BACK OFFICE PROCESSES

1. The purpose of back office processes is to ensure the smooth ordering, payment and reporting of transactions on the website. Some of the back ofice functions include, accounting, record keeping of clients' orders, stock control and the management of the public facing web site.
   
2. The processes involved in stock control are to make sure that there are enough products to meet the demand, to make sure one item isn't sold twice etc. The centre of this type of system is a database because they can have all of the items listed, information about the item, the supplier of the item, upodates about the item etc.
   
3. A person logs onto a database over the Internet so that everytime a customer goes onto a website and searches for something, it shows what the company actually has and shows whether items are in stock or not. An ASP (Active Server Pages) is a code is run everytime someone clicks onto a search engine, the code then reads the database and looks up something and the answer is sent back via a webpage.
   
4. As a customer moves through an online store orering goods, it is necessary to hold the details of the items purchased. Organisations maintain the virtual shopping basket for a customer by reserving the items that you have put into your basket, prices are then totalled and extra prices are added on at the end for example postage and packaging.
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5. HTTP Authentication produces the familiar login/password browser sequence. This is where a user is asked for a password and an ID to access the server. Cookies are placed into customer's computier but are typically set using an HTML form and Common Gateway Interface script. A persistant cookie can be used which can save the users having to log in everytime they visit the website. This works until the customer deletes the cookie.
   
6. There are some cookies that enable you to save your username to that computer so when you go back onto that website you only have to type in your password therefore saving time for the user. Cookies are an automated way of knowing who is on your website and for how long and what they look at etc.
   
7. A cookie is a way for a server or a web site to place information on the client computer. Cookies are small text files that are stored on the user's hard disk by the web server. These are useful for transactional websites as it can save settings that the user has previously asked for, for example the language that the webpage is in. They are also useful to the website as they can keep account of what products are viewed the most, the amount of time the customer spends on their website, how often they visit etc.
   
8. It is useful to get a customer to log into a website as they can be tracked anonymously using a random numer sent in a cookie. Other tables in the database will track the customer's actions. Once a customer has logged 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 for example, loyal customer can be rewarded by special offers.
   
9. List Of The Tables That Might Be Involved In Tracking Customers' Actions
   Affiliates
   Affiliates Transfers
   Cart Rows
   Categories
   Categories Products
   Credit Cards
   Customer Special Prices
   Discounts
   Emails
   Newsletter
   Orders
   Payments
   Products
   Related Products
   Reviews
   Shipments
   Stock
   Store News
   Tax Per Product
   Visits
   Wap Carts
   Wish List
   
   10. HTTPS encryption is used to secure methods of data transfer. For exmaple, paying by credit card is a relatively easy task but the security of cred card data is very important so when the details are stored in a databse, the table of field holding that data needs to be encrypted as well. This way, if the database is accessed by unauthorised people, the card details cannot be read.
   
   11. This method is safe even when someone intercepts the data travelling through the website as it has been encrypted so is unreadable to anyone looking at it unless they are authorised.
   
   12. A stolen card is unlikely to be used for shopping as the address details are normally checked and first time orders must always be delivered to the address held by the card company. Once a card payment has been accepted, then the seller is guaranteed the money by the credit card company. Payments cannot be stopped unless the card has been stolen.
   
   13. Stock control consists of all the processes involed in ordering, storing and selling goods. An important part of the back office process is real-time stock control. When there is a need to order replacements, the web site could hae inks to the supplier via the internet so that replacement goods can be ordered automatically as too much stock of one thing will tie up money that could be used for other purposes in the business.

14. The processes involved in dispatch and delivery are;

• Address labels need to be printed along with dispath notes and invoices.
• The goods need to be packaged and collected by courier.
• The organisation will hand the tracking over to them.
• The customer can be informed via email or by logging in to the courier's tracking system so that the customer can track the progress of the consignment.