CHAPTER ONE

1.1       INTRODUCTION

The introduction of computer into the information technology has tremendously effect on the information of organizations and the word in general. Every system Of organization that is still none computerized are now becoming computerized.

An organization is a changing and ongoing system in which people and resources interact in a rational and orderly manner to accomplish common goals. This Project therefore an organized fact finding mission aimed at providing a Comprehensive and most reliable computerized water billing system for Kaduna state water board, but will also be useful to any other water board intending to be a better computerized in its billing system. The billing system of Kaduna state at presents is not accurate due to the current system it uses in processing customers record and generating bills. As a result of these problems associated with the current process, transformation of the water billing system from the current processing becomes necessary.

Kaduna state water board is a state government owned organization under the supervision of the Ministry of water resources with responsibility of providing and distributing water for use within Kaduna State and its environs.

One of their numerous duties and major functions is the provision of sufficient water. Right from the inception of this company, the billing system has not been efficiently processed.  The water cooperation is in the early stage of computerization and the method of preparing customers’ bills are delayed.

An efficient computer-based billing system is necessary for handling and preparing of accurate bills for customers.  The new system will facilitate the prompt preparation of bills, easy retrieval of information, security to vital information and resource sharing among the billing department.

The billing system is presently handling inefficiently by the marketing department. The role at which the bills are prepared with the increasing number of customer is insignificant.  There are procedural ways in which these bills are being prepared.  They are the provisional bills of vessels, the final bills of vessels and the miscellaneous bills.  A staff has to raise as many bills as the number of the customer increases: more importantly, delays bring extra cost on the importer, and this makes the importer feel disappointed when they come to collect their raised bills.

Hence, a thorough investigation and analysis of the current billing method enables me to gain understanding on the true nature of their problems and design a a better computerized water board billing system that would bring solutions to the problem inherent.

1.2 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The Kaduna State Water Board (KSWB) was first created through an edict in 1971 (Edict No.2 of 1971). On the 1st of July, 2004, the Kaduna State House of Assembly passed the Kaduna State Water Board Law No.6, establishing the Kaduna State Water Board. The KSWB is made up of Nine (9) key departments, namely; Administration, Finance,  Operations, Commercial,  Projects,  Corporate Planning,  Audit,  Quality Control, and Special Duties as shown on the organizational structure below:

The Board Operation is decentralized into 16 districts, serviced by Twelve (12) water treatment plants across the State. In line with the Kaduna State Water Supply and Sanitation Policy, the main functions of the KSWB are;

• To control and manage all Water Works in the State
• To ensure that water is supplied to consumers at economic rates, in potable quality, and adequate quantity
• To enter into agreement or delegate authority for the exercise of any of the functions performed or provided by the Board
• To increase coverage and quality of service, by way of encouraging participation of the private sector, communities and NGOs in project Identification, Planning, Design, Implementation, Financing and Management of its water supply systems

Prior to the reform programme in Kaduna State, the state of the water supply infrastructure affected the production and distribution capacity of the utility, which brought about reform activities and the outcomes has been remarkable in the Utility in the areas.    

Increase in production capacity naturally has led to an increase in water supply operations in the utility. The customer connections have increased from 66,000 to 98,000 within the period of the reform. The billing processes also had been improved upon. Over 200 motor bikes and 50 operational vehicles were acquired during reform to meet the needs of increasing number of complaints ranging from burst pipes and leaks, to customer complaints on lack of water supply. The State government in a bid to contribute her quota constructed Galma dam, and the power supply component which is ongoing, however, Communities around the dam area are now enjoying fish farming and dry season farming while the Water Board will be getting improved water supply to their water treatment units.

1.3       PROBLEM STATEMENT

History has it that the billing system in Kaduna State Water board, has been plagues by several factors based on the current process:

Ø  Fills and records are not properly kept using the current database system

Ø  Errors are easily made and hardly detected with the current system

Ø  A lot of time is wasted to prepare bills with the current system

Ø  Information is not well documented and no proper database system in place

Ø  User access and Security of files or document is not granted.

1.4 AIM AND OBJECTIVE

The main aim of this study are:

Ø  To develop a more efficient and user friendly water billing system for the Kaduna state Water Board cooperation,

Ø  To develop a billing system which will help to improve the transaction rate of services to the various customers in Kaduna state.

Ø  An improved computerized system that is flexible to use, hold a better database record holding system.

Ø  An automated system that generates billing electronically and payment of customers based on meter reading.

Ø  To develop a more efficient and user friendly computer-based Water board billing system that will handle the bills raised for various customers specifically. 

Ø  A computer based system can be ‘batched’ or ‘interactive’. 

Ø  A batch processing system is one where transactions are accumulated into batches of suitable sizes, and then each batch is sorted and processed as a simple unit.  Batch processing has a degree of delay. 

Ø  Interactive systems which allow the user to input data in response to the information displayed on the screen.

This project is concerned with only ever, the researcher touched all parts of system design that will enhance a better and efficient computer based billing system in Kaduna State water Board.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE

When this work is completed using all the information and data at hand, with the retrieved one in respect of this research, it is expected to give an account of the Design and Implementation of Kaduna State water board billing System in Curbing bad record management, issuing of bill and feedback mechanism.

1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study is restricted to Kaduna State water board billing System in Curbing bill payment. However, the scope of this research work would be restricted to only Kaduna State water board.

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