Table of Contents
Part One
Choose a system that already exists in the real world that has elements of software and hardware that work together to make an information system.
Part Two
Analyse and describe this system using the most appropriate tools available to you, presenting all your findings on no more than 2xA4 pieces of paper.
Part 3
Modify the design of this system to improve it. Show your modifications on no more than 2xA4 sheets of paper
Bag Weight Change Flowchart
Signature Check Flowchart
Changes to Hardware
Part 4
Justify your modifications, explaining their purpose and how they improve the system on a separate piece of paper
Reasons for Signature Check Flowchart change
Reasons for Bag Weight Change Flowchart change
Reasons for hardware change
Part One
Choose a system that already exists in the real world that has elements of software and hardware that work together to make an information system.
I have selected the Self Serve Checkout system that can be found at Big W and Woolworths. This information system could be modified for improvement. Reasons for the improvement is that some of the main processes in self serve checkouts actually slow down the process rather then improving the speed of a checkout. Processes that involve credit cards where a signature is needed for the transaction to be completed delay the process as a person needs to come and check to see whether the signature is correct. Also people with large heavy items cannot scan the item across the self serve scanner; a supervisor has to step in and scan the item, taking up valuable time. These and many more issues are reasons why Self Serve Checkouts need to be improved, these are listed below.
- The time efficiency requires that the customers using the machine be reasonably competent. An inexperienced customer can cause the same sort of delays as an inexperienced cashier on a normal checkout.
- When buying in large numbers, you have to scan each one individually and place in the bagging area making it repetitive and boring, which may cause customer error
- The bagging scale doesn’t properly register the weight of the items purchased. It often falsely report that un-scanned items have been bagged, or that scanned items were not placed in the bag. These false alerts halt the checkout process and require the store attendant to come and approve the weight exception.
- The self serve checkout is also vulnerable to shoplifters as they can change barcodes on items to cheaper items.
All these problems and needs through intelligent design will be overcome.
Part Two
Analyse and describe this system using the most appropriate tools available to you, presenting all your findings on no more than 2xA4 pieces of paper.
The self serve checkout system allows customers to purchase their items more privately and to save time. It was introduced to become and alternative to normal checkouts where it can run two to about six checkouts rather then just the one.
Self serve checkouts work by having a connection to a main database and server that connects itself with a bank server to manage money. The connected database contains each item in the stores database and a set value for weight for the item. A user scans the items and places them onto a bagging area. The system weighs the item to check if it is the item scanned and informs the user if there are any abnormalities in the weight. Users have the ability to pay with any means necessary, except for cheque. Each self serve checkout has the ability to take credit cards, eftpos cards and cash.
This Data Flow Diagram displays the data that is being passed around whenever a customer purchases items from the store. This DFD is used to give further detail in the operations of the Self serve checkouts operating in Big W and Woolworths Stores around Australia.
Part 3
Modify the design of this system to improve it. Show your modifications on no more than 2xA4 sheets of paper
Changes to Hardware
Some changes to hardware include:
- A more responsive system, faster processing time between scanning and payment. This will be achieved by faster CPU’s and faster acting storage and RAM.
- Improved security when typing pin for eftpos and credit card purchases. This will be achieved by a casing system in the register where no-one but the user can see details being entered.
- Improved scanners, as the current system works only by having a full barcode. This could be created by adding a retractable scanner which would only need to see a small amount of the barcode or even an APN number.
Having a board to display tutorials on how to operate each register will help with time management.
Part 4
Justify your modifications, explaining their purpose and how they improve the system on a separate piece of paper
Reasons for Signature Check Flowchart change
Reasons for this change include the time period it takes for a register operator to come and approve transactions. The main purpose of self serve checkouts was to save time through checkouts, having the checkout operator check your signature every time you shop will affect shopping time.
Reasons for Bag Weight Change Flowchart change
Reasons for this change include how much time is taken from users scanning an item and the register improperly registers the item. Time is taken away from register operators to come and fix the problem. On the system they may be the same weight but commonly not all items have the same weight as what is imputed into the system. This change helps this process as it allows the customer to continue shopping if the weight does not match, it alerts the user and checkout operator but does not take any time away. The customer is allowed to continue shopping. Furthermore this allows the user to scan multiple items of the same type quicker and more efficiently, then when finished, placing them in the bagging area.
Reasons for hardware change
- A reason for improvement on hardware speed is that on most registers the response time is slow and this can frustrate and annoy customers, slowing them down. This in turn may force errors that checkout operators have to fix. Faster registers improve speeds through checkouts rather then delays between items.
- A reason for the security improvement is that at the moment most self serve checkouts have the card reader up high and open for everyone to see. Placing the scanners and digit inputs into the register itself will improve identity theft significantly making customers feel safer when shopping.
- Reasons for the retractable scanners include scanning items that are large and bulky that can not be scanned conventionally and also used to scan items that have dirty or damaged barcodes. These scanners will also have the option to manually type in the barcode/key code of their item.