Cash computer drawer

Upgradeability enables ECRs to hold their own - electronic cash register - Feature Report: Retail and Inventory Management Systems

Recently, the PC has emerged as an alternative POS hardware device. The major advantage of the 'PC on a drawer' solution is emerging technologies can be added to it relatively easily.

However, the major disadvantages of this solution are that the PC is more difficult to operate than an electronic cash register (ECR) and lacks fault-tolerance.

ECRs are still the most popular POS device because they can survive power failures and operator abuse. When the ECR is properly programmed, it becomes almost impossible for an operator to fail at eventually processing a transaction. The operator may make procedural errors, but the ECR will eventually force the correct collection of the POS data.

When a really major fault occurs, it is usually possible to reprogram the ECR by turning it off then on again.

In light of these advantages, many retailers are choosing to add program sophistication and devices such as magnetic stripe readers and barcode scanners to their ECRs.

These features can be obtained by buying a more modern ECR or, in some cases, by upgrading existing ones. Scanners can often be interfaced to existing ECRs through a 'wedge,' an interface which plugs in permanently between the scanner and the ECR.

For certain models of cash registers, replacement motherboards are now available as a field-installed item. Such boards include a microprocessor and main memory which enables the ECR to support a program with increased functionality.

If resellers choose to go this route they should be looking at motherboards which can be programmed in C or another common language. The memory resident on the board should comfortably support the number of price look ups the user will require.

The same board should be able to communicate transaction details which it collects to a PC- or Unix-based host system, either in the store or at a head office. It should also be able to handle the communications required for credit authorization.

The same board might also support slip printers, scanners, scales, a local report or shelf-tag printer.

This approach provides the type of broad functionality otherwise available only with a PC-based solution, with the operator simplicity and fault-tolerance usually only available on ECRs. The surprise is this approach may cost much less than your clients anticipate.

Win Coutts is senior vice-presidential at PIP Retail Systems Inc., a Toronto-based software developer and hardware reseller for the retail industry.