Serene's Weekly Diaries

Week 1, 15/4/19 - 19/4/19

We had our kick off meeting during this week. Prior to this, we had chosen our group members and prepared some introductory slides, the slides included brief introduction about the group members and their skills. Because we already kinda know what the project is, we started a bit of research about the warehouse management system that we are about to implement.

During the kickoff meeting, we got the opportunity to introduce ourselves, meet our client, Padini and listen to what project they have for us. After that, we had a question and answer session to help us better understand the topic.

Week 2, 22/4/19 - 26/4/19

We as a team went for a site visit at Padini’s ecommerce warehouse. By doing so, we had a clearer picture of how our end-product should look like. We were able to visualise how the shelves for the slots looked like, where the scanner, computer would be placed, and even visualise their previous method of packing orders.

Week 3, 29/4/19 - 3/5/19

Since we were going to use Arduino/Rasberry Pi, we asked Mr. Kia regarding the tools and he said the director has them so we didn’t need to buy new ones. We went to Padini’s HQ to receive said tools for our development from Mr. Kia.

During this week, we also assigned roles for each member and discussed what we need to present to the client during our meeting with client, aka checkpoint 1. My role was Project manager, backend developer and documentor

Week 4, 6/5/19 - 10/5/19

During our lecture with our final year project (FYP) lecturer Ms. Robina, she told us that our education institution, University of Wollongong (UOW) wants to add to the scope because what Padini had in mind for us to develop was a small part of a system therefore, it doesn’t really have a start or an end. Basically, our scope got enlarged to make it a more complete project so we had to add to our roles and responsibilities.

We had a group meeting and I had to break the news to them, we had no choice but to accept the challenge and roll with it.

Week 5, 13/5/19 - 17/5/19

We had our checkpoint 1, we presented our ideas and understanding of the requirements and also told them about the added scope to our project, we did also highlighted the constraints that we were facing which was the lack of skills in electrical and electronical engineering but assured them that we will do our very best to make it a successful project. They accepted the fact that the scope was being added to and seem understanding. We then discuss about what deliverables we would show them in the next meeting (checkpoint 2).

Week 6, 20/5/19 - 24/5/19

June and I started some developing with the Arduino and Rasberry Pi. We downloaded necessary stuff for arduino to work. We tested out arduino board, it works but the LED does not work. We continued to tried to make the LED light up.

Week 7, 27/5/19 - 31/5/19

We thought the LED was faulty but we just didn’t know how to configure the wiring properly. Our good friend and classmate saw that we were struggling with the Arduino and decided to help. After that, we finally understood how the wiring and LED works with the Arduino board.

Week 8, 3/6/19 - 7/6/19

We had a group meeting to discuss the current state of our progress and also reassigned task and roles.

Week 9, 10/6/19 - 14/6/19

Assigned task for A1 and A3. We also talked about some requirements about the system etc.

Week 10, 17/6/19 - 21/6/19

Some more discovery with the Arduino board.

Week 11, 24/6/19 - 28/6/19 (Revision week)

Revision Week. No development work was done as it was revision week meaning that our finals was just right around the corner and we had to finish up other subject’s assignments.

Week 12, 1/7/19 - 5/7/19 (Exam week)

Exam Week. No development work as we were focusing on our finals.

Week 13, 8/7/19 - 12/7/19 (Exam week)

Exam Week. No development work as we were focusing on our finals.

Week 14, 15/7/19 - 19/7/19 (Sem break)

We came back to college although it was sem break to finish up our documentation for the project which was inclusive of A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5.

Week 15, 22/7/19 - 26/7/19 (Sem break)

We still met up in college to finish up the documentation A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5.

Through doing so, we got the chance to discuss what problems that we are facing and help each other solve it. Because essentially we’re a team and if a member is having a problem, the other members is in a way having the same problem too.

So, at the end, we managed to finish out documentation in time and submit it to Moodle (our education institution’s platform for students to interact with other students/lecturers, get lecture slide etc and submit work).

Week 16, 29/7/19 - 2/8/19 (Sem break)

No development work done here.

Week 17, 5/8/19 - 9/8/19

We had a FYP lecture class with Ms. Robina and we discuss what we would show the client during our checkpoint 2. She also highlighted some issues about our progress as a class in general and advised us to do better.

June and I started more research and development work with the Arduino. We came faced a lot of problems but manage to fix it one by one when discussing about the issue and googling the solutions. Through this, we also managed to gain a better understanding on the whole project piece by piece, its almost like solving a puzzle and the picture is starting to make a little sense.

Week 18, 12/8/19 - 16/8/19

Continued with the development of Arduino, we (June and I) were focusing on the buttons and the workings of it. We first tried to make the computer send message to the Arduino, then make the Arduino send message to the computer on a single button only. Then, we added more buttons, we’re still in the process of figuring that out.

In this week, I did more research about the sensors too, the types that are in the market currently and works with Arduino and might be suitable for the project, I came up with a document on it and will present it to Padini on the coming checkpoint 2 (23rd August 2019).

I also did more research about barcode scanner that are compatible with our Arduino and the related components needed to make it work, I’ve found out that it’ll definitely cost quite a bit so we will ask Padini if they want us to buy a scanner and its related components when checkpoint 2 comes.

Week 19, 19/8/19 - 23/8/19

June and I spent our free time on Monday - Thursday developing the Arduino buttons’ functionality. We managed to solve the problem of sorting item into the slots, but the simulation version of it. For now, our system will accept an input of the name of an item (simulation of scanning an item) and then light up the corresponding button. Then, we are able to turn that button off and indicate that the item has been placed in the slot. Then, if the slot is completely sorted, the button on the other side of the slot will light up, indicating that the slot is ready to be packaged. Then once the worker has packed the items up on the other side, they can press the button to turn off the light.

We were supposed to have our checkpoint 2 meeting on Friday the 23rd but due to unforeseen circumstances, we had to reschedule it. It has been postponed to next Thursday the 29th. So, we spent that time to have a group meeting to discuss things that we have yet understand about the project and clear up doubts within the group, we also updated each other on our progress and planned on what we’re gonna show padini on our checkpoint 2 now that we have extra time, meaning we can and should show Padini a more developed system next Thursday.

Week 20, 26/8/19 - 30/8/19

For this week, we met up with our client for checkpoint 2, but before that we continued developing the put to light system in terms of the buttons and the PC, making it more presentable to the client although its still a simulation of how the system will work.

On the day of checkpoint 2, all members were present, but unfortunately Ms. Robina, our lecturer couldn’t make it as she has pre planned activity going on at the same time and we couldn’t change another date already. However, we still updated her on everything that was discussed during the meeting.

The meeting went great, we showed them the e-commerce website simulation thing, the put-to-light sy

stem, but only a simulation of it. The clients were impressed with our ability to develop something that was more veered towards Electrical & Electronic Engineering field and not IT or computer science. We were planning to show them the database part of the system but didn’t manage to as our team member responsible for that was pre-occupied with other activities that was happening at the same time. During the meeting, we also went over all our doubts that we had regarding the columns in the database, some abbreviation that was going to be used.

Week 21, 2/9/19 - 6/9/19

For this we week, we figured out how to connect the database to our windows application.

The other free time were used to do our assignments for other subjects, as we are all final year students meaning the subjects we are taking on are not any easier either.

Week 22, 9/9/19 - 13/9/19

We managed to create the database and test connection of database and windows application.

During this time, we were also developing the put to light system further, as the one created for checkpoint 2 was merely a simulation, we were using arrays to store data, so now we had to figure out the algorithm of how we want to store, assign, display data.

Week 22, 16/9/19 - 20/9/19

On Tuesday, our lecturer decided to have a class to brief us about the final documentation of the project, project tradeshow and final presentation to clients.

This was what we had gathered from the class.

1. Week 16 trade show

2. Week 15-17 – final presentation to employer

3. Final Documentation

a. Re-write the documentation, NOT compilation of A1-A13

b. Got its own: TOC, acknowledgment, preface, executive summary, introduction,

-chapter 1: literature review – technology used

-chapter 2: research method and dev. Method – approaches used in dev. of project,

-chapter 3: data gathering – company background, project background, analysis, design, coding , testing, technical manual = user guide, appendices: project proposal, project timeline, group profile, ppt used in checkpoints and what not

-Got cover, need to bind it separately.

- project management plan

Doesn’t need to follow exactly the format above ^

c. Should have proper flow of story in the report

4. NDAs need to sign, 1 send to client, 1 submit in documentation.

5. Important to show timeline to employer, explain why there’s extension and what not

6. Always check subject outline for what needs to be in the A something

7. Individual diaries – make sure to update weekly

8. Tradeshow

a. Poster – size a1 (proof read it first)

i. Infographic format

ii. What is project about

iii. What problem we’re solving (problem statement)

iv. Solution

v. Development tools used

vi. Team (name, uow id, linked in account, contact number, email)

b. Presentation slides (video, animation)

c. Prototype shown is close to completion (99-100%)

d. Name card

e. Brochure/leaflet

Other than that, Wai Kit and Shen had to fix up an issue with the e-commerce website simulation as it was coded with VB Net but we needed it to be in c#.

I also developed the put to light system further, I was experimenting with using classes and list to store data. Then, I also used loops instead of many if else to solve a problem.

Week 23, 23/9/19 - 27/9/19

Wai Kit and Shen were finally able to fix the issue they had last week which was to change VB Net to c#.

We also has to re-strategize our timeline as we realized that there were still a lot to do but not enough time, so I listed down the things to be done moving forward and delegated the task to them.

We also schedule our next checkpoint with the client, the confirmed date is 7/10/2019.

On the weekends, we came to college to learn how to clone a website from our friend who was kind enough to teach us, this website that we need to develop is the simulation part of customer’s ordering items and therefore pushing data into the database, our client doesn’t need this part but it is still required of us by our education institution to do it.

For the put to light system, we manage to come up with an algorithm that correctly stores data in a dynamic array and update the database correctly.

Week 24, 30/9/19 - 4/10/19

This week we got news confirming that the project tradeshow is going to be on Monday, 11/11/2019, which was also one of our team mate’s birthday.

But anyway, we had to continue developing the system, we had to discuss and come up with a solution to be able to push the data from the e-commerce website into the table called ‘wave_order_packing’, with that in mind, we came with 2 systems that will be the “bridge” for the e-commerce website and the Put To Light system. The 2 system would be called IT Admin system and Bulk Item Picker system.

June and I also continued with the development of the put to light system, while doing so, we were going back and forth with the client through our whatsapp group to really find out what they needed the system to do. Turns out they actually needed a login page, so we have to add that to the system.

Shen and I developed the IT admin system during the weekends in preparation to show the clients on Monday

Week 25, 7/10/19 - 11/10/19

So, we had the checkpoint 3 on Monday, it went pretty well, we showed how the newly developed IT admin system and also the new and improved put to light system that actually connects to the database and is able to update the database correctly as and when an action is performed, for example, when an item is “scanned” the ‘qty_scanned’ column in the database is incremented by one, when the slot sorter (in) button is being pressed the ‘qty_input’ is incremented by one, and so on so forth. The clients did have questions on how to deploy the system, how the Arduino was going to be used and where it was going to be plugged into. We managed to have a good discussion on all the technical things.

We also got the green light from our lecturer to be cloning our client’s actual website to be used as part of our system to simulate customer’s order, we were worried about it because normally, the hackers/attackers on the web would do such a thing (clone websites) to lure unaware legit user to scam them or trick them.

Week 26, 14/10/19 - 18/10/19

Did not manage to work on the project as I was occupied with other assignment from other subjects.

Week 27, 21/10/19 - 25/10/19

We had to figure out the poster, leaflets, and name cards that will be used in the project tradeshow. Wai Kit was mainly in charge for these things. We had to go through some discussion on the designs and what to write in the poster and leaflets.

Week 28, 28/10/19 - 1/11/19

We finalized the poster and send it to be printed.

We were also on the hunt for materials to build the prototype.

Shen started developing the bulk item picker with our very helpful friend that helped us with the e-commerce website simulation/cloning. It is looking good.

On the weekends, Wai Kit showed us the design he was working on for the leaflet.

Week 29, 4/11/19 - 8/11/19

On Monday, Wai Kit and I came to college to sort out how the database was going to pushed the data received from the e-commerce website into the tables called ‘orders’ and ‘order_items’ with our very helpful friend

On Tuesday, I fixed up the script that was going to be used in the leaflet and send it to be printed along with the name cards that was also finalized already. On this day, I also ordered extra wires, soldering lead and Arduino casing to build the prototype.

We also found out that we had to have 2 videos for the project tradeshow, one is the pitching video and the other is the presentation video aka the demo of our system video. So, we had to plan of what was going to be in the video and when were we going to film it.

At the same week, we were still looking for the materials to be used for the prototype that was going to be shown in trade show next Monday. Thank God that on Thursday, while my mom and I were chatting about this topic, she came up with a brilliant idea of how to build this prototype using one of the shelves that we have at home and putting on some plastic covers as dividers. So, on Thursday, I went and bought the plastic and started building the prototype. Thanks to my mom’s brilliant idea, it was a relatively easy process of building and was 80 percent completed by the end of Thursday.

Then on Friday, we scripted and filmed our pitch video. We also decided to host our database on Hostinger as we have 4 systems running simultaneously and on independent laptops meaning we couldn’t be running those systems on local host anymore. So everyone has to change their respective system’s sql connection string.

On the weekends Shen was editing the video, while June and I were working on the Arduino part of the system and building the last bit of the prototype and Wai Kit was busy celebrating his birthday with his family that came from out of town to celebrate.

Week 30, 11/11/19 - 15/11/19

On Monday, before the tradeshow started, we were still working on the video and final touches to our system.

Then, tradeshow officially started at 2pm, the judges, lecturers and students starting coming in and going around to see everyone’s project. At the end, our team mange to win the first place which was the ‘Best Project On Display Award’, we were pretty tired by the end of it but still felt happy and satisfied regardless.

Week 31, 18/11/19 - 22/11/19

We started discussing the contents for our final documentation of the project and discussed the date for our final presentation with our client.

We came up with a toc for the final documentation and delegated the task to each team members. June and I still were working on the put to light system while Wai Kit and Shen started a bit on the final documentation

We also came to a conclusion to do the final presentation on 9th Dec 2019.

On the weekends, I had to start preparing for my finals which is starting on the 27/11/2019 and ends on 3/12/2019, which means, during now 23/11 till 3/12, no progress would be done on this project.

Week 32, 25/11/19 - 29/11/19 (Exam Week)

Finals Week.

Week 33, 2/12/19 - 6/12/19

After finals, which is 3/12, I went back to developing the system further, I knew what had to be done because it was planned before finals, however, I did not expect so many bugs to appear. And, along the way, I also realized some essential features that were missing from the system that I had to add in to make it a more complete system. At the same time, my teammates and I were doing the final documentation. We had to get the user manual done before the final presentation on Monday.

Week 34, 9/12/19 - 12/12/19

On Monday (day of final presentation), we finished the user manual, bind and printed it in preparation to meet the clients. We went to Padini HQ to present the final product and handover the source codes, documents, prototype, etc. They were pleased with the product they received, they also presented us with certificates and a RM 50 gift voucher for Padini stores. Needless to say we were not expecting such gifts as none of our seniors have experienced this before. After Monday, we continued on with the last bit of final documentation and finally finished it on Tuesday night, we couldn’t submit the hard copy on Wednesday as it was a public holiday, so we submitted it on Thursday instead.