Online Livestock Auctioning System - Research Paper Example

Online livestock Auctioning System Your The purpose is to create an Online Livestock Auctioning System. It seeks to avert impending challenges faced by Livestock buyers and sellers. There are few livestock auctioning markets, and it becomes a challenge for buyers and sellers to transport their livestock, over such long distances due to higher transport costs and the expected legal requirements. It has led to the emergence of brokers who act as a link between sellers and buyers. The “brokers” exploit the farmers by buying their products at a cheaper price so that they also get some profit. Moreover, auctioning markets are normally open only once a week and can also be once a month elsewhere. It means that if one wants to buy or sell livestock, they will have to wait for that particular market day. AIM The project objective is to examine the current livestock auctioning process with a view of developing a better online livestock auctioning system. OBJECTIVES This research has the following objectives: To investigate the current livestock auctioning process To identify the problems associated with the current process To determine the need for an online livestock auction system To design and develop an online livestock auctioning system DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF ONLINE LIVESTOCK AUCTIONING SYSTEM The design of this system followed the approach of the SDLC as described below: The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Nikov (2012) defines SDLC as the methodology for understanding the business objectives of the system and designing an appropriate solution. It consists of five major steps: i. Systems analysis/planning ii. Systems design iii. Building the system iv. Testing v. Implementation SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN This section analyses in depth, the way livestock auction is currently doing, the problems associated with it as well as outlining the requirements and procedures used in coming up with a new online livestock auctioning system. It further entails the logical representation of the system by the use of Entity Relationship Diagram, Data Flow and the Schema. THE CURRENT AUCTIONING PROCESS Livestock auctioning is currently done at specific auction markets and is mostly held on a weekly basis. Buyers and sellers from different places meet to transact the auctioning business. The buyers transport their livestock either by means of trekking or a vehicle. Once on the market, the buyer registers their livestock. It is done through payment of any fees per animal. The livestock is then tagged with some of its descriptions for purposes of identification as well as to help the auctioneer during sale time. After registration, the livestock is left under full control of the auctioneer, and the seller is just there to witness. Once registered, the livestock is queued as they wait to enter the auctioning pen. The queuing is done based on the category of the livestock. Within these categories, the queuing is done on a first come first serve basis. The different sellers have the chance to look and weigh the prices of the queued livestock and thus make them get prepared for bidding. The real auctioning process begins when the livestock is introduced at the auctioning pen. The auctioneer begins by giving a brief description of the livestock, for example, its age, health status, weight and the location it came from. The auctioneer then opens the bidding process. The process may at time be given the minimum bid or may just be left open. Bidding process involves the buyers who quote different prices. The first buyer shouts his praises; the second gives a higher offer than the previous one. The process continues in this manner until when the auctioneer notices that there is no other potential buyer willing to make a higher bid. The bidding process is closed by the auctioneer who shouts the highest bid three times (at intervals) giving chance for any potential buyer willing to make an even higher bid. If no one offers to make a higher bid after, during this interval, the auctioneer declares the highest bidder to be a winner. The livestock is then driven out, and the winner gives the money to the auctioning staff who, after deducting some transaction fees, transfers the money to the livestock seller. This transaction between the three parties (buyer, seller and auctioneering staff) marks the end of the auctioning process for that particular livestock. Diagram 5.1: current auctioning process SYSTEM FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS The system simply performs the same operations done at the usual auction market only that this is virtually done by use of computers and the internet. It is the system that does the auctioneer’s work. It is done through the website. The site corresponds to the usual auction field. It is here where all the auctioning processes take place on a 24/7 basis. The site is to be developed using XHTML, PHP, with MYSQL as the database. The system will run online and will thus be hosted by a reliable hosting firm. Using any browser, the user (potential buyer or seller) just logins into the system, then he/she is guided by a simple and clear interface. The system design allows that anyone can view and interact with it at ease. People can access the home page which shows the active bids, recent bids and guidelines and the general information about the site. However, in order to make any transaction (for example, making a bid), one has to login first. The system allows different users: -Sell livestock, - Make the beds, - View bids, - Increase bid, - Remove bid -Close bid. All the transactions made are automatically saved in the database that can be located by the administrator. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Online based systems have fewer hardware requirements; users only need to use any device that can access the internet. However, the hardware used should have the following features: Able to access internet Can support modern internet browsers- Mozilla and opera-mini7 for mobile phones Has a functioning keyboard, keypad or touchpad for making inputs Ability to upload images A mouse for those using a PC On the other side, the administration needs to use a personal computer with at least the following features. Intel core 2 duo 2GHz processor 320 GB hard disk 2GB RAM Mouse Keyboard Database- mysql database SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS The different users should have the following software: Compatible browser: Mozilla Firefox 6.0 or Internet Explorer for PC users Compatible operating system: Windows 8, 7 or XP for PC users The administrator’s PC should have: Wamp server 5.2 Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 Mozilla Firefox Windows 7 or Windows 8 PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS For effective use of the system, the different users need to be trained. The users should have basic internet and computer skills. It is crucial when filling up forms, signing up and log in. INPUT DESIGN Input design requires the selection of one of the best strategy in order to get data into the system at the right time and as accurate as possible. The input requirements for the system will include the following; User registration: Full name (char), County (char), Location (char), National ID number (int), phone number (int), email address (varchar), password (password). User login: phone number (int), password (password) Selling livestock: Animal type (Varchar), starting price ($), due date, upload photo (JPEG), description Placing bids: price ($) Diagram 5.2: General system output processes OUTPUT DESIGN Some of the data the system will output includes: The display of active bidding, the recent bidding, the photo and description of the stock, the winner (highest bidder). DATA FLOW DIAGRAMS KEY Entity Flow of data Process Data store Level 0 Diagram 5.3: DFD level 0 Level 1 BiddingRecords Animal Records Diagram 5.4: DFD level 1 DATABASE DESIGN A database is a collection of related data. A computerized database is regarded as a container with objects. The developed online livestock auctioning system has got five tables, i.e. animals, bid, counties, farmers, and stock tables. All tables are in a single database called auction. Data dictionary A data dictionary is a table listing of a relation its fields, field contents, size and type. The data in all the five tables are as shown below: Table 1. Users table The table shown illustrates the details provided by all the users. S.NO FIELD NAME DATA TYPE DESCRIPTION 1 FarmerId id The primary key, auto-incremented 2 Name Varchar(20) The users full name 3 County Char(20) User’s county 4 Location Char(20) Users Location 5 Email Varchar (12) Email address 6 Phone Int (10) Phone number (07..) 7 Password Password User’s password 8 NationalId Int (10) National ID number Table 5.1 users’ table Table 2. Stock table This table keeps records of all the livestock for sale. S.NO FIELD NAME DATA TYPE DESCRIPTION 1 AnimalId Int (4) Identification code 2 Price $ The maximum bid 3 SellerId Int(4) Seller’s id code 4 County Varchar(20) County of residence 5 StockId Int(4) Livestock numbering 6 Image JPEG Uploaded animal’s photo 7 ClosingDate Date The day building is closed 8 Timestamp Time 9 Status Int The bidding starts 10 Description Varchar (200) Brief description of the livestock Table 5.2 stock table Table 3: Bidding table This table keeps the records concerning the bidding processes. S.NO FIELD NAME DATA TYPE DESCRIPTION 1 Bidder Varchar(12) Bidder’s name 2 StockId Int (4) Livestock number 3 SellerId int(3) Seller’s number 4 Price_diffrence int(25) Difference between highest and lowest bids 5 BidId Int (4) Bid number 6 Timestamp Timestamp 7 Closin_Date 8 Status Int Table 5.3 bidding table Table 4: Counties Table This table records the name of all the 47 counties in Kenya S.NO FIELD NAME DATA TYPE DESCRIPTION 1 countyId int the county’s number 2 County Varchar(20) The county’s name Table 5.4 countries table Table 5: Animals table: This table records the different types of animals S.NO FIELD NAME DATA TYPE DESCRIPTION 1 Animal Varchar(12) The type of livestock 2 AnimalId Int(12) Livestock number Table 5.5 Animals Table Entity Relationship diagram Diagram 5.5: Entity Relationship Diagram PROGRAM DESIGN The web is to be designed using PHP, XHTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Moreover, mySQL database was used for the back end. Main pages of the online livestock auctioning system Homepage: Have hyperlinks to other pages 1. Registration page 2. Login page 3. Stock 4. Market pool WEB STRUCTURE Diagram 5.6: web structure The program is also designed based on the processes performed by the different users of the Online Livestock Auctioning System as shown in the following diagrams. Diagram 5.7: Sequence diagram1 Diagram 5.8: Sequence diagram2 INTERFACE DESIGN The system is made up of different pages linked together, and the user can move to any of these pages using the well-put navigation buttons and hypertext. The home page contains the links to other pages, and each of the linked pages has got link to the home page. Home Page Layout Diagram 5.9: Homepage Layout References Amita Chakraborty, Md.Golam Moazzam et al. (January 2013), International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 –8887) Volume 61–No.12, BAPNA, R., GOES, P. And GUPTA, A. 2001. Insights and analyses of online auctions. Commun. ACM 44, 11 (Nov.), 43–50. Becherer, R.C. and Halstead, D. (2004) Characteristics and internet marketing strategies of online auction sellers, Int. J. Internet Marketing and Advertising, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp.24–37. Dillon M. Feuz, Bridger Feuzand Ryan Feuz (April 2013) Livestock Marketing and Risk Management. Utah State University Cooperative extension. Lin, O. (2004) Online Auction Web Site Strategies. MComp Dissertation, Unitec New Zealand. Mark, D.R. (2005). Hedging and Basis Considerations for Feeder Cattle Livestock Risk Protection Insurance. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Cooperative Extension EC05-835. VICKREY, W. (1961). Counter speculation, auctions and competitive sealed tenders. J. Fin. 16, 8–37. Read More