13. Purchase Decision Support with Internet of Things-Based Systems

While current studies in the field of Internet of Things (IoT) tend to focus on the technical aspects, such as programming, hardware and software, publications on the behavioural aspects of IoT remain few. Therefore, the primary objective of this chapter is to contribute to the discussion by providing a conceptual framework for an IoT-based system supporting customer purchase decisions. The system operates on several levels. The major level of operation is customer behaviour and purchase decision support. The second level concerns generating information regarding the shelf content status and reporting on the dynamics of stock-level changes, in order to shape an appropriate marketing strategy and develop effective stocking management processes. The third foundation of the system encompasses the technology and the essential elements ensuring efficient operation of the system. The capabilities of IoT are constantly progressing and expanding, thus leading to the development of software and hardware tools compatible with particular phases of service and customer support process. The presented study employs two research methods: self-observation and the literature study. The proposed solution requires that the system is equipped with necessary software and sensors connected in a wireless data transmission network of Internet of Things.