Access thrashes out a better retail keyboard for leading off-licence
Reading, UK, January 8th, 2009 – Access IS, the data input technology company, has created a customised keyboard for a group of leading off-licences with around 1,500 locations in the UK. Customer service is at the top of the agenda in the highly competitive retail drinks market so when their existing point of sale keyboards started failing in epidemic numbers, immediate action was needed. The group, through its maintenance company, Getronics, approached Access to find a solution.
Access quickly designed and produced a customised keyboard modeled on its AKC114EQ product. The new keyboard was designed to be a fit, form and function replacement for the earlier one and its layout was customised to match the old keyboard. This enabled staff to start using it immediately with no further training. Access set up an inventory of the new point-of-sale keyboards for next-day delivery directly to the stores. The simplicity of removing the cable from the back of the old keyboards and replacing them with new ones meant that store staff were able to perform the installation, removing any delays and costs associated with using maintenance staff.
The new keyboard uses a rugged steel chassis in which each key switch is individually and independently fixed. Each switch has an estimated life of over 50 million operations and the keyboard itself uses high quality key caps with rugged two-shot moulded markings that won’t wear off with use.
The off-licence group has seen a massive reduction in its maintenance calls since it started to use the new keyboards. Of the original 2,800 keyboards, 1,800 have so far been replaced with Access parts. Of the replacement keyboards, only two have failed – although one was through excessive alcohol consumption following a spillage! In statistical terms, that’s a failure rate of just 0.06%, consistent with Access’ experience in other retail installations - an outstanding reliability figure for an electromechanical product.
Peter Baxter, Head of IT at the group said, “The Access keyboard provides us a very convenient solution to an otherwise very costly problem. The fact that the new keyboard is a drop in replacement means that we can expect the existing point of sale platform to remain in service for years to come.”
Cliff Hunter, Business Development Manager at Access IS, handled the project. He added, “Access has over 20 years’ experience in keyboard design and manufacture. It’s this that enables us to be so responsive to the kind of problems faced. Our hardware design, software services and manufacturing capabilities combine to make us the ideal choice of supplier where rapid customisation of keyboards is needed.”
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