A Sale promotion is an initiative undertaken by almost all successful organization to promote an increase in their sales. Any company to compete with other companies and selling more products needs to participate in the sales promotion. There are some popular sales promotions activities and one of them is the new media such as websites which support a sales promotion. We give the right comp any for customer's promo needs.
The system will be created for informing customers about the sales and promotion of some shoe companies. It is a one stop service center that provides the visitor and user with enough information on shoes and hand bag promotions in Kuala Lumpur.
Target User
One of the most important first steps when preparing to write a white paper is to determine who will be reading the document. Often, marketing folks talk about target audience when discussing the early stages of a project. While the target audience is very important, for white papers it is important to distinguish the target reader. By simply asking, "Who is the ideal reader of this paper? (Michael Stelzner, 2005)
The project needs to identify a target user because it makes strategies for designing, pricing, distributing, promoting, positioning and improving my website, service or idea easier, and more effective.
This system is designed specifically to improve the accessibility of user to fashion and promotion with multimedia capabilities running in the following type of system. "SPDB Website" users are primarily teens, parents with children, young adults and adults aged between 17-50 years (After Questionnaire will add percentage) with interests in fashion and cloths. The income is predominantly between ….. and …… (After Questionnaire will add percentage and add the rate of age)
The most users of SPDB website are any single or married female. (After Questionnaire will add percentage)
Project background
This project summarizes sales promotion information for users to achieve the better result. Sales Promotion Database Web site allows users to be able to find the nearest branch which offers the sales promotion which results in saving time and money. By searching through the website, this feature results in the traffic reduction and helps the users to save time.
Problem context and rationale
The main problem of the sales promotion is uncategorized and dispersion of information. That is why it is not possible to access all the sales promotion data without the internet these days.
The Internet is technically very practical for handing information, as it offers (Judy Davis- 2000):
• Access to a wealth of data: unlimited storage capacity in cyberspace.
• Personalization: processing in response to individual specification.
• Speed and 24-hour availability: up-to-data data at the click of a mouse.
• The cost of web presenting is cheap.
On the other hand, available sales promotion website has considerable volumes of non-local information that provide users with large volume of sales promotion information which may be of no use. The Amount of information which is supplied should correlate with the amount of information the user needs.
I propose a solution to these problems. My approach is based on categorizing data by area and location.
Though it's a concept it will solve some of the major problems of online sale promotion industry.
Objectives of the system
This website will be a proof of concept which can be implemented in Kuala Lumpur.
Shoes and hand bags companies update sales promotion in the website which will be classified by area and will be accessible for those who are interested.
Multimedia is a catchall term for the next major wave of innovation in the routine use of computers and telecommunications. Based on cognitive theory and research evidence, it is clearly shown that websites which include words and graphics rather than words alone have a greater impact on user.
Goals and Objectives
Based on an inventory of the supplier side of the information, an information database is created that can be presented in a user friendly way through a multimedia interface. To achieve this, developer will integrate text, color, graphics, animation, audio, and video. This will help the developer to offer the information tailored to the user rather than in function of the supplier.
To supply accessible multimedia content on the web, we must account for chain of links: first, the multimedia contents must be accessible itself; second, once the webpage includes the multimedia content, the page must still be accessible; and finally, the interaction with user must be accessible. (Lourdes M. et al, 2008)
Interactive multimedia content can help improve performance by enhancing user satisfaction. Multimedia content also can help improve concept representation, which is not possible in conventional multiple choice and fill in the blank formats. In this project developer will present a view of multimedia website, focusing on sales promotion. It will provide publicly accessible sales promotion database anywhere, at any time, and to anyone.
Scope and deliverables
This website has two kinds of members. The first group is Shoe and handbag companies which are registered in website to update their promotion date and provide more details for user. The second group which includes more users contains those who are looking for promotion in the specific area.
The website provides different services to these two groups of members. The first group will be able to write the text and upload images and videos from their control panel. The second group will access to those text and media that are updated by companies, and they have the opportunity to search through the website and find all the promotions which are grouped by geographical area.
There is a database that its data comes from that information which is sent by the first group members and it is editable as well. The data will read from database for those users who are interested.
Functionality of system
Functionality seems frequently to bring to mind interaction between the site and the site visitor. (Vince Barnes, 2010a) The system is designed on web base platform with Visual Studio. This website combines text, graphics, video, flash, and multimedia components that are delivered to user as a complete multimedia system.
Functionality is more important than looks. Most of the internet users are impatient. If they don't find quickly what they are looking for, they will simply leave. A site will serve its purpose more effectively if the site is user friendly. While the SPDB website is designed with multimedia interaction components, it is easy to find what you need through the website. Each page is created simple and follows HCI principles. SPDB website is and information site and its focus is on providing information about sales promotion.
The main function of SPDB Website is to make it easy to inform and to be informed of sales promotion and the location and price of the items. This website provides sales promotion data of some shoe and purse companies in Kuala Lumpur. All the information is categorized base on area which helps users to find the nearest outlet.
The majority of people who want to be informed of sales promotion or want to find the nearest location of promotion services will search through the internet to find about it. They will obtain scattered data which may not up to date. SPDB Website is made to help these people find the information they are looking for in a simple way.
This website usually provides users, a function to inform sales promotion shoe and purse companies without having to search for it. Another functionality of website is about the services which are given to companies as users. They are able to upload, update, post, edit, and manage their own companies' profile in the website. It also allows visitors to leave comments on the guestbook.
On the technical side, the real secret to interactive functionality, or any type of technical "specialty", is to keep it simple. (Vince Barnes, 2010b)
CHAPTER 2: PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
In these days, the world of technology provides businesses with the opportunity to develop their horizons. Earlier communications were too difficult when the distance between people distinguishes the need of contacting each other.
There are some popular sales promotion activities that one of them is new media such as websites. We give the right company for customer's promo needs.
SPDB website is a web based system which helps improving marketing on the web. This website provides sales promotion data within the multimedia components. Creating this website helps users to save their time, and to get the best result by paying minimum cash. SPDB allows users to compare prices and designs among various companies so not only they will enjoy the experience, they will make the best shopping available.
There are some similar websites through the internet which informs customer about the last sales promotion. SPDB is designed to cover the other websites' weaknesses and provide user with data in the interactive interface based on HCI (Human Computer Interactive) principles.
2.1. Human limitation
In this day and age that everything is just a click away; we need to use internet and other technologies to improve businesses and marketing. Using internet has a lot of benefits which persuade users to do their routines online easily without the need of going out and spend time in person. SPDB is an approach to help users save their time and money.
Source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm , 2009
2.1.1. Time
When we talk about time the first phrase that comes to mind is "Time is limited". It is a very important resource in that you cannot stop it from flying by. If you don't put your time use prudently, you will never have a chance to get it back. Not having enough time is the source of many issues such as unachieved goals, stress, and even an unsatisfactory life in a big picture. As the old saying goes "The key is in not spending time, but in investing it."
Decreasing wasted time gives you more free time during the day. It allows you to make time for more important activities. There are so many ways you can save your time.
Nowadays, Internet makes many activities accessible. It cuts the need of our physical appearance in many places such as banks, shopping malls and so on. For finding out about sales promotion date, one does not need to check from shopping mall, store by store. All these data are available in internet and users can search through the internet to find required information.
By accessing SPDB website, in a short time, the users can visit several sales promotion companies and their location online which helps them to compare what they offer. This system allows users to know about the promotion any time of the day. It helps user to have sales promotion data, starting and ending date, price and design all in the same website categorized base on location.
This can help users to save their time, and refuse to go out and spend time to get this information.
2.1.2. Cost
Everyone has specific income. They should manage their money and spend it in the right way. Sales promotion is one of the marketing principles which helps customer to pay their money for the right items, at the right time.
SPDB's users can search in the website and find the best price for the shoe or purse that they like. This stops customer to pay extra money for the exact same items.
On the other hand, companies spend money and human resource to plan a sales promotion policy for their products. The next step, after identifying the method, is having a good resource to inform it to people. If the sales promotion is not informative all the cost which the company has paid will be useless.
There are some popular sales promotions activities that one of them is new media such as websites which support a sales promotion. We give the right company for customer's promo needs. Online sales Promotion will make the prospective customers to be informed about product's price and place of availability.
2.2. Weaknesses
Since a few years ago, some websites were designed to inform sales promotion. Every year, they are improved and change their policies to be more effective and user friendly, but there are still many weak spots which will be studied and covered at the end of this project.
2.2.1. Inconsistent Data
Data dispersion makes users confused when they are searching for their requirements and excludes user from the chance of choosing the right product. There is no limitation in this kind of website. These website provide any sales promotion in a country, without spotting the location of users. Any product promotion is provided in such website, and its variety is one of its bold features.
These kinds of websites are really hard to work with and find what you exactly want. Imagine a website which provides both women shoes and technical tools. You have to search among those items which you are not interested in, to find your desired product. For example if you are looking for women shoes sales promotion, first of all you need to search through technical tools, food delivering, toys, travel agency, computer staff, even men shoes page by page, then you will get some results in different pages.
SPDB website's focus is on only two kinds of product, women shoes and purse, which attracts those kinds of users who want to have information only on these two products.
2.2.2. Large Amount of Data and Data Dispersion
Any website should identify its users and provide information and services according to the type of users. It is not necessary to include all the sales promotion data in the same website. This makes the website hard to use and the user will not return to this kind of website any more. We need to put all data from anywhere for anyone, in this case we will lost our visitors. The best way is to focus on a specific group of people who has a higher chance to be the target customers.
Another problem is about the user's location. Most websites offer information in different locations. We have some websites which supply product in only one country but it is still not enough to give users the best result for the required items. Customers want to know about the sales promotion in the same town even same state as they are living. So any more information in other area will be not useful.
SPDB website's users can easily find their requirements and the best outlet to buy them from. In this website, products information is categorized based on their location which helps user to find the nearest outlet which is located in desired area.
CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW
3.1. Academic Research
3.1.1. System Development Methodology
The word "Methodology" means the system of methods and principles for doing something. In fact this is an integrated assembly of tasks, tools, rules, guidelines, and theories of research used in a study for collecting information, analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and delivering the project.
We can mention having a better end product, a better development process, and a standardized process as rationales for a Methodology. Using methodology will improve some of components quality of the system such as acceptability, availability, compatibility, and economy.
Each methodology represents a different approach to evaluate. There is no right or wrong project methodology provided you apply it in the right methodology. (Jason Charvat, 2003b)
Miyamoto Musashi, a seventeenth-century samurai, stated:
"One can win with the long sword, and one can win with the short sword as well. For this reason, the precise size of the sword is not fixed. The way of my school is the spirit of gaining victory by any means…" (William Scott Wilson, 2004)
Many project management methodologies used today are either the wrong methodologies or are not applied fully. (Jason Charvat, 2003a) The SDLC (Systems Development Life Cycle) is a general approach to develop information systems. Budget, Project criticality, tools and techniques are the requirements for selecting a methodology. According to what we bring here, for choosing methodology, developer has review on two Waterfall and Agile as software methodologies for this system.
Waterfall Model
The waterfall model (Originated in 1970) is a diagrammatical representation.In this Methodology, one phase ends and another one begins once a milestone had been reached. The milestone usually took the form of some deliverable or pre-specified output from the phase. (Jeffrey A. et al - 2005)
Waterfall methodology has six main phases called System Planning, System Analysis, System Design, System Implementation, and System Support. These phases make a pyramid. The system planning is located in pyramid head which has the lesser volume of the pyramid.
System Support
System Testing
System Implementation
System Design
System Analysis
System Planning
The waterfall Model (Systems Development Life Cycle)
When we progress top-to-bottom through the phases, we are moving closer to the technology base of pyramid. The project's early concerns are with the business and its later concerns become more technical. (Jeffrey L. et al - 1994)
During the Analysis, developer will identify and prioritize those technologies and applications that will return the most value to the business. In the next phase, business problem analysis, requirements analysis, and logical design will examine.
System Design is the evaluation of alternative solutions and the specification of a detailed computer-based solution. During the Implementation, the system will be developed. After that the system must be tested and evaluated. And finally, during the last phase correction, adaption, and enhancement will be performed. It is maintenance of the system.
Agile Methodology
The Agile Methodologies promote a self-adaptive software development process. As software is developed, the process used to develop it should be refined and improved.
This methodology has four phases called Domain Understanding (Conception), Model the solution (Elaboration), Implement the solution (Construction), and verify the solution (Transition).
Phases of Agile Methodology
During the first phase (Conception) is about understanding the application from the perspective of users. After that developer should estimate the solution to the problems. During the next phase (Elaboration), the architectural foundation of the project is established and high risks are eliminated. During the Construction phase (Phase 3), we expect the use case descriptions to stabilize to a certain level. Finally, during the last phase (Transition), developer will validate for quality confidence.
Comparison Between system Development Methodologies
The best way to choose the correct methodology is comparing methodologies. In this section developer compares two methodologies which are Waterfall and Agile.
Waterfall
Agile
Conceptual
No Iterator
Has Iterator
Efficiency
Less Efficiency
More Efficiency
Suitability
Software Development
Web Based Application
Strength
Easier to manage
maximum management control
Cost can be ascertained
provides phase by phase checkpoints
understandable and easy to use
The end result is the high quality software
Changes Flexibility
Better Risks Management
Easy adapting
Weakness
Minimal feedback between project phases
Gray Pilgrim, 2010a
Selecting Methodology
According to the comparison section it is clear that "What is ideally needed is a model which combines the accountability and predictability of a waterfall model with the agility and adaptability of the agile model." (Gray Pilgrim, 2010b)
So developer combines Waterfall methodology with Agile to achieve the best result.
3.1.2. Modeling concept
Story board
Data Flow Diagram (DFD)
Modeling Concept Conclusion
3.1.3. Human computer interactive (HCI)
3.1.4. Interactive Multimedia
3.2. Domain Research
3.3. Technical Research
3.3.1. Development Programming Language
A programming language is a set of grammatical rules and guidelines to instruct the computer to implement a specific task required by user.
The research will be based on a programming language for web development which is ASP.NET. It has been made easier to use with the evaluation of visual studio 2010 which is the most powerful and flexible tool for creating interactive web application. There are many other development tools for ASP.NET programming language such as Macromedia MX, and Microsoft Web Developer.
ASP.NET
ASP.NET is a server side scripting technology that enables scripts (embedded in web pages) to be executed by an Internet server. (Refsnes Data, 2010)
ASP.NET is a Microsoft technology which runs inside IIS (Internet Information Services). IIS is Microsoft's Internet Server which is provided as free for windows servers.
ASP.NET is including HTML, XML, and Scripts.
ASP.NET is different from ASP.
ASP.NET includes (MSDN, 2010):
A page and controls framework
The ASP.NET compiler
Security infrastructure
State-management facilities
Application configuration
Health monitoring and performance features
Debugging support
An XML Web services framework
Extensible hosting environment and application life cycle management
An extensible designer environment
ACTION SCRIPT
Action Script is
It was developed by Macromedia but now it owned by Adobe.
Comparison
Criteria
PHP
Action Script
ASP.NET
Platform
Cross Platform
Cross Platform
Platform Dependent
Level of Robustness
Medium
High
Medium
Standardization
Non standardized
Standardize
Standardize
Strength
Low memory usage
Easy maintenance
Open source
Cross Platform
Easy Maintenance
Small learning curve
Powerful database
Faster web application
Multiple language support
Weakness
Selecting Programming Language
According to the table above, and some research that has done, the developer choose ASP.NET to develop the website and Action Script will be used for developing multimedia interaction in system.
3.3.2. Database Management Systems (DBMS)
"Database is a shared collection of logically related data and database management system is a software system that enables user to define, create, maintain and control access to the database" (Connolly & Begg, 2005, p.15)
Microsoft access
Conclusion of Database Research
Selecting Database System
The main reason of choosing this database system as a database research is based on familiarity and availability.
3.3.3. Development Tools
Visual Studio 2010
Microsoft Access 2010
Adobe Photoshop CS5
Adobe Flash professional CS5
Microsoft Office 2010
Word, Power point, Project, VISO
3.4. Related Work
REFERENCES
Jason Charvat, 2003, Project Management Methodologies: Selecting, Implementing, and Supporting Methodologies and Processes for Projects, New Jersey ,WILEY: Hoboken
Jeffrey A. Hoffer, Hoey F. George, Joseph S. Valacich, 2005, Modern System Analysis and Design, 4th ed. , United State, Pearson Education
Jeffrey L. Whitten , 1994, Systems Analysis & Design Methods, Illinois
Judy Davis, 2000, A Guide to Web Marketing: Successful Promotion On The Net, London, Kogan Page.
Lourdes Moreno, Paloma Martı´nez, and Bele´n Ruiz-Mezcua, October-December 2008, Disability Standards for Multimedia on the Web, IEEE Multimedia, vol. 15 (no. 4), pp. 52-54.
Michael Stelzner, July 2005, Ready, Aim, Write: The Value of Identifying Your Target Reader [online], Write Paper Source, Available from http://www.whitepapersource.com/writing/targetreader/, [Accessed 21th September 2010]
MSDN, 2010, ASP.NET Overview[online], Available from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/4w3ex9c2(v=VS.85).aspx , [Accessed 26th September 2010]
Refsnes Data, 2010, ASP.NET Introduction[online], Available from http://www.w3schools.com/aspnet/aspnet_intro.asp , [Accessed 26th September 2010]
Vince Branes, 2010, Website Functionality [online], HTML Goodies, Available from http://www.htmlgoodies.com/introduction/intro/article.php/3473631/Web-Site-Functionality.htm , [Accessed 24th September 2010]
William Scott Wilson, 2004, The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi, Kodansha International
