POS SCANNER APP

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The San Diego County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures’ (AWM) conducts price verification inspections at local retailers to ensure consumers are being charged the lowest advertised price. Part of this work requires recording the price tags and purchase codes retailers use. AWM’s Price Verification Program aims to encourage an equitable marketplace by ensuring Point-of-Sale systems (POS) charge or calculate items at the lowest price advertised, displayed, or quoted – whether those prices are indicated in-store (shelf/sign), in an advertisement, or online. A variety of electronic price lookup systems are recorded by the inspector’s scanning device to assist in the completion of a price verification inspection. The scanning devices require multiple re-chargeable batteries, are not ergonomically friendly, and do not allow an inspector to remain undercover during an inspection. Therefore, it was determined that AWM could utilize new smartphone technology to assist with these inspections. The implementation of an app-based POS Scanner allows for enhanced functional design and increased capabilities, improved undercover conditions, simplified check-out process, and reduced inspection supplies.