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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We have generalized our research report to Supermarts rather

than specifying it to any buisness but for research we have
observed and collected the data from MAXBACHAT
SUPERMART and DAWOOD SUPERMARKET and we are
thankful to their staff for thier co-operation.We also got some of
our information related to POS from Sir Amir Hassan Pathan
and we are grateful too him too for his unending help.

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CONTENTS

Name Pg No
1)INTRODUCTION 2
2)MODELING 4
3)ANALYSIS 7
4)RESULTS 16
5)CONCLUSION 17
6)REFRENCES 18

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INTRODUCTION:
In this era,the use of Information Technology is very common to all of us.From
awakening in morning and sleeping at night we use many IT equipments without
which life seems impossible to many of us now.Among those popular uses of
IT,shopping is also the one field which is compeletely taken over by Information
Technology and Computer Science.Shopping which took lot of efforts in past is
now made super easy through Modern-Day supermarts.It was a time when people
have to travel long distance routes for buying different groceries at different
places,stores were not well organized,hygiene was not maintained,costs were high
and freedom of choice was not completely available.But the situation is entirely
changed now a days,Almost all supermarts are providing groceries in
organized,hygenic way at low prices along with freedom of choice and all that
easiness is only available to all of us just because of the blessings of IT

In this report,we have described our personal analysis and research on Supermarts
that how IT is creating easiness in shopping.We have described about all the
prominent IT equipment used in Supermarts and explained the working science
behind each equipment.

In Modeling section some graphics are also included for better understanding.

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MODELLING
Secuirty Cameras

DOOR
FRAME
METAL

DETECTORS

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Electronic Article Survilience(EAS)

ELECTROMAGNETIC ACOUSTO-MAGNETIC TAGS

RADIO-FREQUENCY TAGS MICROWAVE/PERMENENT

EPOS SOFTWARE

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ANALYSIS:

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Being a researcher and observant when we enter any Supermart we get to know
following are the IT equipments which are serving as a backbone to shopping
process in supermarts

1)Secuirty Cameras

2)Door Frame Metal Detectors

3)Electronic Article Survilliance(EAS)

4)Electronic Point Of Sale(EPOS)

 Computer
 Terminal/Touch Screen
 Customer Display
 Keyboard
 Barcode Scanner
 Cash Drawer
 Wieght Machine
 Payment Card Reader/PDQ Terminal for Card Payment)
 Reciept Printer

5)Money Detector

Now in the next paragraphs brief intro to each equipment is given and thier
working science is explained.

1)Secuirty Cameras:Among the all equipments used for secuirty in marts CCTV
cameras serves as the most basic one.It covers the moments going on in the mart
and then these moments are contionously get recorded in computer.There is also a
guard who continously observes moments recorded by camera on screen and when
he founds anything unusual he informs about it to other guards.Now a days
wireless cameras are also used which uses RF(Radio Frequency) signals.Wireless

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Cameras have a transmitter which sends the footage information to a central

reciever located inside the office.The information transmitted by these cameras is
generally stored in DVR and also in cloud storage too.

Secuirty cameras are used in supermarts for following reasons

1)For the survillence of articles and goods placed in draws

2)Mart manager can have a eye on all the employees whether they are working
right or not

3)These cameras are also used for learning the shopping behavior of customers.A
special pattern of customer walking through aisles is understood.These pattern help
administrators to know the special areas in mart where maximum customer traffic
is recorded through these pattern administrators understand the customers behavior
and then they improve thier quality.

2)Door Frame Metal Detector: This equipment is installed at the entrance gate of
most marts.It is used for detecting any sort of metal made weapons which can cause
harm to someone. Almost all metal detectors are based on pulse induction
(PI).Typical PI systems use a coil of wire on one side of the arch as the transmitter
and receiver.This technology sends powerful, short bursts (pulses) of
current through the coil of wire Each pulse generates a brief magnetic field.When
ever a metal is introduced between this magnetic field it get distorted and this
distortion make the detector sound and and it starts beeping.

3)ELECTRONIC ARTICLE SURVEILLANCE(EAS):It is a technological

method invented by Arthur Minasy in 1966 used for preventing shoplifting of
articles and goods.Special Tags are fixed to merchandise or goods which are
removed or deactivated by the clerks when the item is properly bought or checked
out.At the exits of the store,a detection system(EAS stands) sounds and alarm or
otherwise alerts the staff when it senses active tags.Some stores also have detection
system at the entrance of restroom too that sounds and alarm if someone tries to take
unpaid merchandise with them into restroom.

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It works on a principle that EAS stands installed on entrance of marts sends signals
and creates a specific field whenever an artice on which a tag is attached is allowed
to pass through it that field gets disturbs and stand starts alarming.
There are many types of tags used for different purposes but major ones are
i)Electromagnetic Tags
ii)Acousto-Magnetic Tags
iii)Radio-Frequency(RF) Tags
iv)Microwave tags

i)Electro-Magnetic Tags:-These tags are made of a strip of amorphous metal

which has a very low magnetic saturation value .Detection is achieved by sensing
harmonics and sum or difference signals by the non-linear magnetic responce of
the material under a mixture of low frequency magnetic field(from 10Hz to
1000Hz).These tags are cheapest among the all and are mostly used in Marts,
Libraries and small retail shops too.Thier deactivation is done through
magnetization

ii)Acousto-Magnetic Tags:-It is similar to Electromagnetic but the difference is

that it is made up of two strips one is ferromagnetic substance and other is semi-
hard metallic strip.These strips are not bound together but free to oscillate
mechanicallly and this oscillation increase its effectiveness more.It can work in the
detectors emitting waves upto 58 kHz.Its deactivation is done by de-magnetization

iii)Radio-Frequency Tags:-These tags can work in the range of 1.75MHz -9.5

MHz.The standard frequency for retail is 8.2MHz.Sensing is achieved by sweeping
around the resonant frequency and detecting the dip.Its deactivation is done by
covering the circiut with mettalic label called “detuner” deativation pad which
destroys its capacitor by shocks of electromagnetic waves.In terms of deactivation it
is most efficient in all types of tags(EM,AM and RF).

iv)Microwave Tags:-These tags are made of a non linear element(a diode) coupled
to one microwave and one electrostatic antenna.At the exit,one antenna emits a low
frequency(about 100KHz) field, and another one emits a microwave field.The tag
acts as a mixer re emitting a combination of signals from both fields.This
modulated signal triggers the alarm.These tags are permenent and somewhat
costly.They are mostly used in clothing portion.

4)ELECTRONIC POINT OF SALE(EPOS):- EPOS stands for Electronic Point

of Sale and is a computerised system used in marts it serves as the backbone IT
application to Marts. Essentially it’s an electronic way of letting people pay for
goods or services

HOW DO EPOS SYSTEMS WORK?

EPOS systems comprise of computer hardware, peripherals and software
perfectly suited to a point of sales environment.  For example, some of the most

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common components to an EPOS system are cash draws, chip and pin,
customer displays, keyboards, printers and weighing scales.
It’s a system that can support data entry through a variety of devices such as
computer keyboards, touchscreen monitors and barcode scanners.
It gives the retailer tremendous flexibility in choosing specific peripherals for
their business – ie: in a high demand environment such as a supermarket, an
EPOS system can be configured to work in tandem with barcode scanners to
ensure price accuracy and allowing the staff to work quickly

Benifits of EPOS
 Faster transactions
 Reduces human error
 Improves data integrity
 Prices can be changed easily for special offers
 Provides accurate sales reporting
 Enables constantly updated inventory for accounting, marketing and sales

At a time when marts are trying to be as cash-savvy and save as much money as
they can, it’s also important to consider the long-term cost-saving that using an
EPOS system can glean. It can create noticeable savings on employee time and
accounting, improve efficiency of stock control, and be the starting point to create
a database for customers and their behaviour.

EPOS has two main factors a Database Software and a Hardware

DATABASE SOFTWARE:-
Historically,Early Point of Sale softwares were not that advanced and has
limited functions.

Some History of Data Base Softwares

1) In August 1973, IBM released the IBM 3650 and 3660 store systems
that were, in essence, a mainframe computer used as a store controller
that could control up to 128 IBM 3653/3663 point of sale registers.
This system was the first commercial use of client-server
technology, peer-to-peer communications, local area network (LAN)
simultaneous backup, and remote initialization. By mid-1974, it was
installed in Pathmark stores in New Jersey and Dillard's department
stores.
2) One of the first microprocessor-controlled cash register systems was
built by William Brobeck and Associates in 1974, for McDonald's
Restaurants. It used the Intel 8008, a very early microprocessor (and
forerunner to the Intel 8088 processor used in the original IBM
Personal Computer). Each station in the restaurant had its own device
which displayed the entire order for a customer
3) In 1986, Gene Mosher introduced the first graphical point of sale
software featuring a touchscreen interface under the ViewTouch[
trademark on the 16-bit Atari 520ST color computer. It featured a
color touchscreen widget-driven interface that allowed configuration
of widgets representing menu items without low level

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programming.The ViewTouch point of sale software was first

demonstrated in public at Fall Comdex, 1986, in Las Vegas Nevada to
large crowds visiting the Atari Computer booth. This was the first
commercially available POS system with a widget-driven color
graphic touch screen interface and was installed in several restaurants
in the US and Canada.
4) In 1986, IBM introduced its 468x series of POS equipment based
on Digital Research's Concurrent DOS 286 and FlexOS 1.xx, a
modular real-time multi-tasking multi-user operating system.
5) In the start of 21st century,Microsoft access was very common
database software but now a days numerous softwares has taken its
place

A wide range of POS applications have been developed on platforms such as

Windows and Unix. The availability of local processing power, local data storage,
networking, and graphical user interface made it possible to develop flexible and
highly functional POS systems. Cost of such systems has also declined, as all the
components can now be purchased off-the-shelf.

POS systems are one of the most complex software systems available because of
the features that are required by different end-users. Many POS systems are
software suites that include sale, inventory, stock counting, vendor ordering,
customer loyalty and reporting modules. Sometimes purchase ordering, stock
transferring, quotation issuing, barcode creating, bookkeeping or even accounting
capabilities are included. Furthermore, each of these modules is interlinked if they
are to serve their practical purpose and maximize their usability.

Hardware of EPOS:-As far as,Hardware is concerned so its usage varies mart

to mart but some of the most commonly used hardwares are

 Computer
 Terminal/Touch Screen
 Customer Display
 Keyboard
 Barcode Scanner
 Cash Drawer
 Wieght Machine
 Payment Card Reader/PDQ Terminal for Card Payment)
 Reciept Printer

i)Computer:- The main component of a point of sale system is the CPU, or

computer, that runs the software. It may have a standard operating system
running the machine or it may come loaded with proprietary software from the
POS software vendor.In Marts there are two types of computers one is
Backstore Server and other is known as Client or Workstations

The back office server is essentially the main computer where pertinent
company information, such as bar codes, prices and sales reports, are

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programed and stored. This component also acts as the main information source
for the network if multiple units are in use throughout the establishment. No
matter how many computers are included in the business network, the back
office server will be the component where all applicable software is
downloaded.

Client and Workstation computer are small computers which are actually used
for billing purpose.they are many in numbers and are connected to Main
Backoffice server

ii)Terminal/Displays:-Terminal Displays comes in two types either

simple monitor or touchscreen

POS Monitor

A retailer has many choices of the point of sale monitors to add to their POS
system. Flat-panel LCD monitors may cost a little more than the standard CRT
monitor, but the LCD display will take up less space at the checkout counter.

POS Touch Screen

Depending on the type of business, retailers may find a display allowing users to
interact with the computer, or touch screens, easier and faster to use than
traditional keyboards and monitors. Not only does the touch functionality replace
the keyboard and mouse, it also saves counter space.

iii)Custome Display/Pole Display:-One optional part of a point of sale system is

the customer display or pole display. A lighted display for the customer to view
transaction totals, amount tendered and some customer displays feature customized
messages or can show advertising.

iv)Barcode Scanner:-An electronic device that can read and output

printed barcodes to a computer. It consists of a light source, a lens and a light
sensor translating for optical impulses into electrical signals.It works on the
principle of Optical Character Recognition(OCR).Additionally, nearly all barcode
readers contain decoder circuitry analyzing the bar code's image data provided by
the sensor and sending the barcode's content to the scanner's output port.

Some supermarts also have wall hanging Scanners too which are hanged on walls
in different places of marts.It helps customers to know the price of products.It has
a small display when a customer shows the barcode towards scanner’s light the
price of the product get displayed on it.

v)Keyboard:- If electing to go with a point of sale system without a touch screen,

the keyboard will serve as a primary interface to the POS system. Keyboards for a
point of sale system can vary in complexity and technology. They range in choices
from a standard 101-key model like you may have on your home PC to industry-
specific POS keyboards. Grocery stores and restaurants may need special functions
that only programmable keyboards can provide. When selecting a keyboard,

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consider the size, programmable key requirements, and magnetic stripe reader
functionality.

vi)Cash Drawer:-An essential part of a POS system is the cash drawer. Money,

credit card receipts, and other paperwork are stored here. This piece of hardware
receives a signal from the computer or receipt printer and opens when necessary. If
purchasing the components of the POS system separately, be sure the cash drawer
is compatible with the rest of the system. Cash drawers should be sturdy and
withstand the constant opening and closing

vii)Wieght Scales:-In supermarts,There are some products or items which are sold
on the basis of thier wieghts like Fruits,Vegetables and Bakery Items at that time
Digital Wieght scales are used which are connected to POS systems whenever the
wieght is placed on those scales they automatically multiply that Wieght with a
particular rate and then a final bill is made.
viiii)Payment Terminal:-,Payment Terminal also known as a Point of Sale (POS)
terminal, credit card terminal, EFTPOS terminal and PDQ terminal which stands
for "Process Data Quickly"or "Pretty Damn Quick”, is a device which interfaces
with payment cards to make electronic funds transfers. The terminal typically
consists of a secure keypad called as PINpad for entering PIN, a screen, a means of
capturing information from payments cards and a network connection to access
the payment network for authorization.
A payment terminal allows a merchant to capture required credit and debit
card information and to transmit this data to the merchant services provider
or bank for authorization and finally, to transfer funds to the merchant. The
terminal allows the merchant or their client to swipe, insert or hold a card near the
device to capture the information. Terminal are often connected to point of
sale systems so that payment amounts and confirmation of payment can be
transferred automatically to the merchants retail management system. Terminals
can also be used in stand alone mode, where the merchant keys the amount into the
terminal before the customer present their card and personal identification
number (PIN)

ix)Receipt Printer:-The final item to tie together the POS system is the receipt
printer. The ability to print a record of the transaction for the customer, and
possibly the store, is critical. Serial dot-matrix printers are generally cheaper to
purchase initially, but this type of printer uses pins and ink ribbons which add to
the cost over the lifespan of the receipt printer. Thermal receipt printers cost more
initially but use special paper which also adds to the lifetime expense. However,
the thermal printer is also faster and quieter.

Some receipt printers include a check reader which uses Magnetic Ink Character
Recognition (MICR) to describe the numbers and symbols that appear at the
bottom of checks. This type of printer can read, print and then endorse a check in a
single pass.

Whichever style and model of cash register receipt printer you choose, be sure you
have plenty of the correct related supplies on hand, such as receipt paper or printer
ink and ribbons. If integrating with an existing point of sale system, be sure to have
the proper cables for connectivity.

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5)Counterfiet Money Detector:-

A counterfeit money detector can come in many forms, but in its essence, it’s a
machine that detects the security features of bank notes in order to determine
whether any given bill is counterfeit or genuine. It uses one or several different
methods of detection to verify bank notes through their security features. Some of
these methods include UV, watermark, and metal thread detection. The more
methods of detection that are used, the more accurate the machine will be as it is
able to verify more security features.

UV Counterfeit Detection

UV is the most commonly used counterfeit detection method—it is seen in most of

the lower-end devices with the lowest price points. A UV detector verifies the UV
marks on authentic notes by shining ultraviolet light onto the bills. These UV
marks are created through the use of non-visible dyes that are only visible under
UV light. If the UV printed images glow when subjected to the UV light, then the
bank note is expected to be authentic.

Magnetic Counterfeit Detection

Some counterfeit money detectors also use magnetic detection to identify the
magnetic ink and metal threads placed on strategic areas of bank notes. This is also
a common type of counterfeit detection.

Watermark Counterfeit Detection

In addition, some detectors will also use light to view watermarks that are built into
authentic bank notes. These watermarks cannot be seen by the naked eye.

Size Detection

Newer, more modern counterfeit detectors can also detect whether or not the bill
being verified is the right size. Bills are all created in a standard size, so any
deviation would be a red flag for a fraudulent bill. Size detection adds an extra
layer of protection.

Automatic Counterfeit Detectors

Though many of the least expensive note detectors still require your employees to
make a judgement call on the authenticity of a bill, state-of-the-art counterfeit
detectors will do all of the work for you. Automatic counterfeit detectors are the
best way to accurately detect fraudulent bills. They are configured with advanced
imaging software allowing them to detect the exact dimensions and features of
bank notes with 100% accuracy. They will automatically reject counterfeits

RESULTS
In the early days of retailing, products generally were fetched by an assistant from
shelves behind the merchant's counter while customers waited in front of the
counter and indicated the items they wanted. Most foods and merchandise did not
come in individually wrapped consumer-sized packages, so an assistant had to
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measure out and wrap the precise amount desired by the consumer. This offered
opportunities for social interaction: many regarded this style of shopping as "a
social occasion" and would often "pause for conversations with the staff or other
customers."These practices were by nature slow and labor-intensive and therefore
also quite expensive. The number of customers who could be attended to at one
time was limited by the number of staff employed in the store. Shopping for
groceries also often involved trips to multiple specialty shops, such as
a greengrocer, butcher, bakery, fishmonger and dry goods store; in addition to
a general store. Milk and other items of short shelf life were delivered by
a milkman.

But a sudden revival came in the lives of people when the Concept of Supermarts
was introduced in early 20th century and this revival is only possible just because of
Information Technology

Before IT,the secuirty system was very low in retail shops.Stealing of articles was
very common those days but in today’s supermarts Survillience Equipments like
Video Cameras,Doorframe Metal Detectors and Electronic Article
Survillience(EAS) has greatly reduced the stealing rate in general and it helped the
retailers throughout the world

Before EPOS,The billing procedure in retail shops was very tidious task.The
quantity of items purchased were continously repeated for counting,remembering
the rate of each item was a tough game especially in the place where thousands of
items were available,after the purchase of items a long bill was hand written which
took a lot of time then this bill was also written in personal accounting registers of
buisness.To sum up,Billing Procedure was far more difficult for large buisnesses it
required lot of efforts,time and stationary expenses even after such difficulties the
chances of error was the biggest issue but EPOS stood as an ultimate solution to all
these difficulties.Its combination of Software and Hardware saved a lot of time and
reduced the chances of error to zero percent.Moreover it also limtized the need of
accountants in buisnesses

CONCLUSION:-
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To sum up,Information Technology has revolutionized the Grocery shopping so

much.In this report we have tried our little effors in order to explain the importance
of IT in modern-day shopping but yet many important details are still missing
because of lack of time,lack of space and lack of experience.

Now a days,There are many innovations coming up in supermarts like Locating

Products in marts through mobile apps,Self-Serve Barcode Scanning thorough
Mobile apps that would limitized the billing time and Automatic Checkout which
would make your bills automatically through scanning of radio tags on products
and you will be charged automatically through online banking.

IT Scientists are trying thier best to invent more equipments which would
eventually make Grocery Shopping more simpler more easier and for that we
should cross our fingers.

REFRENCES
1) www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_security_camera
2) www.chinesedetector.com/news/the-principle-and-

structure-of-walk-through-me-15468037
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3) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_detector
4) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_article_surveillance
5) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_sale
6) www.business2community.com/sales-management/what-
are-epos-systems-and-how-do-they-work-0319907
7) www.epossystemsguide.co.uk/what-is-epos/epos-hardware
8) www.thebalancesmb.com/parts-of-a-pos-system-2890124
9) www.cashtechcurrency.com/blog/how-do-counterfeit-
detectors-work
10) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcode_reader
11) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payment_terminal

TOTAL WORDS-3807
TOTAL LINES-575

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