System Analysis - Essay Example

SYSTEM ANALYSIS System Analysis Affiliation Part1: Point of Sale (POS) Systems Point of Sale (or simply POS) system is widely used in retail shops or stores, normally placed at the checkout/cashier counter in the store, or a place where such transactions can take place in this type of environment. Basically, traditional cash registers are replaced with a computerized POS terminal. However, it is a great deal more complex than the cash registers for the reason that the POS system can have the capability to keep track of orders placed by the customers, carry out transactions via debit and credit cards. At the present, point of sale systems have the capability to connect to other systems in a network, and are widely used to deal with inventory. Normally, a point of sale system is based on a personal computer, which encompasses I/O devices and application-specific programs for the specific surroundings in which it will work. Additionally, there are a wide variety of POS systems which are used in different environments. The functionality and processed included with a POS system depends on the nature and functionality of the business. For instance, a point of sale system for a restaurant should contain a list of all menu items which are stored in a database. In addition, this database will be used by the POS system operator to query for information in many ways. In fact, a large number of business organizations and industries use POS terminals that have a point of sale for instance a help desk, comprising lodging, restaurants, museums, and entertainment. In the past few years there have been huge developments in the field of information technology. As the Internet is increasingly used in every walk of life in the same way, point of sale terminals is now supported through the Internet, which provide an excellent support for remote training and operations management, and keeps track of inventory all through geographically-dispersed locations (Rouse, 2011; POSmatic, Inc., 2013). In addition, POS terminals can be applied to physical POS software and hardware comprising however not limited to touchscreen display, electronic cash register systems, barcode scanners, scales, receipt printers and pole displays. As discussed above, POS systems offer a large number of advantages for all the businesses and industries. The uses and applications of POS systems vary from business to business. Different organizations use different POS systems. In fact, at the present POS systems are used in a large number of different organizations and industries varying from hotels, restaurants and hospitality businesses, casinos, nail/beauty salons, stadiums, and the most important area of its implementation is the retail environments. In simple words, if something can be traded for financial rate a POS System can be utilized (POSmatic, Inc., 2013; Rouse, 2011). An organization can get a number of advantages of POS systems. Some of the major advantages of POS systems are outlined below: Decrease Shrinkage: In view of the fact that inventory rates and quantities can be maintained in a synchronized manner, hence getting an understanding of shrinkage becomes trouble free. In addition, today’s point of sale systems encompasses a wide variety of functions regarding inventory and receiving. In fact, if an organization make use of these functions effectively it will help them identify reasons behind the decrease "out of stock" situations, inventory loss, and makes overall business management trouble-free (Carolina Barcode, 2013; Ray, 2013). Deal with Particulars: Without a doubt, coupons, discounts and sales promotions are sometimes vital to catching the attention of the majority of the new customers and retaining old customers. In this scenario, a point of sale system computerizes the operations of maintaining and tracking existing and marked down prices. In addition, point of sale systems are aimed at reconciling and managing short-term discounting quickly and automatically (Carolina Barcode, 2013; Ray, 2013). Manage Control: It is an admitted fact that customer support and business performance and quality suffer when staff is not on site. In this scenario, point of sale systems allows business organizations to keep record of volume and performance business staff is absent (Carolina Barcode, 2013; Ray, 2013). Improved Business Performance: Point of sale system reduces the need to be in no doubt inventory discrepancies as well as cash register understanding. In fact, with point of sale systems business employees have a tendency to income generating activities for instance effectively dealing with customers and effective customer support. In this scenario, point of sale system radically decreases the endeavor needed to keep track of inventory as well as another boring paperwork. In addition, improved business performance ensures superior customer pleasure, lower expenditures and maximizes sales (Carolina Barcode, 2013; Ray, 2013). Well-timed and Exact Reporting: With the point of sale system an organization can better examine sales data. In this scenario, these systems allow business organizations to determine the advantages of advertising and operations. In addition, these systems allow business organizations to determine what items already exist and in what quantity. In fact, the organization can recognize the items with high margin and support them further. In addition, with a point of sale system an organization can simply compute gross revenue, expenditures and profit on a daily basis. Moreover, the availability of past data study allows the organization to predict future needs . Typical Credit Card Reader, Image Source: (POSmatic, Inc., 2013) Part 2: Mobile Communication Systems At the present, billions of people around the world are using cellular phones. This new cellular telephony has offered a great gadgets technology that facilitates us to communicate and talk to anyone on the planet from anywhere. In addition, nowadays cell phones offer an unbelievable array of facilities and functions, in addition to latest cellular telephony technology are being added at a breakneck speed. However, the question “how cell phone works” emerges in the minds of people. Brain, Tyson, & Layton (2009) stated that it is a really interesting fact that cellular mobile communication technology is an advanced form of radio. In other words, it can be said that new mobile phones are very complicated radio; however it is not a radio. In addition, Alexander Graham Bell invented the present telephone system in 1876, and Nikolai Tesla invented the wireless communication technology and radio in 1880s. However, it was simply natural that telephone and wireless communication technology have been combined to presently offer us a great technology and communication advantage (Brain, Tyson, & Layton, 2008; Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005; Hagn & Markwitz, 2000). The fundamentals of mobile and cellular technology employ the traditional radio spectrum using the mobile system operators for offering the mobile services. However, the mobile technology spectrum is normally recognized as a scarce resource.  In addition, it has conventionally been shared by different industries, such as mobile communications, broadcasting and the military. In 1993, at the World Radio Conference (WRC), the radio spectrum sharing intended for 2G mobile were decided based upon on expected expansion at the time.  In addition, at the World Radio Conference 2000, the declarations was passed regarding the enhancement in the spectrum and capacity to be employed for 3G, by permitting the utilization of present 2G radio spectrum blocks intended for 3G mobile technologies as well as offering and allocating 3G spectrum to an higher limit of 3GHz (ITU, 2009; Gupta & Montenegro, 1998; Malladi & Agrawal, 2002; Ray R. , 2004). In a mobile cellular network, mobile/cells are normally planned in set/groups of 7 to form or build a cluster.  There is a base station or cell site at the center of every mobile/cell that facilitates the receiver/transmitter switching and antennae equipment. However, the size of a mobile/cell relies on the density of cellular mobile communications subscribers in a specific region. For example, in thickly populated region, the capability of the mobile network can be enhanced through minimizing the dimension of a cell or through adding up additional overlapping cells. In addition, this augments the amount of channels obtainable without raising the real amount of frequencies being employed. Furthermore, every mobile base stations of every cell are linked to a central point, which is acknowledged as mobile switching office (MSO), as well as through microwave or fixed lines (Brain, Tyson, & Layton, 2008; Taylor, Waung, & Banan, 1996; Raju, 1996). According to Farley (2009), the MSO is usually connected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Though, the cellular technology permits the hand-off of mobile technology subscribers from one mobile to another like they move around. And this is the fundamental characteristic that permits the mobility to clients. In addition, a computer continually follows mobile users/subscribers of units inside a cell, as well as when a client arrives at the edge of a call, the computer involuntarily hands-off the mobile thus, the call is allocated to a new channel in a dissimilar cell (Farley, 2009).                  Figure 1- Cellular Mobile Communications Technology structure—{Source http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/imt-2000/technology.html] According to Taylor, Waung, & Banan (1996), the cellular system architecture is based on the requirements of users and fundamental areas of implementation offered by the mobile service providers. However, the ever increasing requirements and demands of mobile services have directed the mobile service providers to offer modern and up-to-date services and facilities to their users. Thus, in this scenario mobile service providers have established a lot of ways regarding the enhancement of the mobile quality of services. In addition, the mobile service providers have devised effective and innovative techniques to support and facilitate their users in case of augmenting demands for the mobile services. However, the main reason behind the cellular system architecture definition is the limited extent and amount of frequency spectrum obtainable for mobile. In this scenario mobile service providers offer and divide the modern cellular telephony into urban and rural areas based on the specific provisioning strategy. However, the development and implementation of these cellular network parameters, like that cell sizes, amount and cell-splitting are carried out by mobile technology engineers who are skilled in cellular system architecture. Furthermore, the cellular system architecture is basically designed to offer provisioning intended for every communication region that is designed for wireless, mobile and telephone engineering plan. And also the cellular system architecture includes the cells, frequency reuse, clusters and handovers (International Engineering Consortium, 2007; Taylor, Waung, & Banan, 1996). In cellular system architecture there are fewer numbers of radio channel frequencies available for mobile service providers. In this scenario mobile systems engineers had to discover means to recycle radio channels for achieving extra talk time at a same time. However, the solution to this problem was frequency reuse or frequency planning. The concept of frequency reuse was applied to the reformation of the mobile telephone system architecture into the cellular arrangement. In this arrangement frequency reuse is based on the set of radio channels or cells employed inside a small geographic region. In addition, the cells are allocated a set of channels that is totally dissimilar from adjacent cells. The exposure regions of cells are identified as the footprint. In addition, this footprint is restricted through a limit therefore the similar groups of channels could be employed in diverse cells those have enough distance from each other consequently their mobile frequencies do not hinder with each other (International Engineering Consortium, 2007; Taylor, Waung, & Banan, 1996). This section discusses the different cellular system components. The cellular system presents mobile as well as portable telephone stations at the similar service offered at fixed stations over usual wired loops. In addition, it has the capability to facilitate the tens of thousands of users at an urban region. Furthermore, there are four components of a cellular communications system those operate mutually to offer mobile service to mobile technology users (International Engineering Consortium, 2007; Taylor, Waung, & Banan, 1996): Public Switched Telephone Network This kind of network basically consists of exchange area networks, local network, as well as the long-haul network those are linked together for communication and telephones devices on a global basis (International Engineering Consortium, 2007; Taylor, Waung, & Banan, 1996). Mobile Telephone Switching Office This is the fundamental office for mobile user and operations switching. It facilitates the mobile switching through the mobile switching centre or MSC. In addition, the mobile telephone switching manages calls, following billing information, as well as position cellular subscribers (Taylor, Waung, & Banan, 1996; International Engineering Consortium, 2007). The Cell Site The physical location of radio systems and equipments that offer coverage inside a cell is acknowledged as a cell site. In addition, a cell site is consists of a list of hardware that could be interface equipment, power sources, receivers, radio frequency transmitters and antenna structures (Calhoun, 1998; International Engineering Consortium, 2007). Mobile subscriber Units This component is based on a transceiver and control unit for receiving and transmitting radio signals to or from the cell site (Calhoun, 1998; International Engineering Consortium, 2007). References Brain, M., Tyson, J., & Layton, J. (2008). How Cell Phones Work. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from About.com: http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.howstuffworks.com/cell%2Dphone.htm Calhoun, G. (1998). Introduction to Cellular Systems. Retrieved February 21, 2013, from LeapForum.com: http://www.leapforum.org/published/internetworkMobility/split/node30.html Carolina Barcode. (2013). Why use a POS system to manage my store? Retrieved February 24, 2013, from http://www.carolinabarcode.com/run-my-store-a-36.html Farley, T. (2009). Basic wireless principles. Retrieved February 26, 2013, from About.com: http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.privateline.com/PCS/HowPCSworks.htm Gupta, V., & Montenegro, G. (1998). Secure and mobile networking . Mobile Networks and Applications, Volume 3 Issue 4, pp. 381 - 390. Hagn, C., & Markwitz, W. H. (2000). Mobile teleworking some solutions and information security aspects. EUROCOMM 2000. Information Systems for Enhanced Public Safety and Security (pp. 322-325). Munich, Germany: Siemens AG. International Engineering Consortium. (2007). Cellular Communications. Retrieved February 10, 2010, from IEC.org: http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/cell_comm/topic03.asp ITU. (2009). About mobile technology. Retrieved 02 08, 2010, from http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/imt-2000/technology.html Malladi, R., & Agrawal, D. P. (2002). Current and future applications of mobile and wireless networks. Communications of the ACM , Volume 45 Issue 10, pp. 144 - 146. POSmatic, Inc. (2013). What is Point of Sale (POS)? Retrieved February 24, 2013, from http://www.posmatic.com/point-of-sale/what-is-point-of-sale.php Raju, V. (1996). Intelligent networking in broadband and mobile networks. Communications, 1996. ICC 96, Conference Record, Converging Technologies for Tomorrows Applications. 1996 IEEE International Conference (pp. 245 - 249). Dallas, TX: IEEE. Ray, L. (2013). How Do POS Systems Work? Retrieved February 25, 2013, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4922753_pos-systems-work.html Ray, R. (2004). Technology Solutions for Growing Businesses. New York: American Management Association (AMACOM). Rouse, M. (2011, March). point-of-sale terminal (POS terminal). Retrieved February 23, 2013, from TechTarget.com: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/point-of-sale-terminal-POS-terminal Taylor, M. S., Waung, W., & Banan, M. (1996). The Cellular Concept: Internetwork Mobility The CDPD Approach. Retrieved February 23, 2013, from LeapForum.org: http://www.leapforum.org/published/internetworkMobility/split/node33.html Turban, E., Leidner, D., McLean, E., & Wetherbe, J. (2005). Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organizations in the Digital Economy. New York: Wiley. Read More