Detailed Analysis and Design Report: Self-Checkout Systems

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of self-checkout systems, focusing on their design and functionality. It begins with an introduction that defines self-checkout systems and highlights their role in modern retail. The report then uses the waterfall model to explain the system analyst approach, breaking the process into requirements, design, implementation, verification, and maintenance. Data flow diagrams and entity relationship diagrams are included to visually represent the system's components and processes, such as product selection, scanning, and payment. The report also explores potential improvements, including enhancing traffic flow, increasing security, and providing better customer support through efficient bagging areas and mobile applications. The analysis includes a case study of Tesco's self-checkout system, detailing the item scanning and payment processing stages. The conclusion summarizes the benefits of self-checkout systems and offers recommendations for further improvements. The report references several books and journals to support its findings and provide a solid foundation for understanding self-checkout systems.

Systems Analysis and Design

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION:..........................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION:
Self-checkout systems are considered as the machines that helps in providing the
customers a mechanism so that they can be able to process their own purchases (Hoffer, 2012).
They can also be termed as an alternative that helps the people to stay away from various issues
of the cashiers and such processes. The system analyst approach is being explained with the help
of a waterfall model and the process has been divided into five different steps including
requirements, design, implementation, verification and the maintenance. These are the sub parts
of the water fall model that has been used in order to understand the system analyst approach o0f
the self-checkout systems.
Data flow diagram of the self-checkout system has been made along with an entity
relationship diagram which is represented as under:
1

This represents all the stages of a self-checkout system which includes the selection of a product
by the customer, then checking for availability, the scanning of the products is being done by
scanning of the specific barcodes. Also, it includes the function if the customer wants to make
any changes in the list, that is if they want to delete or modify any product name or number.
After then, the person can log out at the time of completing the purchase.
Then, there are various ways through which much improvements can be made in the self-
checkout systems and these can be considered as elevating the traffic so that the customers can
make a fast and efficient purchase without any hectic or any delay (Dennis, Wixom and
Tegarden, 2015). Also, these systems can be made more secure so that there must not be any
chance of theft from these self-checkout systems.
The clients must be understandable enough to realise how they must be using these self-
checkout systems such as they can provide an efficient bagging area just to make the scaling of
the products easy and effective (Satzinger, Jackson and Burd, 2011). Also, some mobile
application can be developed in order to give an easy experience to the customers that they can
be able to perform some functions from phone application as well.
The way and mode of payment along with the operation being done in the self-checkout system
of one of the very well-known and popular retailer, Tesco retailers is represented as following :
2

The item is being scanned from the barcode (Larman, 2012). After the item has been picked up,
then it is being scanned here in the self checkout machine and it is being scanned by the barcode
that is present on the specific product. ON the basis of it, the self checkout systems gets the
amount of that specific product and represent it in the machine. By this way, the product is being
priced in the self checkout machine.
3

All the specific instructions are being represented on the screen including the amount and others.
Payment processing takes place here (Rosenblatt, 2013). Then the payment is being processed
here only and it asks for the mode of payment to the customer.
4

Completed transaction status. The due amount if any is also represented and carried out from the
machine.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the report that self-checkout systems are a hassle-free option for
the customers as it does not require any hectic processing and is considered as an easy means of
processing their own purchases. Also, the entity relationship diagram along with the data flow
diagram has been included for the self-checkout system. There are some areas where the self-
5

checkout system and its processes can be improved, they are also being mentioned. Some
recommendations for the client have also been included.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Rosenblatt, H. J., 2013. Systems analysis and design. Cengage Learning.
Hoffer, J. A., 2012. Modern Systems Analysis and Design, 6/e. Pearson Education India.
Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H. and Tegarden, D., 2015. Systems analysis and design: An object-
oriented approach with UML. John Wiley & Sons.
Satzinger, J. W., Jackson, R. B. and Burd, S. D., 2011. Systems analysis and design in a
changing world. Cengage learning.
Larman, C., 2012. Applying UML and Patterns: An Introduction to Object Oriented Analysis and
Design and Interative Development. Pearson Education India.
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