A Case Study of BRTA MIS

BRTA as a system Before we can analyze BRTA as a system we need to know what a system is. There is no universal definition of system though scholars have defined system in many ways. According to John Bertaffys General System Theory, a system is An arrangement or combination as parts or elements in a whole apply to a cell, a human being, a society as well as an atom, a plant or a galaxy. So we can see system comprises of elements and interrelationship among them. Another way of defining a system is that a system must have three elements: input, process and output, and a system process inputs and produce outputs. Some of the main operational tasks of BRTA are vehicle registration, Vehicle fitness inspection, issue of route permit, Issue and renewal of driving license etc. If we go through these processes we find that BRTA takes many information for example, for driving license the name of the applicant, his/her fathers name, date of birth, address etc process them by taking written, practical, viva test and finally produce a license for the applicant or for vehicle registration they collect information like vehicles chassis number, engine number, owner information etc and produce a registration number for that vehicle by processing those information. For all other tasks in the same way they take information as input process them and produce an authorized paper like, license, route permit, fitness certificate etc. as output through organized processes. So we can see that BRTA transforms input into output and so we can consider BRTA as a system. Every system must have a supra system and subsystems. BRTA also has supra a system that is Government of People Republic of Bangladesh and MOC (Ministry of Communication) of government because BRTA is a regulatory body of the Government of Bangladesh and operates under MOC. From this point of view, BRTA itself is the primary subsystem or the main system. The secondary subsystem of BRTA is the Vehicle registration system, Driving License issuing system, Route permit system, Vehicle ownership transfer system, Road tax collecting system etc. All of these subsystems can be viewed as a separate system. Therefore they also have subsystems which are the tertiary subsystem of BRTA. For example the Route permit system has two subsystems, Issuing and renewal system. Again Vehicle registrations also have four subsystems such as Vehicle Registration system, vehicle fitness inspection system, Renewal of vehicle fitness and Renewal of vehicle registration. All of these subsystems of the subsystem of BRTA are the tertiary subsystem of BRTA. We know that a business subsystem has 6 functional features: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Input Processing Output Feedback Control Environment

A Case Study of BRTA MIS We already have talked about the input, processing and output of BRTA. Now we have to consider the feedback, control and environment of BRTA. Every system needs feedback to work properly. Reports like total accidents in a year or total tax collected in a year can work as a feedback to the Management of BRTA. It helps the Management to Control the accidents or increase the tax collection. The feedback flows upward and the Control flow downward of the Management. This whole process also depends on the external environment like Government Activities.

We can show the total BRTA system with the figure next page:

Control Feedback

Input

Process

Output

Fig: BRTA system and its functional features with its environment. Organizational Structure of BRTA Though BRTA is one organization, it does not work in a single location; rather it has 21 branches all over Bangladesh. The main branch is BRTA Headquarter. There are two branches in Dhaka, one at Mirpur and another at Ekuria and one branch each in other 18 districts. Headquarters are at the top of their organizational structure, the Administration and engineering comes after that where there is a director for each of them. Both of them have sub division like Vehicle registration, Licensing or Issuing Fitness. Their organizational structure will be clearer if we look at their management structure. Like all other management they have a three level management structure. 1) Top Management 2) Middle Management 3) Operational Management
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A Case Study of BRTA MIS

Top Management: Top Management focuses on the long-term strategic planning and decision making that has a long-term impact on BRTA. The Chairman of BRTA is at the Top of their Management. Middle Management: Middle management is mainly involved in tactical decisions that have medium range effect on BRTA. The Director of Admin and the Director of Engineering are at the middle of the management of BRTA. They get strategic plans and goal from the top management and make the operational management achieve those goals. Operational Management or front line management: Operational or front line management is largely concerned with day-to-day activities and operation. They are the Deputy Director (D/D) of Finance, D/D of Admin, and three D/D of Engineering. They also have 18 field units, where they have Vehicle Inspector in each unit. We can also define their Management structure in three level in terms of decision making tasks. They are: 1) Strategic Management 2) Tactical Management 3) Operational Management The decisions BRTA has to make in different levels on decision making management is given below in table: Management Level Top Management Middle Management Lower Management Decisions related to 1. Setting Goals 2. Long range plans 3. Strategy 1. Define Objectives 2. Medium average plans 3. Tactics 1. Achieving Objectives 2. Short-range plans 3. Supervision

A Case Study of BRTA MIS The hierarchy of Management of BRTA with information flow is given:
Downward flow of Information (plans, strategies, standards, Goals etc.)

Upward flow of Information (Transactions performance, achievements etc.)

MIDDLE LOWER or OPERATIONAL

Horizontal Flow of Information

The Objectives of BRTA MIS BRTA is regulatory body of Government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh for Road Transportation and it operates under the administration control of MOC (Ministry of Communication) of Government. The main objectives of BRTA MIS are as follows: a) Overall Management control and supervision b) Assisting the Government in framing motor vehicle laws, rules, regulation, policy etc. and implementation of these laws. c) Dealing with safety of road user and taking remedial measures for precaution road accidents. d) Vehicle Registration e) Issue Route permit f) Issue Driving License (Professional, Non-professional) g) Transfer of ownership of vehicles h) Transfer of vehicles from one location to another i) Vehicle fitness inspection j) Assisting law enforcement agencies like police in solving vehicle related crimes. k) Earning revenue for the Government by way of Collecting road tax and other fees related to vehicles.

A Case Study of BRTA MIS Information Processing Tasks of BRTA The key role of MIS is to process information. We know every MIS must carry out the 5Cs of Information in an organization for information processing. They are: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Capturing Conveying Creating Cradling Communicating

Capturing: Capturing data means obtaining data at it part of origin. The key to capturing data is in obtaining data at the point if origin. So BRTA has to capture data when ever any transaction takes place. For example, a test in taken for driving license, so BRTA has to capture all the data of the test including how many applicants, their detail information, and their performance. Conveying: Conveying information is exactly the opposite of capturing data. Conveying information in most useful form to the person who need it. BRTA has to convey all the data collected and captured to the management in a useful format so the management will be able to take decision based on that information. Creating: Creating information from data captured is the most commonly understood information-processing task. Creating a report from the data of tax collection over the last few years is an example of creating information from data. Cradling: Cradling information means storing information. BRTA has to store all the information created in a safe place so they can be used when required. They can save them as soft copy in the Computer Database or as hard copy printed on papers. Communication: Communicating means sending information to other user or other Location. Since BRTA has 21 branches in different locations communicating will be required a lot. They will use their Intranet and the Internet for communication purpose. Each of these 5Cs of Information requires different IT tools for data processing. These IT tools and technologies can be classified into 7 categories. They are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The Processing technology Input Technology Output Technology Software Technology Storage Technology Telecommunication Technology LAN & WAN Technology

A Case Study of BRTA MIS Driving License permit system

Name Fathers Name Input Birth Date Address Money

Process

Driving License (output)

Fig: License Issuing system of BRTA, showing BRTA takes input and generates output The technologies BRTA authority require for their MIS for data processing tasks is given in the next page in a tabular format with 5Cs of Information and their description and IT Tools needed: Processing Task Capturing Information Description IT Tools Needed Obtaining information at Input Technologies its point of origin Example: Mouse Keyboard Processing Hardware & software data/information to create Technologies new information Example: CPU Word Processor Expert System Processing information in Output technologies its most useful form Example: Monitor Printer Storing Information to use Storage technologies at a later time Example: Hard Disk Floppy Disk CD-ROM Sending information to Telecommunication other people or other technologies location Example: Modem Satellite LAN & WAN Technologies Example: Server VSAT
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Creating Information

Conveying Information

Cradling Information

Communicating Information

A Case Study of BRTA MIS So we can see from the table above that they need LAN to communicate between the same location and intranet to communicate to another location. For LAN they need a server and some work stations which will be connected to the server for data communication The layout of the LAN at BRTA is given below:

Work Stat ion

Work Stat ion

SERVER

Work Stat ion

Work Stat ion

Work Stat ion

Fig: Layout of LAN of BRTA MIS System

A Case Study of BRTA MIS There are five resources of MIS. MIS make uses of the following resources: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Man-ware: IS Specialist, End user etc. Hardware : Machine & Media Software : Programs & Procedures Data : Database & Knowledge-base Networks : Communication media & network supports

Contro l System Input of data Resource Output of data Resource

Process data into information

Storage of Data Resources

Fig: Relation among the Resources and activities of BRTA information system Outputs of BRTA MIS Outputs are the usable products of MIS. The assessment of the Information system by the user is dependent on the output of MIS. The complete output requirement of BRTA MIS is given in Annexure 6. We can divide these outputs into five categories of outputs these are: 1) Transaction Documents a) Salary Sheet of each employee b) Cash Collection from each location c) Routine Correspondence with field formations and higher organizations d) Daily Attendance of Employee e) Leave Travel Concession for each employee
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A Case Study of BRTA MIS

2) Pre-planned reports a) Annual Confidence Report b) Details officer deputation c) Summary of revenue collection on daily basis d) Summary on expenditure e) Preparation of annual budget f) Policy matters g) Summary of data on vehicle registration h) Summary of data on vehicle inspection i) Summary of data on issue of driving license 3) Pre-planned inquiries a) Replies to parliamentary questions b) Data on accident related to vehicles 4) Ad-hoc reports and inquiries Ad-hoc reports are not pre-planned so it is not possible to say in advance what will be the Ad-hoc reports 5) Man-machine dialogue Man-machine dialogue responses to the queries of user using decision and analysis models. So the Man-machine dialogue will generate reports according the user need.

A Case Study of BRTA MIS Operating Element of BRTA MIS MIS can be defined both in terms of its physical components and processing functions. The physical components present in BRTA MIS are given below in a tabular format: System Components Hardware Comments The hardware for an MIS consists the computer (central processing unit, input/output units, file storage units, etc.) data preparation equipment, networks, terminals/workstations The hardware of BRTA MIS are: Server PCs UPS Printer (laser & dot-matrix) Generator Air-Conditioner There are two type of software in BRTA MIS 1) System Software : Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Network OS Microsoft Windows 98 Anti Virus Software for Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 2) General Application Software: Office 97 (Standard) Office 97 (Professional) Procedures are considered as physical component as they are provided in physical form as operating manuals and technical manuals. They procedure of BRTA MIS are User Manual for Windows 98 User Manual for Office 97 Hard disk, floppy disk and CD-ROM is used for storing files People of BRTA MIS are the: Data entry operator IS Manager System Analyst

Software

Procedures

Files (database) People

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A Case Study of BRTA MIS

Functional and application subsystems The functional subsystems of BRTA MIS are: Hardware Subsystem Software Subsystem Communication Subsystem Database Subsystem On the other hand, the application subsystems of BRTA are: Vehicle registration Vehicle Fitness check Issue Driving License Issue Route Permit etc. The connectivity of functional subsystem and application subsystem is given below in a matrix: Hardware Subsystem SubsystemCommunication Database Subsystem
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Vehicle Registration Vehicle Fitness check Issue Route Permit etc Issue Driving License Fig: Matrix showing connectivity between functional subsystems and application subsystems

Software Subsystem

A Case Study of BRTA MIS

Conclusion From the case study of BRTA MIS we have learn a lot of thing about MIS which will help us a lot in our future life. It also has given us the opportunity to go inside a real MIS and study it thoroughly. From my point of view, BRTA is complete MIS with well equipped with latest physical component like, Pentium III machine, LAN, Intranet etc. and functional components. With a strong organizational and management structure the MIS of BRTA is sure succeed.

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A Case Study of BRTA MIS

Glossary of Terms BRTA: BRTA stands for Bangladesh Road Transport Authority. BRTA is regulatory body of Government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh for Road Transportation and it operates under the administration control of MOC (Ministry of Communication) of Government. MIS: MIS stands for Management Information System. MIS has been defined differently by different authors. MIS is nothing but a formal system of gathering, analyzing, comparing, validating, and integrating, storing and disseminating information internal and external to the organization MOC: MOC stands for Ministry of Communication. MOC is a part of Government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Cradling: The actual meaning of cradling is bassinet or furniture. But from Management Science point of view, cradling means Storing Information to use at a later time.

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