01
Observe
Met with Anaheim Marriott Shipping & Receiving staff and observed the existing package-handling workflow.
SENIOR PROJECT • REAL CLIENT
2002FARRShipping & Receiving System.
A DeVry senior project that became a working inventory-control solution for the Anaheim Marriott Shipping & Receiving department.
Microsoft AccessVBADatabase DesignRequirements AnalysisProcess ImprovementReporting
THE BUSINESS PROBLEM
Replace an obsolete, redundant package-tracking process.
The Anaheim Marriott used PacTrac to record inbound packages and letters, but the existing process required several manual handoffs, duplicate lookups, printed receipts, and a large binder that moved between Shipping & Receiving and the bell desk.
Our team met with Marriott staff and observed the process before designing a replacement. The objective was to improve inbound package tracking, reduce redundant work and unnecessary documentation, and lower the time and overhead required by the department.
MY CONTRIBUTION
Database Management — Main Database.
The project plan assigned me responsibility for database management of the main database. My original portfolio also records that I helped program the Visual Basic for Applications behind the database.
WHY “FARR”?
The project name came from our four-person team: Fatima, Alex, Ray, and Raymond.
PROJECT CONTEXT
Four team members brought different specialties to the project. The surviving documentation includes project planning, requirements, schedules, system design, implementation, manuals, testing, installation, training, and final presentation deliverables.
FARR • MAIN SWITCHBOARD
Original senior-project artifact • Anaheim Marriott • 2002
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Requirements tied directly to the operation.
01
Package inventory database supporting at least 3,000 records
02
Password-protected system access
03
Barcode scanning for inbound package tracking numbers
04
Search by recipient name, tracking number, or batch number
05
Package receipts and operational reports
06
30-day inventory alerts for packages requiring return to sender
07
Pickup confirmation workflow for bell staff
08
Retention and cleanup rules for delivered package records
PROJECT LIFECYCLE
More than coding.
02
Analyze
Identified redundant manual steps, duplicate data entry, bulky paper tracking, and limitations in the existing PacTrac process.
03
Design
Defined requirements, user flows, forms, queries, reports, switchboard navigation, security, and operational procedures.
04
Build
Developed the Microsoft Access solution and VBA-driven application behavior, including the main database.
05
Deliver
Produced working software, user and maintenance documentation, testing, training, installation, and a sponsor presentation.
06
Continue
After the academic project ended, the team continued working with Marriott staff to accommodate new needs because they planned to use the system.
BATCH MANAGER
The user manual describes this form as an overview of packages that had not yet been delivered.
OPERATIONAL TRACKING
The surviving interface artifacts show batch-level package tracking and delivery workflow controls.
OUTCOME
Built for use, not just a grade.
The original portfolio records that after the senior project ended, the team continued working with Anaheim Marriott staff to accommodate new needs because Marriott planned to use the database program.
That makes FARR an early example of the work that would later define my career: understand an operational process, translate business requirements into a data system, build the solution, and support the people who depend on it.