A final-year capstone project that replaces spreadsheet-driven lecturer honorarium calculations with a role-aware, web-based application. The system mirrors the existing Excel rules and formulas so finance teams can keep their policies intact—while gaining transparency, consistency, and real-time results.
What It Solves
- Single source of truth: calculations are centralized and reproducible—no more scattered Excel files.
- Real-time totals: updates reflect immediately when inputs (load, sessions, rates) change.
- Transparency: lecturers and program staff can see their own figures according to their roles.
- Error reduction: validated inputs and fixed formula logic reduce manual mistakes.
Main Features
- Formula engine: implements the same honorarium rules previously used in Excel (rates, multipliers, deductions/allowances) so outcomes match legacy spreadsheets.
- Data entry: courses/teaching load, session counts, and lecturer assignments with basic validations.
- Role-based views: finance/admin, program/coordinator, and lecturer dashboards with scoped access.
- Reports: period summaries and per-lecturer breakdowns, export-ready for reconciliation.
Outcome & Context
The application achieved parity with the department’s spreadsheet calculations and was recommended by the supervising lecturer for use after completion—highlighting gains in transparency, speed, and maintainability compared to manual Excel workflows.
Tech Stack
- Backend: Yii2 (PHP) with MySQL.
- Frontend: Bootstrap, HTML/CSS; pragmatic jQuery for interactions.
Status
Completed (2019) — delivered as a thesis project and designed for departmental adoption.