MALL TECHNOLOGY

Observation starts with the opening of the eyes and the acceptance of the current world that encapsulated us. By means of observing our own surroundings, we, as human beings, can perceive notions, unsuspecting ideals and natural laws that had been around us for more than how many years since the universe was young. Also, with observation, a person can become innovative and a society can be progressive from the loads of amazing and jaw-dropping ideas and imagination a person can visualize. Out of these brilliant ideas born from a simple observation, people can invent many things that will make life better and convenient. And there’s no chance denying it, many have proven to lighten things up out from a simple observation.

Spending one hour or more inside the three malls (Victoria Plaza, G-Mall, and Abreeza Mall); I ventured around to observe the current scenario of these supermarkets as a part of our subject. Though I occasionally visit in these kinds of places from time to time, I rarely paid attention to the details and activities happening around these places. When we were assigned to do observations like this in three different malls for an hour or more, then it was the time I become more observant and concern with what was happening around the mall. I was astonished how blind I was to just ignore the current condition of these public places. For the first time, my eyes was opened to find out that the malls had also been undergoing different troubles and simple problem that I believe can be solve and lightened by a technology.

First problems or situations I found disturbing in malls are those situations happening in every baggage counters which causes problems for costumers like the following list below:

·         Limited accessibility in terms of only two to three counter clerks are assigned in a baggage counter that can cater costumers in line.

·         Long, jam-packed and snail-paced queues of costumer which results to long term of waiting to be catered and sometimes causes pandemonium between the costumer in line and the baggage counter personnel.

As I watched the scenery on the baggage counters, I started to wonder if there are any new ideas for a technology to solve the simple but confusing problem in the baggage counter that can lessen the traffic and long queues of costumers, and even erase the possibility of a costumer getting angry towards the counter attendants.  Then, I came across an idea of an all new technology that can improve the state of the baggage counters of the malls here in Davao City.

This technology will make no long lines of costumers; no pandemonium and no baggage counter attendants. Simply, it is made of a metal bow piled and lined to look almost like a locker found in a school or university. It consists of a secured panel where you can put your belongings, a token slot, a small compartment where a unique plastic card is sealed and a barcode reader where you can slide the card to open the secured compartment. Of course, this technology does not involve money in order to access a baggage panel.

What a costumer must only do to avail the free service of this computerized baggage panel are the following:

·         First, a costumer can, of course choose which baggage compartment one wants to use.

·         When one had chosen a baggage compartment suitable for his belongings, one will get a specialized token from the token holder of one’s compartment then slide it to the token slot. What special about this token slot is that when you inserted the token, it will not directly spit the token out but it will hold the token until the card is not swiped with the barcode reader.

·         As soon as one slid the token on the token slot, the specialized secured panel door will unlock itself and will open the small compartment beneath it where the uniquely-bar-coded card is sealed.

·         The costumer must get the specialized card because it is the only sole thing that will open the secure panel where one puts one’s belongings. After getting the card, one can put one’s things inside the panel door and closed it. Another added feature of this technology is that when the panel door is closed it will automatically lock and a circular indicator beside it will turn green indicating that the compartment is occupied.

·         Then, the costumer can feel secure now as he or she goes inside a department store or in supermarket section of the mall. When the costumer felt like retrieving his things so that he can go home, all he needs to do is slide the bar-coded card into the card slot. It will open the door panel and the card handler so that the costumer can retrieve his belongings and return the card to its place. When everything has been put back like the door panel closed again and the card returned; the coin will roll out back where another costumer can use the compartment.

This technology promises instant and limitless accessibility for it is placed near in every entrance of supermarket section and department store segment. Because it is piled and arranged like regular lockers, costumer can directly choose for themselves what baggage compartment they want without needing a baggage counter attendant and without falling in line. It also promises more security because only the owner who had the bar-coded card can access the door panel. It also reduces waiting time because you do not need to wait in a line for you can go directly to your desired baggage compartment. Plus, this technology is costumer friendly because the token to be used is readily available and does not have to be paid.

There’s another scenario I had observe way back when I wandered around the grocery department of the malls. The sanctuary of consumable goods, that was always progressive, was always engulfed with various ordinary citizens and valued customers. Some of them were in a hurry picking their desired goods while some took their time getting a cart, chat with companions and stroll around to find something to buy. There are also those people flooding the lines on different cashier counters who sometimes get angry and impatience because of the long and slow queues on being entertained in the counters. Cashiers also took long time while punching quite so many supplies the costumers wanted to purchase.

Places like this bore problems that only a new technology can at least lessen the burden of the dilemmas mentioned below:

·         Long queues of costumer, having carts full of various goods and supplies, as a result of the cashier while taking so long to punch a lot of goods purchased by customers.

·         Elongated consumed time by a customer while queuing for his goods to be punched.

What interests me the most is that people who engage in this situation haven’t think of any suggestion to lessen the burden of waiting in vain before he or she can be catered by the cashier.

Then I came to an all new idea of a technology that can quicken the work of cashiers and lessen the time of costumer waiting within a long line. I called this little device the “Portable Price Puncher”. As the word “Portable” may mean, this hand-held device is powered by rechargeable batteries and it can be carried all over the vicinity of the grocery department but not outside the proximity. When the device is brought out from the area, a loud burglar alarm will resonated.

Features of the Portable Price Puncher are listed below:

·         It has a barcode reader that reads the price of a certain goods.

·         It has the trigger to activate the barcode reader.

·         It also has a programmed chip designed to read the barcode of goods and sum all the punched barcodes.

·         Also, it has a small “print” button and a mini receipt printer where it will print all the added prices.

·         Lastly, it has an alarm that will resonate when taken outside the grocery.

This hand held device is committed to resolve the issue of waiting and long queues. The device and a basket always go side by side because the pair is connected wirelessly. Costumer can use the device as soon as they enter the grocery department. There will be a portion of the grocery where the baskets and these price punchers are situated.  Basically, instead of falling in line in the cashier counters for their selected goods to be punched, any costumer can embrace the following ideas of using the technology.

When a customer uses this device along with the basket, one can punch the price of any goods one’s wants while one is strolling through the grocery even without going to the counter. All a costumer can do is place the “Portable Price Puncher” directly in front of the good’s barcode and pulled the trigger to register the price. As the costumer punched another good, it automatically adds the prices.

When the customer finished punching all the prices of the goods he wanted to purchase, he can press the “Print” button where it will print two typical receipts. One copy for the customer and one for the cashier.

Then, to pay for the goods just go to the cashier and present the receipt and the goods you want to purchase. Only in the counter that your goods will be packed and gave back the basket and the PPP device. This way it will reduce the work of the cashiers whose work will only receive the payment, packed the goods and retrieve the basket and device back.

This device ensures and aims the following aspects:

• Decrease Waiting Time. It decreases waiting time because while a customer is looking for something to buy, he or she can punch goods. There’s no need to fall in line in the cashier for your products to be punch but instead, only to pay for the total cost of your goods. That’s saves time rather than spending long time in finding your goods and waiting while the cashier punched the goods of a co-customer in front of you.
• Reduce Long Lines. Basically, it decreases long lines in the cashier counters because the only thing you’ll do in the counters is pay and pack. Basically, people will no longer fall in line for the progress is smooth.
• Decrease Cashier Works. Normally, the cashier’s works are to punch the goods, total the prices collect the payment and packed the goods. But with the help of this hand held device, it reduces the cashier’s work to only receiving the payment and packed the goods. It also saves time and effort for the cashier’s part.
• Theft proof. In terms of the device, it could not be stolen because it has a sensor that if brought right outside the grocery’s proximity, it will activate the alarm.

Not only this device can be used in the grocery department but the idea and principle of this new technology can be applied on the department store like the apparel section or toys section or anywhere in the establishment.

Always, technology makes the life more efficient to live.