T UCH J2 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2015
IT NEWS BUSINESS
A tasty option for Subway速 Tablets Enhancing customer interaction Processors A closer look at a computers brain
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J2RETAILSYSTEMS.COM.AU
New products Integration tray keeping the POS neat
WELCOME Summer is here and a new year has begun. We hope you have a great year and make the most of opportunities that come your way. From a J2 perspective we are very confident about 2015 after a stella year in 2014. One of the key focusses for J2 in 2014 was customer service in a time of great sales growth. This focus continues into 2015. We have successfully been able to match our resources to support requirements and are fortunate that we offer a very reliable range of solutions which reduces the need for our post sales input. We have welcomed two new staff members to help bolster our support to customers which, no doubt, will assist us in meeting our service targets. The ever changing technology landscape keeps our team of design engineers busy on a full time basis and this year we will see some further refinements in existing products and some new ones. The economic challenges are once again upon us but as a business J2 has performed exceptionally well in the face of adversity which is largely testament to the quality of the products we offer and our service. Our growth in the Australian market has led us to be amongst the highest selling POS terminal companies in the market. Our emphasis is on service and maintaining the high quality and reliability of our products and our promise to you is this will continue in 2015. We wish you all the best for 2015. Yours sincerely, Phillip Wild General Manager
NEWS J2 WELCOMES NEW STAFF The J2 family in our Australian office has grown with two new recruits. Thi Phan has come onboard to assist with technical support. Thi comes to J2 after gaining experience working as an IT support assistant for a retailer. Our administration resources have been bolstered with Narelle Adams joining J2. Narelle will be assisting with general administration duties and accounts. We welcome Thi and Narelle who have both settled into their new roles well and are working to assist our customers.
ON THE ROAD WITH SUBWAY J2 Retail Systems Australian General Manager, Phil Wild, was invited to participate in food giants, Subway, roadshow around Australia. Held in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, J2 was able to talk directly to Subway customers about J2 touch terminals suitable for their needs. The J2 680 terminal was recently added to the Subway list of suitable POS hardware solutions.
J2 GROWS SALES IN 2014 BY 55% 2014 was a bumper year for J2 Retail Systems in Australia with sales up by 55% on 2014 figures. “This strong performance is testament to the quality of the product we sell, our strong partner network and our uncomplicated business structure that allows us to service our customers effectively�, said J2 General Manager Phil Wild.
Since establishing J2 in Australia there has been a steady climb in sales as word has spread about the quality of the J2 products. The growth in sales also shows strong signs that Retail POS market in Australia is still buoyant which is hoped to continue into 2015.
J2RETAILSYSTEMS.COM.AU
SUMMER 2015
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
J2 Integration Tray Keeping your POS installation neat and tidy is a struggle for most but what if there was a solution that could assist in keeping your POS hardware neat and compact? After many customer requests, J2 have answered the call with an integration tray. The J2 Integration Tray is a rugged metal tray that is installed on top of a cash drawer. It provides a stable platform for placing touch terminals and receipt printers on top. All POS hardware can be arranged freely on the tray to suit installation requirements. The challenge of managing the familiar birds nest of cables is taken care of with all cabling ducted through access holes at the rear of the tray. The tray extends a little further from the rear of the cash drawer to provide a cavity for housing cables as well as a clean visual look as all cables are concealed within the tray. Installation of the tray is a simple tool-less design that can be setup in minutes. Built to last and efficient in its design and application, the J2 Integration Tray is the perfect solution for counter tops that may be tight on space. For more information contact J2 Retail Systems.
PCT touchscreen for J2 225 The compact and versatile J2 225 has just been enhanced with Projective Capacitive Touch (PCT) screens as standard. PCT touchscreen provides an accurate touch experience with exceptional reliability and longevity. This added feature will ship with all new J2 225 orders moving forward. The J2 225 was a break through product for J2 in that it featured a unique articulating stand that meant the terminal face could be positioned anywhere from flat to upright as well as the terminal able to be pole mounted thanks to the J2 all-in-head design. For further information on the J2 255 contact J2 Retail Systems.
Enhancing customer interaction with tablets. It can be said that retail technology is not the fastest pace industry. Maybe it is because the solutions adopted are already very practical and sufficiently meet needs.
As the world changes and the pressures on retailers to provide a tangible difference to stay competitive increase, retailers are seeking new ways to interact with customers. That search has led to mobile computing and in particular the use of tablets. Tablets have been on the technology scene for many years with the Apple iPad being the first mainstream tablet that revolutionised society. When applied to enterprise applications the iPad fell a little short so other manufacturers began to develop tablets more suited to day to day business use. As the technology became part of society, retailers began to explore how a tablet can assist them in enhancing their customer interaction. The main driver of adopting tablets was seen to improve customer interaction and experience. A tablet offers a mobile device that provides ample screen real estate to allow for greater interaction with customers. As they are touch enabled they are easy to use and therefore can be used by both staff and customers.
Tablets are being used in a number of ways in retail environments so let’s take a closer look. Tablets are a great way to keep staff interacting with customers. Using a tablet can assist a customer all the way from providing product assistance to processing the payment for goods they are purchasing. Keeping the store staff with the customer is a proven way to increase the probability of a sale but also provides a personalised service that is appreciated by most. In environments where products may be bulky and difficult to have on display, tablets can be used to show customers images or other product information. It also provides staff with quick access to information to provide more valuable advice. As tablets are easy to use, some retailers are using tablets as a customer selfservice device. Customers can browse product information, store information, view product availability and more. Imagine a furniture store allowing customers to see what their furniture might look like in different interior decors? A tablet provides a quick self-serve device
to share such imagery. Tablets can be used as a mobile checkout. They can make a great queue busting solution by allowing shop staff to mobilise to areas where there is a back log of sales processing. As the screen size on a tablet is more sufficient than traditional mobile computing devices you can have a virtual POS solution running on the device that is quick and easy to use and from a customer’s perspective, they enjoy being attended to promptly. Hospitality environments can also greatly benefit from the use of tablets. You may have visited restaurants that have used small mobile computers to take orders and watched them struggle around the tiny interface. Tablets can replicate the POS solution more accurately providing a more intuitive user experience and therefore quicker order processing. The costs associated in adding a tablet to traditional POS installations is minimal but the value is great when you consider the versatility of tablets and the breadth of solutions they can provide. If tablets are on your agenda then talk to the team at J2 Retail Systems.
J2RETAILSYSTEMS.COM.AU
SUMMER 2015
A Tasty New Option for Subway速 Stores The J2 POS 680 Established in 1965, Subway速 is renowned worldwide for tasty Subs, and when it comes to selecting the right POS hardware for their stores around the world they do not take the decision lightly. With the first Subway store in Australia opening in Perth in June 1988, the Australian Subway network has expanded to be the largest market outside of its home country, the United States.
The Subway franchise model has been very successful in Australia with an extensive network established underpinned by solid business processes. The POS system is considered to be a critical part of the Subway business and in order to maintain consistency of service, a strict criteria and evaluation process has been developed to evaluate suitable POS hardware appropriate for the Subway business. The end result of this evaluation is the inclusion of the J2 680 hardware solution in the Subway preferred supplier list for POS terminals.
The challenge Subway restaurants experience very busy periods of trading. The POS solution must be able to keep up with the fast paced environment and work reliably for long periods. A failure of the POS system will be a big challenge for the restaurant so reliability is a critical item of interest when Subway evaluates POS hardware. In the event of a POS hardware failure, the serviceability of the unit is critical. Not only must POS hardware be able to be serviced easily but after sales support for stores is imperative. The size of Subway restaurants vary but counter space is always a premium so POS hardware must offer a small footprint. Performance of POS terminals must be high to cope with the high volume of sales and also be able to handle any future developments in POS software.
J2RETAILSYSTEMS.COM.AU
SUMMER 2015
With all criteria from the Subway Franchisor being met, the J2 680 integrated touch terminal has been included as a POS hardware option for Subway restaurants in Australia and New Zealand. The J2 solution The Subway brand does not take the process of selecting POS hardware lightly and after an extensive review the J2 680 integrated touch terminal was included as one of three POS solutions available for use in Subway stores in Australia. The small footprint the J2 680 offers allows it to be easily implemented into the small space provided in some restaurants. A 2-line by 20 character customer display is also mounted to the back of the terminal creating a neat solution. With its quad core processor, the J2 680 provides high processing power for Subway restaurants that predominantly operate using one POS terminal. The J2 680 offers easy access to internal components for simple maintenance. When coupled with the remote management capabilities inherent in the J2 680, a simple to service solution is offered.
A J2 680 option for the Subway brand With all criteria from the Subway Franchisor being met, the J2 680 integrated touch terminal has been included as a POS hardware option for Subway restaurants in Australia and New Zealand. Subway restaurants are able to order a specific Subway configuration directly with J2 Retail Systems with terminals delivered ready to go direct to the store. The future is looking bright for J2 Retail Systems and the Subway brand. Top Most Subway stores operate effectively with one terminal thanks to their streamlined processes. Bottom left The compact design of the J2 680 allows for more merchandising space. Bottom right Sales can be processed via the touch interface and a keyboard added for administrative tasks.
J2RETAILSYSTEMS.COM.AU
SUMMER 2015
EDUCATION
What’s the fuss about processors? Without doubt the most important component of a computer is its processor. This is probably why the first questions asked by most computer purchasers is around the processor specification.
The processor or more correctly termed CPU (Central Processing Unit), is the brain behind the operation of a computer. These amazing pieces of electronic wizardry are what make a computer work. Software tells the CPU what to do and the CPU then makes it happen by performing a series of functions including arithmetic and logic calculations as well as input and output operations. Processor function has changed little over the years but their form has with modern solutions all considered to be microprocessors that feature a single integrated circuit. Modern processors feature multiple layers providing great enhancements in performance. Advances in processor technology and their capability to do more at a faster pace have helped drive the advancements in software. Without doubt, gaming developers have exploited every capability of available processors. In the enterprise space the
need for super high powered processors is not as great but as software has developed the demands on processors has increased. You’ll often find that POS solutions may not feature the latest and greatest processors. The highest performing processors are generally considered to be overkill for many enterprise applications as the software does not demand high specification processors. Of course the latest and greatest comes at an inflated price which drives up the costs of manufacturing and prices to the end users so the cost vs value argument is not strong for most POS applications. The consequence of high performing processors is heat. When installed in compact POS terminals the results can be disastrous with premature processor failure due to excessive heat. POS terminals are designed to utilise processors that are fit for purpose as well as be supportable over the usable life of the POS terminal. The advent of mobile computing and
more slimline laptops and consumer based desktop PC’s has driven vast developments in mobile processor technology that the POS industry can also benefit from. The latest processor to be installed into J2 terminals is Intel’s J1900. These processors will be installed in soon to be released J2 terminals and offer an enhanced solution. The Intel J1900 processor offers the same performance as the original dual core, desktop PC based processor seen in the J2 650 but have some added benefits. These processors produce less heat so therefore can be operated without a fan providing silent PC operation and will also assist in reliability due to the reduced heat produced. Traditionally J2 has sought to utilise desktop PC based processors where feasible as they provide greater performance but the newer generation of mobile/laptop processors are proving to be very effective for most POS applications.
All J2 supplied terminals feature processors that can be supported for many years meaning that in the event of a failure, the exact component can be replaced without compromising the reliability of the terminal. The technology race in processor technology appears to be endless which is beneficial to consumers but it is important to think about the processor requirements for your application. If your POS software does not require the latest and greatest processor to keep it running effectively then save your money and choose a lesser performing processor to still get excellent levels of performance. J2 offer a wide range of processors in terminals allowing you to select the best value solution for your exact requirements. If in doubt as to what processor you should use then give the team at J2 a call and they will be able to assist.
J2RETAILSYSTEMS.COM.AU
SUMMER 2015
Phone: (02) 9584 5222 Email: info@j2retailsystems.com.au
J2RETAILSYSTEMS.COM.AU
Every care has been taken in compiling the contacts of this newsletter, but we assume no responsibility for the effects arising therefrom. J2 Retail Systems do not accept any responsibility arising in any way (including negligence) for errors in, or omissions from, the information provided in TOUCH newsletter. All information was correct at the time of print.