POLYTOUCH® in Food Retail PORTAL as SCO for EDEKA

Introduction

EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen mbH, one of Germany’s leading grocery retailers, is equipping its stores with stationary self-checkout systems. The hardware is once again being supplied by Pyramid Computer GmbH.

The two companies have maintained a successful partnership since 2017, which has resulted in the installation of several hundred Pyramid information terminals Pyramid in EDEKA stores across Germany. For the SCO terminal, EDEKA has once again chosen Pyramid Computer GmbH its hardware supplier. The rollout of the self-checkout kiosks began in the fall of 2020 at the E Center Scharrer in Fürth.

Flexible, customized SCO solution

The challenge for EDEKA was to find a solution that aligns with its corporate philosophy: providing customers with the highest-quality food and services. This commitment also applies to self-service technologies, which must meet the highest standards in terms of performance and user-friendliness and offer maximum flexibility to adapt to local market conditions.

Since there was no suitable SCO product on the market that met the requirements, the company decided to commission Pyramid custom-tailored solution from Pyramid : the POLYTOUCH® PORTAL. Thanks to years of experience in developing flexible solutions and extensive technical expertise in the IT sector, the project was completed within 5
months (from kick-off to rollout). In particular, the direct communication and critical support provided by Pyramid and project management teams were crucial to the rapid and successful development.

The result was a space-saving, easy-to-maintain product with a unique design, created exclusively for EDEKA. The PORTAL is built with industrial-grade components to ensure a long and trouble-free service life. Weighing 31.5 kg, the terminal is a sturdy heavyweight that can withstand even rough handling by customers without sustaining any damage.

The 15.6-inch multitouch screen and peripheral modules (scanner, payment terminal, and receipt printer) are integrated into the chassis. This makes the PORTAL an all-in-one device that Pyramid Computer deliversComputer assembled. This eliminates the need for EDEKA to perform time-consuming on-site assembly. Instead, the terminal can be set up immediately, connected to the network, and put into operation.

The kiosks are designed to accommodate different payment modules and cash registers depending on the regional company. A scale and a handheld scanner can also be added as optional extras. Furthermore, every configuration of the PORTAL is compact. This allows for more devices in your space thus faster customer service.

Pyramid Computer many years of experience in kiosk design and development. Our team analyzes customer requirements and provides expert advice on appearance, feel, and functionality,” says Jan Altes, Product Manager.

And Pierre Vieweg, Global Head of IT Technology at EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen mbH, sums it up: “We wanted to work with a company that would be a true partner in project implementation and respond to our specific needs. Once again, Pyramid has proven Pyramid a good, reliable partner. The SCO has potential, and it looks great, too.”

Increased customer satisfaction

Customers primarily use self-checkout to avoid the lines at traditional registers. They also appreciate being able to set their own pace at checkout and not having to adapt to the cashier’s scanning speed. However, the key to the acceptance of a self-service terminal is ease of use.

To ensure this, the PORTAL places the input and output elements for the SCO process close together, creating a clear, easy-to-understand interaction zone. Inside the PORTAL, state-of-the-art technology ensures that every transaction is processed in a matter of seconds, which greatly increases the efficiency of the payment process. EDEKA deliberately opted for a cashless version with contactless payment functionality.

“EDEKA customers can look forward to speed, efficiency, and maximum user-friendliness at the self-checkout,” said Jan Altes, Product Manager at Pyramid Computer GmbH. “Thanks to the express checkouts, customers can avoid the long wait times at traditional checkout lanes, which are impossible to completely avoid during peak hours, even with maximum staffing.”

Self-checkout kiosks are already in use in six (North, Minden-Hanover, Hesse, Northern Bavaria-Saxony-Thuringia, Southern Bavaria, and Southwest) of the seven regional companies. The Rhine-Ruhr region will follow.