Databases:
Interviewee: Mr. Gary Kinsey of Farm Fresh Markets
Position Title: Director of Web Service, Farm Fresh Markets.
Year of Experience: 4 years
Years with Farm Fresh: 14 years
Interview Date: April 7, 2003
1. What is the expert's experience with database management/administration in general?
My name is Gary Kinsey and I am Director of Web Services at Farm Fresh. I
have four years of database management experience and have been employed with
Farm Fresh for about 14 years.
2. What database platform does Farm Fresh use for all of its databases (Corporate and
local stores)?
Farm Fresh uses Informix for its database platform, which is loaded on UNIX
machines.
3. And what are problems that can arise with integration of new accessing systems with
existing databases? New systems will have to be platform independent which means
that they can access data and retrieve information without having to change the
existing database platform or scheme.
4. What is the expert's experience with development of new access systems to databases?
My experience is the development of our web site which accesses our web
database. We allow users to pull information for our database to create a shopping
list and lookup various info about the product they want to purchase.
5. How often and of what nature are the major updates to the database systems?(esp.
retail stores) Updates to our databases occur frequently as product information may
change, such as, quantity on hand, UPC, retail and cost price, vendors, etc. A utility
software program is used to ensure these updates to the database are put in place in
a timely manner. A similar process occurs for each store and the corporate
databases.
6. What kind of information is typically being stored in database system?(for retail only)
What is usually is store is product information about an item, such as product
description, UPC, item location, retail price, cost price, quantity on hand, etc.
7. If designing/developing system, which requires new information to be stored, what are
typically used strategies? In developing a new system such as the PSA, we would
analyze our existing databases as to what information the PSA would need that
already exist in our databases and what information/data doesn’t exists. This
information would be past to the software engineers of the PSA system so that they
would know the relation schema that would have to be created in order to store new
information in our existing databases.
8. How receptive would database administrators be with the addition of systems similar
to the one PSA would use? The system would have to be built so that it does not
drastically change the overall scheme of the database and that there is a plan in
place to purge and backup data when needed. The system would have to be built to
give the user of the PSA only certain rights to database for security purposes.
9. What is the expert's experience with developing software for limited purpose
machines? Farm Fresh has hired several vendors to develop systems that, for
example, make filling employment application easy by having an online employment
application system that can be completed at a kiosk in the store and a “robotic
pharmacist” that can automate prescription filling of medicine.
10. What methodology would be used to test or Q/A the software once development is
completed? The methodology that is most preferred for the any new system, such as
a PSA, would be to prototype the system at one Farm Fresh store. Analysis would
be done to record and track software problems that would arise and make
corrections to software to mitigate those problems. Once the system is fully
operational at one prototype store, then measure would be in place to install the new
system in other Farm Fresh stores.
Interviewee: Mr. Tim Clark of Farm Fresh Markets
Position Title: Director of Retail Technology, Farm Fresh Markets.
Year of Experience: 2 years
Years with Farm Fresh: 22 years
Interview Date: March 27, 2003
Logistics type questions:
Farm Fresh questions:
11. What is the expert’s name and title and years of experience?
My name is Tim Clark and I am Director of Retail Technology at Farm Fresh
Markets. I have two years of experience managing and have employed with the
company for 22 years.
12. What is the expert's experience in integrating several computer components to
develop one complete device. i.e., integrating components like barcode scanners, card
readers, network devices? One of my jobs is to evaluate hardware equipment needed
for each grocery store, such as barcode scanners, point of sales machines, and card
readers for credit card payment, and the like. My job consists of replacing this
equipment when they fail.
13. How are the Point of Sale Registers, Website and database connected, what
information do they share?
The Website is maintain by an outside vendor. The vendor has a static copy of the
corporate database. A batch program is sent to the vendor daily to update any data
that is changed. Each store’s Point of Sale registers provide sales data for every
item in the store. Each store has a primary and secondary server. If the primary
server does down, the secondary server becomes the primary server. The corporate
database is backup daily and is stored off-site by another vendor.
The products at Farm Fresh are capture by recording the following in the database.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
UPC
Product Description
Size
Aisle
Which Four Foot Section?
Which shelf from top?
Placement on shelf (counting from left to right)
14. How is data collection done at Farm Fresh?
Data collection is done at the corporate office daily. An automated process
(batch file) is executed daily to perform broad data collection for Farm Fresh. For
specific data collection, Farm Fresh has a data processing department that
generates specific data collection based on the needs of Farm Fresh's category
managers. These managers are responsible for analyzing data for there assigned
product category.
15. How does online shopping work?
A customer would select the city where they live. A list will appear displaying the
store's located within the shoppers city. They would select the item they want by
adding or removing check marks and adjust the quantity using the arrows.
16. What is the typical budget for new expenditures for IT at Farm Fresh?
Budget amount vary from year to year and the nature of the project.
17. What new technologies have been incorporated recently? What technologies have
been considered?
1. Kiosk with an Online employment application. This kiosk online employment
application maintained by Unicru
2. Stores use Access Via's web site to print store signs/banners based on data
that was uploaded by the Farm Fresh corporate office.
3. Just started using a "robot pharmacist" that automate prescription filling.
Wireless Communication:
Interviewee: Dr. Larry Wilson
Interviewee: Dr. Stephan Olariu
Position Title: Associate Professors at ODU
Interview Date: March 26, 2003
Interview Date: March 28, 2003
18. And what is the expert's experience with wireless communications?
Dr. Larry Wilson and Dr. Stephan Olariu are professors at ODU Computer
Science.
Dr. Wilson's area of research is wireless communication and networks.
Dr. Olariu's area of research is wireless communications and mobile computing.
The following were questions asked of Dr. Wilson and Dr. Olariu
19. At what speed does wireless transmit and receive data?
Wireless network transmit and receive at a rate of 2Mbps (Megabits per second)
20. What is the standard that is being used for wireless technology?
The Wireless technology standard is IEEE 802.11b.
21. What has to be known when installing wireless access point in a specific area?
Wireless access points have to be installed in such as way that the signals overlap
each other to ensure communication throughout a specified area.
22. What is one weakness that occur in wireless communication, what is a way to
mitigate that risk?
Signal interference is a weakness of wireless technology because of use of radio
waves. One way to mitigate that is to transmit on different frequencies (Frequency
Hopping).
23. What is another risk concerning wireless networks? Another risk is speed of the
network and downtime and what happens if everyone is accessing/retrieve
information at the same time.
24. Are there any schemes developed that would allow a mobile device to communicate
in a wireless network? Schemes have been developed to provide two-way messaging
functionality within the constraints of the mobile, wireless environment. One is
called Pigeon, a two-way message scheme for mobile devices.