GILBERTCO rents DVDs and DVD players (players) on a short term basis to airline
ID: 2460103 • Letter: G
Question
GILBERTCO rents DVDs and DVD players (players) on a short term basis to airline passengers through locations at every large commercial airport throughout the world. A passenger can rent a DVD in any one of 150 major languages and/or player at one location and return it at any other GILBERTCO location anywhere in the world. GILBERTCO rents a player containing special batteries which provide up to 24 hours of continuous viewing operation without recharging. This is very convenient on long international flights. The DVDs are unique in that the customer specifies the movie and the language in which he/she prefers the dialogue to be recorded. The GILBERTCO system copies the movie with the dialogue in that language to a blank DVD.
Before a customer can rent a DVD or player, he/she must register with GILBERTCO. This is accomplished online. Registration costs $50 and each customer must hold a valid major credit card in his or her own name to be eligible to join, as all payments must be made by credit card. To register, a customer accesses the company’s website on any computer and enters the following information into the system:
First name
Last name
Date of birth
Current date
Street address
City
State (or equivalent)
Zip code (or equivalent)
Country
Phone number
Major credit card type
Credit card number
three digit digit security code
Drivers license number (or equivalent)
The central GILBERTCO information system in Fayetteville, Arkansas verifies the credit card and the customer information through the accessing of a number of online databases. If approved, the system provides the customer with an authorization number which can be taken to any GILBERTCO airport location to have a laminated GILBERTCO membership card prepared and the account activated. The account information becomes available online at all GILBERTCO locations throughout the world through the central information system at corporate headquarters. Now the customer may check out and return DVDs and players at any GILBERTCO location in the world. If the registration is disapproved for any reason, a message informs the customer of this fact through a message on the computer screen.
Customers are limited to a total of five DVDs being outstanding at any one time. To rent a DVD, the customer browses the movie list at a GILBERTCO location. The customer inserts the membership card into the terminal at the GILBERTCO location. A screen is pulled up containing that customer’s information, including any balance due. If there are any late charges, they must be paid before any additional DVDs may be checked out. The screen also prompts for the serial numbers of up to five DVDs to be checked out, along with the language that the customer wants the dialogue to be in for each movie. As indicated earlier, the maximum number of DVDs that can be outstanding to any customer at any one time is five from all GILBERTCO locations. The system keeps track of the number of outstanding DVDs per customer. The system computes the balance due, including any outstanding late charges. The customer inserts his or her credit card into the terminal, enters any required codes (such as PIN) and authorizes the transaction. Once the transaction is approved for the credit card, the system copies the movie(s) to blank DVD(s) in the language(s) specified by the customer. When the copying process is complete, a message appears on the attendant’s terminal directing him/her to remove the DVDs from the DVD copier. The attendant then places each DVD in a jewel case and delivers it to the customer. When the customer returns the DVDs at any location, he/she places them in a return bin. The DVDs pass through a barcode reader which records the information about the DVD. At a convenient time, the attendant removes them from the return bin. If the DVDs are late, a late charge is computed and added to the customer’s account balance. Later, the attendant erases the movie recorded on the DVD so the blank DVD can be reused.
The checkout procedure for players is similar to that for renting DVDs, except that the customer has to sign a contract (because of the high value of the player). The customer inserts his/her membership card into the terminal, and the customer record is pulled up. The amount due is generated by the system, including any charges outstanding on DVDs. The attendant enters the number of the player and a contract is generated. The customer signs a contract via an electronic signature pad. The electronic contract is maintained online in an active contract file. The player is retrieved from storage by the attendant and given to the customer along with a copy of the contract. When the player is returned, the contract is accessed electronically, the return is annotated on the contract and a copy is provided to the customer. The annotated electronic copy of the contract is moved electronically from the active contract file to an inactive contract file. The customer account is updated with the return information, and any late charges are added to the customer balance. The payment by credit card is handled just as with the rental of DVDs.
GILBERTCO uses an online real time processing system. As each transaction is entered, from any location in the world, the master files are updated instantaneously at the central computer system located at the GILBERTCO corporate headquarters.
The corporate information system generates three reports for management each week. The first report lists all the unreturned DVDs and players alphabetically by customer name. This report is sent to the Controller department. The Controller department uses this report to manually prepare letters and send them to customers who have not returned items. The letter urges them to return the items to any GILBERTCO location as soon as possible and lists current and future charges and actions to be taken. If the items have not been returned after two weeks from the date of the letter, the account is forwarded to a collection agency, the customer is dropped as a member, and notification is provided to the credit bureau (this affects the customer’s credit record).
The second report shows profitability by each airport location, geographic region and system-wide. One copy of this complete report is sent to the President, the Controller and the Vice President of Marketing. A report for each region and airport within the region is sent to the Regional Manager for the respective region.
The third report lists the revenue generated by each movie title for the week, by language, airport location, region and system-wide. A copy of this complete report is sent to the President, the Controller and the Vice President of Marketing. A report for each region is sent to the Regional Manager for the respective region.
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
1. Prepare a three column table, with the columns labeled from left to right as follows:
Inputs, Processes and Outputs. Identify each of the processes involved in the GILBERTCO system along with the inputs and outputs associated with each process.
2. Prepare a program flowchart, following good flowcharting practices including annotations, documenting the GILBERTCO system as described above. Use VISIO or another flowcharting tool of your choice.
3. If you have to make any assumptions (you will), be sure to document them and justify why you
made them.
4. Design a set of reports as described in the narrative. Provide examples containing “dummy” data.
5. Included in the narrative are weaknesses in internal control and bad business practices. Identify these and provide recommendations for the improvement of the system.
6. Prepare modified versions of 1 and 2 above incorporating the recommendations described in 5 above.
7. Submit the project with a title page containing class number & the group number along with the names of all group numbers. Staple the package in the upper left hand corner. A cover is not required nor desired.
Explanation / Answer
we can list following proceses undertaken
Input Process Output Customer information Verification of information Customer registeration Credit card details Verification using Pin Authoriosation to transact Membership card Browsing movies Selection of DVD/ Players Membership card Consolidate user transaction details Details on Number on units outstanding/ LAte payment charges etc. Membership card Verification of account Copying DVD Blank DVD Copying Copied DVD Returned DVD BAr code reading, erasing data Blank DVD Membership card Entering number of DVD Player Contract generation Returned DVD PLayer Assessing contract Annotation on contract Membership card Creation of contract Active electronic contract online DVD Player Returned Assessing electronic contract online Inactive electronic contract Data of customers Generation of reports Unreturned DVD/ Players Transaction data Evaluating Buying pattern List of highest sold MovieRelated Questions
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