PRODUCT LOCATOR

1
PRODUCT LOCATOR

• Presented
• By
• Richard Raehl
• November 13, 2001

2
Staff Members

• Dennis Ray
  Director
• Ali Miamee Project
  Manager
• Sadina Little
  Research
• David Zhai Documents/Specifications
• Richard Raehl
  Presentations /
• 
  Public Relations
• Andrew Ungvarsky Web Development /
  
• Technical Specs

3
Problem Description

• Physical size of stores
• Increased variety of products available
• Customers can not find products in a timely
  manner
• Store associates are using a disproportionate
  amount of their time helping customers

4
Problem Solution

• Kiosk with a computer terminal placed near
  departments of the store or near the front of the
  store. The terminal will allow customers to
  access product location location and a brief
  description of the product.

5
Objectives

• Make it easier for customers to find products
• Provide relevant information about the product
• Reduce the time store associates spend helping
  customers
• Increase productivity of the store associates

6
Scope

• Provide a working, scaleable prototype for any
  large store such as a Wal-Mart, Sams Club, or
  Home Depot

7
Milestones

• FIRST SEMESTER
• Presentation II, Feasibility
  10/16/01
• Presentation III, Rough draft of
• specifications completed
  11/13/01
• Presentation IV, Group Approval 12/11/01
• Functional specifications
• web page delivered
  12/06/01

8
Milestones

• SECOND SEMESTER
• Database chosen, in proper format, fields
  selected, and ready for use.
• Search accessible and working. Returns correct
  hits based on search field.
• Software Component completed. Preliminary and
  final results pages displayed correctly.
• Hardware selected for all aspects of the project.
• Testing complete, prototype is ready for delivery.

9
Milestones

• OUT YEARS Summer 2002
• Product Funded
• First Customer Contract
• Hardware purchased, full-scale components
  available for testing
• Final product fully tested and ready for use

10
Milestones Gantt Chart
11
Tasks and Deliverables

• Research Design
• Functional Specifications
• Database
• Software component
• Hardware component

12
Tasks and Deliverables - Continued

• Prototype simulation testing
• Prototype delivery, detailed product
• specifications
• Funding / Project Acceptance
• Production / field testing
• Production Distribution Delivery

13
Evaluation Methodology / Plan

• Research and Gathering info/data 10
• Website
  5
• Database
  20
• Software Component
  20
• Hardware
  5
• Demo, run tests
  10
• Integration
  10
• Marketing
  20

14
Corporate Management Plan

• Product Locator Corp. will provide training
  during system setup.
• Hardware Management
• Software Management
• Database Management

15
Test Plan

• Run the Product Locator system software on the
  central CPU
• Ensure all initializations have occurred
• Upload test database to server
• Test data transfers from the database to the
  central CPU
• Test a series of queries and compare output of
  the central CPU with the expected results

16
Marketing

• Targeted businesses
• Targeted customers
• Usage surveys
• Endorsement by larger company

17
Potential Problems

• Database
• Software component
• Insufficient resources
• Societal aspects

18
Risk

• Not acquiring a real world database to work with
• Acquired database may not have the required
  fields
• Coupon, location and description information may
  become outdated
• Database crashes
• Customers unfamiliar with the system
• Lack of required financial backing and support

19
Budget

• Development Cost
• Quarterly Maintenance Cost
• Annual Cost Breakdown

20
Budget Breakdown

• Equipment Software 59,200
• Quarterly Development Cost 330,000
• Personnel 1.1 million

21
Budget Personnel

• 1 Project Manager, Funding Proposal Writer
• 2 Software Engineers
• 4 Client Applications Programmers
• 1 Field Associate
• 2 Testers
• 1 Network Administrator
• 1 Webmaster/Database Administrator
• 1 Competitive/Technical/Societal Researcher
• 2 Marketing Experts
• 1 Accountant
• 1 Administrative Assistant

22
Resource Requirements

• Personnel
• Hardware
• Software
• Other

23
Hardware

• Dell Precision Workstation 220
• Web Server/Backup Domain Server Compaq DL
  320
• Mail/DB DL380
• Router Cisco 4700-M

24
Software

• Microsoft Visual Studio
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Windows 2000

25
Other Resources

• Utilities
• Office supplies
• Use of Printers and Fax Machines
• Office

26
Conclusion

• Identified societal problem
• Solution Product Locator
• Identified Milestones and Tasks
• Evaluated Risks and Addressed a Management Plan
• Identified Preliminary Budget
• Identified Available/Necessary Resources

27
Contact Information

• Web site http//cs.odu.edu/aungvars/shoppingasst/
  
• Andrew Ungvarsky pxpx_at_mindspring.com
• Ali Miamee alimiamee_at_hotmail.com
• Sadina Little mowtcoofr_at_aol.com
• David Zhai dzhai_at_cs.odu.edu
• Richard Raehl rraeh001_at_odu.edu