Baque-Manalang Dental Clinic Online Reservation Essay

Introduction The use of online services nowadays becomes more necessary in the various fields. It is because of the advantage and useful effects to many people when it comes to online reservation because our society is facing rapid growths of need, availability and development of different commercial web-based application. The online reservation services differ from the traditional mode in the capacity to provide services regardless of temporal and spatial constraints. They are also different from traditional interpersonal services that are delivered face-to-face. It allows persons to employ Information Technology without being tied to a single location. This technology enables users to access the site at any time in any location. A suitable use of the online reservation services and wireless technology allows new application, management and reservation for dental clinic via online services. The objective of online reservation is to reduce the effort and the time for the customers to set appointm ent and to receive services and improved the reservation validation efficiency. Background of the study Baque-Manalang Clinic is a dental clinic located at Hilario St., Ligtasan, Tarlac, Tarlac. It is owned by Dr. Eillen B. Manalang, DMD, established since 1992. The said clinic is operated by one dentist, two dental assistants, one dental photographer, four front desk staff, and one dental technician. It offers teeth maintenance, enhancement techniques and cosmetic dentistry services. The clinic’s operating hours is 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays. Daily they are accommodating an estimated 15 to 20 patients from Tarlac and nearby provinces. Despite its popularity, the said clinic is still using traditional reservation system. Statement of the Objective Despite its popularity, the said dental clinic is still using traditional reservation system which is time consuming and prone to problems like long waiting line and crowded queue. So in line with it, the following objectives are enumerated to cognate the problems. Specifically, it aims to accomplish the following: 1. To design and develop an online reservation system that aims to strengthen the weakness found in existing traditional reservation system. 2. To validate the developed system in terms of: 3.1. Effectiveness and efficiency 3.2. User friendliness 3.3. Security of data 3. To determine the proposed system feasible through Cost Benefits Analysis. Scope of the Study The scope of this study will focus on the patients, who will use the system to make the appointment via online service. The prototype can be used by the staff and dentist to manage the appointment for the dental clinic via online system for those who would like to set an appointment anytime, anywhere. This study is mainly focused on providing a website for Baque – Manalang Dental Clinic. The said website includes: * Online reservation or scheduling exclusively for registered patients. * Clinic information – address, site map, profile of dentist, etc. * List and price of services offered and the time allotted for services to be consumed. * Services-directory where the patients can view the information about the preferred service to take. * Information and tips on how to prevent dental problems. Delimitations The proponents limit this study for Baque – Manalang Dental Clinic only. Only current patients with previous transactions are given with accounts for the online reservation system. Only trained personnel can conduct the site maintenance of the proposed system. Significance of the Study This study is viewed to be valuable to following: Clinic. The proposed system will simplify and automate the clinic task inline with reservation to provide the clients with better service. Dentist and Staff. The proposed system will help the dentist easily identify the patients as scheduled online. Patients. The proposed system will help patients reduce their waiting time and provide them assurance to be accommodated as scheduled online. Definition of Terms In order to provide an adequate channel of communication between the researcher and the readers, the following terms arranged alphabetically and defined conceptually. Access. Access is to obtain entry to a particular program; with records and network entry procedure. Computer. Machine that performs a wide variety of activities with reliability, accuracy, speed and tasks, such as mathematical calculations or electronic communication, under a control of a set of instructions called a program. Internet. A means of connecting a computer to any other computer anywhere in the world via dedicated routers and server. Online. Activated and ready for operation; capable of communicating with or being controlled by a computer. Prototype. An original, full-scale, and usually working model of a new product or new version on an existing product. System. Any collection of component elements that work together to perform a task. Website. The file of information located on a server connected to World Wide Web (WWW). It includes text, photographs, illustrations and video, music and computer programs. It also often include links to other sites in the form of hypertext, highlighted or colored text that the user can click on with their mouse, instructing their computer to jump to the new site. Reservation System. A system that involves the process of reserving and booking of appointments on a specific date and time. CHAPTER 2 Review of related Literature and Studies This chapter presents a review of conceptual literature which is supported by studies relevant to this study. The review of literature focuses on online reservation for Baque-Dental Clinic. Related Literature Foreign Eric Richard (2012) .Consumers these days almost expects an online presence from a company or business. In fact, they may look past businesses that are not online or consider another provider. Convenience is a big factor in an individual’s decision-making process, and not offering customers what they want can put a business at a big disadvantage, especially if their  competitors offer this benefit. Convenience plays a big role in our â€Å"24-7† world. Many people simply do not have the time to pick up a phone during business hours to book an appointment. Some would much rather go online and schedule it when it’s most convenient for them. Online scheduling software makes it easy to accomplish this. Once a business sets up its scheduler, it can then add a button or link on its Web site for customers to access its online scheduler. Once on the scheduler page, customers typically can view and select available appointment or reservation times and dates, as well as other information such as services and specific staff members. Depending on internal preferences set by the business operator, the scheduler may also require the customer to register to use the service. Even businesses without a Web site can implement online scheduling into their operations. Once a business creates an account and scheduler, the service will issue it a URL link. In essence, the scheduler itself is a Web site. Entering this link in a Web browser will take a user directly to the scheduling application. Businesses can simply provide this link to customers. Eric Richard (2012) .For many service oriented business, accurate and timely reservations are necessity to ensure proper service and a positive customer experience. From tour operators and boat rental providers to managers of athletic fields and facilities, these groups must have a proven reservation system in place, not only for internal scheduling processes, but also for the convenience of their customers. Traditional reservation procedures often come up short in both regards. And it’s for these reasons that many business, organizations and individuals are incorporating online reservation systems into their operations. Booking and managing customer reservations, although a vital component of many service-based groups is generally viewed as time-consuming and tedious. The traditional manner of scheduling reservations doesn’t help refute this statement: It usually involves booking reservation over the phone and by e-mail, then recording and managing the dates, times, services and customer contact information in separate appointment books, files, spreadsheets or folders. Not only does this method require a considerable amount of staff time, it also does not give customers the ability to book their reservations when it’s most convenient for them. Many individuals simply do not have the time to call in a reservations or appointment during normal business hours. This can lead to two different scenarios: The person  can either book the reservation online (if the service provider offers this option), or he or she can leave a voice message, in which case the provider must take the time to follow up with the individual (and possibly engage in a game of â€Å"phone-tag† until a specific reservation time is agree upon). Most will agree that the former is the more appealing of these two schemes. An online reservation system is generally the best option for these service-providers to automate and improve their booking processes. Commonly referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS) and cloud-computing applications, this technology is accessible through any Internet connection and typically does not require any installations, downloads or expensive hardware. SaaS is software delivery method that provides access to software and its functions remotely as a Web-based service. Software as a Service allow organizations to access business functionality at a cost typically less than paying for licensed applications since SaaS pricing is based on a monthly fee. Also, because the software is hosted remotely, users don’t need to invest in additional hardware. Software as a Service removes the need for organization to handle the installation, set up and often daily upkeep and maintenance. Software as a service may also be referred to a simply hosted application. Both the service provider and its customers access is in the same manner as any Web page. Like online data storage and document uploads applications, online reservation systems are securely housed online and not confined to an individual computer terminal or network. This characteristic not only makes it possible for customers to book reservations online, it also give service providers and their staff the ability to access their reservation calendar and customer details from any Internet connection, a valuable benefit for those individuals who must have access to this information from outside their office. Booking customer reservations with a pen and paper appointment book simply doesn’t cut it in today’s busy, 24-7 world. Technology has caught up with all office procedures, including booking processes, and service providers that tap into these online reservation systems can expect a significant improvement in their overall operations. And on top of that, they’ll have more satisfied customers. Local Alice Adams (2011).Kabayan Hotel Cubao has recently integrated a reservation  system in its website for a more efficient online booking. Through this technology, travellers worldwide save time and effort in reserving accommodations as the user-friendly booking engine makes the whole process a simple and effortless activity. Online hotel reservations are becoming popular method for booking hotel rooms, and Kabayan Hotel Cubao takes this opportunity to ensure fast reservations for guests from different parts of the world. This easy-to-use system, powered by DirectWithHotels, is now fully functioning at its website, http://www.kabayanhotel.com.ph/cubao.php. With this, guest only have to go through a very short booking process to be entitled of a comfortable stay at this budget hotel. Upon clicking the â€Å"Reserve Now † button, visitors can immediately select arrival and departure dates, navigate their way to their preferred guestrooms, and view the inclusive amenities and room rates. And after paying a 10% deposit, which is certified by Trust wave and secured by VeriSign, they instantly receive confirmation directly from the hotel via e-mail. With just a few clicks of the mouse, guests are guaranteed to experience amazing ease and warm Filipino hospitality at this budget hotel in Quezon City, Philippines. Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation (2012). BooktoEat.ph now offers the opportunity to book restaurants online, in real-time just like booking in a hotel or an airline. The days of waiting hours for a restaurant to open, call back, respond to an e-mail or a telephone message will soon be over. A real-time reservation completely automates the reservation process. When making a reservation using BookToEat.ph the reservation is instantly confirmed in the restaurant’s Electronic Reservation System. This is the same Reservation System that used by the restaurant to manage all of its bookings so it automatically checks for real-time availability. The difference between BookToEat.ph and most other restaurant reservation services that we are genuinely â€Å"real-time† so no more busy signals, waiting until the restaurant opens or waiting hours for an e-mail response. BookToEat.ph now allows you to book your favourite restaurants on online in real-time just like booking in a hotel or an airline. The soon introduction of real-time bookings into Philippines presents a significant development for the restaurant industry. The concept has been hugely successful in the USA and UK markets, and in 2008 over 36 million bookings were made online in real-time. Related studies The application of modern information technology dominated so far by the use of internet websites and online reservation systems, gives competitive advance to other with same establishment. However the potential competitive advantage can be transformed into real advantage if only the websites have proper design. As a result, the advocator conducted research on the facts related to the system that might be helpful to its development. Foreign StormSource (2002).An online reservation system has booked over 50 million appointments and reservations since its launch in 2002. Over 4,000 businesses throughout the United States, Canada and 10 other countries rely on the software for such tasks as online reservation system of customer services, booking rooms, facilities and equipment, accepting online payments, sending reminders, and e-marketing. Scottsdale, Ariz.-based technology firm specializing in the development of online appointment software for a wide variety of applications and industries. Geared primarily toward small businesses such as doctors’ offices, spas, health clubs and massage therapists, users of Appointment-Plus also include Fortune 500 companies; colleges and universities; healthcare agencies and facilities; federal and local government; and freight and delivery services. Scharl, Wà ¶ber and Bauer (2003).Evaluate the effectiveness of hotel websites. Authors identify personal, system and media factors that contribute to hotel website adoption. In the system factors group, that is more controllable by the hotel management compared to personal and media factors, they identify the perceived utility of the product, speed of the system, intelligence, layout, services, navigation, interactivity, reliability of the system. Michael Pearce (2012). The online program at ksoutdoors.com – click on â€Å"reservations† – is part of the Reserve America system, which is used by about 20 states and 30 private groups to help customers reserve camping spots. Reservations for Kansas parks also can be made by calling 620-672-5911. The new system gets money into state park coffers quicker, and also saves time that the state park staff would have spent handling the money. Those are huge benefits for the department, which is constantly battling budget and staffing issues. Lanterman said it also allows the department to better study the demographics of its users. Adjustments can  then be made to make sure the public is best served. Wilson State Park is getting the most online reservations; Cheney and El Dorado State Parks are about tied for second place. Lanterman said usually no more than about half of the camping spots can be reserved online. The rest are first-come, first-served, as they have been for years. She said a few campers have been frustrated to arrive at a park and see their favourite site empty but reserved by another camper. Park managers, though, say support for the reservation system is strong and growing. â€Å"People like that they can go online, reserve the site they want, and when they show up it’s ready,† said Ryan Stucky, Cheney State Park manager. â€Å"Most are figuring out the system and that it’s more convenient for them.† Local Studies â€Å"An online inquiry and reservation system with virtual tour for La Maja Rica Hotel and Restaurant Tarlac City† a thesis conducted by Duenias, Kathleen Joy J., Ilagan, Keneth D. and Tolenceda, Niccolo Andrei P. AMA Computer College Tarlac City (March 2010), allows management for their hotel and restaurant to be more organized in terms of reservation, inquiry and customer avail of the available services and inquire for the details even without personal appearances which they can spare time, money and efforts. The Thesis entitled â€Å"Online Cagayan Valley Economic Zone Authority Information System† by Anwar Saludsong (April 2002), discuss the advantage of web-based application to allow user acquire information through online that is accessible through any internet. â€Å"Luisita Gold And Country Club Online Reservation† a Study conducted by Rina Lyn C. Burgos and Rowena S. Cortez at AMA Computer College Tarlac City (Aug 2005) discuss the capabilities of the internet and modern application to update users about the advantage and reliability of features of an online reservation system.A real-time reservation that completely automates the reservation process and reduce the effort and the time consume of customer. Theoretical Framework The proponents proposed system is a program that has a set of elements that work together to understand some objective that will help the Baque- Manalang Dental Clinic with regards to their manual reservation. One of the problems in most clinics nowadays is how to accommodate and serve  as many patients as possible, where patients do not need to go to the clinic for appointment scheduling. An online reservation system is generally the best option for these service-providers to automate and improve their booking processes. Not only that, this will also avoid patients not to experience a longer waiting time. Online reservations also assure the availability of schedule as these are shown online and security of information is provided. The literature has its similarity to the proponents propose system in the sense of both project utilize the internet function such as the availability of date and time which is one of the features that the proponents included in the study. The proponents are looking forward that the propose system will improve the manual reservation of the Baque- Manalang Dental Clinic. Conceptual Framework Below is the research paradigm which states the input data that will process to produce an output. Research, works, books, interviews, publication, net-surfing and studies are the researches mean gathering and compiling information and data that can help in the investigation improvement and development of the system