APPENDIX B
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Program Solicitation: NSF 97-64
Closing Date: June 12, 2006
SBIR Phase II-- Proposal Cover Page
TOPIC NO.
SUBTOPIC NO. (if any)
TOPIC TITLE
3141-5926-5358-9793-2384
N/A
Automated Service Kiosk Project
NAME OF COMPANY
EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER 626-433ASK, Inc.
8327
ADDRESS (including address of Company Headquarters and zip code plus four digit extension)
Automated Service Kiosk
Old Dominion University
Computer Science Department
4700 Elkhorn Ave. Suite 3300
Norfolk, VA
23529-0162
REQUESTED
AMOUNT
$750,000
PROPOSED DURATION
24 Months
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
24 Months
THE SMALL BUSINESS CERTIFIES THAT:
1. It is a small business as defined in this solicitation (Section 2.12)
2. It qualifies as a socially and economically disadvantaged business as defined in this solicitation. FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES ONLY.
3. It qualifies as a woman-owned business as defined in this solicitation. FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES ONLY.
4. NSF is the only Federal agency that has received this proposal (or an overlapping or equivalent proposal) from the small business concern.
If No, you must disclose overlapping or equivalent proposals and awards as required by this solicitation. (See Section 3.3.m)
5. A minimum of two-thirds of the research will be performed by this firm in Phase II
6. The primary employment of the principal investigator will be with this firm at the time of award and during the conduct of the research.
7. It will permit the government to disclose the title and technical abstract page, plus the name, address and telephone number of a corporate
official if the proposal does not result in an award to parties that may be interested in contacting you for further information or possible
investment.
8. It will comply with the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( P. L. 88-352) and the regulations pursuant thereto.
9. It has previously submitted proposals to NSF (EXCLUDING PHASE I SBIR).
10. It previously submitted this proposal (which was declined previously) and significant modifications have been made as described in
Section 4.5 of this solicitation.
Y/N
Y
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
PRINCIPAL INVESIGATOR / PROJECT DIRECTOR
NAME Professor Gene Hill Price
SOCIAL SECURITY NO.
950-28-8519
TELEPHONE NO.
314-1592
NAME
Mylene Cover
PRESIDENT'S NAME
Janet Brunelle
TITLE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
HIGHEST DEGREE / YEAR
Masters of Science
E-MAIL ADDRESS
price@cs.odu.edu
FAX NO.
WEB ADDRESS
653-5897
http://www.cs.odu.edu/~price
COMPANY OFFICER (FOR BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL MATTERS)
TITLE
TELEPHONE NO.
Project Manager
757-683-6001 x 5009
OTHER INFORMATION
YEAR FIRM FOUNDED
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AVERAGE
2005
PREVIOUS 12 MO.: 5 CURRENTLY: 4
PROPRIETARY NOTICE: See Section 5.4 for instructions concerning proprietary information.
(Check Here if proposal contains proprietary information.)
NOTE: The signed Certification Page MUST be included immediately following this Cover Page with the original copy of the proposal only.
NSF FORM 1207 (SBIR 12/96)
1
Certification Page
Certification for Principal Investigators
I certify to the best of my knowledge that:
(1) the statements herein (excluding scientific hypotheses and scientific opinions) are true and complete, and
(2) the text and graphics herein are as well as any accompanying publications or other documents, unless otherwise indicated, are the original
work of the signaatories or individuals working under their supervision. I agree to accept responsibility for the scientific conduct of the project
and to provide the required progress reports if an award is made as a result of this application.
I understand that the willful provision of false information or concealing a material fact in this proposal or any other communication submitted to NSF is a
criminal offense (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001).
PI/PD
Name (Typed)
Gene Hill Price
Signature
Date
Certification for Authorized Organizational Representative or Individual Applicant
By signing and submitting this proposal, the individual applicant or the authorized official of the applicant institution is: (1) certifying that statements made
herein are true and complete to the best of his/her knowledge; and (2) agreeing to accept the obligation to comply with NSF award terms and conditions if
an award is made as a result of this application. Further, the applicant is hereby providing certification regarding Federal debt status, debarment and
suspension, drugfree workplace, and lobbying activities (see below), as set forth in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 95-27. Willful provision of false
information in this application and its supporting documents or in reports required under an ensuring award is a criminal offense (U.S. Code, Title 18,
Section 1001).
In addition, if the applicant institution employs more than fifty persons, the authorized official of the applicant institution is certifying that the institution
has implemented a written and enforced conflict of interest policy that is consistent with the provisions of Grant Policy Manual Section 510; that to the
best of his/her knowledge, all financial disclosures required by that conflict of interest policy have been made; and that all identified conflicts of interest
will have conflict of interest policy. Conflicts which cannot be satisfactorily managed, reduced or eliminated must be disclosed to NSF.
Debt and Debarment Certifications (If answer "yes" to either, please provide explanation.)
Is organization delinquent on any Federal debt?
YES
NO X
Is the organization or its principals presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or
voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by a Federal Department or agency?
YES
NO X
Certification Regarding Lobbying
This certification is required for an award of a Federal contract, grant or cooperative agreement exceeding $100,000 and for an award of a Federal loan or a
commitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee a loan exceeding $150,000.
Certification for Contracts, Grants, Loans and Cooperative Agreements
The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:
(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to
influence an officer of employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in
connection with the awarding of any federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative
agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal Contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.
(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or
employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, and officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this
Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, "Disclosure of Lobbying
Activities," in accordance with its instructions.
(3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers including
subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.
This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this
certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code. Any person who fails to file the
required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.
Authorized Organizational Representative
Signature
Date
Name /Title (Typed)
Mylene Cover
Telephone Number
757-683-6001 x 5009
Electronic Mail Address
mcover@cs.odu.edu
Fax Number
n/a
2
APPENDIX C
National Science Foundation
Small Business Innovation Research Program
Program Solicitation No: NSF 97-64
Project Summary
FOR NSF USE ONLY
NSF PROPOSAL NO.
NAME OF FIRM
ADDRESS
ASK, Inc.
Automated Service Kiosk
Old Dominion University
Computer Science Department
4700 Elkhorn Ave. Suite 3300
PRINICPAL INVESTIGATOR (NAME AND TITLE): Professor
Gene Hill Price
TITLE OF PROJECT Automated Service Kiosk Project
TOPIC TITLE
Kiosk Usage
TOPIC NUMBER AND SUBTOPIC LETTER
3141-5926-5358-9793-2384
PROJECT SUMMARY
(250 words or less)
Poor customer service is a cause for low retention rates in any business. Listed as the number
one reason why consumers leave a store, poor customer services easily spreads by word of mouth and
can have detrimental effects on a business. If repeat customers spend 33% more than new customers,
and it costs 6% more to sell an item to a prospective customer than it does an existing one, one can
clearly see the benefits of retaining a solid customer base.
In store, many problems to the every-day shopper can arise. From not knowing all available
options, not knowing item location, getting substandard or misinformation from store experts, to
simply having a hard time finding a sales associate, many ailments plague today's customers. Our
solution to this problem is the A.S.K., the Automated Service Kiosk. The A.S.K. will provide an instore alternative source of knowledge to help customers quickly find answered they're seeking. The
A.S.K. can offer a wide range of beneficial traits found currently unavailable in one all-inclusive
solution. The traits, including product comparison, sale / coupon notification, location indicatory map,
and a friendly and easy-to-use interface will brighten customers' shopping experiences drastically.
Direct benefits to stores also exist. Aside from an obvious increase in customer retention, the
A.S.K. can provide predictive analysis and detailed information to stores letting them easily monitor
what products are more popular than others and what changes might need to be made.
Potential Commercial Applications of the Research
In-Store Kiosk System
Key Words to Identify Research or Technology (8 maximum)
In-store, Customer Service, Automated, Shopping Tool
NSF Form 1304 (SBIR 12/96)
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SBIR PHASE II-- PROPOSAL COVER PAGE
1
CERTIFICATION PAGE
2
PROJECT SUMMARY
3
1.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
5
1.1 RESULTS OF PHASE I PROJECT
5
2.0 PHASE II TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES, APPROACH AND WORK PLAN
7
2.1 TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES AND APPROACH
2.2 WORK PLAN
7
9
3.0 ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION
9
3.1 PHASE II
3.2 CURRENT STAFF PLAN (PHASE II)
3.3 REFERENCES
3.4 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
3.5 SUPPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION
9
14
14
15
16
4.0 COMMERCIALIZATION PLAN
17
4.1 COMPANY INFORMATION
4.2 COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL
4.3 PHASE I FINAL REPORT
17
18
19
5.0 PRODUCTION SPECIFICATIONS
21
5.1 THE SERVERS
5.2 THE KIOSKS
21
21
6.0 FULL PROJECT BUDGET
21
4.6 FULL PROJECT WORK PLAN
25
4
1.0 Project Description
1.1 Results of Phase I Project
The primary objective of Phase I was to design, create and demonstrate a functional
prototype of the Automate Service Kiosk (A.S.K.). The prototype was designed using research
completed in Phase 0 and its purpose was to prove feasibility of a future production model. The
prototype uses a combination of hardware and software to demonstrate all major functions of the
A.S.K. Since the prototype is not a fully functioning model, the overall functionality was
separated between simulated and real components. The prototype was designed, built and tested
to surmise overall feasibility of production. Upon testing, it was found that the prototype did
prove production feasibility yet still needed a number of refinements before a production model
could be beta tested and shipped.
Hardware required for the prototype:




Laptop
Server (CS server)
Software for the prototype:
My SQL
Simulated prototype components:









In-store terminal
A.S.K. Server
Functional prototype components:
Browse
Compare
Sort
Help
Coupons/Offers
Product location
5
Figure 1.1: Lab Prototype Diagram
The prototype was developed using the developer’s Unix editor of choice. The software
was developed in two sections: the GUI and the database. The GUI was designed in a
combination of PHP and HTML. The images for the GUI were developed using Inkscape and
The Gimp. The database connection and interface to the GUI was written in PHP. The database
itself is MySQL. The functionality of the ASK is based on the user interacting with the GUI,
which is populated based on information gathered from the mock inventory database. An
overview of the interface between the software provided in the ASK as well as the contents of
the database are contained in Figure 1.2 below:
Figure 1.2: ASK Database Overview
6
2.0 Phase II Technical Objectives, Approach and Work Plan
2.1 Technical Objectives and Approach
Our proposed solution is to provide an in-store customer service terminal that will serve
as an alternative source of knowledge and help for consumers. The product will have a friendly
customer interface. This interface will be personalized and tailored to the needs of the customer.
One of the major characteristics of the finished product will be the ability to display all available
items in the store, relating to the stock availability of a specific product at a specific store.
Additionally, the software has the potential to produce a map of the applicable store showing the
general location, or grid, of the product in question. The ASK will compare the product with
other similar products chosen by the user, as well as explain key terms relating to the
specifications of the product. The ASK will also notify the consumer of any sales or coupons
pertinent to the viewed product and in the case of the coupons, where they can be picked up
within the store. If there is a problem with any of the store employees, products, or the store
itself the ASK terminal gives customers an outlet for voicing their opinions. The ASK terminal
also provides an option to queue up for additional assistance from store associates if the kiosk
was not able to answer his/her questions appropriately or adequately.
Figure 2.1: ASK Project Scope
7
Given the functionality to display all the available items at a specific store or to notify a
customer of product availability, the ASK will have to interface with an inventory database. The
scope of our proposed solution is illustrated in Figure 2.1 above. The bulk of the processing will
occur on the ASK servers to alleviate the work done by the ASK terminal thin clients. The thin
clients will connect though a LAN to the ASK server as shown below in figure 2.2. The ASK
server contains an internal inventory database that will update itself with the external server that
belongs to the retail store. This will help the look up time, and any fault tolerance.
Figure 2.2: ASK System Overview
There are many software products that employ searchable inventory database systems.
Some are very good but expensive. Our goal is to design a system hat has the highest rank in
usability and user friendliness. The most fundamental and important element of the inventory
system is the database.
The ASK database will contain a copy of the store’s inventory information that drives the
store’s retail business. A properly designed inventory database can be utilized in helping
8
customers locate the products, compare the products and offer any customer incentives. The
ASK database overview in figure 1.2 illustrates how the inventory database interacts with the
ASK database software. First, the inventory database will establish a connection with the ASK
database integration software that connects to the ASK MySQL database.
2.2 Work Plan
The ASK will take approximately two and a half years to be developed and ready for
production. Phase II will start immediately after the completion of Phase I. This phase is the
longest phase since it includes actual development and beta testing of the system. Phase II is
scheduled for completion in May 2008. At the start of Phase III, the production phase will begin.
This phase is on going and will not end as long as the ASK system is being sold. Figure 2.3
below is a Gantt chart showing each task of the ASK and the time necessary to complete each
task in Phase III.
Q2 08
ID
Task Name
Start
Finish
Q3 08
Q4 08
Q1 09
Q2 09
Q3 09
Q4 09
Q1 10
Duration
May
1
ASK.3 Phase 3
5/2/2008
1/5/2010
2
ASK.3.1 Develop Project Team
5/2/2008
5/7/2008
4d
3
ASK.3.2 Prepare Production
5/7/2008
1/5/2010
435d
4
ASK.3.2.1 Manufacture
5/7/2008
1/16/2009
183d
5
ASK.3.2.2 Warehouse
1/16/2009
8/25/2009
158d
6
ASK.3.2.3 Marketing
8/26/2009
12/14/2009
79d
7
ASK.3.2.4 Website
9/2/2009
1/5/2010
90d
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
438d
Figure 2.3: Phase III Gantt Chart
3.0 Organizational Information
3.1 Phase II
By Phase II the members of the ASK team will have received a bachelor’s degree in
Computer Science. In addition to Webmaster and GUI Development Lead, Quality Assurance
Manager and Research Lead, Finance and Accounting Manager, Marketing and Sales Manager,
9
Nov
Dec
Jan
whose job descriptions are mentioned in Phase I, we have to hire additional staff to meet the
development timeline and to assist in the development of the system. The new staff will consist
of one network engineer, one software engineer, one junior programmer, two web programmers,
one touch screen programmer, one SQL/DB programmer and one software engineer who
specialize in testing. During this phase, the legal and marketing assistance will be provided by
Old Dominion University. Job descriptions and requirements of each new position are outlined
below.
Software Engineer:
Designs, modifies, develops, writes and implements software programming applications.
Supports and/or installs software applications/operating systems. They participate in the testing
process through test review and analysis, test witnessing and certification of software. Participate
in Alpha & Beta coordination/support.
Required skills and experience: A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university
with a major in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or other related
scientific or technical discipline. C, C++, C# and other programming languages are a must.
Network Engineer:
Plans and evaluates network systems and makes recommendations for resources required to
maintain and/or expand service levels. Provide highly skilled technical assistance in network
planning, engineering and architecture. Develops technical standards and interface application;
identify and evaluate new products; provide solutions for network problems; interfaces with
customers to determine system needs. Build A.S.K. network tiers and set up development
network.
10
Required skills and experience: A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university
with a major in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or other related
scientific or technical discipline, or equivalent work experience desired. 4+ years of data
communications experience required. Advanced network skills, experience with firewall setup
and maintenance and networking concepts required.
Junior Programmer:
Responsibilities include developing interfaces between input and output devices, developing
sensor scanning and recognition software, testing of individual components of system, and
complete prototype testing.
Required skills and experience: Undergraduate student majoring Computer Science. Senior
level status preferred, experience in C++, C#, SQL, and other programming languages a must.
Web Programmers:
Designs, develops, and implements software packages for web sites. Troubleshoots debugs
and implements software code. They review and analyzes programming systems including
encoding, testing, debugging and documenting for ASK Supports and/or installs software
applications. Programmers participate in the testing process through test review and analysis, test
witnessing and certification of software, and configure the software and website. Develops,
implements, and maintains firewall technologies that secure ASK’s website. Defines network
security issues, develops plans and procedures, and ensures safety and privacy of the newly
developed Internet and Intranet sites. Creates, modifies and deletes user profiles and other access
controls. Web programmers also review security logs and violation reports.
11
Required skills and experience: A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university
with a major in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or other related
scientific or technical discipline. A minimum of 3 years of experience in Web application
development is a must. Has knowledge of standard concepts, practices, and procedures within
web development field (i.e., SQL, C++, C#, HTML, CGI and JavaScript).
Touch Screen Programmer:
Designs, develops and test kiosk applications using a number of visual components. Designs
and develops several interface touch screens for ASK kiosks. Programmer integrates GUI
screens with existing database, and may participate in the testing and enhancing of components.
Required skills and experience: A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university
with a major in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or other related
scientific or technical discipline; 1-3 years of experience in GUI development; C, C++, C#
language programming, GUI API packages a plus.
SQL/DB programmer:
Reviews, evaluates, designs, implements and maintains ASK’s database[s]. Identifies data
sources, constructs data decomposition diagrams, provides data flow diagrams and documents
the process. They also write codes for database access, modifications, and constructions
including stored procedures. Reviews and analyzes programming systems including encoding,
testing, debugging and documenting for ASK data process and database. Supports and installs
database applications. A SQL programmer participates in the testing process through test review
and analysis, and develops technical specifications.
12
Required skills and experience: A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university
with a major in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or other related
scientific or technical discipline; minimum of 3 years of experience in database development
required. Experience with MS SQL DTW/Stored Procedures, MS SQL Server, and MS2000
SQL Suite a plus.
Test Engineer:
Review codes, test results and produces test result documentation. Evaluates, recommends,
and implements automated test tools and strategies. Develops, maintains, and upgrades
automated test scripts and architectures for application products. Also writes, implements, and
reports status for system test cases for testing. Analyzes test cases and provides regular progress
reports.
Required skills and experience: A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university
with a major in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or other related
scientific or technical discipline. A minimum of 2 years of experience in either software testing
or development; C, C++, C# code is required. Must have experience in system level testing
including test planning, test cases design, test execution and test automation. Test engineers must
be familiar with test case tracking tools and test management systems, like TIMS. Excellent
interpersonal and sound written communication skills are essential.
13
3.2 Current Staff Plan (Phase II)
GH Price
General Manager
Mylène Cover
Project Manager
Enrique Polanco
Research &
Marketing
Keegan Morrison
Software Engineer
Web Master
Jared Miller
GUI Programmer
Web Master
3.3 References
Societal Research
2004 Customer Service Survey Results
http://www.amdocs.com/documents/survey-results.html
Marketing
Top 10 Reasons Why Business Fail
http://forum.belmont.edu/cornwall/archives/003452.html
Secrets to Customer Retention
http://www.rightnow.com/resource/RN_LoyaltyCRMGuru.html
Why Customer Retention is so important
http://www.bpoindia.org/research/customer-retention.shtml
Good Customer Service
http://www.outsource2india.com/services/customer_interaction_services.asp
Kiosk Market Sales
http://www.kioskmarketplace.com/news_story.htm?i=22182
Kiosk Market Growth
http://www.jbsinteractive.com/opportunities.html
Competition Matrix
Intermedia Kiosks
14
http://www.intermediakiosks.com/news/03-09-26_pressrelease.html
Best Buy
http://www.bestbuy.com
Wal-Mart
http://www.walmart.com
Target
http://www.target.com
Circuit City
http://www.circuitcity.com
Virgin Records
http://www.virginrecords.com/
Financial Research
All salary information
http://www.salary.monster.com
Funding
NSF Information Based Technologies
http://www.eng.nsf.gov/sbirspecs/IT/it.htm
NSF funding information
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03611/nsf03611.htm
CIT secondary funding information
http://www.cit.org/federal_funding-04.asp
CIT secondary funding background
http://www.cit.org/pdf/sbir-background-3.pdf
3.4 Biographical Sketches
Gene Hill Price – General Manager
Gene Hill Price is a Senior Lecturer at Old Dominion University. He earned a M.S., ODU, 1984
and a B.S., USNA, 1969.
Mylène Cover – Project Manager
15
Mylène Cover is a full-time student at Old Dominion University. Mylène is a senior Computer
Science major and intends to purse a MBA upon graduation. Prior to the fall semester in 2005
Mylène worked at the NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Mylène's
experiences while working both at ODU and NASA have provided her with the necessary skills
to be an awesome project manager for the A.S.K. team.
Enrique Polanco – Marketing Specialist
Enrique Polanco is a senior at Old Dominion University majoring in Computer Science. With a
background in the international community Enrique is the number one choice for the marketing
expert. Enrique is from Zaragoza, Spain. Enrique's future plans include first finishing his degree
at ODU then continuing his education in graduate school.
Jared Miller – Technical Specialist
Jared Miller is a Computer Science major out of Virginia Beach. Jared plans to graduate in May
2007 with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. Currently, Jared works for General
Dynamics through the ODU Research Foundation. As an experienced programmer and
researcher, Jared has the skills to handle the financial lead on the A.S.K
Keegan Morrison – Web Designer
In his fourth year as a Computer Science Major, Keegan Morrison works for Oceanography and
is a Systems Administrator for the Old Dominion Computer Science Department. Keegan plans
on going on to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in Oceanography. This and his continuous
work at Systems give him the experience for the Web Master and the Hardware Specialist.
3.5 Supplementary Documentation
For supplementary documentation in regards to the Automated Service Kiosk project, please
go to the ASK website at: http://www.cs.odu.edu/~cpi/cpi-f2005/ask/ At this website, you will
16
have access to the ASK User’s Manual for the finished product, the ASK Descriptive Paper of
the prototype, and the ASK Budget White Paper.
4.0 Commercialization Plan
4.1 Company Information
The Computer Productivity Initiative (CPI) was created in 1995 as part of the Computer
Science Undergraduate Degree Program at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The
goal of CPI was to identify and implement modifications to the curriculum that would help
students better understand how to apply their education to real world problems. In
CS410/CS411, students would develop solutions to real world problems and take the necessary
steps to develop a solution and show that it is feasible. The Automated Service Kiosk (ASK)
program was born of these modifications, and seeks to develop a new solution to a real world
problem using the knowledge gained from the Computer Science program at Old Dominion
University. The Computer Productivity Initiative is a research and development based program.
There are four undergraduate students in the spring semester of CS411 participating in the ASK
group and are split into the following categories:

Administration

Technical

Financial and Scheduling

Web Design

Software

Marketing
17
4.2 Commercial Potential
We will perform beta testing on the finished product. Once this testing is complete, we
will team up with a individuals chosen for their marketing and commercial analysis skill for the
initial commercialization of our product. It has been made abundantly clear from research
performed in both phases 0 and 1 that poor customer service is a problem that ails many stores
and leads to a decline in their business. Our initial target market will be a large store specializing
in technological products such as Best Buy or Circuit City. By the end of 2007 we expect to
have the ASK System deployed in at least three other locations in the state of Virginia in
addition to the two used for beta testing. By the end of 2009 we expect to have implemented our
system throughout the United States, eventually expanding to Canada and perhaps even Mexico.
With an average increase in sales of 15 – 20% with the use of a kiosk in a store, the projected
gain in sales for Best Buy with an ASK System implemented in each and every one of their
stores would be over 24 million by the second year of implementation.
Another way of increasing our sales is with the use of the media. According to the study
of Forbes Magazine about the type of media that people consult before buying new products, the
Internet ranked the highest with 73%, followed by magazines at 57%, newspapers at 29%, TV at
20% and radio at 8%.
In order to increase our product commercialization, we will suggest that the store that has
implemented the system add the availability of the ASK System to their advising strategies both
on television and radio as well as on their website. Additionally, it will be vital that the systems
be strategically placed and both easily identifiable within a store as well as in an area likely for
customers to frequent within a store.
18
4.3 Phase I Final Report
Phase 0 was able to prove the concept and feasibility of the product and Phase 1 is the
time for a functional prototype of the Proximity Reminder System to be built. The prototype was
designed using research completed in Phase 0 and its purpose was to prove feasibility of a future
production model. Refer to the results of Phase I Prototype in section 1.1 of this document for a
detailed explanation of the prototype and how it works. In this phase there are a few more
objectives in addition to development of a prototype. Major documents were produced along
side the prototype development including the User’s Manual, Budget White Paper, and Course
Contracts.
In Phase I we developed, reviewed, and finalized a User’s Manual for the finished
product; it is a guide documenting the installation, setup, and use of the ASK. This document
includes information such as:

System Description
o Hardware Setup
o Software Setup

Software Menus

Product Functionalities

Frequently Asked Questions

Contacts

Full Software License
o License Agreement
o Warranty
o Liability
19
The development of the prototype was completed with the majority of the functional
components working. Simulated prototype components include the touch-screen interface of the
GUI on the kiosk as well as the interface between the store inventory database and the ASK
database/server. This prototype does prove production feasibility; however, there are more
components to be added for a fully functional model that incorporates all of the current simulated
process as real components.
The White Paper is collection of a few categories including:

Statement of the Problem - Problems the product solve

Objectives - proposed product

Methods of Achievement – How will you make it

Management - The successful organization structure

Schedule - Completion time line

Justification - Why the team can be successful

Budget - Money for resources required
Making this document clarified all main subject areas that are needed for upper level
update and review. The last major paper was the contract writing. Here is where we break down
our project and look for possible jobs for outsourcing to aid in the production of the prototype.
These contracts were revised and refined so that the qualifications of the computer science
students at Old Dominion University currently enrolled in CS 300 and CS 250 would fit into the
requirements.
Thanks to Old Dominion University’s Computer Science Department, we are way under
budget since most resources needed for this phase were readily available to us at no charge. We
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were able to use laboratory computers for development of the software and to use one of the
existing servers for the mock MySQL database.
5.0 Production Specifications
5.1 The Servers
The servers to be used in the production version of the ASK product are Dell PowerEdge
2850s, which are suitable to handle the estimated load of the ASK product. One will be used as
the ASK records and terminal server, which will contain the PAD databases and the required
operating and program needs for the ASK terminals. The second server will be provided as
needed for use as a store inventory database.
The servers will be mounted in a server rack along with the required networking
hardware. The server rack should be in secure area of the store to which no customers have
access.
5.2 The Kiosks
The kiosks will involve three separate parts. First, a touch screen monitor will be used as
the main interface with which consumers interact. Second, the computer, will do a network boot
from the ASK server, and will only contain the bare minimum hardware requirements. The third
and last component of the ASK kiosk is the housing. The housing, made of wood, will house the
terminal and touch screen.
The kiosk will be placed in close proximity of both power outlets and network drops,
which will be installed prior to the installation of the kiosk. Suggested kiosk placement will be
presented for review by the store owner / managers.
6.0 Full Project Budget
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Phase II
Personnel
Title
Needed
Yearly
Salary
Employment
Duration
Cost of
Employment
Software Engineer
4
$50,162
247
$206,500
Senior Software Engineer
1
$73,533
247
$75,678
Database Analyst/Specialist
1
$95,940
184
$73,554
GUI Programmer
2
$56,743
184
$87,006
Project Manager
1
$84,546
520
$183,183
Technical Writer
2
$39,846
121
$40,178
Quality Assurance Manager
1
$87,423
186
$67,753
Marketing Manager
1
$74,498
298
$92,874
Overhead – 40%
$330,690
Total Cost
$1,157,416
Hard Resources
Resource
Terminal Operating System
Compiler
Database
Network Switch
Network Integration Materials
ASK Terminal Thin Client
ASK Terminal Monitor
ASK Records Server
Employee Workstations
ASK Terminal Housing
Beta Testing Costs
Total
Product
* n ix
GCC
MySQL
Cisco Catalyst 2950-24
Cables, etc.
Dell Dimension B110
Planar PT1500MU
Dell PowerEdge 2850
Dell Precision 380
Unit Cost
s
5
Free
1
Free
5
Free
1
$550
1
$1,000
5
$6,000
5
$2,495
2
$10,000
5
$7,423
5
$1,000
$100,000
$128,46
8
Store Inventory Database Server (if
n
Se
toerdeeIdn)ventory Database (if needed)
Total with Optional Database &
Server
Dell PowerEdge 2850
Oracle Enterprise
License
1
1
$5,000
$40,000
$174,46
8
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Phase II Total
Cost
Phase II Personnel
$1,157,416
Phase II Hard Resources
$128,46
Total Development Cost
Phase II
$1,170,262
Phase III
Personnel
Title
Human Resources Manager
Customer Service Manager
Technical Support Manager
Production Manager
Marketing Specialist
Legal Specialist
Production Staff
Technical Support
Customer Service
Representative
Overhead – 40%
Total Cost
Needed Yearly Salary Employmen
Cost of
t Duration Employment
1
$86,539
Annual
$86,539
1
$63,258
Annual
$63,258
1
$89,734
Annual
$ 89,734
1
$61,112
Annual
$61,112
1
$35,357
Annual
$35,357
1
$80,668
Annual
$80,668
10
$24,876
Annual
$24,876
10
$47,994
Annual
$47,994
10
$27,804
Annual
$27,804
$569,363
$1,992,771
Hard Resources
Resource
Terminal Operating
System
Compiler
Network Switch
Network Integration
Materials
ASK Terminal Thin
Product
*nix
Units
10
Cost
Free
GCC
Cisco Catalyst 2950-24
Cables, etc.
1
1
1
Free
$550
$1,000
Dell Dimension B110
5
$6,000
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Client
ASK Terminal Monitor Planar PT1500MU
ASK Records Server
Dell PowerEdge 2850
ASK Terminal Housing
Employee
Dell Precision 380
Workstations
Total
5
2
5
5
$2,495
$10,000
$1,000
$7,423
$28,468
Phase III Total
Cost
Phase III Personnel
$1,992,771
Phase III Hard Resources
$28,468
Total Development Cost
Phase III
$2,021,239
Total Projected Budget & Funding(Phase I through III)
The total budget for Phase I through Phase III is based on the total budget for the Phase I,
Phase 2 and the initial six month budget for Phase III.
Cost
Phase 1 Resources & Staffing
$65,458
Phase 1 Funding
-$100,000
Phase 2 Resources & Staffing
$2,395,884
Phase 2 Funding
-$750,000
Phase 3 Resources & Staffing
$2,021,239
Phase 3 Funding
To be determined.
Total Development Cost
$3,632,581
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4.6 Full Project Work Plan
The full project work plan includes the following charts:

Phase I, II, and III Gantt Charts

Phase I, II, and III Work Breakdown Structure
All of these documents can be found at the ASK Team website at:
http://www.cs.odu.edu/~cpi/cpi-f2005/ask/
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