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Shell Step Placement Presentation. Staying Away Patrick Horne. Introduction. What I was asked to do. How I did it. What the company got out if it. What I got out of it. Financial Benefits to Company. Recommendations and Conclusions. About Me. I am currently studying
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Shell Step Placement Presentation Staying Away Patrick Horne
Introduction • What I was asked to do. • How I did it. • What the company got out if it. • What I got out of it. • Financial Benefits to Company. • Recommendations and Conclusions.
About Me I am currently studying • B.Sc. (Hons.) Software Engineering • 2nd year • University of Central Lancashire Working at Staying Away • 12 weeks placement
Staying Away • 27,000 Hotels and apartments worldwide in over 60 countries • Selling accommodation online (http://www.stayingaway.co.uk) • Package deals available on phone
I-know “I know” targets specific regions:- • http://www.iknow-majorca.co.uk • http://www.iknow-canaryislands.co.uk • http://www.iknow-portugal.co.uk
My Project Create two systems • Markup System • Subscription Email System
Markup System Objectives A flexible system that would allow control of markup: • By Location (Region,Resort / City, Hotels) • By Seasons (winter and summer) • By Net Cost • Wanted Safeguards to ensure minimum profits
To make both systems I used • PHP (server-side language) • MYSQL (database language) • SFTP (a way of accessing the webserver) • User centred design and OOP.
Markup System Extremely flexible allowing several markup rules to be set up at once
Email Subscription • Targets existing customers • Allows users to sign up online
What I got out of it • A fantastic opportunity to learn new skills • Practice interview techniques • Improve PHP, MYSQL and web design • Learn about the travel industry • Become more confident and improve communication skills • Work with a dynamic small team all striving to be profitable, competitive and forward thinking • Short term contract with company until I return to University and possibility of being a full time developer for them from Summer 2008 • Excellent reference
Advantages for company • A sophisticated System. • Gives the company the ability to react to any changes in the market. • Gives a competitive edge against most of their online competitors • An email market system that allows the company to target existing customers with offers that will be of interest to them
Financial Benefits to the company • In-house development of system which would have cost £10k if outsourced • Acquired a system at least 2 years ahead could have been expected • Accelerated the growth of the business • A system which will help the company increase it profits in the next 3 years.
Recommendations • Further refinement to make the system more efficient. • Use Smarty Library • Cross Platform testing to improve compatibility with IE
Conclusion • Enjoyed the summer of 2007. • Left company knowing I have done a good job and left them with a system that works and will help the company grow. • Shell Steps supported me and matched my skills extremely well to the requirements of the company. • Learnt lots from team, had fun and would recommend the Shell Steps Project to any undergraduate.
References • www.davidniblack.com/templates/ • www.tinymce.org