THE UNIVERSITY OF BAMENDA
NATIONAL HIGHER DEPARTMENT OF
POLYTECHNIC COMPUTER
INSTITUTE ENGINEERING
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EFFICIENT
DOCUMENT HANDLING SYSTEM IN UNIVERSITY
CAMPUSES
A Project Proposal Submitted to the Department of Computer Engineering in the
National Higher Polytechnic Institute of The University of Bamenda in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of a Bachelor of Engineering in
Computer Engineering
BY:
NCHINDE TANDJONG JOSUE
REGISTRATION NUMBER: UBa20E0032
PAGE
SUPERVISOR CO-SUPERVISOR
DR FOMBU ANDREW DJOCK MICHEL
PHD ENG
MARCH 2024
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................4
1.1 Research Context, Problem Statement, and Rationale..........................................................4
1.1.1 Research Context............................................................................................................4
1.1.2 Problem Statement..........................................................................................................4
1.1.3 Rationale.........................................................................................................................5
1.2 Research Questions................................................................................................................5
1.2.1 Main Research Question.................................................................................................5
1.2.2 Specific Research Questions...........................................................................................5
1.3 Research Objectives...............................................................................................................6
1.3.1 General Research Objectives..........................................................................................6
1.3.2 Specific Objectives.........................................................................................................6
1.4 Significance of the Study.......................................................................................................6
1.5 Scope of the Study.................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................7
2.1 Current state-of-the-art in document handling within Cameroonian universities:................7
2.2 Challenges and limitations:....................................................................................................8
2.3 The Solution and Technologies used.....................................................................................8
2.4 Future research directions:.....................................................................................................9
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................10
3.1 Requirement Analysis..........................................................................................................10
3.1.1 Materials.......................................................................................................................10
3.2 Software Engineering Method.............................................................................................10
3.3 System Architecture.............................................................................................................10
1: Submission of Print Job Through internet.............................................................................11
3.4 Workflow.............................................................................................................................11
3.4.1 Setup the Development Environment:..........................................................................11
3.4.2 System Design and UI/UX Design:..............................................................................11
3.4.3 Build User interfaces:...................................................................................................11
3.4.4 Back end developments:...............................................................................................11
3.4.5 Linking Front and Back ends:.......................................................................................11
3.4.6 Test, refining and deployment:.....................................................................................12
CHAPTER 4: EXPECTED OUTCOMES.....................................................................................13
4.1 Seamless document transfer:...............................................................................................13
4.2 Document print automation:................................................................................................13
It optimizes printing processes by automating tasks like job scheduling and queue
management to enhance efficiency and resource utilization.....................................................13
4.3 Provide real time updates:...................................................................................................13
Offering users instant updates on documentation center availability, printing costs, and job
progress ensures transparency and timely decision-making......................................................13
4.4 Provide students with cost and time effective mechanisms for document printing:...........13
4.5 Automated document processing:........................................................................................13
TIMEFRAME................................................................................................................................14
BUDGET ESTIMATE..................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Research Context, Problem Statement, and Rationale
1.1.1 Research Context
In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern university environments, the integration of
technology has become a crucial aspect of facilitating various processes. However, one
notable area that still faces challenges is document handling within these educational settings.
As educational institutions adopt digital methods for document handling, there's a need for a
more streamlined and efficient communication framework to bridge the existing gaps.
Document handling in general, refers to the processes and systems involved in managing
documents throughout their lifecycle. In the context of this research, the term "document
handling" encompasses tasks related to the creation, transfer, processing, printing, delivery of
documents within educational settings. Traditionally, this process has often involved manual
submission, processing and printing of documents which can be time-consuming, cost
ineffective and prone to errors. The modern educational environment demands a more
cohesive and automated approach to document handling, prompting the exploration of
innovative solutions to enhance communication and streamline these processes.
1.1.2 Problem Statement
Despite significant technological advancements, the process of document handling in
University campuses remains full of challenges. With the advent of cutting-edge technologies
for document handling, so many possibilities open up for the streamlining this process in
Cameroon University campuses. While many software applications, are already used to
facilitate this process, however there is a need for research to be done to make the
streamlining of this process catch up with advancements in technology.
A study done at The University of Bamenda campus reveal Document handling hurdles
students face. Many students do not have personal computers for easily and effectively
creating and constituting well structured and standard formatted documents. As a result, they
use phone applications, which is not usually effective and complicated to use. Coupled with
the student’s inexpertise in formatting documents and putting the needed contents in it, as per
institutional standards and recommendations, it results in poorly structured, formatted
documents and documents with irrelevant or wrong content. Furthermore, when they
constitute these documents and want to print them, they usually go through the time-wasting
process getting into any documentation at random, regardless of their availability or cost,
since they could not have known it before getting in the documentation. While in the
documentation they also go through the time-wasting process of queueing up and using of
cables to transfer these documents to the documentation. After this document is transferred,
more time used by the documentation to edit this document which is most likely not well
edited and formatted. More so documentation still relies heavily on manual processes, for
printing documents leading to delays, inefficiencies, and potential errors in handling print
requests. Furthermore, there is a lack of real-time and remote communication channels
between documentations, where students can in real time from anywhere get information
about availability and costs of different documentations in their area, even so after remotely
submitting a print job there is a lack of real-time feedback on status of the print job. Again,
the unreliability involved in remote sending of printing jobs through social media like
WhatsApp is another challenge as far as payment is concerned for documentations. Finally,
there is unequal clientele distribution of customers to documentations despite the idleness of
some of these documentations. This study therefore aims to develop a software system which
help streamline the process of document creation, transfer, processing and printing addressing
the limitations of the manually document handling processes currently used. The proposed
software system will leverage automation mechanism using programs and Artificial
intelligence to address the document handling challenges cited above improving the overall
time and cost effectiveness of the document handling process between students and
documentations.
1.1.3 Rationale
This research aims to bridge the gap by developing an integrated system that connects
students and documentation, automating document handling and improving overall efficiency
in the process cost and time effectively.
1.2 Research Questions
1.2.1 Main Research Question
How To design and implement an integrated system that facilitates seamless creation,
transfer, processing and automated print job management between students and
documentations, so as to minimize cost and time.
1.2.2 Specific Research Questions
1. What are the key challenges faced by students and documentations in document
handling?
2. How can the efficiency document handling between students and documentation be
improved through automation?
3. How does the automation improve the overall effectiveness of document handling
within university campuses.?
1.3 Research Objectives
1.3.1 General Research Objectives
To design and implement an integrated system that facilitates seamless transfer,
communications and automated print job management between students and documentations,
so as to minimize cost and time.
1.3.2 Specific Objectives
1. Identify the specific challenges encountered by students and documentations in
document handling?
2. Develop and implement a system of software with automation features to improve
document handling between students and documentations.
3. Assess the effectiveness of automation in improving the efficiency of document
handling in university campuses.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study is significant as it addresses the practical challenges faced by students and
documentations in document handling, providing a solution that enhances efficiency of the
process by automation.
1.5 Scope of the Study
This study focuses on identifying the specific challenges faced by students and printing
presses in document handling within university campuses, developing and implementing an
automated document handling system to address these challenges, and assessing the
effectiveness of this automation. The scope includes conducting surveys, interviews, and
observational studies to gather data on existing challenges, reviewing relevant literature on
document handling systems, approaches, and methods already in use, designing and
developing an automated system based on these findings, and deploying a prototype version
for initial testing. The effectiveness of the system will be evaluated using metrics such as
time and cost saved, flexibility of the process, error reduction, user satisfaction, and overall
impact on workflow, with data collected from system users through various means. The study
is limited to the document handling processes within the University of Bamenda and aims to
provide insights for improving document handling efficiency in similar educational settings.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
The evolution of document handling began in ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and China with early writing systems (Schmandt-Besserat, 1992). Medieval
universities required managing handwritten academic records (Pedersen, 1997). The 15th-
century invention of the printing press made academic materials more accessible (Eisenstein,
1980). By the 17th and 18th centuries, universities developed archival systems (Feather,
1998). The Industrial Revolution and later inventions like typewriters and photocopiers
improved document handling (Farrington, 1998; Yates, 1989). The 20th century saw a shift to
electronic records with computers (Cortada, 1996). The digital revolution and advances in
cloud computing have modernized document handling in universities settings (Cox, 2000;
Sclater, 2008).
2.1 Current state-of-the-art in document handling within Cameroonian universities:
In the modern educational environment of Cameroonian university campuses, documents
play a vital role in facilitating the communication of information among students, faculty, and
staff. These documents serve various purposes, including notes, assignments, and reports, and
are often required to adhere to specific standards and formatting guidelines set by academic
institutions. As a result, students are expected to produce documents that meet these
requirements, ensuring clarity, professionalism, and consistency in their academic work.
Moreover, many of these documents ultimately need to be printed for submission,
presentation, or distribution within the campus community.
Within these university campuses, students handle documents in a wide variety of
ways, with printing presses being at the centre of the document handling system. Some
students, not having personal computers at their disposal, create documents using mobile
applications or even commission someone to do it for them. Others use their personal
computers or borrow one. Once they have created these documents, many students, due to a
lack of proficiency, do not know how to properly format them to adhere to the standards of
their educational settings. As a result, they seek help from literate friends, seniors, and mostly
printing presses.
After that, these documents are ready to be printed, and the students transfer the
documents to their phones or flash drives. Some students use wireless communication
methods like the internet, through social media, to send these documents to printing presses,
while others go directly to any printing press they can find. Upon arrival, they may have to
queue up. Once at the front of the queue, there are various ways to transfer these documents
to the printing press, depending on the options available. Some use Universal Serial Bus
(USB) cables, others use Bluetooth, or even social media platforms like WhatsApp. From
there, the printing press performs final editing and touches on the document. Depending on
the student's request, they send the corresponding print job to their printers. Finally, the
document is embellished using different binding techniques and ready to be submitted.
In summary, the current state of document handling within Cameroonian university campuses
reveals a complex yet essential system for academic communication and presentation. This
intricate process underscores the need for ongoing improvements to make document handling
more streamlined, user-friendly, and technologically advanced, ultimately supporting the
academic community more effectively.
2.2 Challenges and limitations:
Despite the significant advancements in document handling software and systems, a notable
gap exists in the availability of customized systems tailored to the unique needs of
Cameroonian educational institutions. Specifically, there is a lack of comprehensive
document handling solutions that seamlessly connect students and documentation centers,
enabling streamlined creation and formatting of documents, transfer of these documents for
printing, print job management, real-time updates on printing status, and integrated payment
mechanisms. In many university environments, the current document handling mechanisms
often falls short of meeting the specific requirements and challenges faced by students and
printing presses.
This research aims to fill this gap by developing a customized document handling
system specifically designed for university campuses in Cameroon. By leveraging modern
technology and innovative approaches, the proposed system will enable seamless creation
and formatting of documents, communication, real-time monitoring of print jobs, and
integrated payment processing, thereby revolutionizing the document handling experience
and improving overall efficiency and convenience for all stakeholders involved.
2.3 The Solution and Technologies used
The proposed document handling system represents a comprehensive software solution,
encompassing both a desktop application tailored for printing press operations and a mobile
application designed to meet the diverse needs of students and printing press users alike.
These software components will be seamlessly interconnected via the internet, accessing
essential services from cloud-hosted backend service providers.
The desktop application will be developed using the .Net Maui framework, this framework
provides a unified platform for building native cross-platform applications, ensuring
compatibility across different operating systems. On the other hand, the mobile applications
will be built using the Flutter framework, a versatile and efficient toolkit for crafting beautiful
and intuitive user interfaces across various devices and platforms. Additionally, the backend
services will be powered by Firebase, a comprehensive mobile and web application
development platform provided by Google. Furthermore, the backend will also incorporate a
Django backend, a high-level Python web framework renowned for its simplicity, flexibility,
and scalability.
Moreover, the document handling system will leverage other API service providers as
needed, integrating additional functionalities and services to enhance the overall capabilities
and performance of the software solution.
By leveraging these technologies and frameworks, the proposed document handling system
aims to provide a comprehensive, efficient, and user-friendly solution for document
management and printing press operations, meeting the evolving needs of both students and
printing press stakeholders.
2.4 Future research directions:
This project envisions significant advancements in geographical reach and system efficiency.
Future research will focus on expanding the software to other universities across Cameroon
and potentially to international institutions, adapting to diverse regional requirements.
Enhancing system efficiency through advanced document processing algorithms, real-time
collaboration, and optimized communication protocols will be key areas of research. User
experience improvements, particularly in accessibility and seamless integration between
mobile and desktop applications, will be continuously pursued. Additionally, strengthening
security measures, ensuring regulatory compliance, and developing a scalable architecture for
handling increased user loads will be prioritized. These efforts aim to create a robust,
efficient, and widely applicable document handling system for educational institutions.
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Requirement Analysis
Requirement analysis here, involves finding the best technologies, best suited to meet the
goal of the system, defining system requirements, and designing an intuitive user interface.
3.1.1 Materials
For the effective completion of this project, the following materials will be required:
Computer and Internet Connection: Android studio, Flutter SDK and firebase: Microsoft
visual studio and the .Net framework, Programming Language and Libraries: like dart, C#,
JavaScript, python. Documentation Tools, Version Control systems
3.2 Software Engineering Method
The selected software engineering method for this project is Agile methodology, chosen for
its iterative approach, emphasizing collaboration and adaptability.
3.3 System Architecture
1: Submission of Print Job Through internet
2: Routing of the Job to the Appropriate documentation
3: Transferring Processed Document and Print job to the corresponding printer for printing
4: Feedback on printer and print job status
5: Real-time Update on print job status and documentation status
6: Relay of the feedback to the client Mobile application
7: Offline submission and feedback on print jobs
8: Monitoring, coordination and control of the Documentation’s print system
3.4 Workflow
3.4.1 Setup the Development Environment:
The initial step involves configuring the development environment with essential software
tools and platforms, facilitating efficient collaboration and code management among the
development team.
3.4.2 System Design and UI/UX Design:
During this phase, the system architecture, database schema, and user interface layouts are
designed, ensuring the system meets the requirements and expectations of users through
wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.
3.4.3 Build User interfaces:
The development team translates design specifications into functional UI components using
my front-end technologies, creating intuitive, user friendly, and responsive interfaces across
various devices and screen sizes.
3.4.4 Back end developments:
Concurrently, the back-end development phase focuses on implementing business logic, data
processing, and server-side functionalities using technologies such as scripting languages,
frameworks, and databases, while ensuring security measures are integrated to protect user
data.
3.4.5 Linking Front and Back ends:
After developing front-end and back-end components separately, integration occurs using
APIs to establish communication between UIs and the server, facilitating seamless data
exchange and interaction for a cohesive system.
3.4.6 Test, refining and deployment:
The final stage encompasses comprehensive testing procedures to identify and rectify bugs,
errors, and inconsistencies, followed by refinement based on stakeholder feedback, leading to
deployment of the refined system to production environments for end-user accessibility.
CHAPTER 4: EXPECTED OUTCOMES
At the end of this project, we expect to achieve the following:
4.1 Seamless document transfer:
To ensure effortless document uploading and printing initiation between students and
documentation through a user-friendly interface.
4.2 Document print automation:
It optimizes printing processes by automating tasks like job scheduling and queue
management to enhance efficiency and resource utilization.
4.3 Provide real time updates:
Offering users instant updates on documentation center availability, printing costs, and job
progress ensures transparency and timely decision-making.
4.4 Provide students with cost and time effective mechanisms for document printing:
Empowering students with economical printing options and estimated printing times enables
efficient resource utilization and time management.
4.5 Automated document processing:
Empowering University students with an automatic tool, which can automate editing and
formatting of documents as per the requirements and standards of their educational
institutions.
TIMEFRAME
Table 1: Timeframe for research execution
Activities March April May June July
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Project Topic and
Project Proposal defense
Project Planning and
Software system design
Frontend Applications
implementation
Literature review and
backend developments
Completing backend
Linking front and back
Testing and refinements
Testing and refinements
Testing and refinements
Deployment
Reports review
BUDGET ESTIMATE
The table below shows the budget required for this project
Table 2: Budget estimate for research
Item Price
Modem 30000 FCFA
Internet 45000 FCFA
Printing and spiral binding 50000 FCFA
Hosting of apps and backend 40000 FCFA
Miscellaneous 40000 FCFA
Total budget 205,000 FCFA
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efficiency-in-the-digital-age-e85f12cfc208)
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