Installation of Fujitsu U-Scan Systems Helps Canadian Retailer Address Regional Labor Shortages

Calgary Co-operative Association Limited (Calgary Co-op) has completed a chain-wide rollout of self-checkout that has enhanced customer service and shopper satisfaction.

The project, completed in early April by StoreNext dealer AM/PM Service, integrates Fujitsu U- Scan self-checkout systems with StoreNext’s ISS45 point-of-sale systems. With unemployment in the Calgary metropolitan area averaging just 3.2 percent over the past 10 years, the shortage of retail service personnel contributed to the project’s importance.

“Our stores are seeing an increasing number of customers using the self-checkout lanes,” said Donna Burn, vice president of member and public relations for Calgary Co-op. “This has taken pressure off of our staffed checkout lanes during a time when Calgary is experiencing continuing labor shortages.”

Research from Statistics Canada indicates that the retail sector will need to add 25,000 jobs over the next 10 years, an increase of 35 percent from 2007 figures.

The successful pilot installation in April 2007 led to an all-enterprise retrofit schedule, installing U-Scan in additional retail centers at approximately one-week intervals. In each store, Calgary Co-op replaced one or two of its up-to-21 standard checkout lanes with four U-Scan self-checkout units. After a pause for the holiday shopping season the rollout continued in January 2008 to the remaining retail centers, until 88 self-checkout units overall were operating in the Co-op’s 22 food centers.

All of Calgary Co-op stores also use StoreNext’s ISS45 point-of-sale (POS) software system. StoreNext’s ISS45 transaction processing architecture is designed for the extreme performance requirements of today’s challenging supermarket business, in addition to many important time-saving and shopper-service features.

U-Scan is Fujitsu’s family of self-checkout systems, featuring a space-saving footprint and an intuitive shopper interface that speeds customers through the self-checkout process.

AM/PM Service has provided POS systems, software and support to Calgary Co-op for more than 12 years and is one of Canada’s largest point-of-sale and service companies.

About Calgary Co-operative Association Limited
Locally owned and operated, Calgary Co-op is one of the largest retail co-operatives in North America, with more than 425,000 members, 4,000 employees, $352 million in assets and annual sales of $998 million. Calgary Co-op has 22 retail shopping centers, 22 pharmacies, 26 gas bars, nine travel offices and 15 liquor stores located in Calgary, Airdrie, Strathmore and Okotoks, Alberta. For more information, please visit www.calgarycoop.com.

To read this entire article, please visit here.

The following List of Validated Payment Applications have been assessed for compliance with the Payment Application Best Practices (“PABP”).

Point of Sale software
POSitouch (RDC) v. 5.3 / v.5.29
SMS (Locsoftware) v. 3.1.0.3
Squirrel (Squirrel) v. 1.43.05155
StorePoint (Retalix)

Middleware (debit/credit interfaces)
Merchant Connect Multi (Tender Retail) v. 3.3.1

Hardware Controllers (pay @ pump)
Allied Next Gen N50

The information provided herein is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and/or non-infringement.

Study results reflecting increase over last year are symbolic of what lies ahead.

A growing legion of North American consumers use self-service in their everyday lives, and the latest research from NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) shows an increasing percentage of individuals actually favor businesses that offer “do-it-myself” options.

Survey reveals that 86 percent of U.S. and Canadian consumers say they are more likely to do business with a company that offers the flexibility to interact using self-service – whether via the Internet, on a mobile device or at a kiosk or ATM. That’s an increase of 11 percent over those who gave the same response in last year’s study. Moreover, 56 percent say their likelihood to use self-service has increased over the past year.

In addition to being more likely to do business with enterprises offering self-service, 66 percent of the survey respondents say the availability of self-service technologies creates a more positive perception of the deployer’s brand.

Speed, convenience and ease of use are identified most frequently by respondents when asked why they would choose self-service over personal assistance in each of four industry sectors:
• financial (faster–70 percent, more convenient–67 percent, easier–52 percent);
• retail (faster–68 percent, more convenient–64 percent, easier–52 percent);
• travel (faster–63 percent, more convenient–61 percent, easier–60 percent); and
• healthcare (faster–53 percent, more convenient–50 percent, easier–47 percent).

Please visit NCR Center news releases for the full article.

Squirrel Systems is pleased to announce the appointment of AM/PM Services, St-Laurent, QC as the new Authorized Squirrel Reseller in the province of Quebec. David Forand, General Manager of AM/PM Service states, “We are very excited about expanding our presence in the hospitality industry in Quebec with a proven software product like the Squirrel Restaurant Management System. There are already many well-known, satisfied end customers in Quebec who use SquirrelOne, Squirrel’s latest Microsoft-based solution. We plan to target professionally managed single and multi-unit restaurant and hotel companies in Quebec.”

Bob Mackett, President, Squirrel Systems added, “Squirrel feels truly fortunate to partner with a business organization like AM/PM Service in Quebec with the reputation and resources to provide superior customer service. We look forward to enhancing our profile in the Quebec market with a local company that has the expertise and experience to substantially grow our share of the Quebec hospitality market. We have a significant customer base in Quebec who will value and appreciate the benefits of a local professional sales and service organization.”

Squirrel Systems is a leading total solutions provider of point of sale and management systems for independent and chain establishments, including restaurants and food and beverage operations in hotels, resorts and clubs. Headquartered in Vancouver, Squirrel Systems and Squirrel Systems Canada are privately held companies. In its 20 years of profitable operation, Squirrel has earned a reputation for innovation and excellence by meeting and exceeding the needs of more than 10,000 customers with 50,000 installed Squirrel workstations. As the first company to introduce touch-screen ordering into the restaurant market, it has a long track record as an innovator.

Squirrel Press Release

IT World Canada

With a trial in Kitchener-Waterloo making progress, executives say the rest of Canada is sure to follow

By: Rafael Ruffolo – ComputerWorld Canada (16 Apr 2008)

Members of the payment card industry – including Interac Association, MasterCard Canada Inc., Visa Canada, and virtually every major Canadian bank – announced Tuesday positive preliminary results for the industry-wide chip and PIN trial in Southern Ontario.

The new verification technology, which is being rolled out in Kitchener-Waterloo by banks like TD Canada Trust and Royal Bank of Canada, will equip all credit cards with a chip and PIN number. When a customer wishes to pay for goods they can place the card into a “PIN pad” terminal and verify payment by entering the PIN. This will replace the traditional need for signature verification and would also require customers to hang on to their cards at all times – as opposed to today’s practice in certain environments such as restaurants, where their cards are often swiped out of sight.

“From a liability shift perspective, if a chip-enabled card is used at a chip-enabled terminal, the issuer will still be responsible for the fraud,” Black (Tracey Black, program director at the Kitchener-Waterloo Industry Chip Trial) said, “But if the chip-enabled card is used at a terminal that has not been upgraded for chip, then the fraud becomes the responsibility of that merchant. As long as the merchant upgrades to chip, they have no liability for any transactions that occur at a point-of-sale terminal with chip-enabled PIN cards.”

Go to ITworldcanada.com to read the full text of this article.

PCI compatible / PCI isolated POS software provided by AM/PM:

PCI Isolated
StoreNext ISS45 v 7 – 7110-070
StoreNext ISS45 v8 – 8101-050

Payment Application Best Practises (”PABP”) compliant:

Positouch v. 5.29 and 5.3x

SMS v. 3.1.0.3

Retalix Fuel 1012, 1014, 1016, 1017

StorePoint POS 7001.2300, 7002.1500, 227.2400, 225.2100
StorePoint Back Office 7001.2300, 7002.1500, 1017.1000, 1015.1600

PCI compatible Payment processing middleware versions:

Tender Retail Merchant Connect Multi (MCM) for Windows 3.3.1
(interfaced with POSitouch, SMS, PennyLane, ISS45)

AJB Software FiPay 2.0, 2.2, 4.0
AJB Software Fi Pay Pin 2.0
(interfaced with ISS45 and StorePoint)

The Coffee Association of Canada reports:
- Canadians drink over 15 billion cups of coffee per year
- 67% of adult Canadians drink coffee every day
- The average coffee drinker consumes 3 cups per day
- 52% of all coffee is consumed before lunch
- 65% of the coffee consumed in the workplace is bought outside of the office and brought there

The top 3 variables influencing a coffee purchase are:
1. Brand (40%)
2. Quality (30%)
3. Price (25%)

According to stats Canada:
The foodservice industry accounts for more than 60% of the total coffee & tea sales in a $1.3 billion Canadian coffee & tea market.

Scholten’s, a regional fuel and convenience store business with head office located in Fredericton, N.B. with locations throughout New Brunswick, Scholten’s have awarded AM/PM Service a contract to install new POS systems. Currently Scholten’s operates 13+sites, located in New Brunswick.

AM/PM Service Ltd. will provide the SMS Point of Sale system with Fuel Pump control and NCR and IBM hardware components. Scholten’s will also be using SMS Head Office and IP based integrated Debit and Credit.

Rollout has begun, with complete installation of all stores expected in 2008.

2007 Readers’ Choice Awards

Calgary Co-op awarded the Gold Winner in the 2007 Calgary Herald Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Grocery Store (7th year!), Best Deli, Best Car Wash and Best Liquor Store, and secondary winners in the categories of Bakery, Drug Store, Wine Store and Travel Agency!

Click here to visit the Calgary Co-op news room.

Follow these basic rules to effectively manage remote access for your merchants:

1. Limit the number of people who can access the system remotely. Only allow and provide remote access to those who have a strong business need. This typically includes the POS system vendor/reseller for remote service. Owners, management and administrators of the merchant location may also require remote access.

2. Do not share remote access credentials. Ensure that each user with remote access has unique credentials.

3. Disable remote access user accounts when no longer needed. Keep track of all the users to be sure that remote access is still necessary.

4. Utilize two-factor authentication whenever possible. Using two factors as opposed to one delivers a higher level of authentication assurance.

5. Never leave remote access software on and “listening” for incoming connections. It is always best to select a remote access package that requires a user at the merchant site to start or log on to initiate a remote access session.

To find more resources and information about Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards on Mercury’s web site, click here.

Copyright – Mercury Payments Systems
The Mercury Messanger January 2008
http://www.mercurypay.com/go/messenger0108/remote_access.html