Abstract: A production process optimization method includes: acquiring a starting point execution procedure to be a starting point for a search, where one or more operations performed by the production process are defined and contents relevant to the operation are defined; specifying one or more variable parameter items capable of setting a variable parameter value in the starting point execution procedure; generating an execution procedure by setting the variable parameter value in the variable parameter item specified on the basis of a previous execution performance result and an evaluation performance result thereof; acquiring an execution result when an execution subject executes actual execution according to the execution procedure in an execution environment; acquiring an evaluation result with respect to the execution result; and recording the execution procedure, the variable parameter value, the execution result, and the evaluation result in association with each other.

Abstract: [Problem] To enable a highly effective medium to be manufactured. [Solution] a manufacturing method of a medium is provided with: a step of creating a prediction model at least based on values of parameters related to manufacturing of another media manufactured in the past and being different in at least any one among an object of culture, an index of the culture, and a manufacturing condition of the medium manufacturing; a step of creating a value of the parameter using the prediction model; and a step of manufacturing the medium using the created value of the parameter.

Abstract: A transaction server for managing a merchant-user transaction between a point-of-sale system of a merchant and a user computing device, the server comprising: an input arranged to receive transaction data from the point-of-sale system and to receive a user request from the user computing device to complete the merchant-user transaction between the point-of-sale system and the user computing device; a processor arranged to complete the merchant-user transaction by running a payment process in dependence on the received transaction data and user request; an output arranged to output a transaction complete communication to the point-of-sale system.

Abstract: A method of establishing a user profile on a server computer, the user profile being associated with a unique user identifier used during a transaction made by a user, the method comprising: receiving user-related data comprising identification data associated with the unique user identifier; sending a server authentication message to the user in dependence on the user related data; receiving a registration message from the user, the message comprising the authentication message; establishing the user profile in response to receiving the registration message

Abstract: A transaction computing device for interacting with a POS system, the POS system comprising a POS terminal having a software module for processing transactions within a transaction environment and a physical device in communication with the POS terminal, the transaction computing device comprising: an input for receiving transaction data from the physical device; a processor arranged to process the received transaction data to generate modified transaction data; an output arranged to send the modified transaction data to the POS terminal wherein the processor is arranged to: determine whether the received transaction data is associated with a unique identifier and, in response to determining the presence of an associated unique identifier, determine the state of the unique identifier; in response to the unique identifier being valid, retrieve a modified identifier, the modified identifier being in a format compatible with the POS terminal; generate modified transaction data, the modified transaction data comp