# **Final Year Project Proposal & Software Requirements Specification (SRS)**
**Title:** *Messy hostel management* → **Software Solution: Smart Hostel Room Allocation & Management Web Application**
*Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) – External Degree Programme, University of Moratuwa*
---
## **1. Introduction**
### 1.1 Problem Statement
University and private hostel management in Sri Lanka is overwhelmingly **manual, error-prone, and reactive**. Common pain points include:
- **Room allocation** done via spreadsheets or paper lists—leading to double bookings or vacant rooms going unnoticed.
- **No centralized tracking** of occupancy, check-in/check-out dates, or resident details.
- **Fee collection** handled offline with no digital receipts or arrears tracking.
- **Maintenance requests** submitted verbally or via WhatsApp—often forgotten or unassigned.
- **Visitor logs** maintained in notebooks—ineffective for security or emergency contact.
- **No integration** between admissions, room assignment, and billing.
This results in:
- Administrative chaos during peak intake periods,
- Revenue leakage from untracked occupants,
- Poor student experience due to disorganization,
- Safety and compliance risks (e.g., overcrowding, unknown visitors).
### 1.2 Proposed Solution
A **web-based Hostel Room Allocation & Management System** that digitizes the entire hostel lifecycle—from application to checkout—with automation, real-time visibility, and role-based access.
Designed for **university hostels, private student accommodations, and boarding facilities**, the system ensures:
- Fair, rule-based room allocation,
- Real-time occupancy dashboard,
- Digital fee management,
- Maintenance ticketing,
- Secure visitor logging,
- Mobile-friendly access for staff and students.
---
## **2. Objectives**
- Replace paper-based and spreadsheet-driven hostel operations with a unified digital platform.
- Automate room allocation based on gender, course, year, preferences, and availability.
- Reduce administrative workload for hostel wardens and managers.
- Improve student transparency (e.g., view room status, pay fees online).
- Enhance safety through visitor logs and emergency contact tracking.
- Prevent revenue loss via accurate occupancy and fee tracking.
---
## **3. Scope**
### 3.1 In Scope
- **Web application** (mobile-responsive) for admin, warden, and student users.
- **Student portal**: Apply for hostel, view allocation status, pay fees, raise maintenance requests.
- **Admin/Warden dashboard**: Manage buildings, rooms, residents, fees, maintenance, visitors.
- **Smart room allocation engine** with configurable rules (e.g., same department, gender, no-smoking).
- **Real-time occupancy tracking** (occupied/vacant/under maintenance).
- **Fee management**: Generate invoices, track payments, flag arrears, issue digital receipts.
- **Maintenance request system**: Submit, assign, track, and close tickets.
- **Visitor log**: Register guest name, purpose, time-in/out, resident host.
- **Reporting**: Occupancy rate, fee collection summary, maintenance backlog.
- **Notifications**: Email/SMS alerts for allocation, payment due, maintenance updates.
### 3.2 Out of Scope
- Biometric access control or IoT room sensors.
- Integration with university SIS (Student Information System)—manual student data entry allowed.
- Mobile native apps (Android/iOS).
- Online payment gateway integration (e.g., Stripe, Genie)—receipt upload for offline payments only.
- Meal/laundry service management.
---
## **4. Functional Requirements**
| Module | Feature | Description |
|-------|--------|------------|
| **User Roles** | **Student** | Apply, view room, pay fee (upload proof), raise tickets |
| | **Warden** | Approve applications, assign rooms, manage daily ops |
| | **Admin** | Full control: buildings, users, reports, settings |
| **Hostel Setup** | Add Buildings & Floors | Define structure (e.g., Block A, Floor 2) |
| | Define Room Types | Single, double, triple; with amenities (AC, attached bath) |
| | Set Room Capacity & Rules | Max occupants, gender restriction, smoking policy |
| **Student Application** | Online Application Form | Name, NIC, contact, course, year, gender, preferences |
| | Upload Documents | ID, admission letter, medical certificate |
| | Application Status Tracker | Pending → Approved → Room Assigned → Checked-in |
| **Room Allocation** | Auto-Allocation Engine | Match students to rooms using rules + availability |
| | Manual Override | Warden can reassign if needed |
| | Room Swap Requests | Students can request (warden approval needed) |
| **Occupancy Management** | Real-Time Dashboard | Color-coded room status (green = vacant, red = occupied) |
| | Check-in/Check-out | Record dates, collect key, final inspection |
| | Emergency Contact Info | Stored per resident |
| **Fee Management** | Generate Monthly Invoice | Based on room type |
| | Track Payments | Mark as paid (with receipt upload) |
| | Arrears Alert | Highlight overdue accounts |
| | Fee History | Per student, exportable |
| **Maintenance** | Submit Request | Student selects room, describes issue, uploads photo |
| | Ticket Assignment | Warden assigns to staff (plumber, electrician) |
| | Status Tracking | Open → In Progress → Resolved |
| **Visitor Management** | Visitor Registration | Guest name, NIC, purpose, expected duration |
| | Auto Time-Out Alert | Notify if visitor exceeds 2 hours (configurable) |
| **Reporting** | Occupancy Report | % filled per floor/block |
| | Fee Collection Summary | Paid vs. pending |
| | Maintenance Analytics | Most common issues, avg. resolution time |
| **Notifications** | Allocation Confirmation | SMS/email when room assigned |
| | Payment Reminder | 3 days before due date |
| | Maintenance Update | When ticket status changes |
---
## **5. Non-Functional Requirements**
- **Usability**: Intuitive for non-technical wardens; student onboarding < 2 minutes.
- **Performance**: Load room map in <1.5s with 200+ rooms.
- **Security**: Role-based access; student data never visible to other students.
- **Reliability**: Daily automated backups; audit log for critical actions (e.g., room reassignment).
- **Scalability**: Support up to 1,000 residents across 5 buildings.
- **Offline Resilience**: Allow data entry during internet outages (sync when restored)—optional Phase 2.
- **Compliance**: Adhere to Sri Lankan data privacy expectations (no public exposure of NIC).
---
## **6. System Architecture**
- **Frontend**: React.js + Material UI (responsive, accessible)
- **Backend**: Node.js/Express **or** Django (Python) — REST API
- **Database**: PostgreSQL (relational, supports complex room-resident relationships)
- **File Storage**: Cloudinary or Firebase Storage (for ID/docs/photos)
- **Authentication**: JWT with role middleware
- **Notifications**: Twilio (SMS) + Nodemailer (email)
- **Hosting**: Vercel (frontend) + Render/Heroku (backend)
---
## **7. Database Design (Key Entities)**
- **Users** (`user_id`, `name`, `email`, `role`, `phone`, `password_hash`)
- **Students** (`student_id`, `user_id`, `nic`, `course`, `year`, `gender`, `emergency_contact`)
- **HostelBuildings** (`building_id`, `name`, `address`, `warden_id`)
- **Rooms** (`room_id`, `building_id`, `room_number`, `type`, `capacity`, `gender_restriction`, `status`)
- **RoomAllocations** (`allocation_id`, `student_id`, `room_id`, `check_in`, `check_out`, `status`)
- **Applications** (`app_id`, `student_id`, `room_preference`, `documents_url`, `status`)
- **Fees** (`fee_id`, `student_id`, `month`, `amount`, `due_date`, `paid`, `receipt_url`)
- **MaintenanceTickets** (`ticket_id`, `room_id`, `student_id`, `description`, `photo_url`, `assigned_to`, `status`, `resolved_at`)
- **Visitors** (`visitor_id`, `resident_id`, `name`, `nic`, `purpose`, `time_in`, `time_out`, `checked_out`)
*(Normalized to prevent duplication; e.g., one student → one user → one application.)*
---
## **8. Feature Comparison with Real-World Systems**
| Feature | **Proposed System** | **Existing Solutions (e.g., HostelPro, RoomRaccoon, Excel)** |
|--------|--------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| **Room Allocation** | Rule-based auto-assign + manual override | Manual (Excel) or rigid (commercial tools) |
| **Real-Time Occupancy Map** | Visual, color-coded dashboard | Not available in spreadsheets; paid tools only |
| **Maintenance Tracking** | Full ticket lifecycle with photos | WhatsApp/chat — no tracking or accountability |
| **Fee Management** | Digital invoices + arrears alerts | Cashbook or manual ledger — error-prone |
| **Visitor Logging** | Digital form with time-in/out | Paper register — easily bypassed |
| **Student Self-Service** | Apply, view room, request swap | None — all requests via warden |
| **Cost** | Free/low-cost open deployment | Commercial systems: LKR 20,000+/month |
| **Customization** | Built for Sri Lankan hostels (NIC, local rules) | Generic, Western-focused (e.g., dorm-style only) |
| **Tech Access** | Works on any smartphone/browser | Many require desktop + training |
> ✅ **Key Advantage**: This system is **designed for resource-constrained Sri Lankan hostels**—no payment gateways, no complex integrations, just **practical digitization**.
---
## **9. Development Roadmap**
| Phase | Duration | Deliverables |
|------|--------|-------------|
| **Phase 1** | Weeks 1–2 | Requirements finalization, DB schema, UI wireframes |
| **Phase 2** | Weeks 3–5 | Auth, user roles, hostel setup (buildings/rooms) |
| **Phase 3** | Weeks 6–8 | Student application + auto room allocation engine |
| **Phase 4** | Weeks 9–10 | Fee management + maintenance ticketing |
| **Phase 5** | Week 11 | Visitor log, reporting, notifications |
| **Phase 6** | Week 12 | Testing, deployment, documentation, demo video |
---
## **10. Expected Outcomes & Impact**
- Eliminate room allocation conflicts and vacant room waste.
- Reduce warden workload by 40–60% through automation.
- Improve student satisfaction with transparent, self-service access.
- Enhance hostel safety via digital visitor logs and emergency contacts.
- Provide a **real, deployable system** for University of Moratuwa hostels or private student accommodations.
- Fulfill all academic, technical, and innovation criteria for a BIT final-year project.
---
## **11. Conclusion**
The *Smart Hostel Room Allocation App* transforms chaotic, paper-based hostel operations into a **structured, efficient, and student-friendly digital experience**. By focusing on **Sri Lankan context**, **affordability**, and **core functionality**, it offers immediate value while serving as a robust software engineering project.
This document is **complete, detailed, and ready for development**—satisfying both **Project Proposal** and **SRS** requirements for your BIT final year submission.
---
Would you like any of the following to accompany this?
- **UML Diagrams** (Use Case, Class, Activity for room allocation)
- **Sample UI Mockups** (Room dashboard, student portal)
- **Risk Analysis & Testing Strategy**
- **BIT-compliant formatting (LaTeX or Word template)**
Just let me know—I’m ready to help you finalize and submit!
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