Is there a better way? 2

[audiopro]

I have an Epos function which is working but can anyone suggest a better way?

The scenario:-
Single outlet, high street EPOS system calls a Perl script once every hour (page timer) to check to see if anyone has reserved any items for store collection via their E-commerce website.
The number of new reserved items is returned to VFP.
If zero, no further action is taken.
If there are reserved items, a graphic is displayed on the shop till screen to alert the staff, the Perl script also emails the details of the reserved items to the store but the staff don't always check their email.

They click on the graphic to open a browser with the details of the reserved items displayed and in this display they can set the server record to 'ready for collection', once they have confirmed that a shiny new item is in fact available. Selecting 'ready for collection' sends the customer a further email to say that the item can be collected any time.

All that part works well but the problem lies with how to cancel the notification graphic on the till screen as it will not check the status on the server until another hour has passed.
I have tried a few things but wonder what would be the most efficient.
1. When the staff member clicks the browser link, set the timer duration to 1 minute until all the items have been marked ready for collection.
Problem - may interfere with till operations if a customer wants to make a purchase in the store.
2. Leave the timer at 1 hour and staff just ignore the graphic
Problem - If another item is reserved for collection, the staff will not check as they think it is the item they have just processed.

The program is set to work with option 1 and appears to work OK but I wondered if anyone had a better solution.
The way I would like to do it would be the server calling the VFP program when a product has been reserved but I am not sure if that is even possible without leaving the whole EPOS system wide open for anyone to access.


Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Hi Keith.

The workflow logic is, the reserved items are processed and in the end the staff member can ignore the graphic for the rest of the hour, in the normal case.

But why not give them a refresh button to manually check, whether new reservations arrived, while they processed the current ones? Or to check, whether they forgot an item? So instead of setting the interval for the next automatic check to 1 minute or staying with the hour, why not give the staff the chance to query that any time they want? If there is a form they use to process the items, you could also do an automatic perl request, once they close that form.

You can of course stay with the automatic check each hour, anyway, but I think the simplest way is to let them trigger that check manually, too.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Mike Lewis]

Keith,

As I was reading your description of the problem, I immediately thought of re-setting the timer to one minute, as per your first option. I think that would be the preferable solution of the two. But I take your point about interfering with the normal operation of the till.

Would it be possible to allow the till operator to clear the graphic manually? Give them a small button that says, in effect, that they have dealt with the order and they now want to use the till as normal? Or am I missing something?

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

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[audiopro]

Thanks both of you, I have been juggling a few options around but I think you have both suggested a solution in a way.
Just to clear one point up, the 'mark for collection' form is on the server not within the VFP app.
Once the staff member has clicked the link to the browser, the graphic disappears and is replaced with a 'click to confirm' button. This would be visible when the staff member returns to the EPOS app. This button as you suggested, is a simple call to the Perl script and will turn the graphic back on if another item has been reserved.
Thanks

Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk