Review: Wincor World 2009

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At this year’s Wincor World, held in Paderborn this January, Wincor Nixdorf presented a wide range of products and services, demonstrating how the IT solutions provider can reliably and competently support banks and retailers in their business and strengthen its own competitiveness.“More than ever, our customers’ business is being shaped by intense competition, rationalisation, globalisation and standardisation,” said Wincor Nixdorf CEO Eckard Heidloffat the start of the three day customer exhibition and conference.

In the first quarter, sales at Wincor Nixdorf rose by 7% and EBITA by 8%, compared to the same period a year ago. The focus of this year’s event was on cash management, sales automation and marketing processes, as well as managed services, outsourcing andcheckout automation.
 
Wincor Nixdorf has expanded its software suite for banks with new mobile-phone enabled solutions, as well as with software solutions to intensify customer contact through self-service systems, using ATMs as a sales channel. The new software product PC/E Value-Added Services enables attractive value added services at self-service terminals such as selling tickets, booking trips and loading mobile phone pre-pay cards.
 
For retail companies, Wincor Nixdorf presented a complementary software portfolio. A new module from the TP Application Suite, which is now running on more than 80,000 systems worldwide, enhances customer loyalty in stores. TP Loyalty software supports the implementation of individual bonus programmes and simplifies the administration of customer cards and accounts. At the start of Wincor World, Shell announced plans to equip service stations on different continents with Namos software, which Wincor has developed specifically for service stations.
 
The company’s comprehensive offer of automated checkout solutions has also been enhanced with additional options. Maximum customer acceptance, user-friendliness, and a refined consulting and rollout concept have been the focus of Wincor Nixdorf ’s expansion to its checkout automation portfolio. What they have on offer now covers various checkout scenarios, such as the express checkout for a limited number of purchases, self-service terminals for full shopping trolleys, mobile scanning and options for separated scanning and payment processes. Differences in payment behaviour, typical purchase volume and customer frequency can be reflected by this flexibility in system configuration. Cash management components integrated into self-service checkout terminals ensure efficient and secure cash handling at the checkout.
 
A number of technical developments have been made to make processes atself-service terminals even easier forcustomers, such as the linking of thepayment terminal to the exit barrier so that if the customer has paid the receipt amount, the barrier automatically opens. This means customers do not need to identify themselves with their paid receipts in order to operate the barrier.
 
To date, only the retail company’s own customer card has been accepted as authorisation for mobile self scanning. However, now customers can also use their own credit cards, making mobile self-scanning interesting for retailers who have not introduced customer cards of their own or have customer cards that are not used widely. Wincor Nixdorf demonstrated a variety of mobile shopping scenarios, including the personal shopping assistant, mobile self-scanning, personal shopping system and the mobile sales assistant. Mobile shopping solutions are perfectly matched to the retail industry trend of adopting a self-service organisation in stores, as they provide convenient facilities for customers and good benefits for retailers in the form of interactive communication with customers as they shop and make their purchasing decisions.
 
In a move towards more environmentally friendly retailing, Wincor Nixdorf now have self-service checkouts which can be operated with paper bags. This solution is being realised by Wincor Nixdorf ’s partner GSD Verpackungen, who delivers the bags in compliance with the specifications of the individual retailer.
 
Wincor Nixdorf is also moving toward the new European standard EPAS (Electronics Protocols Application Software), which is now available as part of the introduction of SEPA for integrating cashless payment solutions in checkouts. Wincor Nixdorf demonstrated the Beetle /M-II with the POS applicationTP.net, which is equipped with the EPAS Retailer Protocol. This interface, which was created as part of the introduction of SEPA in Europe, specifies the protocols for cashless payment solutions. The EPAS standard not only enables quicker and easier integration of traditional card-based payment solutions on a standardised platform, but also allows links to innovative payment methods, like mobile payment, biometrics and Near Field Communication solutions.
 
The Forum and Workshops at Wincor World 2009 focused on future trends and perspectives for banks and retailers, cash management and optimising processes and cutting costs. Pavel Vanousek, Service Delivery Director, Tesco Europe, Czech Republic, spoke about their implementation of self-checkout at Tesco in the Czech Republic, while speakers from banks including Banco Populare Milano and the European Central Bank, spoke about how to address customer interaction and the implications of the euro cash cycle. The Forum and Workshops addressed ongoing needs to optimise processes in banking and retail to create cost reductions.