Alliance Supermarket and Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems, management homework help

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Alliance Supermarket and Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems**** Answer each
question in full in complete paragraphs** Each part labeled and
Plagiarism report required****Introduction an conclusion paragraph
required*** Graduate level work PLS****Original and Plagiarism free work
!!!!

Alliance Supermarkets has been using a point-of-sale (POS)
system for some time to track its inventory. The system uses a laser
scanner to read the universal product code (UPC) on each item at the
checkout container. The UPC is a number that uniquely identifies the
product on which it appears. Currently, Alliance is using the UPC
information to update inventory records for each item. Although the
system has greatly improved the company’s ability to replenish
inventory promptly, the company still has some problems. For example,
sudden changes in demand for a particular item can catch the company by
surprise as it bases inventory replenishment on historical demand
patterns. Further, demand patterns and preferences may vary from one
store to another depending on the customers served by each, but the
inventory system groups all demand information together and treats each
store equally. Finally, the manufacturers that make the products
stocked by Alliance Supermarkets are always pressuring Alliance to help
them target appropriate customers for special promotions and sales.

The chief information officer (CIO) of Alliance realizes
that much more could probably be done with the data collected from its
POS system. For example, the company could analyze the relationship
between each product’s sales and weather patterns. It is even possible
to analyze an individual customer’s buying habits and identify
instances in which a customer may be persuaded to try a different brand
of a certain product.

For this assignment be sure to address the following points:

  • Study this situation and formulate new and innovative
    uses of the information from the POS system. Ideally, these ideas
    should help Alliance better serve its customers by ensuring that
    adequate quantities of each item are available, that costs are kept
    low, and that customers are made aware of new products that may
    interest them.
  • Describe any information that may help Alliance reduce costs while providing better service.
  • Propose a new approach that could be used by Alliance
    by using the purchase information that can be obtained on individual
    customers.
  • Assess ethical and privacy considerations of information gathered from the POS system or purchased items.

Your paper should be in paragraph form (avoid the use of
bullet points) and supported with the concepts outlined in your text
and additional scholarly sources.

Submit your three- to four-page paper (not including the
title and reference pages). Your paper must be formatted according to
APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center and must cite at
least three scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.