Software Engineering Module

This is our refined version of the original specification. Please make any new changes here instead.

a. When a customer chooses to deliver a parcel, he has two choices: He can either bring the parcel to the WorldGo check-in counter, or he can register his parcel on the WorldGo website, after which WorldGo will send a collection agent to pickup the parcel from his home.

b. For every new delivery, WorldGo requires the following information from its customers: the customer will have provide the mode of delivery, the destination address, the recipient’s contact number, and the description and value of the parcel's contents to the customer service agent. In addition, he will also have to provide his own particulars which are his name, his address and his home and mobile contact number. The option is also given to him to purchase insurance for the parcel, in case of mishap.

c. If a customer brings a parcel to the check-in counter, he will be handled by a customer service agent. The customer service agent will measure the parcel's weight in kilograms and dimensions, which is the length, breadth and height in centimetres. He will enter these details into the system, which will then calculate the postage cost from the distance of the route (the postage formula is given in part (f)). The system will also estimate the delivery time for the parcel, which is determined by the transport route between countries and an additional 2 working days. The customer service agent will inform the customer of the total cost. If the customer agrees to the transaction, he will provide his details (specified in part (b)) and make the payment. Upon payment, an invoice containing the customer's particulars, a summary of the parcel's details including the unique parcel id and the total payment cost will be generated and given to the customer. The system will also generate a barcode from the parcel's unique id. The barcode will be printed on the sticker and pasted onto the parcel. The customer service agent will notify the system that the delivery has been paid for and send the parcel to the warehouse.

d. When a customer decides to register his parcel on the website, he will have to provide the collection date and his desired pick-up point, which is usually his own home. The weight and dimensions of the parcel will also have to be provided by the customer. He can make use of the system to calculate the postage cost and delivery times, which uses the same formulas as what the customer service agent uses. Once he confirms the delivery, he will provide the needed information (specified in part b) via the web site. The customer has two ways to pay for the delivery: he can either pay online through Paypal or credit cards, or he can pay in cash when the collection agent arrives at the pick-up point. After a parcel has been collected by the deliveryman, he will pass it to the customer service agent, who will then measure the parcel's weight and dimensions to make sure they match what the customer has specified and paid for. If a parcel's specifications exceed what the customer has paid for, the customer service agent will notify the customer of the discrepancy and the additional charges required. He will place the package in a holding area and mark it's status as unpaid. Once the customer has paid the additional charges, the parcel will be marked as paid. The invoice will be generated and mailed to the customer's address. Once the barcode has been generated and pasted onto the parcel, it will be sent to the warehouse.

e. On the WorldGo website, the user can enter the unique parcel id given in the invoice to check the status of their delivery. The current location of the parcel will also be shown on a global map.

f. The postage is calculated as follows: Each country that WorldGo can deliver to has a location value. The location value is a pair of x,y coordinates that correspond to the country's location on a world map. The final postage cost is calculated by multiplying the parcel volume with it's weight in kilograms and multiplying the result with the derived distance between the start and end countries.

g. Once a parcel arrives at the warehouse, a storeman will scan in the barcode to access the parcel details. Scanning in the barcode will also notify the system that the parcel is in processing. New parcels will be grouped with other parcels according to their destination. At the end of every working day, the carrier will arrive at the warehouse to pick up the parcels for a specific destination. The shipping manager will check the shipments to ensure that the destination is correct and there are no missing parcels before passing them on the carrier.

h. Upon a parcel's arrival at it's destination country, the deliveryman has to check which parcel is allocated to him for delivery and collect it. Each deliveryman has a PDA which stores the list of parcels he has to deliver, as well as their details. The deliveryman must update the delivery status of the parcel while it is in transit from the warehouse to the destination. If the destination address is found to be invalid, the deliveryman will notify the system that the delivery has failed and return the parcel to the local branch. Upon the recipient's collection of the parcel, the deliveryman will notify the system that the parcel has been delivered. In addition, the deliveryman has to collect the parcels that the customers have registered online for delivery and pass them to the customer service agent for in-processing.

i. The system will alert the customer service operator in the event of any missing parcels or failed deliveries due to invalid addresses. The operator has to retrieve the information of the missing parcels or failed deliveries and contact the customer. In the event of invalid addresses, the customer will have to provide a new delivery address and make a payment if the new destination incurs any extra charges. A new invoice will be generated and mailed to the customer. For missing parcels, if the customers have purchased insurance, a letter for refund will be generated and mailed to the customers.

j. The system is managed by an administrator who will manage the databases and the user accounts. For user accounts management, the administrator can add and remove users as well as modify their user rights. Each user account will contain the name of the user, his employee ID and his present location. The administrator will have to update the system if the employee is relocated to another base. For database management, the administrator is able to trace which parcel has been in transit for a long period. He will also have the option to list or delete parcels that have been delivered in the past.

Refined use-case