14 Sep 2006
Train operator GNER has signed a £2m agreement to install electronic point-of-sale (Epos) software and handheld devices that it hopes will generate annual savings of £1m.
The company says the technology will provide more accurate data on trains and allow it to improve services. It will test the Oscar Epos platform, provided by Torex Retail, on three trains in the autumn before implementing the technology on East Coast Mainline trains early next year.
GNER financial controller Tim Kavanagh says the existing till system, located only in fixed buffet cars, is in need of updating.
‘The system does not provide staff with up-to-date stock information, lacks robustness and is difficult to manage,’ said Kavanagh. ‘We also have to close the buffet car for stocktaking and all information is paper-based.
‘An electronic point-of-sale system is easier to use, offers better stock information, cuts transaction time for added revenue and removes the paper burden.’
The mobile Epos solution is chip-and-PIN-enabled and generates receipts – a service designed to attract business travellers. It also offers a more accurate view of sales and stock data, which can reduce incidents of under- or over-supplying trains.
‘We will soon be able to use the wireless link on-board to connect the trains to the head office once we are sure of its robustness,’ said Kavanagh.
‘Our trains are essentially 43 mobile shops and each can be moved to a different route at a moment’s notice, so the system has to respond quickly. There are also challenges putting servers on the trains because of limited space.’
Verdict Research director Richard Hyman says taking the service to customers and completing transactions on the spot will provide added value to passengers.
‘Train operators face competition from low-cost airlines, but a positive approach to customer service is an opportunity to generate more revenue,’ he said.
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WiFi to link trains to back office
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