Web-Based Shopping Application For Supermarkets In Kampala Case Study: Standard Supermarket

Abstract

The number of mobile phone and Internet users in Uganda is increasing continuously, it is no doubt that online shopping market in Uganda certainly sees a rapid rise and great developing potentials with many investment opportunities. With the advent of the Internet and network

technology, many organizations are now being equipped with Internet connections, either through wired connections or wireless infrastructure. Internet access provides customers an easy access to product information provided by supermarkets and ability to make online purchases using the available internet technologies. Supermarket Staff and customers therefore

need a system to manage and facilitate online purchasing. There is also a need to move from

time wasting, inconvenient and cumbersome manual methods of shopping especially for Uganda’s busy middle class who would love to shop from wherever they are.

To fulfill these needs, we proposed a Web-Based Shopping System. The project involved developing a Web-Based Shopping System, which could solve the major problems being faced in shopping processes such as delays, inconveniences and congestion. This project describes a Web-based Shopping System that can be used by WAP- enabled cell-phones and computers

which will allow users to register and create accounts with Standard Supermarket, browse available products online and carryout online shopping transactions using verifiable customer

debit card details. The Supermarket Staff will be able to update the product catalogue and track customer transactions. WSS also includes a simulated Bank Application which is responsible for maintaining a database holding details of customers registered with the Bank who also happen to be Standard supermarket registered customers and their associated Debit card

details. WSS includes modules for customer Registration, Ordering, Products updating and Debit card

verification designed to help customers effectively carryout online shopping. The debit card verification module is designed to help the Bank staff verify and authenticate customer debit card details .The WSS is designed to be easily deployed and provides a simple yet intuitive, user-friendly and web-based shopping interface for Standard Supermarket customers and Staff.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

APPROVAL iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv

List of Tables viii

List of Figures ix

List of Abbreviations x

Abstract xi

CHAPTER ONE 12

1.0 Introduction 12

1.1 Background to the Study 12

1.2 Statement of Problem 14

1.3 Main Objective 14

1.4 Specific Objectives 14

1.5 Scope of the study 15

1.5.1 Geographical scope 15

1.5.2 Technical scope 15

1.6 Justification of the Study 15

1.7 LOGICAL MODEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVERY 17

CHAPTER TWO 17

CHAPTER TWO 18

LITERATURE REVIEW 18

2.1 Introduction 18

2.2 Related studies 18

2.3 Web-Based Shopping System 18

2.4 Other information related to Mobile Shopping 19

2.5 Management Information system 20

CHAPTER THREE 22

METHODOLOGY 22

3.0 Introduction 22

3.1 Research Design 22

3.1.1 Target Population 22

3.2 Sampling 22

3.2.1 Sampling Technique 22

3.2.2 Sample Size 23

3.3 Requirements Instruments 23

3.4 Tools Used In System Analysis and Design 24

3.4.1 Data Analysis Methods 24

3.5 System Design and Implementation Environment 24

3.5.1 Entity relationship Diagrams 24

3.5.2MYSQL 24

3.5.3PHP 25

3.5.4 HTML 25

3.5.5 AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) 25

3.5.6 Java Script 26

3.6 Testing and Validation 26

CHAPTER FOUR 27

4.0 System Design and Implementation .27

4.1 Introduction 27

4.1.1 System Study and Investigation 27

4.1.2 Work Flow Process in the Current System 28

4.1.3 Existing System Weaknesses 28

4.2 The Proposed System 29

4.2.1 System Analysis 29

4.2.3 User Requirements 29

4.2.4 Functional Requirements 30

4.2.5 Non-Functional Requirements 31

4.2.6 System Requirements 32

4.3 System Design 33

4.3.1 Introduction 33

4.3.2 Context Diagram 33

4.3.3 Level 1 Data Flow Diagram 34

4.4 System Architecture 35

4.4.1 Architectural Design of WSS 35

4.5 System Database Design 36

4.5.1 Introduction 36

4.5.2 Conceptual Database Design 36

4.5.4 Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) 37

4.5.5 Mapping the ERD to Database Relational Schema 38

4.5.6 Physical Database Design 39

4.5.7 Data Dictionary 39

4.6 Application Architecture of WSS 41

4.7 System Implementation 42

4.7.1 Introduction 42

4.8 System Testing 42

CHAPTER FIVE 43

Discussions, Conclusions, and Recommendations 43

5.1 Discussion of Results 43

5.2 User-Interfaces 43

5.2 Limitations 44

5.3 Recommendations 45

5.4 Conclusion 46

The system hardware, Soffivare and technical requirements 47

5.5 OFFICIAL BUDGET FOR GRADUATION PROJECT 2012 48

5.6 MAP OF KAMPALA SHOWING THE LOCATION OF STANDARD

SUPERMARKET 49

6.0 References 50

Appendices 51

Appendix A 51

A. 1 Interview Script 51

Appendix B 54

Sample User Interfaces 54

B. 1.1 WSS About Page interface on Computer 54

B. 1.2 Customer Account Registration and Shopping Interface 55

B. 1.3 Home Appliance interface 56