OVERALL DESIGN

Satisfying The Needs of the Collective Supermarket Owners:

The software development team at 10th Level Solutions has refocused the design priorities for the CSO Inventory System to better meet the needs of our customers. We have closely scrutinized feedback provided by the Collective Supermarket Owners. In addition to feedback on the initial functional specification document, the research design team of 10th level solutions have been meeting with customer groups directly to address issues of customer concern. The specification research team will be fully involved throughout the design and implementation of the CSO Inventory System to guarantee that the system will satisfy the needs of the Collective Supermarket Owners.

Addressing the Issue of Security:

Since security is a fundamental issue to the Collective Supermarket Owners, 10th Level Solutions, highly qualified specification research team have worked day and night to prepare a design to address all issues of security. Two distinct security needs have been determined.

The first security need addresses who can use the CSO inventory system and what system functions the employee can use. In order to fulfill this security need each employee must go through the process of logging into the system. Through this process the system can identify the employee using the system. Only users authorized to use the CSO Inventory System will successfully log into the system. Furthermore, logging into the system will identify the employee and define what functions they can access.

The second security need addresses what has been done to the system in the past. By maintaining records of all changes to the system databases, grocery store management can determine the source of discrepancies between system inventory records and actual inventory. To fulfill this need employees must log into the system with a unique identification name so that all records of system use are user specific.

Providing CSO the ability to Define Employee Tasks:

In the initial specification the Collective Supermarket Owners requested that employee types be given varying degrees of access to the different system functions. The CSO also requested that the management of the supermarket should have the ability to change the set of system functions for each employee type.

10th Level Solutions has determined a method of satisfying this need, while providing management additional flexibility in defining the role of each employee. Since the process of loging into the CSO inventory system will involve the use of a unique login name for each employee, system access can be defined uniquely for each individual employee.

The set of all possible tasks associated with each employee was clearly defined in the CSO initial requirements specification. The CSO inventory system will, therefore provide a means for management to choose from a set of defined access levels for each employee type. Each access levels will allow the employee access to a subset of the possible tasks for that employee type. The specific tasks associated with each access level are defined by the customer. The functional design team of 10th level solutions will contact the CSO to confirm the tasks for each security level.

Note that this flexibility will be further increased for later releases of the product, where management will be able to define additional access levels for each employee type from the set of possible tasks. Phase two will icrease the systems ability to evolve as the Collective Supermarket Owners business grows.

INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERFACE OF THE CSO INVENTORY SYSTEM

The interface for the CSO Inventory System has been designed to permit each employee of the Collective Supermarket Owners to perform their duties as efficiently as possible. Interface windows are simple yet implement advanced functionality. Buttons are prominently displayed and labeled so as to make their function obvious. Allowing the employee to perform their function efficiently has been the primary concern of the interface design team. Minimal computer expertise is required to operate the system.

The design of the CSO Inventory System interface takes advantage of 10th Level Solutions extensive experience in structuring system functions using the 'User Task Implementation According to Performance' methodology or just UTAP. (UTAP is a registered trade mark of 10th Level Solutions Inc., all rights reserved) To our customer this means a computer system without all the "techno babble". System functions appear as familiar objects, labeled with familiar terms that are formulated according to customer specifications.

The system interface to be used by the employees of the Collective Supermarket Owners for their inventory system divides the tasks into a few simple categories; personnel, inventory ordering and control, system archives, cashier sales and refunds, and inventory stock updates. These categories reflect the needs expressed by the Collective Supermarket Owners in their initial specifications document. Personnel involves maintaining all pertinent information for each employee using the system, including security access authority levels and department personnel structuring. Inventory ordering and control involves the ordering of stock from the central warehouse, and the maintenance of inventory records for all departments. Cashier and Inventory stock updates are specific task centered system interfaces designed for optimal job performance.

THE INTERFACE OF THE CSO INVENTORY SYSTEM

All Employees Using the CSO Inventory System (Login/Logout):

Once the CSO Inventory System is launched all employees will be presented with the Primary Duty Menu. Please note that the CSO Inventory System will be launched in a standard window operating system environment. Therefore, there is no obvious button for quitting. Furthermore, since the system is a central application for your business environment, there is no need to clutter the duty menu with an "exit" button. Should it be necessary to exit the system, the standard method of closing the CSO Inventory System window can be followed as per the operating system menuing system.

This menu includes buttons for access system interfaces (or windows) for all duties associated with the CSO grocery inventory management.

  • The system "Archive" will allow access to the history of the system, all previous changes to the various databases, access to old inventory orders, and information concerning past and present employees.

  • The system "Personnel" button will access to the system functions for viewing and changing information concerning the grocery store personnel. As per the Collective Supermarket Owners specifications, these functions can only be accessed by employees at the managerial level. Furthermore, the functions concerning personnel will have various accessibility for managers with different access authority levels.

  • The system "Inventory" button will allow access to all functions dealing with the administration of supermarket inventory control. These include all inventory functions concerned with the ordering of stock, change of inventory minimum and maximum amounts, addition and deletion of inventory items, change of the various information fields for all inventory items. The inventory items that can be viewed and altered will depend on the particular access security level given to the manager in question.

  • The system "Cashier Window" button will allow access to the system functions associated with the duties of the cashier, the sale and refund of merchandise. Not all cashiers will be able to give refunds, this is under the control of the grocery store managerial staff. Managers can change security access to the refund function for individual cashiers using the "personnel". This allows management more flexibility in determining the tasks of the employees.

  • The system "Stocker Window" button will allow access to the system functions associated with the duties of the grocery store stockers. Only stockers and management registered as grocery store personnel in the CSO Inventory System can access these functions.

  • The system "Login" button must be used by all employees to gain access to any functions of the Inventory System, thereby protecting the information from unauthorized persons. All employees must be registered employees of the system. They will be assigned a unique login name by the grocery store management and have the ability to change their password once they have been registered as a user of the system. Should an employee forget their password a manager must access the personnel interface (or window) to change the password.

  • The system "Logout" button must be used by all employees when they are finished their duties and are leaving their post. For security reasons, we recommend that employees logout whenever they are away from the terminal for an extended period of time.

    NOTE: there is an additional function in each interface to allow an employee to "freeze" the terminal. Freezing the terminal will keep the state of their current work. The employee must use the login function to "unfreeze" the terminal. When the employee logs back in after freezing the terminal they may resume their work where they left off. On the other hand, when an employee logs off the system they will lose the current state of their work. Refer to the section "Using the 'Freeze Terminal' Button from any window" for more detail on the use of this function.

    [main.gif]

    This is the Main Duty Menu window that all employees will see once the CSO Inventory System is launched. When the system is first launched all buttons will be "grayed" out except for the "Login" button which will appear black.

    [The grayed out buttons indicate to the user that pressing that button will cause no action to take place. Buttons with bolder borders will cause an action to take place when pressed. "Pressing a button" involves using the mouse - please refer to your hardware user guides for more information on the basics of your hardware system.]

    The Main Duty Menu will always be prominently displayed in full view of the employee. This will allow the employee to have more than one task window open at any given time. This function can be extremely helpful for employees at the managerial level. Please refer to the section that follows on "Opening Multiple Employee Duty Windows."

    Since the only button that is not grayed out is the login button the employee will realize that they must login before performing grocery store inventory duties. Once this button is pressed a window will appear for the employee to enter their unique login name.

    [Login]

    The employee first enters their login name, followed by their password in the entry boxes provided. The entry boxes are located immediately below the words 'Login' and 'Password'.

    [For the process of entering text in a text entry box - please refer to operating user guides provided with your system hardware]

    The final step to logging in involves pressing the "OK" button at the bottom of the Login Window.

    If the employee has entered an invalid login name or login password, a simple warning message will appear. The employee will have the opportunity to login two more times. If the employee fails to login successfully, the window will disappear. The Main Duty Menu will remain displayed on the terminal screen with all buttons grayed out, except for the "login" button. The employee must press this button to attempt the login procedure again. However, please note that the system records all transactions and uses of the inventory system. The unsuccessful login will be recorded in the archive database for potential investigation.

    Once an employee has successfully logged onto the CSO Inventory System the login window will disappear. The Main Duty Menu will remain (as always) prominently displayed in the terminal screen. However, different buttons will be grayed out. Grayed out buttons will include the "login" button, in addition to any button for which the employee does not have access authority. (Access authority is set in the "personnel" window, refer to the section that follows.) Buttons that are bold include the "logout" button, in addition to the buttons corresponding to employee tasks for which the employee has been given authority to use.

    When an employee has finished using the CSO inventory system, they must go through the process of logging out. An employee may logout absolutely any time by pressing the "logout" button from the Main Duty Menu. To ensure the security of the system, system analysts and the specification research team at 10th Level Solutions, recognized that an employee may need to logout at any time. If the employee has no other windows open, the Main Duty Menu will go back to the initial state. (The initial state is when all buttons are grayed out except for the "login" button.)

    However, the employee may have one or more windows open. If the current work in the open windows has been saved the logout process will take place with no further delay. All open windows will close leaving the Main Duty Menu displayed in the initial state. However, if one of the open windows has information that has not been saved, the system confirms the logout process with the employee. Ie. confirmation will involve a prominently displayed message as follows, "Do you wish to Logout and Lose The Information you have changed?" The employee will be provided with two additional buttons, "Yes - Logout Now" and "Cancel". The warning message might include specific information concerning the information that has not been saved, and the specific process that must be followed to save the information.

    Cashier Using the CSO Inventory System:

    Every time a cashier starts their shift, they will need to first login from their post in order to gain access to the cashier functions. For details concerning the login procedure, please read the section "All Employees Using the CSO Inventory System (Login/Logout)" After the cashier successfully logs in to the system, the "Cashier Window" button should be enabled and ready for access. Then the cashier can simply click on the button and the "Cashier Window" will appear on the screen, leaving the Main Duty Menu clearly displayed. The Window consists of three sections: individual item information on the left, various actions buttons on the middle and bottom, summary of sales/refunds on the right.

    [cash]"

    When a cashier is processing a customer order, they will scan the customer's goods with the barcode scanner or input the item number. The information of the item like name, code, price and other information will be displayed. Cashiers can input the quantity that the customer has purchased if the quantity is greater than one. Each time an item is entered the sub-total will be updated. The cashier then clicks on the "Sale" button if the correct item has been picked up by the bar code reading device. The item will now be displayed on the summary of sales and refunds list on the right hand side of the screen. If the customer decides to drop an item, the cashier can just highlight the item from the summary then click on the "Delete" button to remove it from the list. A total for this transaction will appear under the summary transaction list. When all the item are scanned, the cashier can click on the "Print" button to print the receipt and charge the customer, thereby completing the transaction.

    If the cashier has the authority to offer customer refunds, the "Refund" button on the window will be enabled. When a customer wants to refund items, the cashier can scan or input the items then click the "Refund" button. The item will be displayed in the summary transaction list with a negative amount. The inventory database will be updated to reflect the change.

    As requested by the customer for better system security, there is a "Freeze Terminal" button on the bottom of the window to allow the cashier to lock the terminal so that they can temporarily leave their post. Please refer to the section "Using the 'Freeze Terminal' Button from any window".

    Stocker Using the CSO Inventory System:

    When stockers start their shift, they need to login to the system just like other employees of the Collective Supermarket Owners. For more detail on the login procedure, please refer to the "All Employees Using the CSO Inventory System (Login/Logout)". After the stocker has logged in, the "Stocker Window" button will be available for access. The window consists of three sections: a section to display individual item information, various action buttons on the bottom, and a list of inventory items corresponding to a specific order number.

    [stocker]

    When new stock comes in, stockers will use the portable computer unit to update the database. The stocker must first select the order number from a pull down menu next to the "Order Number" field. Alternatively the stocker can manually enter the order number from the lading form into the "Order Number" field. After the order number is entered all ordered items from that original order will appear in the list box on the right hand side of the window. The list will display the item number, a brief description, followed by the number of items (Note that the number ordered will reflect a total that is a multiple of 12, 24 or 36, since these are the sizes of all cases). By selecting any item in the ordered item list the stocker will see that the fields on the left hand side contain the information for that item.

    The stockers primary duty in the CSO Inventory System is to check that the correct number of items have been received. As the stocker scrolls through the "Ordered Items" list that corresponds to the order number in question, the stocker examines which items, if any, need to be changed to reflect the actual amount of stock received from the warehouse. If one of the items needs adjustment, the stocker selects that item, thereby displaying the information on the left hand side. Then the stocker enters the amount actually received in the field "Amount Received".

    Once the whole order has been verified, the stocker presses the "Confirm Order" button. When the stocker has finished performing their duties they select the "Done" button. When this button is pressed the stocker window will disappear and the Main Duty Menu will return to the initial state.

    Department and Head Managers Using the CSO Inventory System:

    When a department or head manager of a grocery store logs on to the CSO Inventory System the buttons on the Main Duty Menu which correspond to the duties of that manager will become enabled. The login button will be grayed out, while the logout button will become enabled. The manager is now ready to perform their duties.

    The buttons that are enabled depends on the security level of the manager in question. The method for selecting a security level for a particular employee is discussed below.

    Managers - The Personnel Window:

    The Personnel window is the tool for managers and head managers to administrate employees' information. Every employee will have their general information on the database as well as a login name and password to allow them access to the CSO Inventory System.

    Upon on entry, the window consists of three major sections: employee information on the left, two list boxes listing personnel and departments on the right and various actions on the middle. Also, a department list on the upper-right corner which head manager can change to other department or to see all personnel working in the supermarket.

    [personell]

    Prominently displayed on the right hand side of the window are two listboxes. The top listbox labeled "Departments" lists all departments in the grocery store. When a department is selected from this listbox, a list of employees corresponding to the selected department will be displayed in the second listbox labeled "Personnel". By selecting a particular person from the "Personnel" listbox, all information concerning that person will be displayed in the information fields located on the left hand side of the window.

    On the lower-left corner, there is a panel displaying the security level for each of the three employee types. The employee types correspond to the Major Security level choices: Cashiers/Stockers, Department Managers, and the Head Manager. When any one of these choices is selected (refer to selecting from a list of radio buttons in the users guide to your system software) three minor security levels are displayed corresponding to the employee type selected. The minor security restricts access to certain functions for that employee, depending on which minor security radio button is selected. For the Cashier/Stocker, one can be a Cashier (Sales), a Head Cashier (Sales/Refund), or a Stocker. There will be three possibilities for a head manager. The three options correspond to the only three permutations of duties possible, Head Manager - Inventory, Head Manager - Personnel, and Head Manager - Personnel and Inventory. The exact security access levels for department managers will be defined by the customers of the CSO Inventory System.

    Arrangements will be made for our security consultants to meet with representatives of the Collective Security Owners to discuss this most urgent matter. The CSO consultants will have every opportunity to adjust the security levels already determined by the design team.

    On the occasion that new employees need to be added to the system, managers can simply input all the information; first name, last name, ID, login and password, then click on the "Add" button to create a new employee on the database. That individual will be added to the personnel list on the right hand side of the window.

    To delete an employee, the manager can simply find the employee from the personnel list on the right then click on "Delete" button. A dialog box will appear confirm the action.

    There is also a function to create and delete a department, these functions can be accessed only by the Head Manager, as specified by the CSO in the initial functional specification document. To add a new department, just simply click on the "Add Department" button and a dialog box will appear to ask for the name of the new department. Then the Head Manager can click on the "OK" button to confirm the action or the "Cancel" button to abort the operation. To delete an existing department, the Head manager must highlight the department in the department list and click on "Delete Department" button. A dialog box will appear to ask where the the inventory and personnel should transferred. If no choice is made, the inventory and personnel will be placed in the 'Unclassified' category.

    When a manager is finished, they can just click on the "Done" button to exit the Personnel Window. The Main Duty Menu will return to the initial state.

    Managers - The Inventory Window:

    When a Department/Head Manager needs to make changes or inspect the inventory, they will turn to the Inventory Window. The Inventory Window provides necessary functions to add, change and remove items from the CSO Inventory System. The window consists of three major sections: the inventory list on the left, individual item information on the lower-left corner, and a list of ordered items corresponding to a particular order ( or a yet to be created order ) on the right.

    [inv]

    In addition, there is a pull down menu on the upper left had corner for selecting the inventory for a particular department, and a pull down menu on the upper right hand corner for selecting a particular order number. Only the Head manager has the authority to change between departments or see the inventory for the entire grocery store, as specified by the customer requirements.

    When a particular item is selected from the inventory list, all the pertinent information is displayed on the bottom left hand side of the window; item name, product code, barcode, price, amount, amount on hand, amount on order, minimum/maximum in stock and the location of the item. If a manager wishes to change any information on an item, he can simply click on the appropriate entry on the individual item information box on the lower-left corner and make changes. (providing the manager in question has the necessary security access, to change the field in question).

    In order to order items which are not yet on the order form, a manager can highlight the item from the inventory list then click on the "Add" button to add the item to the order list on the right. If the manager wishes to change the amount to order, he can simply change the number from "amount to Order" box, below the list of ordered items. Note that when an item is added to the list of items corresponding the order number in question, the amount to order is automatically calculated from the Current Stock, minimum stock, and maximum stock fields. The amount computed will, as per customer specifications, reflect a value that is a multiple of 12, 24, or 36, corresponding to the size of the cases the item sent in from the warehouse.

    On the other hand, a Manager can remove an item from the order form by highlighting the item and clicking on "Remove from Order" button. For the Head Manager, he can also authorize an order by clicking on the "Authorize Order" button. Managers can also browse through other previous orders by clicking on the "Order Number" pull-down list and selecting the desired order number from the list.

    When a manager finishes the task, he can just click on the "Done" button to exit and return to the main window. The Main Duty Menu will return to the initial state

    Opening Multiple Employee Duty Windows:

    One of primary advantages of having the Main Duty Menu visible to the employee at all times is the option of opening multiple Employee Duty Menus. At the Management level this can prove to be a significant advantage to performing daily duties. For Example, the head manager can have the "Personnel" duty window displayed to create a new grocery store department. The "Inventory" duty window can be displayed at the same time allowing the employee to view the inventory of any department. This way the manager can consider what inventory will fall under the authority of the new department

    Naturally, an employee cannot open duty windows that they have not been given the appropriate security access level permitting access to that area.

    Using the 'Freeze Terminal' Button from any window:

    The "Freeze Terminal" button is prominently displayed at the bottom of each employee duty menu. Freezing the terminal is a feature that has been implemented to satisfy needs of security for the CSO Inventory System. Not only does this security function provide security for the database information, but it provides some security control for the individual employee over their own day to day functions.

    When an employee presses the "Freeze Terminal" button, all functionality of the open window is frozen, that is no buttons can be selected. To return the window to a normal operating state the employee must press the "login" button from the Main Duty Menu. This function is particularly useful for an employee who must leave the terminal abruptly, without finishing their current task. When the employee returns they must go through the login process to return to the task window and resume their duties.

    The System "Archive" Window:

    The interface for access to the system archive will be implemented in later phases of the project, for further information on this function refer to the Appendix.