Package+tracking

When you shop online, or about to receive a package, you can track where the package is, and see when you will receive the package. These are the brief steps of package tracking:
 * 1. What is package tracking? **
 * 1) Customer uses the UPS website and enters information about a package and generate a **smart label**. This information will then go to the UPS server, and the customer is then given a **tracking number**.
 * 2) When the package is picked up, the driver will scan the smart label, and transmit it to the **package-tracking database**.
 * 3) The package is scanned again at the local distribution center after it is put on a truck or plane. The data collected there (vehicle number, etc.) is then transmitted to the **package-tracking database**.
 * 4) The UPS web server allows customers to view the status of their shipments, by entering their tracking number to the UPS site.
 * 5) The scanner will then track packages that have arrived.
 * 6) The computer creates a **PAL (Preload Assist Label),** which identifies the conveyer belt to which the package should be sorted, and sort out the vehicle number and the location within that vehicle. After it is sorted, the information is transmitted again, so that trackers can see that it has left the center to be delivered.
 * 7) The package is then dropped off at each individual stop. The customer would sign the driver’s handheld computer, and the driver would also scan the package again, and all this data will be transmitted to the package-tracking database.

** 2. **** Describe the use of IT in package tracking ** Package tracking uses database system to keep records of all the packages that they need to deliver to its customers. The database is then linked to the web server, which allows customers to check the information about their package. ** *Smart label ** A smart label is a computer-generated label that consists of barcodes. ** *PAL (Preload Assist Label) ** Carries routing information of the package, mainly for the pre-loader and the driver. It does not require any sort of machinery to be read, therefore it is user friendly, as long as the pre-loader can read its numeric information on it. [] ** *RFID Tags (Radio Frequency Identification) ** RFID Tags have similar functions to the barcode that each package, but instead of being scanned with a portable manually, its radio waves are detected automatically by a machine. [] ** 3. Explain how IT helps with package tracking ** IT helps in package tracking as it mainly uses IT to keep track of the whereabouts of the package. Without IT, the company would have to record information of the package by hand, and that is time consuming. Moreover, customers would not be able to know up to date information about where their package is, as the driver won’t be able to send the data about where they are, every minute. Instead, because of IT, the driver would just need to scan the barcode, which sends the information to the package-tracking database and then to the UPS web server, which the customer can access to check their package. ** *Smart label ** The smart label helps with package tracking and it helps improve the service, as it; ** *PAL (Preload Assistant Label) ** The PAL itself does not require any machinery for it to be read, however it helps in the system, as it makes the loading of the packages an easier job for the loader and the driver, and it is also time efficient, therefore customers are able to get their packages faster. ** 4. Describe any problems with IT in package tracking ** ** Problems with RFID tags: ** There are some cases where the smart label or the RFID tags were not detected, which result in customers unable to see the location of the package. RFID tags are vulnerable to water, and sometimes are interfered by mobile towers nearby (because they use radio waves). ** Problems with accuracy, reliability: ** As some of us may have already experienced, not all the information we obtain is reliable. It may say ‘Left Bangkok’ however in actuality, it’s still in Bangkok. The customer will assume that it has left Bangkok and will soon arrive, however it won’t, because the information was not true. ** 5. Identify and explain possible issues package tracking (strand 1) ** ** Reliability ** : Information we can obtain from the site may not always be accurate or reliable, as there are millions of packages sent everyday, and there may be cases where the packages are misplaced, or the RFID tag could not be detected, which may cause trouble for the customer. ** Security ** : Security of the website could be an issue. I just went to several package tracking sites (UPS, FedEx) and the URL of their page did not consist of ‘https://’, which means that anything entered into this site by the user is not encrypted. Therefore the website is not completely secured.
 * i ncreases reliability, since the barcode contains data imported directly from the system, and goes directly into the handheld device.
 * improves transit time, because it doesn’t take a long time to scan the barcode.