Business (For- and Not-for-Profit)

Appendix F16

Round 1
Integrated Retailers’ Interview Guide

Integrated Retailers’ Interview Guide

Round 1: Implementation

Representatives of participating integrated retailers within the Massachusetts HIP demonstration area in Hampden County will be interviewed. (Integrated retailers are supermarket and other chains that have integrated their scanners and cash registers with their EBT terminals. Once the integrated checkout systems in the stores operated by these firms are modified for HIP, they will automatically identify HIP-eligible items.) The purpose of Round 1 interviews is to document the HIP implementation process and will include inquiry as to the activities and work required and completed by each integrated retailer up to shortly prior to the project going live. The interviews will take place approximately 6 to 8 weeks before the start-up of HIP operations.

It is anticipated that interviews will occur over approximately a one week period and will be completed by phone. The primary contacts for integrated retailers will be identified in consultation with DTA, ACS and their third party processor (TPP); additional respondents will be identified through each retail firm. Persons to be interviewed will include:

• The integrated retail chain’s technical contact for the store or stores in Hampden County (responsible for managing the relationship with the TPP and/or making the required changes in the stores’ systems and front ends)

• The integrated retail chain’s relationship contact with the store or stores in Hampden County (responsible for the relationship with the stores’ management)

• One or more integrated store managers in Hampden County (responsible for store operations)

Retailers may want to include cash register company technology staff as this development function is often managed by a third party. Interviews will include the following questions. Additional follow-up questions are anticipated, to clarify or expand responses.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 90 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Research and Analysis, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302 ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx). Do not return the completed form to this address.

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Date and Time of Interview

2. Name(s) and Title(s) of Respondent(s)

3. Location of Interview

4. Provide a brief description your normal job function and those specifically related to HIP.

HIP INITIATION

5. How and when did you first learn about the HIP project?

6. Describe your company’s involvement in HIP grant application process.

7. How and when were you provided with information on HIP following the award to Massachusetts?

   1. How useful was that information and what additional information would have been helpful?

8. Describe the decision process in your company as to potential participation in the HIP project.

HIP SYSTEM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

9. Were you involved in the design and/or development of your store’s systems modifications for HIP? If not, skip to question 14.

10. Does your firm connect directly with ACS for EBT transactions? If not, what third party processor (TPP) connects your stores with ACS for EBT transactions?

    1. What information was provided by your TPP or ACS regarding changes necessary to participate?

    2. When and how did you receive this information and how did you utilize it?

    3. Was it helpful or did you require additional clarification?

11. Did you have a formal kickoff design session with your TPP and/or ACS on the potential system changes? If yes, please describe.

    1. Was a formal final design document prepared and signed off with your TPP? If not, what process was utilized by you to sign off with your TPP?

    2. What was the extent of the system changes required for your store(s) to participate in HIP?

    3. Were changes in daily settlement at the store or corporate level or reporting required?

    4. Is/was there sufficient time allowed for the changes to be made and for testing and certification to occur prior to the planned live date?

    5. What were the major challenges in modifying your store’s systems for HIP and how were they addressed?

    6. When did your stores become fully operational for HIP transactions?

12. Has your TPP and/or ACS provided support for system development, testing, and recertification? If yes, please describe.

13. Who has responsibility – you or your TPP – for uploading HIP software to your POS terminals?

    1. Is this a manual process or can it be done remotely?

    2. When is this scheduled to begin and to be completed?

    3. If your firm has updated its POS terminals, please describe the process and any issues encountered.

14. Who is responsible for training staff on using the POS for HIP?

    1. If your firm has trained store staff for HIP, describe the cashier and back-office training for HIP, including who provided the training and what type of training was provided.

STORE PARTICIPATION

15. Is your company making the same changes in your stores in a larger area (such as Western Massachusetts or statewide)?

    1. If so, what is the area where the changes will be made and how was this decided?

16. Are any of your stores in Hampden County not participating in the HIP project and if so, why not?

    1. Would these stores participate later in the project and if so, when and why?

17. Please describe your approach to identifying HIP-eligible items.

    1. How will your company identify product codes for HIP-eligible items?

    2. How will the approved product list be loaded into store systems?

    3. What challenges have you encountered in this process and how have these been addressed?

    4. What is your plan for updating the database of eligible items and keeping it current?

ISSUES/LESSONS LEARNED

18. Looking back, is there anything you would have changed about the implementation process?

19. Other than previously discussed, what issues, if any, have you encountered during implementation and how were they resolved?

20. What lessons can be learned from your experiences to date?