to monitor resources effectively and efficiently. Microsoft Access 2000 RDBMS has been used for developing the database. Active Server Pages (ASP) with Visual Basic Scripting, Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), Dynamic HTML and Active Data Objects (ADO) has been used to develop dynamic web pages for processing the required information. Personal Web Server provides web services. MIS Node also contains replicated database for DSS Node. Data synchronization is done by MIS node with DSS Node. Decision Support System (DSS) Node to represent the Commanders Military Engineering Services (CsMES) office is evolved to monitor the summaries of data formulated at respective MIS nodes to ensure the correctness of direction and availability of resources similar to MIS node technologies are exploited during development of this node.