INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 771
www.rsisinternational.org
Find-It Mall: A Web-Based Lost and Found Management System for
Malaysian Retail Environments
Siti Nur Syazlyana Binti Nor Azmi
1
,
Kurk Wei Yi
2
, Amir Syarifuddin Kasim
3
, Zuriati Ismail
4
1,2,3
Fakulti Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Durian
Tunggal, Melaka, 76100, Malaysia
4
Fakulti Sains Komputer dan Matematik, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Johor
Kampus Segamat, KM12 Jalan Muar, 85000 Segamat, Johor, Malaysia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.91200065
Received: 08 December 2025; Accepted: 17 December 2025; Published: 31 December 2025
ABSTRACT
This paper presents Find-It Mall, a web-based Lost and Found Management System designed to digitalize and
streamline item recovery processes in large commercial complexes. Traditional logbook-based systems are
inefficient, error-prone, and lack transparency, often leading to delayed item recovery and poor customer
satisfaction. Find-It Mall addresses these challenges by integrating a centralized digital platform that connects
the public and mall staff in managing lost and found items. The system features a public portal for reporting and
claiming items, a staff dashboard for managing records, and an automated email notification system to enhance
communication between stakeholders. Developed using PHP for server-side scripting, MySQL for database
management, and Bootstrap for a responsive user interface, the system follows the Agile development
methodology to ensure iterative refinement and usability. Testing results demonstrate that Find-It Mall
significantly improves operational efficiency, reduces manual workload, and enhances transparency in lost and
found management. The system provides a scalable, secure, and user-friendly solution that modernizes customer
service standards within the Malaysian retail sector.
Keywords: Lost and Found, Web-Based System, PHP, MySQL, Bootstrap, Agile, Retail
INTRODUCTION
The management of lost-and-found items in large commercial venues such as shopping malls remains a
persistent operational challenge. Traditional paper-based logbooks and ad-hoc procedures lead to data loss, slow
processing, and limited public visibility of recovered items, which in turn reduces return rates and undermines
customer satisfaction. The shift toward digital solutions addresses these problems by enabling centralized
records, searchable item galleries, and automated communication channels that reduce staff workload and
improve transparency [1].
Digital transformation is not merely the adoption of new technologies but a strategic reconfiguration of
processes, capabilities, and touchpoints that reshape how organisations deliver value to customers [2]. Recent
reviews show that firms that successfully digitalize frontline services achieve measurable gains in operational
efficiency and customer satisfaction, if system quality, information quality, and service quality are appropriately
managed [2], [3]. These findings underscore why a purpose-built web platform for lost-and-found operations
which combining a public portal with a staff dashboard and automated notifications is a pragmatic response to
the limitations of paper systems.
Applied case studies and project reports of web-based lost-and-found solutions in campus and retail
environments document practical benefits such as faster item matching, simpler claim workflows, and higher
user engagement [4] These implementations typically emphasize responsive interfaces, image attachments for
verification, role-based staff access, and exportable logs for recordkeeping — design choices that align with both
user expectations and institutional operational needs. Incorporating these features in a mall context can therefore
increase recovery rates and reduce the manual effort required from staff.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 772
www.rsisinternational.org
From a development process perspective, iterative, feedback-driven methods such as Agile enable rapid delivery
of usable increments and close alignment with stakeholders’ requirements. Empirical studies of Agile in industry
show that proactive strategies for managing non-functional and quality requirements are essential to ensure
reliability and usability in deployed web systems [5]. For a lost-and-found platform, Agile practices help
incorporate user feedback (e.g., from mall staff and claimants) early and throughout development, improving
both functionality and acceptance.
In this paper we present Find-It Mall, a web-based Lost and Found Management System designed to digitalize
item reporting, inventory management, and the claiming process in a shopping-mall context. The system couples
a public-facing item gallery and claim form with a secure, role-based staff dashboard, automated email
notifications, and exportable reporting features. The design and implementation decisions follow best practices
identified in the literature — prioritizing system and information quality, usability, and an iterative development
cycle to address the operational and user-experience problems of traditional lost-and-found workflows.
BACKGROUND
Digitalization has reshaped retail operations by enabling real-time tracking, process automation, and improved
customer touchpoints; these changes have important implications for service areas that historically relied on
manual procedures, such as lost-and-found management. Empirical work in retail digitalization demonstrates
that firms adopt technologies — including e-commerce channels, automation, and real-time tracking, primarily
for the business value they deliver (operational efficiency, transparency, traceability), and these investments can
materially improve customer service delivery when properly aligned with organizational processes [6]. For
lost-and-found workflows, the same capabilities (centralized databases, searchable public catalogues,
timestamps, and media attachments) directly tackle the core failure modes of paper logbooks: record loss, slow
retrieval, and poor discoverability.
Usability and iterative user testing are central to delivering web tools that staff and the public use. Recent studies
on web-tool development emphasize multi-step, mixed-methods usability testing to refine navigation, content,
and interactive features; iterative feedback loops help prioritize changes that increase clarity and reduce user
error, which is crucial for systems that must be reliable under routine staff turnover and occasional high-load
situations [7]. In the context of lost-and-found platforms, applying structured usability testing improves form
design (for reporting found items), gallery browsing, and claim submission flows — all of which increase the
likelihood that finders will report items promptly and claimants will successfully identify matches.
Automated communications such as triggered emails and push notifications are proven mechanisms to increase
user engagement and to drive desired outcomes in automated service workflows. Controlled studies on triggered
email campaigns report measurable uplifts in responses and conversions when messages are timely and tailored
to user actions [8]. For a lost-and-found system, automated notifications (e.g., confirmation to a finder, claim
submission receipts for claimants, and staff alerts for newly reported items) both reduce administrative overhead
and provide reassurance to users, improving perceived service quality and speeding up recovery cycles.
Beyond usability and notifications, customer engagement with digitalized interactive platforms matters because
engagement mediates the relationship between system features and user outcomes. Research on customer
engagement in retail contexts shows that platform features which satisfy psychological needs (autonomy,
competence, relatedness) and present useful, context-aware content led to deeper and more sustained
engagement [9]. Translating that insight to lost-and-found systems suggests that providing clear search & filter
tools, image evidence, and contextual information (found location, date, storage status) helps claimants and
finders make quicker, confident decisions — thereby increasing successful matches and reducing back-and-forth
with staff.
Practical implementations of web-based lost-and-found systems have been trialled in campus and public settings
and report similar operational benefits: centralized indexing, searchable galleries, and simplified claim
workflows reduce manual effort and speed up item recovery [10]. Those applied projects also underscore
common technical and social challenges. For example, balancing privacy with sufficient item detail for
verification, ensuring robust media handling for images, and maintaining staff training and process discipline —
all of which informed the design choices made in the Find-It Mall project.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 773
www.rsisinternational.org
Related Work
Research and development on digital lost-and-found systems span several technical approaches and application
settings. A growing thread of work focuses on image-based matching to automate item identification. Zhou et al.
(2024) propose LostNet, a lightweight image-matching framework that integrates MobileNetV2, CBAM
attention, and perceptual hashing to achieve 96.8% matching accuracy while remaining efficient enough for
on-device deployment. Their work demonstrates how deep learning and perceptual-hash methods can accelerate
matching between owner-submitted images and staff-reported items [11].
Other studies explore decentralized and tamper-resistant recordkeeping for lost-and-found services. Xue and Ma
(2022) examined a blockchain-based platform to improve transparency and auditability in item recovery
operations across multiple locations. Their findings indicate that blockchain enhances record integrity and
accountability but introduces challenges related to transaction costs and query latency in real-world scenarios
[12].
Lightweight QR-code–based systems have been increasingly adopted for quick item identification and
verification. Sinha et al. (2024) developed a campus lost-and-found system integrating personalized QR tags that
allow users to register belongings and enable rapid scanning for recovery verification. This low-cost,
smartphone-friendly method emphasizes simplicity, usability, and efficiency in lost-item reporting workflows
[13].
Complementary research has focused on RFID-enhanced search protocols, where tagged objects can be rapidly
located through secure, privacy-preserving algorithms. Chun and Noh (2021) introduced an RFID tag-search
scheme that protects reader and data privacy while supporting efficient item lookup, which is relevant for
high-value inventory or environments with many tagged assets [14].
Finally, work by Zhang et al. (2023) proposed a two-level QR code scheme that enhances information encoding
and security using a region matrix image secret-sharing algorithm. Although originally intended for secure
information exchange, the technique offers potential for lost-and-found systems where QR labels could store
encrypted identifiers, reducing risks of tampering or unauthorized data access [15].
Collectively, these studies inform the design of Find-It Mall. The project adopts verifiable image attachments
(inspired by LostNet), a centralized database with audit trails (informed by blockchain systems), user-friendly
QR mechanisms, and security-conscious data management (guided by RFID and QR encryption research).
Table1. Summary Of Existed System
Ref
Objective / Focus
Key Findings
Relevance to Find-It Mall
[11]
To develop a lightweight
deep-learning model (LostNet) for
matching lost-and-found item
images.
Achieved 96.8% image-matching
accuracy with low computational
cost.
Inspired the inclusion of
photo-based verification for
improved item matching.
[12]
To design a blockchain-based
platform for tamper-proof
lost-and-found records.
Blockchain enhances
accountability but introduces
transaction-cost challenges.
Informed audit trail and
data-integrity considerations
for centralized database
design.
[13]
To enhance campus lost-and-found
services using QR codes linked to
item registration.
Simplified claim verification and
reduced search time for items.
Supported inclusion of QR
code functionality and
user-friendly reporting forms.
[14]
To propose a privacy-preserving
RFID tag-search system for mobile
readers.
Achieved efficient tag searching
with enhanced data privacy.
Highlighted privacy and
security design aspects for
system data handling.
[15]
To develop a two-level QR code
encryption model using region matrix
image secret sharing.
Provided secure, tamper-resistant
QR code structure for information
protection.
Guided secure encoding
strategies for QR-based item
identification.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 774
www.rsisinternational.org
METHODOLOGY
The development of the Find-It Mall: Lost and Found Management System followed the Agile methodology,
which emphasizes iterative development, continuous feedback, and incremental delivery of functional software.
This approach was chosen to accommodate evolving user requirements and to facilitate regular validation
throughout the project lifecycle. The project was structured into several key phases:
Planning and Requirement Analysis
The development of the Find-It Mall: Lost and Found Management System was structured around a systematic,
step-by-step process, beginning with a critical Planning and Requirement Analysis phase. This initial stage was
foundational, aimed at thoroughly understanding the problem domain and defining a clear roadmap for the
project. The analysis commenced with an investigation into the existing manual lost-and-found procedures in
Malaysian shopping malls, which revealed significant inefficiencies. These included a heavy reliance on physical
logbooks vulnerable to damage or loss, a time-consuming process for staff who spent up to 40% of their time on
related tasks, and a frustrating experience for the public, with over 65% of items failing to be reclaimed due to
limited access to information.
To systematically address these challenges, the project objectives were formalized. The primary goals were to
replace manual logbooks with a secure digital database, create a public-facing portal for browsing and claiming
items, design a role-based staff dashboard for efficient management, and implement an automated email
notification system. Subsequently, both functional and non-functional requirements were meticulously specified.
The functional requirements detailed the system's capabilities, such as user login, item and claim management,
and report generation. Concurrently, non-functional requirements covering security, performance, usability, and
reliability were established to ensure the system would be robust and user-friendly.
A pivotal outcome of this phase was the creation of the Context Diagram, presented in Fig 1. This diagram
provided a high-level visual representation of the entire system as a single process, clearly defining its boundaries
and interactions with key external entities: the Finder, the Claimant, and the Mall Staff. It illustrated the
fundamental data flows, such as the submission of a "Lost Item Report" from a Finder into the system and the
output of "Claim Status" information to a Claimant. This model was instrumental in solidifying the scope of the
system and ensuring a common understanding among stakeholders before proceeding to the detailed design and
implementation stages, thereby setting a precise and actionable foundation for the entire project.
Fig. 1. Context diagram of Find-It Mall
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 775
www.rsisinternational.org
System Design
Fig. 2. Three-tier Architecture diagram of Find-It Mall
Following the thorough planning and analysis, the project progressed to the System Design phase, where the
conceptual requirements were translated into a detailed and actionable architectural blueprint. The core of this
design was a three-tier client-server architecture, chosen to ensure modularity, scalability, and ease of
maintenance. This structure cleanly separated concerns across three distinct layers: the Presentation Layer,
implemented with HTML, CSS, and the Bootstrap framework to create a responsive and intuitive user interface
for both public users and staff; the Application Layer, developed in PHP to encapsulate the core business logic,
process requests, and manage the workflow for reporting, claiming, and managing items; and the Data Layer,
which utilized MySQL as the relational database management system to securely store, retrieve, and manage all
system data, including item details, user information, and claim records.
To define the system's data foundation, a detailed Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) was constructed. This
ERD outlined the key entities, such as Item, Report, Claim, Claimant, Finder, and Staff and their relationships,
establishing a normalized structure to ensure data integrity and minimize redundancy. This logical model was
then translated into a physical database schema, complete with defined data types, primary keys, and foreign
keys. Furthermore, the logical processes identified during analysis were formalized using Data Flow Diagrams
(DFDs), which included a Level 0 DFD to decompose the major system processes like "Process Report" and
"Manage Claim," and Level 1 DFDs to provide a more granular view of the data flows between these processes,
external entities, and data stores. Collectively, the three-tier architecture, ERD, and DFDs provided a
comprehensive and coherent design framework that effectively guided the subsequent implementation phase,
ensuring the final system would be robust, secure, and aligned with the initial user requirements.
Implementation
With the architectural blueprint established during the design phase, the project moved into the Implementation
stage, where the conceptual designs were translated into a fully functional web application. The development
was carried out within a standardized environment using XAMPP as the local server stack, which provided the
necessary Apache web server and MySQL database infrastructure. Visual Studio Code served as the primary
Integrated Development Environment (IDE), facilitating efficient code writing and debugging. The
implementation strictly adhered to the three-tier model: the front-end was constructed with HTML, CSS, and
Bootstrap to create a responsive and user-friendly interface for both the public portal and the staff dashboard; the
server-side logic was engineered using PHP to handle critical operations such as user authentication, form
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 776
www.rsisinternational.org
processing, and business rules; and the MySQL database was populated with tables structured according to the
physical design, enabling robust data management for items, reports, claims, and users.
The core functionalities were implemented as interconnected modules, realizing the system's key features. A
public-facing portal was developed, allowing individuals to report found items and browse a searchable gallery
of unclaimed property. Simultaneously, a secure staff dashboard was built, providing authorized personnel with
comprehensive tools to manage the entire lost-and-found lifecycle from validating and promoting public reports
to processing claims and managing storage locations. Furthermore, an automated email notification system was
integrated, which sends confirmation emails to claimants upon submission and thank-you notifications to finders
when their reported item is successfully claimed. Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements: INSERT,
UPDATE, DELETE and complex SQL queries were written and embedded within the PHP scripts to enable
dynamic interaction with the database, ensuring that all user actions on the front-end were accurately reflected in
the back-end data store. This phase successfully culminated in a working prototype that integrated all designed
modules into a cohesive and operational system, ready for rigorous testing.
Testing and Validation
A rigorous and systematic testing regime was implemented to ensure the Find-It Mall system was robust, secure,
and performed as specified. The testing strategy was bifurcated into Functional and Non-Functional testing to
comprehensively evaluate all aspects of the system.
Functional Testing was conducted to verify that all features and business logic behaved according to the
specified requirements. A series of detailed test cases were executed for each core module. For the Login
Module, tests confirmed that valid credentials granted access while invalid inputs produced appropriate error
messages, and the password reset functionality operated correctly. The Staff Management Module was validated
for creating, reading, updating, and deleting staff accounts, including email notifications for new staff members.
The Reporting Module was tested to ensure both the public and staff could successfully submit and promote item
reports, with all validations working as intended. Furthermore, tests for the Claim, Storage, and Disposal
Modules confirmed that the entire lifecycle of a lost item from being reported and stored to being claimed or
disposed of functioned seamlessly. All test cases passed, demonstrating that the system's core functionalities
were fully operational and met the defined functional requirements.
Complementing this, Non-Functional Testing assessed the system's quality attributes. Performance was
evaluated by monitoring the live-updating dashboard statistics, which confirmed the system responded promptly
to data changes. Usability testing involved task-based scenarios, where users were able to navigate the interface
and report lost items without confusion, indicating an intuitive user experience. Security was a key focus, with
tests confirming that the login system was resilient to common threats like SQL injection and provided only
generic error messages for failed attempts, thereby not exposing system vulnerabilities. These non-functional
tests collectively proved that the system was not only functional but also performant, user-friendly, and secure,
forming a solid foundation for deployment.
Table1. Black-Box Testing Results For Find-It Mall
Input Condition
Expected Output
Actual Output
Result
Correct email and
password
Redirect to staff dashboard
Redirected to staff
dashboard
PASS
Wrong email or
password
Show generic error message
Error "invalid email or
password" shown
PASS
Valid admin
credentials
Redirect to admin dashboard
Redirected to admin
dashboard
PASS
Registered email
address
Password reset link sent to
email
Reset link successfully
delivered
PASS
New staff details
(name, email, role)
Staff account created and
notification email sent
Staff added and email
notification triggered
PASS
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 777
www.rsisinternational.org
Select staff member
and delete
Staff record removed from
database
Staff data successfully
deleted from system
PASS
Modified staff phone
number
Staff information updated in
database
Staff details successfully
updated
PASS
Complete form with all
required details
Report created, user receives
confirmation email
Report created and
confirmation email
received
PASS
Submit form without
email address
System prompts user to fill
required field
"Please fill out this field"
message displayed
PASS
Staff validates and
promotes a report
Report moved to public item
gallery
Item successfully
displayed in public gallery
PASS
Staff edits report
details and assigns
storage
Report details updated with
storage location
Report successfully
modified and stored
PASS
Complete claim form
with proof of
ownership
Claim record created with
"pending" status
Claim ID generated, status
set to "pending"
PASS
Staff clicks "Approve"
on a claim
Claim status changes to
"Approved", thank-you email
sent to finder
Status updated and email
sent successfully
PASS
Staff clicks "Reject" on
a claim
Claim status changes to
"Rejected", item returns to
gallery
Status updated, item
visible in gallery again
PASS
Keyword "bag" in
claim search
Show all claims with "bag" in
item name
All relevant claims
displayed
PASS
Input new storage
location details
New storage location created in
system
Storage location
successfully added
PASS
Modify existing
storage location name
Storage name updated in
database
Storage name successfully
changed
PASS
Select storage location
and delete
Storage removed from system
Storage successfully
deleted
PASS
Click "View Items" on
storage location
Display all items in selected
storage
All items in storage shown
correctly
PASS
Staff selects disposal
method for unclaimed
item
Item status changes to
"Disposed", disposal logged
Item disposal recorded
successfully
PASS
Staff clicks "Undo" on
a disposed item
Item status reverts to previous
state
Item successfully restored
to pre-disposal state
PASS
Enter keyword
"wallet" in search field
Display all items containing
"wallet" in name/description
All relevant items
displayed correctly
PASS
Filter items by
"Unclaimed" status
Show only items with
"Unclaimed" status
Filtered results match
expected status
PASS
Keyword 'w' with
status 'pending'
Show pending reports
containing 'w'
All matching reports
displayed
PASS
Input Condition
Expected Output
Actual Output
Result
Correct email and
password
Redirect to staff dashboard
Redirected to staff
dashboard
PASS
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 778
www.rsisinternational.org
RESULT
The implementation of the Find-It Mall system resulted in a fully functional web application with distinct
interfaces for public users and administrative staff. The system successfully delivered all core functionalities
through carefully designed interfaces that facilitated seamless interaction between different user roles.
Public-Facing Interface
The public portal (Fig 3) served as the primary entry point for general users, featuring an intuitive design with
clear call-to-action buttons for "Report a Found Item" and "Search Lost Item." The interface incorporated live
statistics displaying "Total Found Items," "New Found Item," and claim statuses, providing real-time system
transparency. For item reporting, a comprehensive form (Fig 4) captured essential details including finder
information, item characteristics, discovery location, and optional image uploads. The lost item gallery (Fig 5)
enabled users to browse unclaimed items with filtering capabilities by category and search functionality, while
the claim submission form (Fig 6) facilitated ownership claims with detailed proof descriptions.
Fig. 3. Public portal page
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 779
www.rsisinternational.org
Fig. 4. Report form page
Fig. 5. Unclaimed items page
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 780
www.rsisinternational.org
Fig. 6. Claim form page
Staff Administration Interface
The staff dashboard (Fig 7) provided authorized personnel with comprehensive management capabilities,
displaying key metrics including "Pending Review," "Total Unclaimed Items," and "New Reports Today." Staff
members could manually report found items through a dedicated form (Fig 8) and manage incoming reports
through the View Reports interface (Figure 9), which included validation and promotion functionalities to
transition reports to the main inventory (Figure 10).
The View All Items page (Fig 11) offered staff complete inventory oversight with advanced search and filtering
options, while the detailed item view (Fig 12) provided comprehensive information including basic item details,
finder contact information, and complete claims history. The Manage Claims interface (Fig 13) enabled efficient
processing of ownership claims with approve/reject functionality and claimant verification features.
Fig. 7. Admin dashboard interface
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 781
www.rsisinternational.org
Fig. 8. Report form (staff) interface
Fig. 9. Lost item view page
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 782
www.rsisinternational.org
Fig. 10. Promote item page
Fig. 11. Item list page
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 783
www.rsisinternational.org
Fig. 12. Item detail page
Fig. 13. Claims management page
Operational Management Interfaces
The system included specialized interfaces for operational management, including the Item Disposal page (Fig
14) for handling unclaimed items beyond their holding period, featuring disposal logging and undo capabilities.
The Storage Management interface (Fig 15) provided complete control over physical storage locations, allowing
staff to add, modify, and monitor storage availability while tracking item counts per location.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 784
www.rsisinternational.org
Fig. 14. Item disposal page
Fig. 15. Storage management page
CONCLUSION
The development of the Find-It Mall: Lost and Found Management System successfully addresses the
long-standing inefficiencies of traditional, paper-based item recovery processes commonly used in Malaysian
shopping malls. Through a comprehensive development cycle involving requirement analysis, system design,
implementation, and testing, the project delivers a fully functional digital platform that enhances operational
efficiency, transparency, and user satisfaction.
The system replaces vulnerable logbook records with a secure, centralized MySQL database and modernizes the
item recovery workflow through web-based modules accessible to both the public and mall staff. Core features,
including the public item gallery, online claim submission, automated notifications, staff dashboard, item
disposal management, and storage tracking work together to ensure faster, more accurate, and user-friendly
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 785
www.rsisinternational.org
lost-and-found operations. The testing and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) results further validate that the
system performs reliably, meets its functional requirements, and provides a significant improvement over
manual process.
Overall, Find-It Mall demonstrates how digital transformation can elevate customer service in high-traffic retail
environments by improving communication, strengthening data integrity, and reducing administrative workload.
The system not only fulfils its original objectives but also establishes a scalable foundation for future
enhancements that can further support mall operations and enhance public trust in lost-and-found services.
Future Work
Future enhancements of the Find-It Mall system should focus on integrating context-aware technologies,
advanced analytics, and stronger privacy protection mechanisms to further improve efficiency, user confidence,
and operational scalability. One important direction involves expanding the system with proximity-sensing
solutions such as Bluetooth beacons or RFID to automate the detection and logging of found items within mall
premises. As demonstrated in recent smart retail studies, beacon-triggered interactions significantly improve
user engagement and operational responsiveness, suggesting that similar proximity-based triggers could help
streamline the item intake process, notify staff of new deposits, or guide users to collection points more
effectively [16].
In addition to proximity sensing, the system can benefit from computer-vision-driven analytics to better
understand item-loss patterns and optimize mall resources. Heatmap generation and object tracking using
models such as YOLOv5 and DeepSORT have been shown to produce actionable insights for retail
environments, enabling organizations to identify high-incidence locations and behavioural trends. Applying this
approach to lost-and-found operations would allow management to make data-informed improvements, such as
reallocating signage, improving surveillance coverage, or adjusting staff deployment in frequently affected
zones [17].
At the same time, future versions of the system should consider integrating privacy-preserving identity
verification mechanisms, especially for high-value claims that require credible ownership evidence.
Blockchain-supported decentralized identity models and selective-disclosure techniques offer a more secure
alternative to storing sensitive personal data directly. By adopting Merkle-tree-based proofs and AI-assisted
verification workflows, the system can validate ownership with minimal personal information exposure,
strengthening user trust and safeguarding against data breaches or unauthorized disclosures [18].
Finally, the platform's mobile experience should be enhanced with responsible push-notification strategies
designed to improve user responsiveness without causing notification fatigue or negative psychological effects.
Recent research highlights the importance of carefully managing smart push functions, as excessive or poorly
timed notifications can lead to stress or compulsive smartphone behaviour. Integrating user-controlled
notification preferences, context-aware timing, and relevance filters will ensure that updates, such as match
alerts, claim status changes, or new item postings enhance convenience rather than disrupt user well-being [19].
Collectively, these future improvements—ranging from proximity sensing and computer-vision analytics to
privacy-preserving verification and responsible mobile engagement will help evolve the Find-It Mall system into
a more intelligent, secure, and user-centric lost-and-found platform capable of supporting large-scale,
high-traffic environments.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to express gratitude to Fakulti Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi (FTMK), Universiti
Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) for their invaluable support and resources provided throughout this
research.
REFERENCES
1. Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Dong, J. Q., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M.
(2019). Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of Business
Research, 122, 889–901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.022
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XII December 2025
Page 786
www.rsisinternational.org
2. Plekhanov, D., Franke, H., & Netland, T. H. (2022). Digital transformation: A review and research
agenda. European Management Journal, 41(6), 821–844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2022.09.007
3. Kim, S. H., & Yang, Y. R. (2025). The Effect of Digital Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Brand
Loyalty Under Environmental Uncertainty: Evidence from the Banking Industry. Sustainability, 17(8),
3500. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083500
4. Lasagas, K. P., Daig, C. S., Pabatang, I. J. M., Sumaylo, J. M., & Caw-It, J. G. A. (2025). USTP-Panaon
lost and found Management System. MDP Student Conference, 4(1), 321–328.
https://doi.org/10.35957/mdp-sc.v4i1.11185
5. Karhapää, P., Behutiye, W., Rodríguez, P., Oivo, M., Costal, D., Franch, X., Aaramaa, S., Choraś, M.,
Partanen, J., & Abherve, A. (2021). Strategies to manage quality requirements in agile software
development: a multiple case study. Empirical Software Engineering, 26(2).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10664-020-09903-x
6. Olaghere, J. A., Inegbedion, H. E., & Osiobe, F. O. (2023). The Implications of Digitalization in Retail
Service Delivery on Circular Economy in Nigeria: an exploratory case study. Sustainability, 15(17),
13192. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713192
7. Gomes, R. N., Ford, B. S., Tabak, R. G., Brownson, R. C., Malone, S., Padek, M., Glasgow, R. E., &
Rabin, B. (2024). Usability testing of a web tool for dissemination and implementation science models.
Global Implementation Research and Applications, 4(3), 296–308.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s43477-024-00125-7
8. Goic, M., Rojas, A., & Saavedra, I. (2021). The Effectiveness of Triggered Email Marketing in
Addressing Browse Abandonments. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 55(1), 118–145.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2021.02.002
9. Roy, S. K., Singh, G., Sadeque, S., Harrigan, P., & Coussement, K. (2023). Customer engagement with
digitalized interactive platforms in retailing. Journal of Business Research, 164, 114001.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114001
10. Castro, E., David, K., De Silva, K., Roxas, L., & Macaspac, J. (2023). AUFound: Retrieval of Misplaced
Personal Belongings Through Mobile Application and Web-Based Management System Designed for
Angeles University Foundation. IEOM, 2229–2235. https://doi.org/10.46254/an12.20220383
11. Zhou, M., Fung, I., Yang, L., Wan, N., Di, K., & Wang, T. (2024). LostNet: A smart way for lost and
find. PLoS ONE, 19(10), e0310998. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310998
12. Xue, Q., Ma, H., & Sun, C. (2022). Exploratory Research on Blockchain-based Lost and Found Platform.
IEEE, 45–50. https://doi.org/10.1109/iciibms55689.2022.9971536
13. Sinha, S., Kaswan, S., Kumari, K., Kumar, A., Bisht, L., Katiyar, S., & Amita, N. (2024). A Novel
Approach to Enhance Campus Lost and Found Services through Integration of QR Code with
Personalized Item Registration. IEEE, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/tqcebt59414.2024.10545109
14. Chun, J. Y., & Noh, G. (2021). Privacy-Preserving RFID-Based search system. Electronics, 10(5), 599.
https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10050599
15. Zhang, L., Sun, J., Zhang, X., Chen, Q., & Zhang, J. (2023). Two-level QR code scheme based on region
matrix image secret sharing algorithm. Mathematical Biosciences & Engineering, 20(9), 16678–16704.
https://doi.org/10.3934/mbe.2023743
16. Đurđević, N., Labus, A., Barać, D., Radenković, M., & Despotović-Zrakić, M. (2022). An approach to
assessing shopper acceptance of beacon triggered promotions in smart retail. Sustainability, 14(6), 3256.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063256
17. Shili, M., Jayasingh, S., & Hammedi, S. (2024). Advanced Customer Behavior Tracking and Heatmap
Analysis with YOLOv5 and DeepSORT in Retail Environment. Electronics, 13(23), 4730.
https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13234730
18. Le, H. V. A., Nguyen, Q. D. N., Tadashi, N., & Tran, T. H. (2025). Blockchain-Based Decentralized
Identity Management System with AI and Merkle Trees. Computers, 14(7), 289.
https://doi.org/10.3390/computers14070289
19. He, Q., & Zeng, Z. (2024). The dark side of smartphone application’s smart push function: Exploring its
impact on fear of missing out and smartphone addiction. Communication and the Public, 9(2), 178–198.
https://doi.org/10.1177/20570473241239359