Student Shopping Through an Interfacing System - Assignment Example

?Shared shopping system The 21st century continues to present solutions, through technology, to prevalent problems around the world. Computersystems simplify the undertaking of tiring responsibilities that would have consumed a lot of time. Shopping has become one of those activities easily carried out through an interfacing system. The system designed here seeks to offer assistance in grocery shopping to students sharing accommodation. While shopping consumes a lot of energy and time, online shopping can immensely simplify the activity, and make shopping interesting. The system aims at ensuring the developed design displays simplicity and user friendliness. This shall ensure students utilise the system significantly once it becomes operational. PACT analysis People The system targets students living in shared accommodation. Shopping malls and supermarkets shall adopt the system through which grocery orders shall be received from students. The system shall be available online, and accessible from computers as well as other devices with internet connection like mobile phones. Availability of the system online would attract a surmountable number of students into using the system. Majority of these students own, and have access to these devices. The students shall be able to order through an online system from devices of their choice. This immensely simplifies the shopping experience as individuals can choose favourite devices to use. Since students extensively use the internet, accessing this system shall become part of their routine. Individual differences of people shall be catered for through the freedom to access the system using devices of one’s choice. Majority of the targeted population can efficiently operate computers and mobile phone. These people also possess enough knowledge of the internet. The individuals, therefore, shall not require familiarisation training before using the system. The system provides guidelines for users to interface with the program controlling the system. With the system utilising commonly used devices, motivation for individuals to utilise the shopping system shall increase significantly. Activities The activities to be undertaken by the system revolve around purchasing grocery. The system contains a list of grocery items commonly used in households. Offering a list to choose from reduces the chances of forgetting an item when purchasing. A person may also remember a required item appearing on the system list. The system allows individuals to search for availability of required groceries. The supermarket database indicates the remaining amounts of stock. This allows buyers to order for available groceries only. Following every order received the system records that a purchased stock is needed. When the order becomes complete, the system produces a virtual list of all items requested. Against each item an indication of availability appears. The buyer could effectively erase items not available while retaining the ones available. At this stage the buyer gets an opportunity to review items requested. Upon reviewing, additions or subtractions of items could be performed. If no amendments required the system requests the buyer to confirm order. The order then is sent, via the internet, to the relevant grocery store awaiting delivery. These activities reduce the time taken to travel to grocery stores, and energy for carrying the groceries to the residence. Context The context of this system lies in establishing a reliable online shopping system. The congestion of people within supermarkets and other grocery stores necessitates a different approach towards grocery purchasing. There appears to be an increasing need to change the shopping habits of individuals aimed at reducing the congestion. This system allows individuals to make grocery orders at the comfort of their residence. The activity may also be carried out in remote locations outside residences. The ability to undertake these activities without physical presence at shopping malls simplifies shopping significantly. Shopping experience become interesting as individuals do not have to queue in supermarkets when making payments. The system remains user friendly as internet knowledge suffices the operation of the system. The utilisation of the internet could significantly attract the number of students using the system. The students utilise internet in almost all responsibilities they undertake. Integrating shopping into the other internet activities makes the experience interesting. It also entices students into shopping through their favourite technological tool. The organisation shall also immensely benefit from the system. Since few people shall visit the supermarkets, the displaying space for groceries could be utilised for other purposes. Numerous orders could also be taken and delivered together. Financial benefits seem imminent with reduced delivery cost following large quantity deliveries. Technology Technology defines the quality of the system established in relation to existing systems performing similar functions. The system requires maintaining of an updated database of the grocery stock levels. Each of the various supermarkets requires a server for storing the database information. The system automatically updates the database upon receiving valid orders. When the supermarkets purchase stocks, the database shall be updated manually. Communication between the buyers and the supermarkets shall be carried through wireless internet connections. Interfacing shall be enabled between the server and computers or internet enabled mobile phones. The system utilises a compatible connection method. This shall ensure a large number of people can access the system. The system does not support internet advertising or contain lager photos. This makes the system accessible even from WAP-enabled mobile phones. Reducing the content also allows for quick transmission of information from devices to the server. This capability reduces the time taken for transactions to take place. The simplicity of the technology used within the system improves the ability for individuals to understand the entire system. In the future, the system might include other items sold within the premises. The system could integrate social networks allowing users to comment and share information regarding the system. Observations Students in a shared accommodation type of living encounter various problems whilst planning for their shopping. The process required for going to a mall and queue wastes a lot of essential class time. It is hectic, time consuming and a tedious activity. Above all this, it is not an interesting venture. This part expounds on some facts that students have to encounter in the day to day shopping ventures. These are some of the problems that this system seeks to do away with. The scenario below is not a surprise in almost all learning institutions: - The main aim of the online grocery system is reduction of the time required for shopping, by automating the process. In the case of the queue above, it is common place to find the students missing out on their desired foodstuffs due to depletion. With a system that has a dynamic database that is being updated in real time, such a problem cannot occur as it will be possible to view the available foodstuffs and make the necessary orders. The online system will also make the shopping venture an interesting venture for the students. For years now, shopping for grocery is very important for all households, students involved. It is normal to find groups of students walking to the local supermarkets to have the goods of their choice. Like the changes in the families where all couples find themselves at work and too busy to shop, students spend more of their time in classes and doing part time jobs. This makes the shopping process a headache to most and so an online solution becomes the tool of choice (Fast Company, 1999). Presently, most people are opting to go online though most groceries aim at the high end markets. The students, being not in this category, do not enjoy these facilities. This is the reason that you will find most of them in malls, looking for groceries. Coming up with a solution that will be both competitive and fun is a proper way of winning the student market. Secondary research Statistical polls and various online surveys have shown the increase in the number of internet grocery shopping. There are various components like Sobeys that have indicated the current upward trend. Advances in technology and more considerations of business strategies have been able to enable grocery vendors and companies to automate their warehouses and also offer various other services in addition (Thompson and Strickland, 2001). The online system will also make the shopping venture an interesting venture for the students. In the late 1980’s the earliest online grocery, Peapod, was founded. In the recent past, groceries are coming up in the world. The main idea behind coming up with the online stores is to bring the things that people need most in their lives to their door steps and at competitive prices. One of the most successful online groceries, apart from peapod is grocery gateway. This store was started by two university graduates who needed to get something out of the internet. Amongst the reasons that the grocery is doing fine is the type of control system that is used. It is a way ahead of the other common ecommerce websites as it controls all the stages of ecommerce in the transaction. The company also takes subtle care of the clients. This is mainly due to the fact that they make up the most important component of the site. There is a distinct method of hiring the people who are responsible for delivering products to doorsteps as they represent the face of the company. They have a face to face delivery system that is friendly and controlled. This is an important method that assists the company to attract more customers to shop for groceries online (Consumer Interest Annual, 2000). The shopping process in one of the groceries online is as explained below; - One logs in to their web page and creates an account with them The user makes an order for the grocery that they want. Due to various needs, one has to know the size that they require The orders close at midnight for the following day where all the orders are sent to the employees who do it like a normal grocery. In this manner, the employees pick the items from the shopping rows and scan them as they are fed into the shopping baskets. All orders are taken care of at a certain prescribed time In case an item is missing on the list due to maybe depletion, the customer was allowed to pick a substitute. If the substitute happens to be at a higher price, the customer takes it at the price of the original item. The online system has a filter for the dietary concerns of the customers The orders are packed and put in large shopping bins for delivery to the customers. The system has a guarantee for all items being fresh and returning is allowed if the customer is dissatisfied with the order. Delivery is monitored by a computer system and all the clients are aware of the delivery time within a given time frame. There is paying of a delivery fee and the prices are very fair. Visualisation The system will function in almost the same manner as the description in the system above. Care will be taken on the initial appearance of the web page to make appealing to the eye. Good photographs will be essential such as below: The system needs to have an impression that is cool, appealing, and attractive to students. Taking the fact that the shopping experience needs to be a relaxed moment, the website will be less official. It will incorporate the use of more visual images and texts where necessary only. The system will have a real tine functioning database. This will be very important to ascertain that all orders are valid. It would be very frustrating for someone to get an order approved and have the items not delivered. The home page will be more pictorial with a login and sign up panel (Chong et al. 2011). The system will welcome returning customers with a reminder of their last order. Such a salutation will be something like. “Hi Eric, How was our......”. This will act to make the customers feel more at home. Conclusion This report has issued a PACT analysis for the shared student shopping system, the system of choice being an online grocery. The PACT analysis has been closely followed up by an observation of the current situation in the accommodation facilities and thus the changes that the system can bring. A slight visualisation of what te system will be has also been given. The report hopes to equip the reader with an idea of the proposed student shopping system. References Chong, Kevin et al. (2011). Online Grocery shopping. [Online]. Available at: http://www.freewebs.com/aimeili/onlinegrocery.pdf [Accessed 29, 01, 2012]. Consumer Interest Annual (2000). Online Grocery Shopping: An analysis of current opportunities and future potential. Consumer Interest Annual, 46. Fast Company (1999). FC Roper Starch Survey: The Web [Online]. Available at: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/28/survey.html [Accessed 29, 01, 2012]. Thompson, A. and Strickland, A. (2001). Strategic Management Concepts. New Jersey: McGraw Hill. Read More