Tesco Voucher Counting

[TechR]

Hi,

 

Long time reader, first time poster

 

Wasn't sure where to put this, as it isn't really hardware or software, apologies if this isn't right!

 

I work in a mid sized secondary and I've been handed the task of running our Tesco Voucher collection in 2009. Previously our Tesco vouchers have been counted by a parent, but their child is leaving the school this year and so these services will no longer be available.

 

Does anyone know of any automated way to count them? Weighing? Bill counter? Management are trying to avoid me sitting in the office at lunch time every day with a bin full of tickets.

 

Thanks.

[tech_guy]

Get the kids to count them into bundles of 50 and wrap a rubber band around them? Reward them with a box of chocolates? That's what we did when we were collecting them.

[TechR]

It's an idea, but I'm not sure if we can trust them. We're running it as a competition between the four sections of the school. There may be a little bit of counting bias going on between factions.

 

Someone else suggested weighing, it doesn't seem like a bad idea - but we may need a fairly big critical mass of them before we can start that. May set a baseline by counting at first, then weighing when we hit 1k or so.

[SteveB_NI]

Do you have school detentions? Bored kids in class?!

 

I think our classes count them now and again - more hands = less work!

 

Edit: ah ok!

Edited December 16, 2008 by SteveB_NI
New msg posted since typing first post!

[tech_guy]

Don't forget to find out if any of your kids / staff have relatives / friends working on the checkouts at Tesco...

 

[korifugi]

avoid me sitting in the office at lunch time every day with a bin full of tickets.

 

One word...

 

Apprentice:)

[pete]

It's given as a detention task here, with an occasional bundle spot-check to ensure accurate counting.

[powdarrmonkey]

There's much too fine a tolerance to weigh them, coins have an appreciable mass but paper just isn't realistic.

 

I also find some small people to count them and they get something at the end of it, bar of chocolate or something.

[FN-GM]

We sued one of those note counters and turned off the dection for fakes

[sidewinder]

We sued one of those note counters and turned off the dection for fakes

 

sued them? did they count them wrong?

 

Anyway, whichever method you use, you'll have the reward of a scanner or an inkjet printer for counting 36,000 vouchers. You lucky thing

[enjay]

We have used detention kids before but found their counting to be less than good, presumably because they're in a mood. Based on a spot-check, last year's culprit successfully failed to count a single pile correctly! Next year, I will find some keen and reliable students - Y7 preferably to avoid any risk of interfering with "coursework time" - and then give them a Little Something as a thank you.

 

I've actually had students come up to me and offer their services when they knew I was collecting (and that was without the offer of any treats!).

[PEO]

thanks for the idea!! will use them instead of me wasting my lunch time counting them.

 

[maniac]

Goto your science department, borrow a set of Digital scales. Then count one lot of 100 vouchers by hand and weigh them. You can then count them in minutes!

 

It's accurate enough for the purpose; do you honestly think Tesco count them all at the other end? Course not, they weigh them too!

 

Mike.

[somabc]

Why are you counting them? Because it has to do with 'computers'?

 

Isn't it say Admin's (or the Department(s) that actually wants the equipment) job to count them?

 

I would say it is not a good use of your time to count thousands of vouchers as it could affect your ability to mange the network/IT infrastructure, if you are only doing on your lunch break well when do you take your actual lunch break? Do you get TOIL? Personally I would not be happy with this at all. Would you count all the change if the school went out in the high st with buckets seeking donations. Its bad enough that schools have to rely on 'charity' from TESCO to get decent equipment. They do not do it out of the goodness of their hearts, this voucher scheme generates £££'s for the shareholders, money that could be invested in education if the government actually taxed them properly.

 

(phew ... sorry for the rant)

Edited December 16, 2008 by somabc

[enjay]

Goto your science department, borrow a set of Digital scales. Then count one lot of 100 vouchers by hand and weigh them. You can then count them in minutes!

 

And then count out a pile of 70 and you'll probably find that it also weighs the same as the pile of 100. Science Department scales are highly unlikely to be sensitive enough to count this accurately. I have some scales in my kitchen which probably cost a lot more than the ones in our Science Lab, and they give different readings if I flatten out the contents rather than have it all in a pile!

 

do you honestly think Tesco count them all at the other end? Course not, they weigh them too!

Since Tesco ask that they are all unfolded in the piles, I have always assumed they use the same sort of paper counters as you find in banks...

[somabc]

Bank Note Counter with UV Detection > Maplin

[Sylv3r]

I give them to our librarian to count - she seems to enjoy it

[maniac]

And then count out a pile of 70 and you'll probably find that it also weighs the same as the pile of 100. Science Department scales are highly unlikely to be sensitive enough to count this accurately. I have some scales in my kitchen which probably cost a lot more than the ones in our Science Lab, and they give different readings if I flatten out the contents rather than have it all in a pile!

 

 

Since Tesco ask that they are all unfolded in the piles, I have always assumed they use the same sort of paper counters as you find in banks...

 

I've used the weighing method for the last 5 years of counting vouchers, and Tesco have never complained that there's any problems with my figures. They weigh in increments of 0.1g with an accuracy of +/- 1g which is pretty standard for digital scales that most schools are likely to have.

[TechR]

Thanks all, I'll put the weighing idea forward and see what they make of it.