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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