Technology could be the best option for spreading information because of the huge amount of channels it offers, allowing information to be transferred quickly and efficiently. Therefore, to determine the best technology channel to use, it is necessary to look at the current emerging trend among consumers.
Background of the project
Problem Statement
Research objectives
Scope of study
The last domain will focus more on the introduction of technology to assist the two entities mentioned above, namely the SMEs and Perak tourism. The technology must be adopted to keep pace with the current new trend among consumers.
Small and medium enterprise (SME)
- Definition of SME
- Statistics of SMEs in Malaysia
- Tahun Melawat Perak (TMP) 2012
- Smartphones and tablets market
- Android as leading mobile operating system
- Mobile applications in the market
- Popular applications on food spotting
- Advantages and disadvantages of Android
Apart from that, some agree that the smartphone is considered as the combination of the traditional PDA and mobile phone (Beal,V, 2010). However, due to the sheer number of applications available now, it is crucial for the developers to develop an app that can actually provide content to the user.
Related works
Local travelling websites and blogs
Unlike the two sites, Vkeong.com and Motormouth from Ipoh only focus on travelers whose passion is to travel just to look for good food. These two sites list the popular food spots available in Malaysia, in addition to providing information and reviews about these places. However, unlike the two previously mentioned sites, users are not able to share photos, videos and rate the place.
In terms of social network, users with Facebook account can simply click on the 'like' icon to like the place and see others who also like the place.
Mobile applications for food hunting
Foodspotting is a location-based application that allows users to take pictures of the food they eat, give a quick review and send it to Foodspotting for others to see and comment. Both these apps provide the list of food trails in a particular area besides being able to suggest the best food places and also those near the user. Users are also welcome to give ratings to these food places in addition to providing reviews.
Comparison between the foodPedia and the current related sites and
Another good thing about the blog is that it covers almost areas in Perak which then provides more options and flexibility for users to choose according to where they are. However, it would be better if the food on all sites, blogs, and mobile apps were categorized, as well as giving more flexibility to users, besides making it easier to search for the type of food you want. Categorization will make information more organized and increase its visibility to users.
In addition, food establishments are also categorized based on the area where they are located and also based on the category of food they served. Unlike TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet, however, the foodPedia app is not linked to a social network account such as Twitter and Facebook. Like TripAdvisor, Yelp and Lonely Planet, foodPedia allows the user, whose device is connected to the Internet, to view the place directly.
Although mobile applications such as Yelp and Foodspotting provide good information and functionality to users, one of its major drawbacks is that they are not that useful to be used in Malaysia. Unlike all websites, blogs and some of the applications like Foodspotting, they would require the device or users to have full access to the internet for them to see the location.
RESEARCH FLOW DIAGRAM
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
FEASIBILITY STUDY
Operational Feasibility
Technology & System Feasibility
This is because if the details of the application need to be updated, the apps developer will be informed by the user instead of them updating it themselves. Details to be updated are for example new food destination suggestions along with the details.
Schedule Feasibility
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
- Discussion
- Data collection
- Data analysis
- Design
The literature review will also be used to study features in addition to comparing and contrasting the current application or other sources of information related to the food and beverage sector. In addition, a survey would also be one of the tools used to focus more on the current access to information for people to search for local food outlets in Malaysia and understand their feedback to them. Current accesses available are for example web browsing sites and apps that work on mobile devices.
The type of analysis for the survey will be classified as quantitative type of data analysis. The results will be converted into statistics that will be analyzed to give a view of the performance of the current access to information based on the feedback obtained from the respondents. The findings of the literature review made and survey distributed are assessed and compared to understand the framework of the current applications available and how these applications and other information sources benefit them when it comes to the search for good food.
Additionally, feedback received from users and respondents will be used to determine features that need to be improved and features that need to be adopted. The images below show the use case diagrams, sequence diagram and system architecture for foodPedia.
GANTT CHART
TOOLS
Tools used (Software)
Tools used (Hardware)
This section discusses the findings of the research conducted based on the responses of the respondents. In addition, the interfaces for the prototype are also illustrated in this section.
Survey analysis
Most of the total number of respondents who choose to use the Internet to search for places are between the ages of 18 and 33, which is again the focus as the main target group to use the application, with those with those above that age prefer the conventional way of doing that, namely by asking the locals. The use of internet-based applications is low as most of the respondents, who constitute 75% in total, have never heard of food-based applications that provide the list of food spots. A total of 80% of respondents agree that there are many review sites available where they can search for places to eat, and that could be the main reason why most of them choose to refer to the websites and blogs to find good search products.
40% of the respondents agree that the current websites and application help and give them direction to search for the food places. In addition, 45% of the total respondents believe that the current information sources they use do not offer flexibility to the users to search for the food places. Although 80% of the total respondents agree that the current information sources are easy to use and make it easier to search for the food places, but still 95%.
This indicates that using the current sources of information is not that convenient where the user can just browse a website and they will get all the information they want besides being connected to the internet to view the websites as well. The majority of the people who responded, covering more than half a percent of them, choose to be neutral in response to the statement that the declared food-based application is easy to use and should help them search for popular food places.
Prototype
Windows navigation diagrams
Interfaces
They might as well take pictures of the food they had and share them with others. The huge number of MSMEs established in the country had also created a huge amount of jobs besides contributing enormously to the country's gross output. The demand for Android-based applications can then be seen as one of the opportunities we can seize to help SMEs.
This food spot application is to be one of the pilot projects to improve the service industry, especially SMEs in the food and beverage sector, in conducting their business operations in the future. Also, it could be one of the ways as a Malaysian citizen to show support to our tourism industry to give travelers a more convenient travel experience, especially when it comes to local delicacies. Android and iOS-powered smartphones expand their market share in the first quarter, according to IDC.2012.
Keynote address by the Minister of Human Resources on the occasion of the launch of the Small and Medium Industry Employers (SMI) Seminar, May 3, 2001, Renaissance Melaka Hotel, Malaysia. Retrieved from http://google.about.com/od/socialtoolsfrom-google/tp/Android-Food-And-Restaurant-Guides.htm.
FINAL YEAR PROJECT 2 GANTT CHART
SURVEY QUESTION
Tujuan siri soalan ini adalah untuk memahami akses semasa responden kepada maklumat semasa melancong ke tempat makanan popular dan pendapat mereka tentang sumber maklumat semasa. Tujuan siri soalan ini adalah untuk memahami capaian maklumat dalam kalangan responden yang melancong mencari destinasi makanan popular dan pandangan mereka terhadap sumber maklumat yang ada. Apakah yang anda maksudkan semasa mencari tempat makan tempatan yang popular semasa melancong?
Apakah panduan anda untuk mencari destinasi makanan tempatan yang popular semasa anda mengembara. Laman web dan aplikasi semasa membantu dan memberi saya arahan untuk mencari tempat makanan. Laman web dan aplikasi semasa memberi saya kelonggaran untuk mencari tempat makanan./ Laman web dan aplikasi sedia ada memberi saya kelonggaran untuk mencari destinasi makanan.
The actual websites, blogs or app cover many food categories available./Laman sesawang,blog atau.
TECHNICAL PAPER
