Design a code scheme that will meet the marketing manager's stated requirements.

Working Shoes is a multistate shoe store that offers an extensive selection of casual and dress shoes designed for men and women who work on their feet. Working Shoes plans to launch a new web site, and the company wants to develop a new set of product codes. Currently, 250 different products exist, with the possibility of adding more in the future. Shoes and many accessories come in various sizes, styles, and colors. The marketing manager asked you to develop an individualized product code that can identify a specific item and its characteristics. Your initial reaction is that it can be done, but the code might be fairly complex. Back in your office, you give the matter some thought.

Answers varies. depend on the firms. Some firms use a straight numeric sequence code, because it is simple and can be assigned automatically by the system. Other firms choose a significant digit code that indicates item, style, color, and size. A code might assign two digits for the type of item (menshoes=10, womenshoes=20), a dependent number for the style, followed by several digits that show details such as color and size.

Menshoes=10

Womenshoes=20

Casual=11

Dress=22

Color, size=black, 7=b7

consider the following design for Working shoes

Item Product code

Men, casual shoes, black, 7 10-11-bl7

Men, dress shoes, brown 8 10-22-br8

Women, casual shoes, brown, 7 20-11-br7

Women, dress shoes, black, 5 20-22-bl5

2. Write a brief memo to the marketing manager suggesting at least one alternative to the code she proposed, and state your reasons.

You should be able to support their choice of code with business-related logic and particular reasons

3. Suggest a code scheme that will identify each Working Shoes customer.

Two most commonly used code schemes are straight sequence codes automatically assigned by the system and codes that combine alphabetic and sequence blocks.

might be the first four alphabetic letters of the customer's last name followed by a

4 to 6-digit dependent number. For example, Albert Einsten might be ALBE34212.

Many firms like this approach because it provides some indication of the customer's

last name

4. Suggest a code scheme that will identify each specific order.

The order entry system automatically assigns order numbers dependently. If it is desirable to code the source of the order (such as W for Web-based, or T for telephone), you could devise a code that includes an identifying character for this purpose.