17
Name:
ShoppingApp. The name is limiting – Rather called it Microsoft Retail App or MR App for short or something else.
Business cases:
1) Self-service app for supermarkets and store for specialist like electricians and plumbers.
a. There are all-ready stores here in Scandinavia that have large numbers of hand held android devices with built in barcode scanners with a simple user interface. First the user walks to a screen with a built-in scanner for scanning a barcode either on a card or on a mobile. One of the devices is then unlocked showing the name of the customer on the device. The customer then walks around the store, picks the items, scans the item by pressing a button, were the barcode is scanned with a built-in barcode scanner. The user can delete the item by pressing a delete basket on the app and then scan the item to confirm the item to delete. The transaction is completed by going to a check-out POS were the device is put into a docking that locks the device. The customers barcode Is scanned, and the transaction is retrieved into the self-service checkout POS for payment. The payment is completed, and a receipt is written out and the barcode on the receipt can be used to open a gate, so the customer can leave with the items.
b. Specialist stores. Similar kind of a scenario, but with manual routines regarding checkouts as most transactions are registered to customer account and need a manual signature or verifcation.
2) Self-service – outside of the store.
a. Done by customers in the field that have a regular re-accruing purchases for the retailer. Could be done by starting with a shopping list or manually browsing or by scanning barcodes with a camera or a Bluetooth barcode scanner. Could be in relation specialist like electricians, farmers, service people, etc. People that are in the field and not like always close to a PC but, do a lot of re-accruing purchases and in some cases also returns.
b. Sales people in the field, that go from customer to a customer.
c. Store employees that are servicing customer outside the store and selling limited range of products or bulky items that are kept in a closed area outside the store.
3) Customer loyalty app – Coupons
a. Show and activations of customer coupons
b. Show information about offers
c. General information for the customer
d. Customer verification – A customer barcode/customer id
4) Retail app for the store employees
a. Clocking in/out of the store, when GPS says the location is in the store.
b. Reports for the storemanger
c. Price-checks
d. Receiving and transferring goods
e. Ordering print out of price labels
f. Making manual purchase orders
g. Stock-count with offline capabilities.
h. Picking and packing, for pick-up in store orders
i. Messages/notification to the stores
j. Quick access/links to internal documents and websites.
k. Registration/handling of defected items
l. Stock information. Availability in store and nearby stores, and expected date of next delivery.
The code:
The code in the 8.1 SDK is an excellent start. Follows many good practices and patterns. The code is readable and has unit tests. Though even almost all of unit tests failed, out of the box, they gave a better understanding of the code, and its easy to make them work. Over all the code is a very good basis for the future and looks like the code is open for all kinds of extensibility.
Would be nice to see a further development of the app so some of the business cases above could be fulfilled. Would be nice to see the app follow the newest version Xamarin, .Net Standard 2.0 Lib. and other components.
Open source the project, so other developers could to accelerate the product and make it more current to everyone.
Configuration:
If more of the business cases are fulfilled, then more configuration parameters are required to turn on/off modules and functionality. Would also be nice to have a settings form to set/update information that now is configured in the configuration file. And setting to define start page, as different there are different needs. Make it possible to hide the menu button for example for the self-service in case 1.
Caching of data into a SQLite, for a quicker start and offline/semi-offline support would be nice.
Documentation:
Looks like there is a bit of things to be completed about authentication and activation. Would be good to have everything documented around these things when completed.
Would also be nice to have a read.md document that tells what is new in the version.
Documentation around logging and logging configuration.
Document the ideas behind the app, what is supposed to solve and how it can used.
Other:
Don’t let the user select a style when there is only style available or select color when only one color available.
ShoppingApp. The name is limiting – Rather called it Microsoft Retail App or MR App for short or something else.
Business cases:
1) Self-service app for supermarkets and store for specialist like electricians and plumbers.
a. There are all-ready stores here in Scandinavia that have large numbers of hand held android devices with built in barcode scanners with a simple user interface. First the user walks to a screen with a built-in scanner for scanning a barcode either on a card or on a mobile. One of the devices is then unlocked showing the name of the customer on the device. The customer then walks around the store, picks the items, scans the item by pressing a button, were the barcode is scanned with a built-in barcode scanner. The user can delete the item by pressing a delete basket on the app and then scan the item to confirm the item to delete. The transaction is completed by going to a check-out POS were the device is put into a docking that locks the device. The customers barcode Is scanned, and the transaction is retrieved into the self-service checkout POS for payment. The payment is completed, and a receipt is written out and the barcode on the receipt can be used to open a gate, so the customer can leave with the items.
b. Specialist stores. Similar kind of a scenario, but with manual routines regarding checkouts as most transactions are registered to customer account and need a manual signature or verifcation.
2) Self-service – outside of the store.
a. Done by customers in the field that have a regular re-accruing purchases for the retailer. Could be done by starting with a shopping list or manually browsing or by scanning barcodes with a camera or a Bluetooth barcode scanner. Could be in relation specialist like electricians, farmers, service people, etc. People that are in the field and not like always close to a PC but, do a lot of re-accruing purchases and in some cases also returns.
b. Sales people in the field, that go from customer to a customer.
c. Store employees that are servicing customer outside the store and selling limited range of products or bulky items that are kept in a closed area outside the store.
3) Customer loyalty app – Coupons
a. Show and activations of customer coupons
b. Show information about offers
c. General information for the customer
d. Customer verification – A customer barcode/customer id
4) Retail app for the store employees
a. Clocking in/out of the store, when GPS says the location is in the store.
b. Reports for the storemanger
c. Price-checks
d. Receiving and transferring goods
e. Ordering print out of price labels
f. Making manual purchase orders
g. Stock-count with offline capabilities.
h. Picking and packing, for pick-up in store orders
i. Messages/notification to the stores
j. Quick access/links to internal documents and websites.
k. Registration/handling of defected items
l. Stock information. Availability in store and nearby stores, and expected date of next delivery.
The code:
The code in the 8.1 SDK is an excellent start. Follows many good practices and patterns. The code is readable and has unit tests. Though even almost all of unit tests failed, out of the box, they gave a better understanding of the code, and its easy to make them work. Over all the code is a very good basis for the future and looks like the code is open for all kinds of extensibility.
Would be nice to see a further development of the app so some of the business cases above could be fulfilled. Would be nice to see the app follow the newest version Xamarin, .Net Standard 2.0 Lib. and other components.
Open source the project, so other developers could to accelerate the product and make it more current to everyone.
Configuration:
If more of the business cases are fulfilled, then more configuration parameters are required to turn on/off modules and functionality. Would also be nice to have a settings form to set/update information that now is configured in the configuration file. And setting to define start page, as different there are different needs. Make it possible to hide the menu button for example for the self-service in case 1.
Caching of data into a SQLite, for a quicker start and offline/semi-offline support would be nice.
Documentation:
Looks like there is a bit of things to be completed about authentication and activation. Would be good to have everything documented around these things when completed.
Would also be nice to have a read.md document that tells what is new in the version.
Documentation around logging and logging configuration.
Document the ideas behind the app, what is supposed to solve and how it can used.
Other:
Don’t let the user select a style when there is only style available or select color when only one color available.
STATUS DETAILS
Declined
Administrator on 3/30/2023 5:36:12 PM
Thank you for the product suggestion! This is unfortunately not aligned with the product roadmap as the Shopping app was released as a sample app.