EINSTEIN ON-LINE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
(SPECIALIZING IN CAREER EDUCATION)
Technical Proposal
Prepared for the Executive Director
The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB)
Prepared On: June 11, 2012
Dhaka Office
H#27&29, R#13,
Nikunja 2, Khilket
Phone: 01919672863
Proposal Prepared By: Tania Ali
USA Office
8686 W 96th Street
Lenexa, KS 66212
Phone: 1-408-493-4491
Web Tools For Education Management
Web tools for education management
June 11, 2012
To the Executive Director, Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of
Bangladesh
Dear Sir,
This proposal will outline in detail all aspects of how the Orbund Online Education Management System
will satisfy the ICMAB requirements and create an efficient and useful working flow for your
organization.
Our Online Education Management System for universities is called Einstein. The Einstein system
provides an integrated solution for instructors, administrators, and students.
I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this information in more detail. Please feel free to contact us
anytime,
Sincerely,
Md. Arefin Akanda
Marketing Executive
Orbund Bangladesh
Email: chamon@orbund.com
Phone: 01743055464, 01616658836
Arif Joarder
CEO
Orbund
Email: arif@orbund.com
Phone: 011-
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Contents
Executive Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 5
About Orbund............................................................................................................................................ 5
About ICMAB ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Identification of the Problem ................................................................................................................ 6
Justification for Proposed Work ............................................................................................................ 6
Objectives for this project ..................................................................................................................... 6
Hardware requirements ............................................................................................................................ 7
Software requirements ............................................................................................................................. 7
Orbund software development tools ........................................................................................................ 8
Required Technical Resources (for ICMAB)............................................................................................... 9
Database Architecture............................................................................................................................... 9
Data Flow Diagram ..................................................................................................................................10
Database server & Development code ...................................................................................................10
System Implementation ..........................................................................................................................10
Meetings & Training Process ...................................................................................................................11
Step 1: Kickoff Meeting .......................................................................................................................11
Step 2: Progress Meetings ...................................................................................................................11
Step 3: Training....................................................................................................................................11
System implementation Gaant Chart (sample based on 6/18 start date -subject to change) ..............12
Client Services ......................................................................................................................................... 13
Existing data ............................................................................................................................................13
ICMAB existing accounts software integration process ..........................................................................13
Work Plan ................................................................................................................................................ 14
Forms .......................................................................................................................................................20
Security ........................................................................................................................................................21
Application Security ................................................................................................................................21
Data Security ........................................................................................................................................... 21
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Technical Support ........................................................................................................................................22
Einstein Cost ................................................................................................................................................23
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Executive Overview
About Orbund
Orbund Systems is a leading provider of web based University administration software. We provide
powerful, easy to use solutions for a wide variety of educational facilities, including K-12, Universities
and career schools.
ICMAB would optimally benefit from the Orbund Einstein solution which is a complete, web-based,
advanced career institute workflow solution. Einstein can manage all aspects of your institute from
student information management and on-line applications to professional certification.
Orbund Software was launched in 2003 in the United States by Mr. Arif Joarder. We have well over 150
clients around the world, including seven prestigious university clients in Bangladesh. Orbund has offices
in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Lenexa, Kansas in the United States.
About ICMAB
The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) is the only national institute
in the country providing training and education in the field of cost and management accounting. The
organization’s objectives include:
•
Regulate and develop the Cost and Management Accounting profession in Bangladesh
•
Confer high quality professional degrees in Cost and Management Accounting
•
Training and education to corporate managers and students of CMA for to enhance their
capability in the fields of Cost and Management Accounting
•
Develop knowledge, skills and competence of the CMAs towards supporting economic
development of the country
•
Help adoption and implementation of International Accounting Standards (IAS) and
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Bangladesh
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Identification of the Problem
Current work processes at ICMAB are primarily handled through manual means, which can result in loss,
error and misapplication of data. Delays in processing as a result of a slower system can also be time
consuming and a waste of resources.
Justification for Proposed Work
As the institute grows and has an increased influx of data to maintain and process, an intelligent
automated system such as Orbund Einstein will greatly assist in streamlining the tasks and workflow.
Security and integrity of data is also ensured through the usage of our system.
In the long run, you will see a definite reduction of costs as a result of data errors and a return on your
investment as you witness ICMAB streamlined processes, making your work easier, more secure and
faster every day.
Objectives for this project
•
•
•
•
•
Manage the application/enrollment process
Track and manage student information
Track and manage instructor information, grades, etc.
Capture and manage all existing data
Create a system that will grow with your organization
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Hardware requirements
The Orbund Einstein is a web based system. All application software and data are stored on dedicated
cloud servers managed by Orbund Systems. The application server is in one location only, and all
locations share the same code base. The cloud servers are scalable to any configuration depending on
the load a client is expecting. We can easily add more processors, memory and storage space as needed.
This means that the ICMAB does not need to make any major hardware purchases. All that is required is
a personal computer powered by a Pentium (or newer processor) with internet access and containing
Windows XP (or newer) or Linux/Unix Systems. Apple computers and browsers are also supported.
Software requirements
This system only requires a web browser and an internet connection for operation as Einstein is a web
based solution. User name and password will be required to access the system. Any of the following
browsers are free to download and install and will work with the Orbund system:
1. Internet Explorer 8 for the following operating systems:
•
•
•
•
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2008
(Generally the later the version the better the security, speed and performance)
2. Mozilla Firefox version 6.0 or newer
3. Google Chrome 13.0
4. Apple Safari 5.0 or newer
The optimal speed for using the Orbund Einstein system is 1 mbps. However, the system can also run
well at 512 kbps with 2-3 people using the system concurrently. The number of people that can use the
system concurrently would depend on the connection fitness and speed. Internet fitness refers to the
strength of the connection- for e.g. a broadband internet connection would be better to handle system
requirements that a wireless modem connection.
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Orbund software development tools
Typically, the software runs on a Linux server with MySQL .1 database. The software is written in JAVA
and is therefore platform independent. For data security, we provide SSL digital certificates.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a protocol which is the method of choice for securing data transmissions
across the Internet. SSL is an integral part of most Web browsers and Web servers and makes use of the
public-and-private key encryption system. In order to make an SSL connection, the SSL protocol requires
that a server should have a digital certificate installed. A digital certificate is an electronic file that
uniquely identifies individuals and servers. Digital certificates serve as a kind of digital passport or
credential which authenticate the server prior to the SSL session being established.
Typically, digital certificates are signed by an independent and trusted third party to ensure their
validity. The "signer" of a certificate is known as a Certification Authority (CA), such as VeriSign, thawte
and GeoTrust.
The basic platform for the Orbund Einstein software is Java. We use JSP scriptlets to generate all the
business logic for the Academics and financial dealings. We provide communication gateways to other
software via Web services with REST and SOAP technologies.
SOAP refers to Simple Object Access Protocol. SOAP is mostly used for Enterprise applications to
integrate wide types and no. of applications and another trend is to integrate with legacy systems, etc.
The acronym REST stands for Representational State Transfer; this basically means that each unique URL
is a representation of some object. You can get the contents of that object using an HTTP GET, to delete
it, you then might use a POST, PUT, or DELETE to modify the object (in practice most of the services use
a POST for this).
Our database primarily is MySQL though we do provide data storage using other providers like Microsoft
Access, MS SQL Server, PostgreSQL etc.
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Required Technical Resources (for ICMAB)
The Orbund Einstein system is an easy to use web based software providing different levels of access
and functionality to students, instructors, administrators and other staff as needed.
A dedicated administrator to manage the system is preferable (this would ideally be a technically
trained person). In addition, sub-administrators may manage specific functionalities of the system. For
example, an institution has a dedicated administrator to manage the system, while there may be
Registrars to handle registrations and Accountants to handle the accounts/financial section.
We recommend that ICMAB assign a dedicated technically sound resource as the Administrator who has
been completely trained to use and manage the Orbund Einstein system. The sub-administrators can be
university staff members or faculty. In most cases, the users will find the system intuitive and simple to
use regardless of technical ability.
Database Architecture
Orbund uses the UNICORE (UNiform Interface to COmputing REsources) grid computing technology that
provides seamless, secure, and intuitive access to a distributed Grid resource such as cluster systems
and information stored in databases.
The architecture of UNICORE consists of three layers, namely user, server, and target system tier. The
user tier is represented by various clients. The clients use SOAP Web services to communicate with the
server tier. The servers are accessible only via the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol. Available UNICORE
services include job submission and job management, file access, file transfer (both client-server and
server-server), storage operations, and workflow submission and management.
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Data Flow Diagram
Database server & Development code
We host our software in our own dedicated server including the database and the application. We do
not provide hosting in the client site. The application server is in one location only, and all locations
share the same code base.
System Implementation
You will be assigned a system implementation manager. This manager will arrange an initial kick-off
meeting with you (the client) to discuss any special needs and establish an implementation time line.
The manager would be the primary contact during the implementation period of the system
configuration. Any modification requests and usage clarification will be provided by the manager before
the system goes Live.
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Meetings & Training Process
Step 1: Kickoff Meeting
This meeting is intended to introduce the new client to their project management team. During the
meeting, the Project Manager would gain an understanding of any customization and general goals that
will need to be addressed throughout the implementation. During the first several weeks of this
process, Orbund will collect all the data files in association with ICMAB to begin migrating data into the
Einstein database.
Step 2: Progress Meetings
These meetings are intended to provide implementation updates for the client every two weeks. The
client's Project Manager will do a “screen-share” meeting online to show the client all progress since
the last meeting. The client is then able to critique the look & feel, functionality, and work that has
been completed up to that date. These meetings will continue throughout the implementation of six
months (120 working days).
Step 3: Training
Once the client is satisfied with the system functionality, Orbund will begin training client
representatives on how to use the system in preparation for launch. Orbund provides unlimited web
training. We also provide on-site training for large groups, and may charge a small travel fee for
consistent on-site training (if we have to come and train on site on a regular basis). Costs are shown on
the cost page of this document.
After the deployment data is received by Orbund, you will be provided with a deployment schedule.
Custom programming feature requests may prolong the deployment time frame.
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System implementation Gaant Chart
(sample based on 6/18 start date -subject to change)
Web tools for education management
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Client Services
After the system goes live you may start using the system per design. From that point the
implementation team will assign you a new contact person from the client service department to
address any ongoing questions and issues.
Existing data
Orbund will collect the student data from ICMAB in any of the following formats:
•
•
•
Microsoft Access
Microsoft Excel
Any other CSV (comma separated value) format
Orbund will work with ICMAB to ensure that the data is uploaded efficiently in the correct format.
Orbund will carry out any data conversions as needed.
ICMAB existing accounts software integration process
ICMAB currently is using accounting software to manage their internal accounting affairs. Orbund will
build a custom desktop application to communicate with the accounting software database and the
Orbund database and synchronize the data between the two packages, the synchronization of which will
eventually be automated. The data from the accounting software database will be compared with the
data in the Orbund system. When the comparison is completed- part or all the data in the target
database will be updated to match the data in the source database.
Data will then be fired from this desktop application to the Orbund system either at 30 minute intervals
or at any other time interval as specified by ICMAB.
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Work Plan
ICMAB WORKFLOW
ORBUND EINSTEIN SYSTEM FLOW
1. Student goes to an online form to fill
out in order to determine admission
eligibility. If the student meets
admission requirements, he/she will
have to visit the ICMAB admission
office to pay admission fees. The
student will go to ICMAB Accounts
office and pay the Application form
fees, and then the Accounts office will
provide a money receipt.
Student goes to an open (accessible without
login) online form on the ICMAB website to
determine admission eligibility. Student fills
out form and hits the submit button. The
Orbund system will immediately notify the
student if he/she is eligible for admission.
If the student meets admission requirements,
he/she will have to visit the ICMAB admission
office to pay admission fees. The student will
go to ICMAB Accounts office and pay the
Application form fees, and then the Accounts
office will provide a money receipt.
2. Student will give the money receipt to
the ICMAB admission office, where his
demographic and payment
information is recorded.
Student will give the money receipt to the
ICMAB admission office, where his
demographic and payment information is
recorded. The office staff (Sub-Administrator)
will access the Students->Student Records
page on the Einstein system and enter the
Student Record.
Einstein will generate a login and temporary
password for the student, which can be
provided immediately or automatically
emailed or sent by SMS to the student.
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3. Student will provide application
information to ICMAB and his/her
eligibility to take an application exam or
direct admission is considered.
Student will provide application information
to ICMAB and his/her eligibility to take an
application exam or direct admission is
considered.
Administrator will access the Students>Applications page on the Einstein system
and fill up the application form and then hit
the Submit button to post the information to
the system.
The Automatic Evaluation System in ORBUND
will then review the application and define
the status of the applicant whether they are
eligible to register directly or are required to
give an admission test. The Orbund system
will then send auto alerts as email & SMS,
defined for each status and the students will
get notified accordingly.
4. Those who passed Admission test and
who were directly selected for the
Admission, goes to Admission office
first & collects the Voucher, Then
student will go to bank & pay the
Admission fees and collects the voucher
provided by the Bank. Student gives the
voucher to the accounts office to
collect a money receipt.
Those who passed Admission test and who
were directly selected for the Admission, goes
to Admission office first & collects the
Voucher, Then student will go to bank & pay
the Admission fees and collects the voucher
provided by the Bank. Student gives the
voucher to the accounts office to collect a
money receipt.
The Orbund system generates a voucher for
the students that are eligible to take the
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Admissions test.
After the student provides payment receipt
the Registrar accesses the Students>Payment and Invoice page on the Einstein
system and enters the information, thus
updating the student’s financial information.
5. Then Student will go to the admission
office with money receipt & required
original certificates. The admission
office then verifies the certificates.
Then Student will go to the admission office
with money receipt & required original
certificates. The admission office then verifies
the certificates. If verified successfully, the
student is activated by the Administrator in
the Orbund system.
6. Students will login to the Orbund
System online as a student. Student
goes to the enrollment page in the
Orbund Systems and selects the classes
by department to get enrolled.
Students can also go to the ICMAB
Registrar’s office to get themselves
enrolled in classes. The student can
then check his classes & schedules in
the Orbund system.
Students will login to the Orbund System
online as a student.
Student will access the URL:
http://server1.orbund.com/varsity/student_f
rameset.jsp
and log in to the Orbund system with
provided login and password
Student will then go to Enrollment and
Schedules->Class Enrollment to get enrolled
in classes. Student can then check Enrollment
and Schedules->Class Schedules to check his
classes and schedules.
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7. Then exam section gives subject
exemption notice for ICMAB students.
Then Student goes to Accounts office &
pay per subject exemption fees. Then
Accounts will go to the student info in
Orbund system and give permission for
the Exemption form to appear to the
student for filling up. Students fill up the
form on the ICMAB website. ICMAB
authority checks all student exemption
forms.
Student who get subject exemption, they
will be notified from Orbund system by
email & SMS.
One and a half months from the
examination, the exam section will
automatically put in a notice to the
student in the Orbund system to fill in the
exam form & pay their fees within
deadline.
8. Before the final exam ICMAB authority
enters the student attendance &
assignment counting marks into the
Orbund system student profile. This
mark is used to calculate the automatic
charge of student invoice.
This feature will be added to the system*
This feature will be added to the system*
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9. Then student goes to bank & pays the
examination Fees, for which the Bank
provides a voucher. Student gives the
voucher to accounts office & collects a
money receipt. Then Accounts will go to
the student info and give permission for
the form to appear to the student for
filling up.
10. Students will log in to the Orbund System
for filling up the exam form. Once they
are done the ICMAB authority will get
notified and they can login to the system
to retrieve information of all the form
filled up. Then, they will enter an Exam
roll manually to each of the exam form
requester.
11. Next step- Exam office print the Students
exam cards which is automatically
generated in Orbund system & give it to
the admission office.
Students will be notified from Orbund
system by the Admission office by email
& SMS. The student collects their exam
entrance card from admission office.
12. The 1st examiner & the 2nd examiner will
enter marks of the student exam paper in
Orbund system; their difference is
automatically calculated in system. If the
difference is 25% or more, the 3rd
examiner will verify that & enter the
revised marks. There the
"Evaluation Grade" is calculated
automatically. After the grading is done
the result is published in Orbund system.
This feature will be added to the system*
13. Students see their result in Orbund
system from their own account.
Orbund System generates the three
ICMAB types of tabulation sheets, grade
sheets & transcripts automatically.
Students can go to Reports and Transcripts
in the Orbund System to see their grades.
This feature will be added to the system*
This feature will be added to the system*
This feature will be added to the system*
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Forms
Orbund will design and create your proprietary forms and make them accessible from the system. Below
is an example of the “Application for Exemption” Form, which a student will be able to access and fill in
the Orbund system.
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Security
Application Security
At Orbund, user privacy is of utmost importance. All passwords are encrypted. If you lose your
password, we only have ability to reset the password by request of your system administrator.
The application has been signed using an SSL digital certificate (the same technology used by other
educational, financial and medical technology systems). This prevents hackers from accessing the
password via network tapping or any other means. We provide randomly generated passwords initially,
but the user has the ability to change the passwords. The application is hosted in a dedicated server
closely monitored by our expert network administrators.
Data Security
We use a MySQL database, one of the more stable and trusted databases available. Data on our servers
is backed up daily and stored in a secured secondary hard drive so that we can quickly and easily recover
from any unforeseen circumstances or disasters. Secondary backups are also kept in a separate secure
data center. We can also provide an audit report of all activities on your university account within 24
hours upon request.
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Technical Support
We provide technical support service through the following channels:
1. Live chat support – administrators, teachers and students can chat live with our
technical support team right from the application. The chat support hours in
Bangladesh time are:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
9 am – 6 pm and 8 pm – 5 am
9 am – 6 pm and 8 pm – 5 am
9 am – 6 pm and 8 pm – 5 am
9 am – 6 pm and 8 pm – 5 am
9 am – 12 pm and 8 pm – 5 am
OFF
9 am – 6 pm
2. Phone support – will be provided during office hours 9am till 6pm. Our customer
service numbers are +8801672658836 and +8801919672863.
3. Urgent Assistance Call Back – One can fill out an urgent assistance form on our
website for the quickest response time. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week.
4. Email support - will be provided within 24 hours. Please email us with questions at
chamon@orbund.com.
5. Enter any issues in Mantis (bug fixing software) that we will give you access to. This
will help both you and us keep track of and allow our team to fix the issues.
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Einstein Cost
Einstein provides complete functionality, including access for administrators, teachers, and students;
this fee includes hosting, implementation, training, and support.
Einstein Pricing:
Standard Installation & Training Charge-
Tk
Monthly Service Charge -
Tk /month
Additional charges may apply for custom programming for reports and functionality
development. We have identified the following reports and functionality as requested by
ICMAB:
1. Online application Form
Tk
2. Application for Exemption
Tk
3. Application for De Novo Registration
Tk
4. Application for Admission Test
Tk
5. Application for Testimonial
Tk
6. CMA Exam Result
Tk
7. Finance data export
Tk
8. On-site training travel fees
Tk
•
Course Enrollment (the standard functionality may be sufficient)
•
Semester Result (the standard functionality may be sufficient)
•
Attendance Sheet (the standard functionality may be sufficient)
•
Pointed Mark Sheet (the standard functionality may be sufficient)
•
Admit Card (the standard functionality may be sufficient)
Orbund uses the Service (SaaS) model. Thus, the upfront cost for deploying the system is less
than if one were to purchase the full system. In addition to providing the software, and regular
technical support, we also provide regular feature upgrades and free customizations per your
requirements.
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