Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Reward Gateway is a simplified solutions system designed to provide a rich

collection of benefits (that range from discounts from hundreds of stores and

thousands of products and services)to the employee, without the employer

needing to worry about the detailed set-up or the process involved. It serves

as an integrated employee benefits programme.

The benefits are enormous for both employers and employees. RG is

completely independent of retailers, integrates salary Sacrifice (Child Care

Vouchers and Cycle to Work) and services to create a robust and flexible

benefits package.

From the front-end, what do the users see? They see a website that offers

them discounts and several benefits as a benefit for working for their current

employer. To them Asperity is a platform or a service provider for obtaining

their contractual benefits.

Problem Analysis

Eve works in the HR department of a major IT firm in the UK, XYZ. Her firm

is l not a natural market leader, hence, they face stiff competition from rival

firms in the market, both in terms of product sales and recruitment of staff

(and retention of present staff) to develop solutions that the firm would

subsequently market. The company has recently lost some of their key people

to rival firms, who are able to offer attractive packages.

As a result, Eve has been assigned to ensure that the company offers a

comprehensive inexpensive benefits package, that would make XYZ offer a

competitive package to attract competent professionals to the firm.

Requirement Analysis of Reward Gateway Front End by Paul Odunewu 6

To retain current staff, Eve needs to choose benefits packages that meets their

present needs. This is intended to induce them to remain in the firm for a

longer time.

 

Most of the current staff are married with kids, hence, a childcare related

package would be beneficial. Everyone also likes to shop and get special

bargains through discounts and cashbacks, so ideally, having access to

thousands of popular retailers who offer special discounts is beneficial.

Securing discounts and cashbacks as part of the benefits package is one of

Eve’s objectives. The option of cycling to work on a flexible scheme sounds

attractive as it offers employees an alternative and flexible transport scheme.

The challenge for Eve has not been identifying these benefits needs, but

finding a benefits website provider who can provide a full integration of these

needs or services and also provide a rich selection of retailers in a customised

platform that bears the XYZ logo and business identity.

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(RG 3) versus (RG 4) Reward Gateway currently has two front-end platforms. They are named RG3 and RG4. RG4 is the later version while RG3 is somewhat outdated, however, some clients and users still use RG3. They both achieve the same objectives, which remains to give users a viable platform to enjoy and access employee benefits. RG3 makes use of widgets, which gives users the power to customise their screen and emphasise on the features that they use. Users were advised to switch to RG4, some however opted opted for RG3. RG4 is more static (from a user point of view) than RG3, with users having limited or no power over the front-end appearance. Majority of the schemes on Reward Gateway use RG4. This definition of users is limited to the front-end of the system. Employees of signed-up Employers, who have a running scheme on RG are the intended users of RG. Through their Employer’s scheme, they are expected to access the system’s resources which include discounts, cashbacks and vouchers. The number of users vary from employer to employer. In a whole, RG presently has over 1.5 million users. PC fluency of users also vary, some employees (users) work in IT, hence their level of computer expertise is higher than average. Other users might work in departments such as sales, management, accounts or finance, hence, they have a limited use of the PC. As such, their PC competence will range from low to average. Security Every employer has a scheme on RG. Employees can only access the the scheme of their employer, hence, other schemes are invisible to them. Employees have access only to their personal data. This restriction includes only products and services that their employer has signed-up for. And also, services which they meet up with its basic requirements. (This is further discussed in the business rules) Users have a unique login ID with emphasis on password strength. RG uses vital information such as DOB, postcodes, employee ID e.t.c to manage user security access. Business Rules Reward Gateway has basic inherent business rules. These rules are applicable to either the entire system (generic rules) or specific product and services. A key business rule is the restriction of user access to the scheme that is operated by their employer. RG connects with hosted retailers through unique links, users make their Requirement Analysis of Reward Gateway Front End by Paul Odunewu 8 purchases through these links and thus, their RG accounts is credited with the corresponding cashback value. Credit card authorizations on RG is presently done by a third party financial processor firm. CC authorizations is only done on RG for voucher / reloadable card purchases. For cashbacks, CC authorizations is not done by RG but by the retail firms. These funds (cashback) added to the user accounts might take up to 72 hours to appear in the account. Account balances usually differ from payment balances or invoices used in specific products such as CCV, whereby, users have to set up payment details (on a monthly, weekly or one-off basis) of their carer on RG. This is completely independent of the account details. For certain product and services, there are strict eligibility conditions often referred to as business rules. This is further discussed in each functionality (key issues) section. RG currently operates in the UK and Australian market with the target of expanding into the USA market. Further business rules can be found in the description of each functionality, product or benefits. SCHEMES: Reward Gateway contains several schemes. A scheme is a webspace on Reward Gateway that contains several features and functionalities offered by Asperity, but is customised to reflect the identity of its owners. Typically, schemes are owned by clients. Schemes contain several functionalities, depending on the needs and requests of clients. Most schemes are on RG4, there are however a few others still on RG3. 3. FUNCTIONALITY, PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS Requirement Analysis of Reward Gateway Front End by Paul Odunewu 9 RG consists of several functions, some of which are masked as products, services or benefits. This requirement analysis groups them together simply because of the level of interaction they all have. Banners: They are usually found on RG4 homepage. From a front-end user user point of view, banners are a means to an end. The end here is to obtain a bargain or discounts for the sole aim of entertainment. Banners display special or seasonal offers or campaigns which includes anything from a retail discount offer, to cashback offer, theatre offer amongst other things. Key Issues: Banners are an important (nice to have) feature of RG. They serve as a tool for publicizing offers, products and services. Banners are a very important feature of RG4. In a vast competitive world of the internet where users have multiple options, the notion of them seeing multiple eye-catching offers at a glance or in quick succession, serves as a sure means of advertisement and a way or retaining users on RG. Banners interact with several other functionality because they publicise items which are then linked back to the main product or services pages. User Scenario: Adam logs into RG4 using his unique email address and secure password. (Adam works for ABC company, so he simply logged into the ABC scheme on RG) The first thing he notices is the banner on the screen. The banner section holds up to 20 banners, each displaying a different product, service, functionality or offer. Adam sees a banner that displays a special cashback Sainsbury’s rate of 10% and clicks on the banner. This redirects Adam to Sainsbury’s retail homepage on RG. Cashback: The cashback functionality is designed such that users make purchases on RG through a secure web-link, which is tracked by RG, and subsequently earn a cashback into their RG account. Cashback value is a reflection of the cashback rate. Implying that if a cashback of 10% is offered on a product values at £60, users should expect a cashback value of £6 if they purchase the product. Cashback also denotes commission on product sales. This requirement analysis is simply concerned with how the cashback process works from the front-end user point of view. Key Issues: Cashback is an important requirement because it is essential to retail offers. Cashback is usually paid by the affiliate network (affiliate networks are paid by the retailers) to RG, from which user accounts are debited. Users can view the details of their cashback balances and transactions on the “My Account” page. If a cashback value is under £5, it would take 30 working days for it to be confirmed into the user's RG account. If the cashback value falls between the range of (£5 - £20), then it would take 60 working days for it to be confirmed into the user’s RG account. However, if the cashback is valued at over £20, then it would normally take 90 working days to be credited into the user’s RG account. User Scenario: Bradley logs into RG using his secure username and password. (Bradley works for DEF company, hence he is logged into the DEF scheme on RG). Bradley is fascinated by the cashback offered by Sainsbury’s (10%), hence he makes a purchase totalling £120, through a secure link from the RG page of sainsbury. After 60 days, Bradley’s £12 cashback is confirmed in his RG account. Child Care Vouchers (CCV) Child care vouchers is a voucher scheme integrated with RG that allows parents to buy vouchers using deductions from their gross salary with which to pay their carers. CCV is normally a government independent scheme that was integrated into RG to enrich the benefits package. Ideally, users can add a carer of their choice whom they want to pay. RG backend deals with the confirmation process involved with that. Users are required to make a contribution to their CCV account, from where payments can be made to the carer. Requirement Analysis of Reward Gateway Front End by Paul Odunewu 11 Vouchers are usually valid for 15 months and can also be used for the same period of time, even if employees (users) change their employers (jobs). Users are able to save up to £900. Key Issues: Child Care Vouchers is an important product or feature of RG. Though as a product not all schemes have it. CCV is an application on its own on RG and has little interaction with other products on RG. There are different maximum rates for users, this usually depends on their tax rates. The higher the tax rate the lower their maximum CCV value. Child Care Vouchers can also only be earned by from a specific income value. RG by default rejects applications from low income earning users. User Scenario: Sarah logs into RG scheme of her employer. She clicks around till she is on the CCV page. She registers her details for CCV, including her daughters basic details. Through her account, she sets up a default seasonal (can be monthly or weekly) payment of £100 into her account from her wages. Sarah then registers the details of her carer, BNM carers, to her account. 72 hours later (The back end deals with the carer verification process), her carer account is up and running. Sarah subsequently payes her carer through incessant deductions from her wages, deposited into her RG account, which is then used to pay her carer. Cycle To Work The cycle to work scheme is an independent scheme like CCV, that was integrated into RG, with the sole aim of creating a robust system. A user is able to lease a cycle for a 12 month period, fees are usually deducted from their wages. At the end of this 12 month period, the employer is obligated to sell to the user (employee) at a reasonable rate. It is a flexible scheme designed for ease of traveling for employees as part of a benefits package. Key Issues: Cycle to Work is an essential part of the system, though originally independent, it has been integrated into RG to further create a robust benefits system. Its lease period is 12 months and does not require a credit check. User Scenario: Ali likes to cycle on a daily basis as his basic means of transportation, so he logs onto Reward Gateway and signs up for the cycle to work scheme. He did this through the scheme operated by his firm on Reward Gateway. RG allowed him to choose the value of his bike and make an online application. A hire agreement was issued to him, which he duly signed and returned. He subsequently recieved his voucher and collected his bike.

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Discounts:

The key benefit of the Reward Gateway programme is the diverse spread

of the choices of retailers it offers. All of whom offer several discount rates.

Discounts are a percentage less than the value of a product, which users pay

to the retailer. Implying that if product X sells for £25, and the retailer offers a

10% discount, users purchasing from RG schemes would pay £22.5.

Key Issues:

Discounts is an important product functionality of RG. Discounts rates vary

from retailer to retailer and also from product to product. The same product

might attract different discount rates from different retailers. Users

normally deduce this by using the search functionality on RG.

Unlike Cashback, a discount is deduced from RRP, thus an immediate benefit

for users.

User Scenario:

Peter logs into RG scheme for his firm. He clicks through the static and

dynamic discount pages and ends up on comets discount offer page for iPad.

The product’s RRP is £250, but with a discount offer of 20%, Peter makes a

purchase. Hence, he only pays £200 out of his account for the product, which

was originally valued at £250.

 

GymFlex

This is another integrated feature into RG. This programme involves a 12

month gym membership programme. In this scheme, the employer pays

up a 12 month gym membership fee for the employee in his/her local or

prefered gym. The employee’s wages is deducted every month to fulfill this

programme. The benefit is that the employee gets to save up to 40% on the

gym membership fees.

Key Issues

Gymflex is an important feature service on Reward Gateway and has a

national spread (hundreds of gyms and health clubs) which users can choose

from.

User Scenario

Malik logs into the Reward Gateway scheme of his employer. He views the

gymflex page and chooses to sign up for the scheme.

 

Help

The help functionality on Reward Gateway, is designed to preempt user

concerns and interact with them, by providing answers to their queries and

concerns about the different schemes on Reward Gateway. This also covers

the FAQ section.

Key Issues:

The help section contains limited possibility of queries raised by users.

Ideally, users call the helpdesk for help whenever they need answers or have

problems using the system.

User Scenario:

Kelvin works for MNO company, who have just signed up with Asperity on

Reward Gateway programme and hence own a scheme on it. Kevin is not

computer savvy, hence he has loads of difficulties getting around the scheme

site. He is unable to call the helpdesk, hence, he would require a detailed help

manual to help answer his queries.

 

Insure Compare

Insure Compare is a price comparison initiative that allows users to compare

the prices of car and home insurance from several providers. It allows users to

have access to information about the quality and pricing of several insurance

service providers with additional functionality to obtaining quotes. Users get a

cashback on top of the obvious savings potential.

Key Issues:

Cash back is only obtainable if the user switches to another insurance

provider through the site. Insure compare is an essential service on Reward

Gateway.

User Scenario:

Matthew logs into the Reward Gateway scheme of his company. He searches

and reaches the insure compare page. He intends to use this service to get a

bargain in both home and car insurance. So, he fills a form on the web page,

compares the prices through the system generated results and proceeds to

make a purchase via RG. He subsequently earns a £30 cashback.

 

My Account

The “My Account “ feature on Reward Gateway is designed to give a

detailed personalised account to the user. It usually contains details of

their transactions on RG. And would typically contain information such as,

account balance (which is how much money the user has in the RG account),

detailed transactions statements showcasing the explicit outline of purchases,

discounts, offers taken and cashbacks earned.

Key Issues:

My account functionality interacts with third party payments team. (For

the purpose of this document, the payments team here means anyone who

has dealings with the payment processing and accounts balance excluding

the user. This includes third party payment processors) Hence, the status of

payments made in and out of the account have varying titles.

 

User Scenario:

Alex works for a firm {ERT} who has a scheme presence on Reward Gateway.

alex has been using RG because of its many benefits for about 6 months,

but would like to track his account to ensure that he gets all the benefits

(discounts, cashbacks and others) that was intended.

My Favourite Retailers

This functionality links the major retailers that a certain user likes or uses the

most in a link on the system. The system pre-empts the users by listing highstreet

favourite users on the link. This is a huge attraction on Reward Gateway

and serves as a meaningful in giving users a worthwhile online shopping

experience. The favourite retailers functionality is derived from the user's

shopping history on RG

 

User Scenario:

Alexandra logs into his company’s scheme on Reward Gateway and although

he is skeptical about online shopping in general. He is however open to the

prospect of shopping with popular high street retailers online, provided it is

hassle free experience.

My Reloadable Cards

Many retailers on Reward Gateway have a re-loadable card. The cards can

only be used in-store, but purchases, topping up and user management has

to be done online via RG. This functionality allows users to order cards from

retailers available on their scheme (some retailers are not available on certain

schemes usually based on clients (employers) request) and use this cards to

obtain discounts.

Key Issues:

Cards can be topped-up using credit or debit cards. However, some schemes

 

have just credit or debit card options. The list of cards subscribed to by a user

and listed in the reloadable cards section of the user’s page. Users can remove

cards from their list. Cards list (that users have subscribed to) is completely

independent of card balances. This means that a user can be subscribed to a

card without having any money on it. Cards can also be removed from the list.

User Scenario:

Janet logs into Reward Gateway with the intention signing up for a card. So

she signs up for Sainsbury’s and Comet RC and tops them up with her credit

card.

 

Product Finder

The product finder functionality on Reward Gateway is designed to ensure

that users do not lose out on the experience of having a hassle free shopping

experience. Through this functionality, users are able to search through over

2.5 million of retail products across hundreds of online stores and retailers

(with a presence on Reward Gateway) in a simple search format as applicable

with search engines such as Google.

Key Issues:

The product finder functionality works by connecting its imminent search

results to the product pages, which then contains links to the retailers pages.

Ultimately product searches produces outputs that links back to retailers

product pages.

User Scenario:

Cole wants an iPad. He also wants the best deal (cashback and discounts) on

Reward Gateway, hence, he logs in on his company’s RG scheme and uses the

product search to search for an iPad.

 

Savings Calculator

The savings calculator functionality is essential to Reward Gateway, as it

highlights the savings potentials of using certain features of Reward Gateway.

 

Through the calculator, the user is informed of the advantages of the choice

they are making in using Reward Gateway schemes, which include discounts,

cashbacks, innumerable products and services.

Key Issues:

The savings calculator is only applicable to specific products and services.

User Scenario:

John’s company has just just Reward Gateway and now have a scheme on it.

Through this scheme, John would like to know how much he was capable of

saving by using Child Care Vouchers, Cycle to Work and other products on

Reward Gateway.

 

Shopping Basket

The shopping basket is just the collation of products purchased by a user. This

basket functionality is connected to a third financial processor, who processes

payment transactions on Reward Gateway

Key Issues:

Payments are processed by a third party company. 

User Scenario:

Mark has logged onto Reward Gateway and embarked on a shopping spree. He

clicks on the shopping basket to see if the items he has purchased have been

listed accurately and proceeds to make a payment.

 

Trust Pilot

The trust pilot functionality is designed to serve as a review mechanism

for users to access the online reputation (as reviewed by other users) of

retailers in order to guide them in deciding what retailer to shop with. This is

a third party retailers review program that has been integrated into Reward

Gateway.

Key Issues:

This is an essential integration into Reward Gateway. Users are linked to a

third party web page when attempting to obtain access to customer reviews

of retailers displayed on Reward Gateway. Reviews seen by users is limited to

that of the relevant retailer.

 

User Scenario:

Bradley logs into Reward Gateway and chooses to shop. Since Reward

Gateway has several retailers, most of whom Bradley is unfamiliar with, he

has hence decided to look out for the reviews of other users so as to be able to

form an opinion on the quality of product and service offered by the users.

 

4. Non Functional Requirements:

All applications (web and non-web) are usually made up non-functional

requirements which define the intangible aspects of the system.

 

Usability:

Reward Gateway is designed as a Graphical User Interface, to interact with

users through images and well depicted messages and links. The primary

objectives of these usability features in Reward Gateway is to present the

intended information to the user in a clear and concise way, to give correct

choices to users in an obvious way, to eliminate any form of ambiguity

regarding the consequences of an action and to put the most important things

at the right place on a web application.

 

Reliability:

Reward Gateway is designed and intended to provide reliable properties

with regards to the delivery of data to the intended recipients. Data flow

within Reward Gateway is of great importance, this includes sensitive user

information such as bank details.

 

Performance:

With regards to performance non-functionality, Reward Gateway is

designed to have a short response time for a given piece of work, have a

high throughput (the rate of processing work), low utilization of computer

resources, have high availability of the computing system or application,

fast data compression and decompression, high bandwidth and a short

transmission time.

 

Interface:

The interface features of Reward Gateway is designed to be a tool and also

a concept for interaction between components at the level of software and

hardware. This typically allows the web browser (through which Reward

Gateway is being viewed) to function independently while using other

interfaces to communicate with other components via an input/output system

and an integrated protocol.

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Back End

This is a default development template through which employee benefits are configured to client's needs. Ideally a client signs up to Asperity's scheme and a template is configured for them

depending on their requirements. No development of functionality takes place here, it simply involves manipulation of existing templates to suit client's taste, reflecting their logos and identity.

 

The backend also serves as a helpdesk for front end users and also an interface for the manual manipulation of user entries.

Reward Gateway: An Expert Analysis

Reward Gateway is an overhyped platform and it remains a mystery how outsourced employee benefits became an industry in lieu of the challenges businesses are facing, the availability of

individual benefits solutions platforms and the cost of these outsourced benefits platforms. 

 

Reward Gateway offers no unique feature or sense of originality and with a growing client base, there should be question marks as to if Asperity can successfully manage front-end user needs while integrating with several other solutions.

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