GR1 - Project Proposal and Analysis

Problem Statement

Dorm management staff have difficulty conducting smooth operation of dorm resident inflow/outflow, as well as physical maintenance of the dorm; the necessitated use of paperwork and decentralized tools make these tasks inconvenient.

Group Members: Viet-Tran Nguyen, Sumit Gogia, Daniel Martelly

User Classes

• Dorm Manager
  • Hired from outside of MIT to manage two buildings including Next House (primary) and Tang Building
  • Keeps track of housing condition, desk workers, maintenance
  • Using software provided by campus housing
  • Tasks involve using both web application and paper
• Desk Worker
  • Hired from outside of MIT to work approximately 8 hours a day at a dorm
  • Tend to be in their late twenties
  • Comfortable using computers   

Breakdown of Some Common Tasks

1. Physical Maintenance 

Basic breakdown

1. Dorm management is alerted to maintenance requirement.
2. Management files maintenance report.
3. Dorm management sends request to staff for maintenance.
4. Staff makes repairs to affected parts of dorm.
5. Staff informs management of issue and resolution.
6. Management files report on maintenance conduction.

Key points of communication

• Management informs maintenance staff that maintenance is required.
• Maintenance staff informs management of maintenance conduction.

2. Moving in to a room

Basic breakdown

1. Room must have been cleaned before new resident is allowed to move in
2. Dorm manager sends email to desk workers giving the all clear
3. Resident receives email saying they are cleared to move in
4. Resident physically meets desk worker to check in and receive key
5. Resident moves in
6. An email is sent to resident after a week to check up on them

Key points of communication

• Room is cleaned
• Room is available for moving in
• Room has been moved in to
• Check up email has been sent

Interviews

Users include the classes mentioned as interview subjects. Essentially, they are all people who need to keep track of dorm facility availability, usage, and maintenance, as well as living conditions of the various residents, though at varying levels.  

Dorm Manager

The dorm manager is hired as a full-time employee to manage a residential dorm. His primary tasks are to maintain the dorm's physical condition, and oversee the moving of long-term students in and out of the dorm. He does this by recording information in paper reports, as well as using decentralized software tools for communications with staff and updating building information.

Requirements

1. Prefers to have centralized tools to manage his house/dorm including keeping track of student move in/move out during school year
2. Prefers a modernized and visual display instead of dense text, spreadsheet, or paper-based documentation. 
3. Want an alternative way where students can supply pictures to report problems with facility to make it easier for him to identify the problem.
4. Wants a way to keep track of all the current maintenance being done in the dorm.

Desk Worker

This desk worker is hired to help house management by aiding the house manager in his tasks, except serving as a more accessible liaison. Typically, they are the one that dorm residents come into contact with first when initiating moving in/out, before the manager is contacted, and also manage information when the house manager is busy conducting various other tasks, such as by checking students' move statuses, exchanging their keys, and toggling card access. 

Requirements

1. Needs a visual tool for looking over room occupancy information.
2. Needs an organized, electronic tool for keeping track of which students are moving where.
3. Needs a way to notify management and be notified by management of student move process.
   1. Example Key exchange
4. Needs to be able to file reports on maintenance in absence of manager.

From these interviews, we conclude that dorm management staff typically want to have a centralized location to view and update information about the living condition of residents of the dorm, as well as view and update information about the physical maintenance of the dorm.