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Wanting a SIMPLE app or program

#Post
1

Not sure if it would be a program or app? Full screen alphabet. Touch letter brings up customers. Touch customer name- brings up either a number in green or red add number or subtract number depending on prepay or loyalty. Nothing else required. loyalty resets after 9+1 free . Prepay subtract each coffee until new "card" purchased! Idea on price please!

bobinnz - 2021-10-11 16:42:00
2

Think we went thru this exact same scenario in a previous thread of yours?

nice_lady - 2021-10-11 17:10:00
3

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages.as
px?id=1848768&topic=3

Why do you want anyone to repeat their advice?

nice_lady - 2021-10-11 17:12:00
4

The only folks that could give you a mildly accurate estimate are developers - you need to ask them. Maybe one of these...
https://clutch.co/nz/app-developers

king1 - 2021-10-11 17:27:00
5

Thanx for the help!
Will contact them

king1 wrote:

The only folks that could give you a mildly accurate estimate are developers - you need to ask them. Maybe one of these...
https://clutch.co/nz/app-developers

bobinnz - 2021-10-11 18:46:00
6
bobinnz wrote:

Thanx for the help!
Will contact them

It wont be anywhere near cheap, (thousands probably), and as someone said in the other thread you started there are options for such things already available through your eftpos supplier.

nice_lady - 2021-10-11 18:50:00
7

I want to know how much. The options with the eftpos is NOT what we want, Too much useless info.

nice_lady wrote:

It wont be anywhere near cheap, (thousands probably), and as someone said in the other thread you started there are options for such things already available through your eftpos supplier.

bobinnz - 2021-10-11 18:57:00
8

You should have simply resserected your old thread so that people didn't try to offer you the same or similar advice. That's why I linked it here again. As for the EFTPOS not suiting you, again, we're not psychic. Perhaps you could have given that info as well .

nice_lady - 2021-10-11 19:31:00
9

How about the app I linked for you at the play store, already pre built?

Didn't suit you?

nice_lady - 2021-10-11 19:32:00
10

There are a huge amount of apps or programs out there, are you wanting to pay for something once or do you want a subscription based model?

loud_37 - 2021-10-11 20:53:00
11

Maybe this would be clearer. Full screen alphabet like a keyboard but in alphabetical order. Touch a letter and a screen comes up with all customers names starting with that letter. Touch customers name screen with amount of coffees left(prepay) or number of coffees purchased. button to revert to alphabet. Surely this is not a huge thing to do? I am trying to learn to do it myself but at 55 and after a stroke it is proving a little testing!!

bobinnz - 2021-10-12 13:43:00
12

What if I walk up and want my remaining prepaid balance refunded?

What if Joe walks up and gives my name, how will you handle it when I arrive later and find my credit is gone?

gyrogearloose - 2021-10-12 13:55:00
13

Google "No-Code" app development.
Build it yourself or find a pimply faced kid to do it.
https://www.g2.com/categories/no-code-development-platforms

pcle - 2021-10-12 15:17:00
14
bobinnz wrote:

Maybe this would be clearer. Full screen alphabet like a keyboard but in alphabetical order. Touch a letter and a screen comes up with all customers names starting with that letter. Touch customers name screen with amount of coffees left(prepay) or number of coffees purchased. button to revert to alphabet. Surely this is not a huge thing to do? I am trying to learn to do it myself but at 55 and after a stroke it is proving a little testing!!

Maybe this could be done in MS Excel or similar?

tygertung - 2021-10-12 15:32:00
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tygertung wrote:

Maybe this could be done in MS Excel or similar?


Yes. But you would have to write some VB code.

pcle - 2021-10-12 15:53:00
16

so you are looking for an app / program that will run on your / coffee shop device that keeps track of punters coffee purchases / count.... as opposed to an app running on the punters device, that they scan a qr code or similar, everytime they pick up a coffee....
Punters may have an aversion to all the control of this "counting" program etc is on the shops device... also if the system / app has a crash or melt down your whole client base is going to be annoyed that you lost their points !!
Most awards / points type schemes are based on the punter having to be proactive, get there card out / open up the app etc keep onto it, and they "assume" that approx 10 to 13% of points / awards etc earned are never redeemed, because the punter loses interest or the like... If you studiously keep track of everybodies points and remind them to register their purchase you will be doing more free coffees than you have to !!
If you really like the app approach have look at the app that is available for customers of the STREETWISE coffee carts.. it handles everything, accepting your order for coffee or snacks etc, accepts your on-line payment, tracks your awards, (free little choc bar with your 6th coffee and a free 10th coffee and tells you when your order will be ready !!

onl_148 - 2021-10-12 16:02:00
17

Op said "I am trying to learn to do it myself ".

I did suggest this would be a HUGE learning curve, (in the other thread).

I also linked to an Android app on the play store which seems to fit the bill at a glance.

The OP never mentioned even looking at that.

OP I doubt you'd be able to teach yourself the skills to use Android Studio fast enough.

In what way, with what app creation method are you trying to learn?

nice_lady - 2021-10-12 16:13:00
18

And yeah I even started to create something in excel but again it got complicated fast & won't be easy. Much simpler to grab a ready to go app.

Edited by nice_lady at 4:39 pm, Tue 12 Oct

nice_lady - 2021-10-12 16:38:00
19

A few thoughts on the matter...
- Customer names need to be added initially and ongoing... a form is needed for that... Add, Editing, Delete - each is a seperate function...
- How are the prepaid coffees added in the first place? another form is needed for that...
This info needs to be stored in a database of some kind...

it is not actually just a simple request...

and then, given the system you have requested/developed goes ahead...
- Could staff manipulate the system by adding prepaid coffees for friends/family?
- They might put them down as having purchased two when they only bought one...

I think this system itself is ripe for manipulation, it basically relies on the honesty of whoever is using it. It might work for a one man band, but I believe the reason for loyalty cards or apps is it requires/provides a cross reference to the actual purchase...

it could also be a bit of double handling as this system will presumably be tracking much the same info as the POS system - presumably you have to track the customer prepayments in the accounts/POS somewhere as well...

The answer to your question doesn't change, it is way more complicated than you think it is.
BUT, we don't really know what this coffee shop is? Are we talking a cafeteria with POS /eftpos / IT systems already? or at the other extreme are we talking a coffee van and maybe a notebook to track sales... Context is everything...

Edited by king1 at 5:43 pm, Tue 12 Oct

king1 - 2021-10-12 17:38:00
20

Well I could do that App for a Windows tablet for $700. Full screen alphabet. Touch letter brings up customers. Touch customer name- brings up either a number in green or red add number or subtract number depending on prepay or loyalty. You supply the list of Names and I will do the rest.

duncb - 2021-10-12 18:42:00
21

I think they have a variable customer base list and want it so that the names can be added or removed as necessary. You talking a spreadsheet app ?

Sounds pretty reasonable if it does whats needed alright.

nice_lady - 2021-10-12 18:49:00
22

A stand alone app. No spreadsheet rubbish.

duncb - 2021-10-12 22:05:00
23

As a developer of this sort of app, I can say that your fundamental issue is that you need to get someone to do a proper analysis and consider all of the likely possibilities. You also need to clearly define wether or not you wish to expand it as your concept expands (most users do this once they discover what is possible) and thus the initial system design needs to allow for such expansion. In $$ terms, if you want it to work properly then $6-8k would be a ball-park figure. If you are not willing to spend the time on the system design and just want to employ a coder to bash it together then don't expect it to work the first time round and expect to pay someone to pick up the job and start all over.

The bottom line is that a decent analyst/system designer will cost you $80-120/hr and a decent coder would be $70-100/hr.

Wouldn't it be easier, cheaper, and safer to stick to the traditional coffee-card method that they all use so well?

Edited by tegretol at 11:35 pm, Tue 12 Oct

tegretol - 2021-10-12 23:33:00
24

You could post the job on one of the Job boards.
https://www.upwork.com
https://www.fiverr.com

pcle - 2021-10-13 10:22:00
25

Would we be able to add(necessary) or delete(not really necessary) customers as required? We basically have maybe 150 regular customers.
Thanx

duncb wrote:

Well I could do that App for a Windows tablet for $700. Full screen alphabet. Touch letter brings up customers. Touch customer name- brings up either a number in green or red add number or subtract number depending on prepay or loyalty. You supply the list of Names and I will do the rest.

bobinnz - 2021-10-13 10:46:00
26

Sorry just reread and see it was for windows and we have an ipad!


bobinnz wrote:

Would we be able to add(necessary) or delete(not really necessary) customers as required? We basically have maybe 150 regular customers.
Thanx

bobinnz - 2021-10-13 10:48:00
27

Okay. You will need to say it is for an Ipad when you ask for quotes. You will also say that you need to Add and Delete Customer. Are the Names going to be kept on the Ipad or on another computer? When you add a customer does it need to check if that name already exists? Does it need to keep a log of all the transactions? What happens if someone steals the IPad? Anything else? All of this is added work. I have done DOS programming and 25 years of Windows Apps. I can produce Apps like this on Windows quite quickly but I don't do anything for Ipads. It is quite a bit more work for an Ipad so you will need to look for an IOS developer. There are sites where you can ask for freelancers to do the work and it can work out quite reasonable. However you will need to be very specific. It is like building a house. If you want to change something from the original plans it will end up being very costly.

duncb - 2021-10-13 14:02:00
28
duncb wrote:

It is like building a house. If you want to change something from the original plans it will end up being very costly.

Especially if the change involves the foundations, and you've already completed the first level.

gyrogearloose - 2021-10-13 14:25:00
29
gyrogearloose wrote:

Especiall-
y if the change involves the foundations, and you've already completed the first level.

Code it in something like Go Lang. iPad compiler or Windows. Has builtin DB. Single .exe file.

pcle - 2021-10-13 14:43:00
30

If you want to give it a go creating something try https://www.appsheet.com/ I use this for a lot of apps.

loud_37 - 2021-10-13 18:27:00
31
duncb wrote:

....... However you will need to be very specific. It is like building a house. If you want to change something from the original plans it will end up being very costly.

That's why a well trained analyst/system designer is required. Coding is the easy part.

I'd say stick to cards/manual system unless you're keen to spend some continuous coin.

tegretol - 2021-10-13 19:06:00
32

Thanx to those that helped found something that looks promising!!

bobinnz - 2021-10-13 19:11:00
33
bobinnz wrote:

Thanx to those that helped found something that looks promising!!

An index book and a pencil??

skull - 2021-10-14 07:40:00
34

Hell of a lot cheaper and very simple. Like the Loyalty cards really. Simple & cheap.

With a tech solution - it's great so long as there are no issues. As a simple loyalty process it's less fraught with bad potentials. If you however, as the OP want's also keep a data base of PRE-PAID drinks etc on there then you're going to need some sort of efficient and trustworthy backup process running 'live' at all times, as that is actual customers money pre-paid to you and you are charged with a duty of care to ensure that there are no problems. If you have for example 20 customers who have pre-paid purchases from you and this info is stored on the device only and the device gets broken, stolen or whatever then you're likely to encounter some really pissed off customers if you can't provide them with accurate and timely use of their funds.

Personally I think that makes it much more complicated.

Edited by nice_lady at 7:59 am, Thu 14 Oct

nice_lady - 2021-10-14 07:52:00
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