Driving Efficiency with Automation in POS and Payments
Imagine walking into a store or restaurant. The checkout lines move quickly, you find exactly what you need on the shelves, and the employees are focused on providing great service instead of juggling tedious tasks.
That’s the power of automation. From streamlining operations to reducing costs, automation is transforming how businesses handle everything from payments to inventory management. In today’s fast-paced retail world, embracing smart technology isn’t just an advantage—it’s essential for staying ahead of the competition.
Labor optimization through automation
The integration of automation technologies in POS and payments significantly reduces the dependency on manual labor, leading to streamlined operations. A well-known fast-food chain is using artificial intelligence in its 43,000 locations worldwide. This aims to speed up service and improve experience for customers and employees.
This includes AI-enabled drive-throughs and management tools designed to ensure order accuracy and predict equipment issues. Such advancements aim to alleviate employee stress and boost customer satisfaction (The Sun).
Similarly, another well-known fast-food restaurant chain introduced "FreshAI" to its drive-through services, aiming to reduce wait times by 22 seconds while maintaining high customer satisfaction. Almost 100 restaurants in 17 states now use this AI system. It has 99% order accuracy and supports multiple languages.
Importantly, the business emphasizes that this technology serves as an assistant, not a replacement, for human employees, allowing staff to focus more on customer service. (Wendy’s).
Inventory management and demand forecasting
Automation plays a crucial role in anticipating stock demand, thereby reducing waste and ensuring product availability. Large companies have significantly increased their use of robotics in warehouses to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
A major company has deployed over 750,000 mobile robots and tens of thousands of robotic arms. This has led to a 25% reduction in order fulfillment costs. They expect to save $10 billion each year by 2030 (Business Insider).
Automated systems contribute to robust loss prevention measures by monitoring transactions and inventory in real-time. For example, micro markets—automated self-checkout retail environments—have been shown to increase location sales compared to traditional vending machines.
ScanSource: Leading the charge in POS and payments automation solutions
ScanSource is leading the automation revolution, providing a range of unique services in the POS and payments sector. ScanSource helps retailers and restaurants by offering custom solutions from best-in-class suppliers. This makes it easy for businesses to use retail technology. Key differentiators include:
Expert Support Teams: ScanSource boasts specialized support teams, including account managers, business development representatives, and technical engineers, who possess deep product knowledge and process expertise.
Payments Expertise and Deal Engineering: With extensive experience in payments and deal structuring, ScanSource provides device lifecycle management programs and maintains agnostic yet expansive partnerships, ensuring tailored solutions for diverse business needs.
POS Subject Matter Experts: Our company employs specialists in every aspect of POS solutions, ensuring comprehensive support and guidance.
Robust Infrastructure: ScanSource's infrastructure includes well-stocked warehouses, configuration centers, and multiple Key Injection Facilities (KIF), enabling efficient and customized deployments.
Comprehensive Partner Support: Through additional layers such as Channel Exchange, Advantix and Intelisys, ScanSource supports partners in assembling complete solutions for end users.
Advanced Deployment Capabilities: With three Key Injection Facilities, reverse logistics programs, technical experts, relationships with major payment providers, rapid shipping for large orders, custom deployment options, and the ability to pre-configure device bundles, ScanSource enhances the out-of-the-box experience for clients.
By leveraging these strengths, ScanSource empowers businesses to seamlessly integrate automation into our POS and payments operations, driving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing overall performance. With the right retail technology solutions, retailers and restaurants can achieve greater profitability, operational ease, and customer satisfaction.