Design and implementation of an automated inventory control system for nigerian breweries plc, enugu

Project Abstract

<p> This research work is concise and generally summarizes the activities duly<br>carried out in the design and implementation of an automated inventory control<br>system for NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC, ENUGU. The system is designed to<br>efficiently handle the movement and tracking of goods. The manual method is<br>labour intensive, costly, and error prone and cannot ensure that the inventory<br>remains up-to-date due to oversight and internal shrinkage. With the proposed<br>new system, inventory can be updated in real time without product movement,<br>scanning, or human involvement. The automated system helps in; (i) the<br>determination of inventory status, (ii) registration of new stock, (iii)registration<br>of new customers, (iv) supply of goods to registered customers, (v) printing of<br>transaction invoices for customers for transactions that have taken place as well<br>as viewing the available transactions that were carried out at a particular time.<br>The study outlines the main concepts of the analysis and design methodology of<br>the proposed system, compares it to the existing and goes further to explain the<br>design and implementation of the system. The tools used were; Visual Basic 10<br>and Microsoft access 2007. The fact finding techniques employed is interview,<br>observation, online and library research. <br></p>

Project Overview

<p> INTRODUCTION<br>1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY<br>Nigerian Breweries Plc., incorporated in 1946, is the pioneer and largest<br>brewing company in Nigeria. Its first bottle of beer, STAR Lager, rolled off the<br>bottling lines of its Lagos Brewery in June 1949. Other breweries were<br>subsequently commissioned by the company, including Aba Brewery in 1957,<br>Kaduna Brewery in 1963, and Ibadan Brewery in 1982. In September 1993, the<br>company acquired its fifth brewery in Enugu state, and in October 2003, its<br>sixth brewery, sited at Ama in Enugu. Ama Brewery is the largest brewery in<br>Nigeria and one of the most modern worldwide. Operations at Enugu brewery<br>were discontinued in 2004 leaving the company with five operational breweries.<br>The company has a portfolio of high-quality brands, including Star Lager Beer<br>(launched in 1949); Gulder Lager Beer (1970); Maltina (1976); Legend Extra<br>Stout (1992); and Amstel Malta (1994). The company also re-launched<br>Heineken Lager into the Nigerian market in June 1998.<br>Justifiably, the company has the problem of keeping adequate record of goods<br>transfer and since it is done manually, associated problems of insecurity, high<br>cost of operation and delay in supply arise. Data processing in Nigerian<br>Breweries PLC is presently carried out using people, pens, and paper to control<br>stock and inventory therefore, I decided to embark on this project to design<br>automated inventory control system software that will help eradicate these ugly<br>measures<br>An inventory control system contains a list of orders to be filled and then<br>prompts workers to pick the necessary items, and provides them with packaging<br>and shipping information. Inventory control may be used to automate a sales<br>order fulfilment process and also manage in and outward material of hardware.<br>13<br>Automation is the replacement of human workers by technology. For optimal<br>sales and inventory management process, robust functionality is needed for<br>managing logistics facilities. Warehouse management functions for inventory<br>control cover internal warehouse movements and storage and its support helps<br>in the recording and tracking of materials on basis of both quantity and value.<br>This application takes care of all supply orders reducing cost for warehousing,<br>transportation while improving customer service. It significantly improves<br>inventory turns, optimizes flow of goods and shortens routes within warehouse<br>and distribution centres. It also improves cash flow, visibility and decision<br>making providing efficient execution of tasks using this fast and reliable<br>computerised method.<br>The design and development of an automated inventory control system for the<br>Nigerian Breweries PLC will no doubt bring immeasurable relief from the<br>problems associated with the manual system.<br>1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS<br>The Nigerian Breweries PLC is to an extent manually operated and reveals a<br>number of problems.<br> The recording of sales and cash received are done manually on a book<br>that appears rough. Thus, the books are exposed to physical damage,<br>information can be lost and dust particles are accumulated.<br> The long list of supply orders waiting to be attended to on daily basis.<br> The control system is time consuming, less accurate and less efficient,<br>and the environment is not user friendly.<br>14<br> Inaccuracies often ensue from human error.<br>The manual system is quite tedious and can be reduced or eliminated with the<br>introduction of the proposed system.<br>1.3 AIMS/OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT<br>The purpose of this study is to improve current operational process in the<br>Nigerian Breweries PLC to its full capacity by developing efficient computer<br>software that can handle inventory in a computerised fashion.<br>1.4 JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROJECT<br>This study is primarily aimed at increasing efficiency in operations, reducing<br>maintenance and running cost, monitoring the supply of goods and its<br>distribution and increase profit in the Nigerian Breweries PLC by introducing<br>an automated inventory control system.<br>The new system will among other things help to;<br> Maintain accuracy in database handling.<br> Improve flexibility.<br> Increase efficiency and reliability of the system.<br> Provide a user friendly interface.<br> Save time, manpower and paperwork.<br>These, no doubt will possibly affect the quality of services rendered to<br>customers.<br>1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT<br>15<br>The main objective of this study is to develop a computerised inventory control<br>management system. Others include;<br>i. To provide total asset visibility.<br>ii. To allow reduced inventory stocking levels giving full inventory history.<br>iii. To reduce lead time, shelf space, and errors due to damage, fatigue of<br>staff and overall cost of operations.<br>iv. To facilitate “just in time” deliveries.<br>v. To provide full process control for products.<br>vi. To provide higher level security as the system would be passworded to<br>prevent unauthorised access.<br>vii. To shorten cross docking time and speeds up sort/pick up rate.<br>viii. To help the management plan, monitor, optimize resources and ascertain<br>their financial position at any time.<br>1.6 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT<br>The scope of the project covers the development of a computer based database<br>application for use by the three sections (Automation – Packaging, Utilities and<br>Brewhouse) at the Ama brewery to replace their old paper notebook recording<br>system.<br>The requirements include designing a user interface for the application and<br>providing options for a user to log into the application by supplying the correct<br>username and password combination; register new customers and view a list of<br>already registered customers; to keep track of stock going out and coming into<br>the company’s warehouse; view users registered on the database; create, delete<br>or edit the information for a user, etc. It also covers writing the background<br>programming to ensure that the interface works with the database through the<br>underlying codes to perform the required actions. If also involves the testing,<br>improvement and optimization of the application.<br>16<br>1.7 DEFINITION OF BASIC CONCEPTS<br>Automation: This is the use of technology or computers to control and process<br>data reducing the need for human intervention.<br>Database: This refers to a large store of related data on a computer that a user<br>can access and modify.<br>Password: This is a secret code that must be entered into a computer to enable<br>access to its applications. It is made up of numbers, letters, special characters or<br>a combination of any of the above categories.<br>Inventory Control System: A list of orders to be filled, and prompts workers<br>to pick the necessary items and provides them with packaging and shipping<br>information.<br>Computerization: This is the conversion of a manually operated system to a<br>controlled, organized and automated system.<br>Research: A careful study of a subject to discover facts, establish a theory or<br>develop a plan of action based on the facts discovered.<br>System: A set of computer components functioning together.<br>Technology: The study of techniques of mobilizing resources such as<br>information for accomplishing objectives that benefit man and his environment.<br>Software: A computer program or set of instructions that direct a computer to<br>perform processing functions.<br>Information System: A collection of procedures, people, instructions and<br>equipments to produce information in a useful form.<br>Processing: This is dealing with something according to an established<br>procedure.<br>17<br>1.8 Project Report Organization<br>This report is organized into five chapters. The first chapter takes care of<br>introduction: background, aims and objectives, justification and scope of the<br>project. Chapter two talks about the literature review of this work. In chapter<br>three, the project methodology, data collection, analysis, limitations of the<br>existing system, system design, system flowchart and top down design were<br>done. The input, processing and output modules are critically analysed.<br>In chapter four, system implementation, testing and integration: choice of<br>development tools, system requirements, and testing were carefully done.<br>Finally chapter five closes up with summary, recommendations and<br>conclusions: limitation, Bill of Engineering Measurement and Engineering<br>(BEME), bibliography, appendices <br></p>