Thesis Abstract

Abstract
In the current digital age, businesses are constantly looking for ways to attract and retain customers. One popular method is through the use of coupons, which offer discounts and incentives to customers. However, manually generating and distributing coupons can be time-consuming and inefficient. To address this issue, this research project focuses on designing and implementing an automated coupon generating system. The automated coupon generating system aims to streamline the process of creating and distributing coupons for businesses. By leveraging technology, businesses can generate unique and personalized coupons for customers, track their usage, and analyze the effectiveness of their coupon campaigns. This system will not only save time but also improve the overall customer experience. The system will be designed to be user-friendly and customizable, allowing businesses to easily create and manage coupons based on their specific requirements. It will support various types of coupons, such as percentage discounts, fixed amount discounts, buy-one-get-one offers, and more. Additionally, the system will provide options for setting expiry dates, usage limits, and redemption rules for each coupon. Furthermore, the automated coupon generating system will be integrated with existing customer databases and sales systems to ensure seamless operation. This integration will enable businesses to target specific customer segments with tailored coupons, track the redemption of coupons in real-time, and analyze the impact of coupons on sales and customer engagement. The implementation of the system will involve developing a user interface for businesses to input coupon details, designing algorithms for generating unique coupon codes, and creating databases for storing and tracking coupon usage. Security measures will also be implemented to prevent fraud and abuse of the coupon system. Overall, the automated coupon generating system has the potential to revolutionize how businesses approach coupon marketing. By automating the coupon generation process, businesses can save time and resources while improving their marketing effectiveness. This research project aims to provide a comprehensive framework for designing and implementing such a system, with the ultimate goal of helping businesses enhance customer engagement and drive sales through targeted coupon campaigns.

Thesis Overview

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Millions of consumers regularly use product redemption coupon and realize substantial saving. In Marketing, a coupon is ticket or document that can be exchanged for am financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by Manufacturers of consumers of packaged goods or by retailers to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotion. They are often widely distributed through mail, coupon envelopes, magazines, Newspapers, the Internet (social media, email, and newsletter) directly from the retailer and mobile devices such as phones. Since only price conscious consumer are likely to spend the time to claim the savings , coupon functions as a form of price discrimination enabling retailers to offer a lower price only to those consumers who would otherwise go elsewhere.

In addition, coupons can be also be targeted selectively to regional markets in which price competition is great. Some consumer tend not to keep for future  use but will review coupon available just prior to shopping to see if any of them cover product they plan to buy or if there is any for new improve product of interest. But new invention relates to the digitalized or electronic generation and distribution of secure money saving or discount coupons in particular to use the centrally located online computer system for distributing such coupon to remotely connected consumer computer and for collecting user specific data regarding coupon usage and demographic information from the remote computer.

Discount coupons have long been distributed by manufacturer to market their product and retail store to attract customer to their particular store in order to buy their product. For decades advertisers have issued or published printed coupon which can be taken to redemption center for some value or as a discount towards the purchase of some item. With this method has proved to be effective, there are many processes involved for the user, the redemption Centre or retail store as well as advertise themselves. First, a user must purchase or otherwise obtain a publication for coupons which would be useful or meaningful to user. The user cut out such coupon being various sizes and shapes being of different types of products.

The user must separate the coupon into product categories and brand the coupon together into the best way possible upon arrival at a particular manufacturer or retail store.  Therefore in order to redeemed some coupon to find it necessary to search out the desirable item in a number of some , the consumer must select the coupon for which the product are purchased from a number of coupon the user  brought to the store initially. Moreover, the current system of clearing coupon which are distributed and redeemed coupon to a clearing house, and in turn returns it to the manufacturer or retailer.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There are many problem associated with coupon generation and redemption: There is the problem of cutting out of the coupon from the pages of the publications which is annoying and waste of valuable time. Lack of specific information as to the nature of the purchaser, this load is to the manufacturer or wholesaler to conduct separate marketing survey which is extremely costly and time consuming. The physical landing of coupon is error prone , cumbersome and slow and manipulation.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim and objective of the study is to design and implement automated coupon generating system (Yale Food Company)

To provide a system in which a customer selects coupon (s) at home using his computer machine connected on a public computer network optimally print the coupon on a printer and redeems the coupon upon completion of shopping in that store (or company) or later but within the period of validity of the coupon.

To provide a system which generate coupon with unique serial number and upon selection of such coupon by the consumer records, the selection includes coupon s serial number and user’s identification number in the coupon database.

To provide optional means wherein easy verification of coupon is achieved.

To provide an automated coupon distribution and redemption system which can identify users of the system before they make coupon selection and offer different coupon to different users of the system on the bases of already obtain demographic data about the user.

To enable the company  get quick result in the amount of usage and detailed information about the consumer.

To eliminate fraudulent redemption of the types that is characteristics of conventional coupon distribution and redemption system.

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this project Centre’s around automated coupon generating system for Yale Food Company.

This project work also covers how Yale Food Company can automatically generate, coupon and also its distribution and redemption.

1.4 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Manual generation of coupon has encountered a lot of problem in the past.

Therefore the limitation in this research is the financial constraint and network problem encountered during online research

1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS

CONSUMER:  is a person who buys goods and services.

COUPON: is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount   or rebate when purchasing a product.

DEMOGRAPHIC: is a group of people in a society, especially people in a particular age group.

DISCOUNT: is a reduction in the usual price of something.

MANUFACTURER: is a business or company which produces goods in large quantity to sell.

RETAILER: is a person or business that sells goods directly to the consumer.