Ahead of the pack - retail-systems.comand WinPoS, its EPoS system. WinRMIS and WinPoS are able to...
Transcript of Ahead of the pack - retail-systems.comand WinPoS, its EPoS system. WinRMIS and WinPoS are able to...
retail solutions show supplement l technology round-up
April - May 2007 43
To stay ahead of the game,
retailers need to make sure they
are making best use of the
technology on offer. The last 12 months
have seen the online channel come into
its own, overtaking High Street sales in
terms of profit for many
retailers. The solutions on display at
Retail Solutions should enable them to
keep their business moving forward in
this constantly shifting market.
Aldata will be
looking at the future
of the supply chain at
this year’s show as
retailers start to
take an ethical stance
on sourcing, packaging,
transport, storage,
inventory management
and wastage. An
ethical supply chain demands
visibility and real-time access
to data, which Aldata’s range
of store replenishment
solutions are designed to
help with.
K3 will be demonstrating three
new products alongside its established suite
of integrated retail solutions. K3 OrderPad delivers all
the features familiar to users of K3’s Customer Ordering PoS,
with the convenience of a handheld tablet PC. OrderPad includes
postcode lookup for delivery address capture, options
management and the ability to annotate working drawings for
New and innovative technology is used by a variety of retailers to drive sales
in an increasingly competitive market. Duncan Jefferies takes a
look at the latest products on offer at this
year’s Retail Solutions show
Ahead of the pack
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44 April - May 2007
those operating in
a more bespoke
environment. K3’s
DynamicsFM property
and facilities manage-
ment solution enables
retailers to approach the
management of their
company’s property
portfolio from the same
application that they use
to manage the rest of their
business. K3’s Business
Intelligence tool will also be
demonstrated on the stand.
Freeway Commerce, a
specialist in EDI and
ecommerce integration, will
be showing the latest
version of its ecommerce
solution, Spectrum Enterprise.
Spectrum Enterprise offers
the benefits of EDI and web
trading in a single solution,
enabling retailers to trade
electronically with their entire
supplier chain – with batch data
transfer for larger trading
partners and web-based ordering
and invoicing for smaller ones.
Eurostop will be demonstrating
its new ecommerce solution, which
is fully integrated with Eurostop’s
WinRMIS retail management system
and WinPoS, its EPoS system.
WinRMIS and WinPoS are able to
process sales and stock information
in real time, enabling retailers to see a
true representation of their business. As sales are taken at the tills
or online via a website, the information is sent immediately to head
office via the ADSL link where the sales data is processed and new
stock totals calculated.
Zetes, a pan-European systems integrator for Auto-ID solutions,
will be unveiling its voice recognition solution Zetes 3i Voice, which
supports activities in warehouse and distribution centres. Zetes will
also be exhibiting Nucleus IS In Store which allows retailers to perform
a variety of mobile data capture functions with the aim of improving
staff productivity and the quality of in-store data, such as price,
markdowns, ticketing, returns, etc; and Nucleus IS Stock Audit, a
data capture solution for retailers which aims to improve stock
accuracy and identification of stock losses.
AquiTec will be launching SCM Warehouse, a web-based and
platform independent Warehouse Management System. SCM
Warehouse is designed to help organisations manage complex
distribution operations and improve inventory management by
providing end-to-end visibility in the supply chain. The system
supports paper, RF and
voice-driven logistics operations.
Features include: cross-docking, pick-by-line,
short cycle ordering and labour planning functionality all
within a real-time capability.
Tandberg supply visual communications (VC) solutions that aim
to enable retailers to accelerate their decision-making process and
time to market by holding meetings via videoconferencing. At the
event, Tandberg will be demonstrating the following solutions: High
Definition Videoconferencing, allowing retailers to make decisions
about product and design, viewing the colour, size and texture of
merchandise and cloth samples in more detail; Fieldview Camera, a
high-resolution mobile video system that enables remote workers
to visually collaborate and troubleshoot field issues with
centrally-located experts; Content Server, designed for training
purposes and delivering information instantly to multiple stores;
and Movi, a mobile video solution which allows retailers to video
enable anyone within their organisation and enter them into a video
conference from their PC.
Copia will be launching their new PoS-based performance
support tool and demonstrating a range of technology-based
training solutions designed for the retail environment. Copia have
been developing e-learning programmes for the retail industry
for over five years. The new tool builds on their EPoS
solution for B&Q which won the “Best Use of Technology for
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April - May 2007 47
Employee Development” award at Retail Solutions 2006.
Star Micronics, a PoS printer manufacturer, will be
exhibiting its portfolio of receipt, label, barcode, ticket and
kiosk printers as well as visual card systems. Star has enhanced the
versatility of its futurePRNT thermal receipt
printer by developing an entry-level
powered USB printer. Star is also
showing the second generation
of its TSP700 PoS printer, the
TSP700II, which combines
high speed with
superior functionality.
PCMS Group will
be demonstrating
SmartStore, their
new retail software
suite and a develop-
ment of their BeanStore
product, and its anti-
fraud, loss prevention and
data mining capabilities.
NCR will be unveiling the next
generation of the NCR RealPOS DynaKey PoS
operator interface, which includes the integration of
biometrics for secure staff log in. NCR will be showcasing the
NCR RealPOS 80XRT using Intel vPro technology and the NCR
EasyPoint Advantage, an ultra-compact self-service kiosk
which supports picture quality video and multimedia.
Pacific Retail Systems will be demonstrating the latest
features of its StoreTrader software, including a
web-based version of StoreTrader; further support options for
managing chip and PIN transactions other than via StoreTrader’s
own unique built-in option; support of mobile phone offer
‘coupons’ and other promotions; and instant card payment
processing on handhelds with StoreTrader running on a combined
mobile PoS/Payment system.
BT is extending its retail portfolio with the launch of a solution
designed specifically for food retailers at the show. All of BT’s
other retail solutions will also be on display including its loss
prevention technology which uses networked IP CCTV
surveillance, sales analytics and tagging to help reduce theft and
shrinkage. Visitors to the stand can also take BT’s multi-channel
fitness test to see how they’re faring in today’s customer-centric
shopping environment.
Sony will demonstrate its DEPA (Distributed Enhanced Processing
Architecture) supported range of security solutions; the
Sony Ziris family of digital signage technology
that allows users to prepare, schedule and
distribute customised content to
public displays; and the Sony
Snaplab digital photofinishing
and Photo-ID systems.
Axis Communications will
be showcasing a number of
new network video-based
retail solutions. Axis has
worked with several
suppliers in the retail
segment to build
network video into
retail solutions such as
PoS analysis. Axis will
also be demonstrating
its people counting
solution for collecting data
about customer movements
in shops. The solution running
on the network is based on images
captured by a camera. The gathered
data is available as real time information or
as historic data.
Metastorm is a supplier of business process management (BPM)
software and best practice methodologies for human and system-
based processes. The Metastorm BPM Suite supports the complete
process lifecycle and aims to address complex processes that are
unique to organisations. At the show, Metastorm will demonstrate
how it has helped retailers improve critical processes such as
manufacturer collaboration, purchasing, store-level information
sharing, new store opening, and other core functions.
TXT e-solutions is unveiling business intelligence and reporting
modules, marketed as TXT Drive Analytics, which will be integrated to
its range of demand forecasting and replenishment software. Based
on the latest business intelligence developments, it aims to
help retailers stay ahead of seasonal fluctuations through an
analytical engine. In addition to improved analytical and reporting
capabilities, 0advancements have been made in the area of promotion
planning software.
VCS Timeless will be unveiling the latest version of its rsupply chain
optimisation and decision-support solution, Colombus next, which has
been developed on Windows Vista, Microsoft Office 2007, .net 2.0 and
3.0 and a service oriented architecture. The solution combines
purchasing, sales and logistics best practices into a single software
application. Colombus next also allows retailers to define buying
budgets, build store, assortment and product plans, calculate
accurate forecasts and optimise inventory and replenishment across
the entire supply chain, calculating ideal stock levels for the store and
distribution centre.
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