Essay About Transaction Data And Business World

Essay Preview: Pos
Report this essay
An economical electronic
point-of-sale updating system
by DAVID G. HAMMEL
Raytheon Company
Bedford, Massachusetts
INTRODUCTION
A major trend in the business world is toward more
complete record keeping of business performance. The
demands of government (federal, state and municipal)
are ever increasing for purposes of tax evaluations. In
addition, business executives are interested in obtaining
more complete information, within the shortest delay
period, pertaining to their companys financial operations.
For the past half century one of the basic tools used
in businesses to record transaction data is the cash
register. Throughout these years, the cash register has
kept pace with the times, offering improved features to
meet the business demands. However, this mechanical
device has serious inherent limitations in its totalling
and counting capabilities and its means of communicating
with data processing systems.
To meet the increasing demands of business, pointof-
sale systems are being designed electronically. The
organization and performance of one of these systems,
termed the Transaction Data System, is the subject of
this paper. A summary of the systems main features is
as follows:
1. The system can service a large number of clerk-operated
stations and special monitor stations while
maintaining an acceptable message cyclic rate.
2. The system can perform all of the functions associated
with cash registers, but in much greater detail.
3. The system can store and update large amounts of
business information for inventory purposes.
4. The system can provide management with continuous
access to any and all of the accumulated business
data without interrupting other system functions.
5. The system can function as a satellite to a general
purpose computer. Such a polymorphic organization,
according to Project MAC reports, 1 for one, is cost
effective.
The system achieves economy because it is designed
specifically for point-of-sale applications, incorporating
a low cost cyclic memory storage device and other
saving features.
Systems concept
A powerful attribute of electronic computing equipment
is the ability to execute arithmetic operations at
microsecond speeds. This is at least four orders of
magnitude faster than the average business application
demands of a cash register. Effective use of this
computing speed calls for one central processor to
handle the work of all the transaction stations in the
organization. The system described herein, designated
the Transaction Data System, is organized in this way.
The Transaction Data System is comprised of a
central processor termed the Transaction Central, a
number of operator stations termed Transaction Stations,
and a special Monitor Station as shown in the
block diagram of Figure 1. In business application, the
Transaction Station provides the input-output functions
associated with the cash register. It enters transaction
data into the system, prints out an itemized customers
sales receipt, operates the cash drawers, and if desired,
displays transaction data to both the customer and
operator.
The Monitor Station is used by management to
request printout of any data stored in the Transaction
Central, allowing business activities and sales figures to
be scrutinized at all times without interrupting the other
system functions. The Transaction Central receives and
processes all station messages, performing the arithmetic
and storage functions common to the cash register,
but in much greater detail. In addition, it can provide
complete or partial inventory control according to the
business requirements.
This system is unique in that its data processing
capabilities are limited to updating operations. This
restricted performance in no way conflicts with the
system objectives, though it does negate the processing
of versatile stored programs, as may be required to
maintain customer accounts. Its purpose is to afford an
economical