Mail and Parcel Tracking Software Project

Project Overview
This project aims to develop a comprehensive software to track the creation, transportation, and delivery
of mail and parcels between the company different physical locations.
Objectives:
1. Provide a secure and organized way to manage mail
2. Reduce the possibility of lost mail and parcels
3. Improve the overall efficiency of tracking and delivery operations
4. Automate basic tracking operations, including mail and parcel creation, transportation, and delivery
5. Provide a user-friendly interface to track parcels across multiple locations.

Process Flowchart:

1. Parcel Creation:
• The employee creates a shipment record through his own account in the program or through the
secretarial employee at his site by entering details such as sender and recipient information, delivery
address, description of the message/package, and classification of materials (breakable, etc.).
Note: Information describing the contents of the message is only visible to the sender and is on his own
page in the program
• A unique tracking number and barcode are assigned to each parcel, which facilitates the tracking
process.
2. Parcel Transfer:
• Parcels are recorded when they are transferred from one location to another within the system sites via
mobile devices that are not connected to the network, through which the shipment number is scanned and
the data is synchronized with the program in the post offices of the sites. This includes updating the status
of the parcel such as "in transit" or "delivered".
3. Parcel Tracking:
• Users can track the status of the messages/parcels they have created by viewing the time updates and the
current location of the message/package.
4. Delivery:
• When the parcel reaches its final destination, the delivery details are recorded and the status is updated
to "delivered". Electronic signatures can also be collected from recipients and recorded in the system.

5. Data Synchronization:
• The system uses external storage devices to synchronize data between mobile devices and separate local
area networks (LANs), ensuring that all updates entered are updated across the entire system.

6. Reports and Analytics:

• The system can generate detailed reports on all tracking operations, which helps in data analysis

Technical Requirements of the Program:

1. User Management:
User Profiles:
• Create and manage user profiles:
• Ability to create and manage user profiles with basic information such as ID, name, email, phone
number, and location information.
• Support for importing employee data from external files such as Excel))

User Permissions and Roles:

• Employee Groups:
• Employees can create and track mail sent by them.
• Employees can view the history of shipments they have created.
• Employees can create and view reports on their shipments
• Mailroom Employees:
• They can send mail on behalf of any employee within the same location.
• They can track all mail sent or received at their location.
• They can create and view reports on mail associated with their location.
• Administrative Users:
• They have a complete view of all mail tracked in the system across all locations.
• They can manage user permissions and system settings.
• They can create and view comprehensive reports for the entire system.

User Capabilities:
• Create and Track Shipments:
• All users can create shipments and assign tracking numbers to them.
• Users can track the status of their shipments in the system.
• Users can view detailed history and status updates for their shipments.

• View Shipment History:

• Users can access a record of all shipments they have created, including status updates and delivery
confirmations.
• Control Access by Role:
• Define permissions based on user roles to ensure proper access control.
• Distinguish between Employee, Mailroom Clerk, and Administrator roles to control access to functions.
• Import and Export Data:
• Allows tracking data and reports to be exported for analysis or record keeping.
• Enables the ability to print detailed status reports and shipping reports for each shipment. These reports
should include:
 Sender and recipient information
 Current location
 Subject or description of the shipment.
 Full tracking history with times and locations.
 Any additional relevant details (e.g. delivery status, special handling instructions)
• Provide options to export these reports in multiple formats (e.g. PDF)
2. Parcel Management:

Creating shipments:
• Creating shipment records:
• Entering necessary details such as sender information, recipient information, and package description.
• Selecting the shipment type (e.g. mail or parcel).
• Providing a description of the shipment.
• Selecting different classifications (e.g. flammable, fragile).
• Creating a parcel consisting of multiple boxes.
• Assigning a barcode:
• Assigning a barcode to each shipment when it is created.
• Including specific information with the barcode on the printed label if required (e.g. sender and recipient
information, shipping date, special handling instructions).
• Scanning a barcode:
• Ensuring that post offices equipped with the software have the capability to scan barcodes.
• Enable the use of dedicated mobile devices for scanning barcodes to record shipment details.
• Data entry:
• Allowing users to enter additional notes or comments related to the shipment.
• Providing fields to enter parcel dimensions, weight, and related information.
• Attachments:
• Allowing users to attach images or documents to the shipment record for verification and reference
purposes.
• Enable attachment of invoices, receipts, or any other relevant files.
• Notification:
• Send automatic notifications to recipients and stakeholders about the creation and expected arrival of the
shipment.
• Provide updates on the status of the shipment at different stages.
• Status Update:
• Set the initial status of the shipment to “Created” and update it as the shipment progresses through
different stages (e.g. “In Transit”, “Delivered”).
Parcel Transfer:
• Support parcel transfer between different locations, enabling tracking of parcels within containers (e.g.
bales, mail bags).
• Enable tracking of individual parcels consisting of multiple boxes.
Parcel Delivery:
• Record delivery details and accept electronic signatures upon delivery.
• Send automated email or text message notifications to recipients upon delivery.
Barcode Generation:
• Generate and print barcode labels for parcels, employees, and locations.
3. Data Synchronization:
• Ensure seamless data synchronization between the software in desktop versions and mobile devices via
external storage devices, ensuring that updates made on one platform are accurately reflected on the other.
• Data Export:
• Export tracking data via external storage devices.
• Data Import:
• Automatically detect and read data files from external storage.
• Deal with duplicates and data conflicts using predefined rules.
4. Mobile Application:
Platform Support:
• Develop a mobile application that works on Android/iOS to scan and manage parcels. It works offline.
• Implement an integrated scanner for the application to scan barcodes.
5. Security Features:
Authentication:
• Support user authentication using usernames and passwords.
Non-functional Requirements:
1. Ease of Use:
User Interface:
• Design a user-friendly user interface for both desktop and mobile applications.
Language:
• Support Arabic and English for the user interface, notifications, and reports.
2. Performance:
Scalability:
• Design the system to handle increased data volume and additional locations.
Efficiency:
• Optimize the application to process data quickly and reduce latency.
3. Reliability:
Error Handling:
• Implement robust error handling and recovery mechanisms to manage system failures.
System Availability:
• Ensure high system availability and reliability with minimal downtime

Project Timeline and Milestones:

• Project Phases:
 Phase 1: Requirements Gathering and Analysis
 Phase 2: Design and Prototyping
 Phase 3: Development
 Phase 4: Testing and Quality Assurance
 Phase 5: Deployment and User Training
 Phase 6: Maintenance and Support