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Appendix B: Research Objectives and Questions
Table B-1. Objectives 1 and 2: Research Questions and Data
Elements
Research
Question
|
Data
Element
|
Objective 1. Determine
and describe the requirements for installing and operating
electronic scanning systems at small retailers.
|
1.1 What are the
requirements for electronic scanning systems that can
electronically confirm which items are SNAP-eligible and scan the
price of all items that a customer may wish to purchase with SNAP
benefits from the retailer?
|
Hardware
required to electronically scan and confirm products are SNAP
eligible
Software
required to electronically scan and confirm products are SNAP
eligible
Software
required to scan prices of SNAP-eligible products
Accessibility
of Universal Product Code (UPC) database
Process
to keep track of store inventory
|
1.2 What are the
requirements associated with ongoing maintenance and support for
an electronic scanning system, including maintenance of
associated product databases?
|
Frequency
of technology updates for scanning systems
Frequency
of product database updates
Availability
of maintenance contracts
|
1.3 What are the
requirements for a system with the functionality described above,
as well as full integration with the EBT POS terminal?
|
|
1.4 What is the length of
time necessary for different store types to select and implement
an electronic scanning system (for both the minimum requirements
and integration with the EBT terminal)?
|
Labor
hours, by store type and chain status, to select scanning
systems
Employee
labor category responsible for selecting scanning systems and/or
use of a consultant
Number
of months (or years) from selection of scanning system to
installation and use
|
1.5 What additional
requirements (e.g., physical, training, managerial) are needed to
support and maintain these systems?
|
Employee
labor category that would require training on how to use
scanning system
Length
of training and location of training by employee labor category
Physical
changes to checkout register area to accommodate scanning
systems
|
Objective 2. Provide
cost estimates for installing and maintaining electronic scanning
systems in small retailers.a
|
2.1 What are the estimated
costs for each phase of scanning system implementation (i.e.,
start-up, database maintenance, logistical, and ongoing support)?
|
|
(continued)
Table B-1. Objectives 1 and 2: Research Questions and Data
Elements
(continued)
Research
Question
|
Data
Element
|
2.2 What are the estimated
costs per store?
|
Capital
equipment and installation costs
Maintenance
costs (or percentage to assume each year)
Utilities
cost to operate equipment
Number
of hours and wage rate by labor category (if maintenance is done
in house)
Insurance
costs (if applicable)
Number
of cash registers per store (from SCANR Survey)
Cost
of store renovations to accommodate space needed for scanners
Cost
of disruption in store operations (e.g., loss of sales) during
implementation
Cost
savings of not having to change shelf tags or individually price
each item (if applicable)
|
2.3 What are the estimated
cost breakdowns by functionality (i.e., confirming eligible items
and integrating with the EBT terminal)?
|
|
2.4 How, if at all, do
costs differ for stores that require system upgrades, rather than
instituting a new system?
|
|
2.5 Are there anticipated
technological innovations in electronic scanning systems that
might affect cost estimates in the near term (3 to 5 years)? If
so, what are the expected changes?
|
|
2.6 What factors, if any,
are associated with variation in the costs of installing and
maintaining electronic scanning systems by small retailers?
|
|
a As described in
Section 2.5, we will collect some of the data elements in the
follow-up interviews with retailers and from secondary data sources
(e.g., utility rates).
Table B-2. Objective 3: Research Questions and Data Elements
Research
Question
|
Data
Element
|
|
Objective 3: Provide
reliable national estimates of the extent to which scanning
systems are in place at small SNAP-authorized retailers
|
|
3.1 What is the estimated
number of small SNAP-authorized stores that lack different types
of scanning technology?
|
|
|
|
|
3.2 How does the
availability of scanning technology vary by key retailer
subgroups, including store type, urbanicity, and other
store-level characteristics?
|
Chain
versus independent (if chain, number of establishments)
Total
annual sales for past year (available from frame)
Number
of full-time employees
Number
of part-time employees
Number
of registers
Store
type (available from frame)
Rural/urban
location (available from frame)
Whether
the store is authorized by the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC)
Number
of different types of UPCs and random-weight store keeping units
(SKUs) sold by store
|
3.3
What are the barriers and facilitators to using scanning
technologies by small SNAP-authorized retailers?
|
Availability
of resources needed for stores to implement scanning systems
(e.g., type of Internet access)
Whether
there is a person responsible for operating and maintaining the
system (among users)
|
(continued)
Table B-2. Objective 3: Research Questions and Data Elements
(continued)
Research
Question
|
Data
Element
|
3.4
What is the estimated number or proportion of current
SNAP-authorized retailers that may not comply with this provision
because of cost or other barriers and instead choose to leave
SNAP?
|
Number
of SNAP-authorized retailers that do not currently have scanning
systems and indicate a requirement to implement a system would
affect their decision to remain authorized
Key
factors these retailers suggest as reasons:
Low
SNAP sales volume
Personnel
challenges
Technical
complexities
Lack
of employees with technical knowledge
Staff
have limited English-speaking ability
Store
space and/or infrastructure capacity
Other
factors
|
Table B-3. Objective 4: Research Questions and Data Elements
Research
Questions
|
Data
Elements
|
Objective 4. Determine
barriers and facilitators to using scanning technologies by small
SNAP-authorized retailers.
|
4.1a.
How much do store owners/operators believe implementing these
systems would cost? (Respondents:
all retailers)
|
General
knowledge of scanning systems used to electronically scan and
confirm allowable SNAP purchases (e.g., types of systems, how
they operate)
Overall
understanding of costs associated with implementing,
maintaining, and operating scanning systems, including costs for
purchasing and installing equipment, renovating stores, training
store personnel, and operating and maintaining equipment
|
4.1b.
Among small retailers that currently have scanning systems, what
do they report for initial implementation and ongoing costs?
(Respondents: retailers
that have scanning systems)
|
Cost
of initial implementation of scanning system including purchase
of equipment and store renovations, if any
Cost
of ongoing maintenance and operations of scanning systems (e.g.,
utilities, hardware upgrades)
Availability
and cost of technical personnel to support scanning system
operations (e.g., maintenance and support services/contracts,
expanded job role and associated cost of store personnel
salaries)
Time
and cost for training store personnel, initial and ongoing
Cost
of disruption in store operations (e.g., loss of sales) during
implementation
Other
costs
|
4.2
What are the costs that retailers estimate they would be able to
bear for the purchase, installation, and maintenance of scanning
systems? (Respondents:
retailers that do not have scanning systems)
|
Estimated
costs retailers anticipate they could bear for purchase and
installation of scanning system, including store renovations, if
anticipated (e.g., cash on hand to cover costs or would it be
necessary to take out a loan to cover the cost, and if so, the
ability to get a loan)
Estimated
costs retailers can afford for ongoing maintenance and operation
of system
Estimated
acceptable time and cost of training personnel in use of new
scanning system equipment and in system maintenance processes
(e.g., database updates)
|
4.3a. How knowledgeable are
store owners and/or operators about available scanning systems?
(Respondents: all retailers)
|
Length
of time scanning system has been operational in store (if
applicable)
Knowledge
of scanning system used (if applicable)
Reasons
for selecting the scanning system in use (if applicable)
Knowledge
of available scanning systems (if not currently used)
Availability
of technical expertise to provide assistance or information
about scanning systems to store owners/operators
Sources
of information store owners/operators use to obtain information
regarding technology such as scanning systems (e.g., retailer
associations, Web sites, vendors)
|
(continued)
Table B-3. Objective 4:
Research Questions and Data Elements (continued)
Research
Questions
|
Data
Elements
|
4.3b. What additional
information do they [store owners/operators] require or desire in
order to implement this technology? (Respondents: all
retailers; for retailers with scanning systems, will ask
what information they believe those that do not have systems
would need)
|
Technical
information about scanning systems
Sources
for procuring scanning equipment (e.g., vendor information)
Cost
information for implementation, maintenance, and operation of
equipment
Information
regarding setting up and maintaining database on allowable SNAP
items
Information
regarding training and monitoring of store personnel in use of
scanning system
Desirable
formats/methods of receiving information about scanning systems
|
4.4 What are the perceived
noncost barriers to adoption of scanning systems? (Respondents:
all retailers; for retailers with scanning systems, will
ask about noncost barriers that they experienced or that they
think are concerns of retailers that do not have systems)
|
Infrastructure
issues (e.g., telecommunications, power reliability/outages,
check stand space)
Personnel
capacity issues (e.g., personnel capable of working with system
vendor to implement and maintain scanning system)
Disruption
(e.g., time required for owner/operator and personnel to
implement scanning system)
Training
personnel (e.g., scheduling/coordinating training of store
personnel to use scanning equipment)
Troubleshooting
capacity (e.g., responding to failures in system and transacting
SNAP purchases when these occur)
“Hassle
factor” associated with technology
Other
barriers
|
4.5 What benefits, if any,
do owners/managers associate with implementing scanning systems?
(Respondents: all retailers; for retailers that do not have
scanning systems, will ask what they have heard about benefits)
|
Economic
benefits (e.g., increased sales for SNAP and/or non-SNAP
customers)
“Quality
control” (e.g., increased accuracy of SNAP sales, improved
monitoring of store personnel)
Business
operation benefits (e.g., improved inventory control for product
ordering and sales)
Other
benefits
|
4.6 What is the estimated
number or proportion of current SNAP-authorized retailers that
may not comply with this provision because of cost or other
barriers and instead choose to leave SNAP? (Respondents:
retailers that do not have scanning systems)
|
|
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | RFP No |
| Author | Bogus, Michelle |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-22 |