Matthew Williams
Nicholas Good
COMP 491 / 492
Prof. Wahls
9/12/2006

Project Proposal

Brand New Windows is a privately owned business in West Pittston, Pennsylvania.  This company does installation of new windows as well as removal and replacement of currently existing windows.  Our client is the general contractor, Thomas Potoski.  He started off his business doing general construction, but is now looking to specialize in the windows division.  Mr. Potoski employs five laborers and services the greater Wilkes-Barre / Scranton area.

            Our senior project will provide our client with a system that will enable his business to keep records of past jobs completed and produce customizable estimates.  It will include the creation of a user-friendly interface that will be supported by a database.  The creation of this application will be performed in Microsoft Access.  We will utilize Visual Basic to enhance the interface design.  The database will include various tables such as those containing the window brand names, styles, and other specifications that will be given to us by our client.  The user interface functionality will allow our client to add a customer along with all of the corresponding demographics.  Also, the client can select the windows that the customer wants installed, along with the specifications for each window.  On-site pricing estimates will be an integrated component of our database.  The pricing for each individual window will be one of the attributes included.  Mr. Potoski will also be able to enter the cost of labor into the calculated price.  Some inputs for the user interface will be dropdown boxes, while others will be textboxes.

            By integrating our database system into Mr. Potoski’s current business practices, he will be able to take his laptop into an appointment with a potential client.  This will eliminate any paper copies that he has to manage, while allowing for a higher level of organization.  He will then be able to enter all of the person’s information, such as the type of windows that they desire, along with the measurements.  This will facilitate the speed of presenting his customers with an estimate for the entire job, as the current prices for his services can be obtained without manual computation or having to make calls to his windows distributor.  Basic reporting is one facet that we will also cover.  For instance, if Mr. Potoski wants a report for the jobs that he has completed for a particular customer, then he can utilize the capability of doing a query on the database, provided by us, to find his desired information.  This feature will be set up in such a way that the client only has to enter one specific piece of data in order to receive his needed report.  We will provide on-going support of the database as client demands change and new styles of windows are manufactured.

Outline of Work to Perform w/ Timeline
1.) Receive specifications from user
            Mid September
2.) Receive desired client reports (ex. customer queries)
            Mid to Late September
3.) Receive sample of order form
            Mid to Late September
4.) Create tables (customer demographics, window attributes, etc.)
            Early November
5.) Creation of user interface (buttons, dropdown menus, estimation calculations, etc)
            Late November to Early December
6.) Present sample user interface to the client
            Early December
7.) Data entry (brand names, styles of windows, test customer info, etc.)
            Mid to Late January
8.) Create reports (Query customer history)
            Mid February
9.) Test the user interface
            Late February
10.) Present the system to client
            March
11.) Change system in accordance to user feedback
            Late March to Early April

*** While our time is tentative, it allows for growth and expansion from unknown circumstances, such as extra time required for client testing.***

Updated: October 3, 2006