Explain what Back Office Processes are and why your organisation needs them
Accounting, record keeping of clients orders, stock control and the management of the public facing web site.
Needed to ensure the smooth ordering, payment and reporting of transactions on the website.



What processes are involved in Stock Control? What is at the centre of this type of system?
A database is at the centre to ensure there is always the stock in store that the website says.


Explain what ASPs, and how it can update a database.
Active Server Pages- the code contained in the webpage to allow the database to be read and updated.
It changes the amount in stock as they are purchased.


How do organisations maintain the virtual shopping basket for a customer, what processes are involved?
Items are added
Prices are totalled
Stock is reserved so not sold twice
Items can be removed
Delivery costs may be added.


Draw an example flowchart for your organisation to illustrate these processes.





P143, Explain briefly the difference between, HTTP authentication, and cookie identification.

HTTP authentication produces the familiar login/password browser sequence.
Cookies identification can be placed on the customer’s computer but are typically set using an HTML form and Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script. Many users, due to privacy concerns, often view cookies with suspicion and they may reject them.



What advantage do cookies have over HTTP authentication?





What is a cookie? Why does a transactional website need them? See page 153 for more info + wikipedia has some good starting points here.

Cookies are small text files that are stored on the user’s hard disk by the web serve. They contain information about the user, normally in the form of an identification number. When the user visits the website again, the cookie is read. The website can then access a database of cookie information to look up the user’s identity. Other info might also be recorded such as the number of visits to the website or the items looked at. Transactional websites need them because the record users preferences or activities when visiting their site. It can contain data such as which pages are visited and how often visits are made. It is useful for marketing purposes as well as for changing the user’s experience of the website according to previous activity.



P144, why is it useful to get a customer to log in the website? Do the activity.
If a customer logs in they may be tracked anonymously by using a random number sent in a cookie. Other tables in the database will track the customer’s actions. The best way of tracking customers of course is to make the customer log in. Once a customer is monitored in, the session can be monitored in much more detail. Actions can trigger data being written to the database. This information can be used in a variety of ways. Loyal customers can be rewarded by special offers.

Activity:
The tables which I think would e involved in tracking customers’ actions.

Wishlist
Visits
Rentals
Paryments
Orders
Customers
Creditcards







At what point is HTTPS encryption used? Why?

When using a credit card to pay. It secures your details when entering for the first time, or if an unauthorised person accesses the database.



Why is this method safe even if some one intercepts the data travelling the the website?
It is safe because the information is encrypted.




P145, Explain why a stolen card is unlikely to be used for online shopping.

Because organisations also have links to the card issuers using the internet. They will have a merchant number and an account with the credit card firm. The transactional website will be able to connect to the card provider and check the details on the credit card. To cut down on the possibility of goods being ordered with a stolen card, the address details will normally be checked and first time orders must always be delivered to the address held by the card company.



What is stock control? How are stock reorders managed by computer?
Sotck control is all the processes involved in ordering, storing and selling goods.
A websites stock control system runs on a computer system. The objective is to make sure that there is always enough stock to meet demand, but too much stock will tie up money that could be used for other purposes in the business.




P146, List the processes involved in Despatch and Delivery of goods.
The customer logs on, selects good(s), check that are in stock, order confirmed, customer logs out, the details and credit card is checked, amend stock database, print despatch note and pick goods, arrange dispatch of goods.




Draw your own version of the diagrams on pages 146-7 for your own organisation.