What Can Your POS System Do For You?

Oftentimes, it's easy to overlook the benefits of new POS hardware and software if the existing system is working adequately. Why spend the money, right? This is usually the response of someone who doesn't know just how beneficial a new POS system can be. If proof is needed, look no further than the case of Russell's Convenience stores. Ray Huff, president of Russell's parent company HJB Convenience, tells a story that proves how valuable a POS system can be.

According to Huff, every Russell's location was using 10-year-old hardware (386- and 486-based processors predating the Intel Pentium chipset) that was reaching end of life. In addition, the software running on the POS terminals was no longer supported. In fact, the company that originally made the software no longer existed. Therefore, Huff began searching for a new POS system that would give his chain a new 10-year horizon.

While attending the NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) trade show in 2006, on a mission to find a new POS solution for his 28 stores, Huff was introduced to Wincor Nixdorf and its line card of POS hardware and software. While finding new POS hardware was a concern, Huff also wanted POS software that could integrate with Russell's existing Tenderfoot back office software. Tenderfoot acts as a conduit between the c-store's POS terminals and accounting system.

Partner With Your Vendors For Best Results
In addition to POS hardware and software, Huff says he was looking for a partnership. "One of the things that sold us on Wincor was that they came to our offices after the NACS show and discussed their capabilities," he says. "Sure, other companies followed up, but by phone and mail." The personal touch, ability to offer both hardware and software, and a Wincor guarantee on the ability of its NAMOS POS software to integrate with Russell's existing Tenderfoot software won Russell's business.

For its solution, Russell's selected the Windows-based Wincor Nixdorf BEETLE iPOS terminal running Wincor Nixdorf NAMOS POS software. The hardware is supported for seven years, providing Huff with the extended life of equipment he desired.

Following a three-month testing period, Russell's and Wincor were able to deliver an initial, full-store implementation in a span of one week. "For our test pilot, we used our highest volume store in the Denver Quest building," says Huff. "The goal was to get error-free back office integration working within eight weeks. The pilot was so error-free, we approved the full rollout to all our stores only half way through the evaluation period." Wincor performed the initial installation and then supervised Russell's on the full rollout. Russell's completed the remaining installations itself. Huff estimates that the installation of POS hardware and back office integration took 3 hours per store.

Decrease Transaction Time With A New POS System
According to Huff, Russell's experienced a significant return immediately following the installation of the new POS system. "After implementation, we realized that POS transaction time improved by nearly 40 percent, which, in our retail landscape [where there's a mass of people during peak periods], is a significant improvement over our old system," says Huff. "Also, by integrating our Tenderfoot back office solution with the NAMOS software, our closing process immediately ran faster, saving nearly a half hour per day, per store, per employee." Additionally, by integrating the c-store's Tenderfoot back office suite, Russell's now has access to real-time POS data that management uses to make critical business decisions throughout the entire network of stores.

For More Information On Wincor Nixdorf
Go To www.wincor-nixdorf.com