In-Class+Assignment+for+W4


 * PRODUCT**: The Receipt


 * SOLUTION:**

With the introduction of IOS6’s Passbook that allows the user to have their boarding pass, tickets, store cards and coupons on their iPhones, the use for physical copies is greatly diminished and less paper waste is produced. We want to integrate receipts into the digital world, as many consumers are given this small piece of paper to be discarded. Some companies, like Apple and Old Navy, have already utilized this service.

**Step 1:** The customer buys a product.

**Step 2A:** The cashier asks for the customer’s name and email to send him the digital copy of the receipt to appear in his email inbox.

**Step 2B:** The cashier asks for the customer’s name and phone number to send him his receipt via text message.

**Step 2C:** If the store/company has an app (e.g., ShoppersDrug Mart or Scene Card), the customer can use it to track loyalty points, see previous purchases, and hold receipts.

**Step 2D:** If the customer wants a physical copy of the receipt, we propose charging a small fee ($0.10) to deter this option for future purchases. The companies will use recycled paper as well as vegetable-based ink for its receipts.

**Step 3:** To return a purchase, the customer can simply show the receipt on his device.

By having the receipt in a digital format, we can lower the use of paper. The life-cycle of paper would reduce the extraction of trees, the extraction of pulp from trees and the manufacturing process of pulp to paper. Because receipts are in a particular format, having digital receipts would eliminate the need for a process to acquire that shape. Transportation and packaging from the manufacture to the store would be also be limited. If companies choose to use physical receipts, we would encourage them to use solely recycled paper. Many contemporary receipts include the use of BPA, which renders the receipt unrecyclable. To promote and segway customers into preferring the use of digital receipts, customers who choose digital copies can receive a minor discount on their purchases as an incentive.

An example of a digital receipt, sent via email: