Fujitsu integrates Metrologic Bluetooth scanning technology with its U-Scan Genesis self-checkout system.To ease the processing of large and bulky items via self-checkout,
Fujitsu Transaction Solutions is combining Metrologic VoyagerBT
Bluetooth-enabled handheld scanning technology with its U-Scan Genesis
line of self-checkout devices.
Fujitsu announced the integration May 2 at the FMI Show with Marketechnics in Las Vegas.
“Items that are too heavy or large for the customer to pick up, or
too big for a scale, are a big issue in self-checkout,” said Paul
Burel, self-checkout strategic marketing director for Fujitsu. “You
have large packs of paper towels or toilet paper, 50-pound bags of dog
food, general merchandise and home improvement items. There is a lot of
opportunity.”
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Burel said that in most cases, when a customer has an item that is
too big for a stationary scanner, an employee has to perform an
intervention to get the price scanned. He said some retailers have
deployed both corded and cordless scanning guns at their self-checkout
terminals, but cords can damage the bioptic scales that read prices and
customers are often “apprehensive” about cordless guns.
“Because it runs on Bluetooth, the Metrologic scanner can be
maneuvered all around the shopping cart,” Burel said. “And it has a
simple user interface. All the customer has to do is press a button and
get full instructions how to use it. If they scan and get it wrong,
they press a second button and try again. After two tries, a cashier is
alerted to help them.”
He said the Bluetooth scanners are relatively inexpensive—about $200
to $350 each—and eliminate the need to deploy an expensive backup
scanner for an intervention station that may cost $600 or more. In
addition, he said by eliminating interventions, the Bluetooth scanners
shorten the overall time it takes to complete self-checkout
transactions.
“The savings [from shortened transactions] can be a huge number or a
small number,” he said. “Our consulting service helps retailers
determine if Bluetooth scanners make sense for them.”
Greg Buzek, founder and president of research and advisory firm IHL
Consulting Group, said the Bluetooth scanners may offer retailers both
risk and opportunity.
“Anything that reduces interventions, I’m a big fan of,” Buzek said.
“As long as the customer is able to do it and the scanners won’t walk
away, I’m in favor of the idea.”
He cautioned that he saw the two biggest potential risks as having a
scanner either hooked up to the wrong terminal or becoming lost or
stolen. According to Burel, each scanner is paired up with a specific
scan station, and the lack of a major problem associated with
previously released mobile POS scanners being lost or stolen from
stores suggests the Bluetooth scanners are not a significant loss risk.
Dan Berthiaume covers the retail space for eWEEK. For more industry news, check out eWEEK.com’s Retail Site.
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