In this series, we sit down with members of the GK Software team to learn more about their experience with the company.
Tell us a little about your career journey. How did you end up at GK Software?
My dad brought home my first computer when I was seven years old, where I started to learn programming. I studied computer science in Texas, and then went back to Germany and worked for a furniture retailer.
During my time there, I developed mainframes, building all the software from scratch – including what was needed for the POS, accounting and HR. I worked in different departments, learning the various tasks within them in order to optimize the software. The detailed, holistic work there provided immeasurable insights into retail processes.
After, I co-founded Pironet NDGH AG, one of the first commercial internet providers in Germany. During this time – around 1995 – we hosted websites, designed networks and connected companies to the internet. After we went public, we had a lot of customers in the retail space. We developed a lot of software and middleware for retailers, connecting store systems to the backend.
From there, I found my way to GK Software, joining as global CTO in 2010 and then becoming CEO of GK Software USA in 2014.
What is your favorite part of working for GK?
GK Software is not a typical company for its size and age. We have more than 1,000 employees, and the company has been around for more than 30 years. Yet, we still maintain all the positive aspects of a startup.
For example, individuals are encouraged to make decisions without waiting for clearance from higher-ups in order to get things done and achieve true progress. The steps to innovation are shortened here, as part of our success lies in our ability to quickly adapt to market changes.
With a global reach, I particularly enjoy being part of the expansion journey. It's wonderful to travel and learn a lot about different cultures and challenges.
Is there an implementation, tech advancement, or collaboration effort that you're most proud of during your time at GK?
I consider OmniPOS my baby. Developing software is a lot like forming a cloud. At its core, every cloud droplet has a speck of dirt and crystal. You need the right team – the right temperature and altitude – to take a small idea, much like a speck of dirt on its own, and develop the crystal and form the cloud.
At the time when OmniPOS first launched, the industry was still talking about multi- and cross-channel – the term omnichannel wasn't widely used. Our team had the early vision of providing service-based software to every channel. Today, we still work to provide modern technology and architecture in anticipation of the changes in retail – whether online, mobile or in stores.
What do you think makes GK's offerings unique?
We have a unique combination of agility and German engineering – like a Mercedes! We're able to react to the market quickly, but also in a way that's well-engineered. Quality comes first.
In addition, we have one product, for all verticals and geographies. Retail formats are converging – grocers are offering fuel and dine-in restaurants, for example, but many retailers still manage siloed POS solutions for each service. Our CLOUD4RETAIL OmniPOS 5.19 solution provides a single POS platform for every retail format. What's more, any updates we make to our solution is immediately available to all our customers.
Lastly, what do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy playing guitar, running, boating and golfing.
As retail segments continue to blend, businesses who operate hospitality services require a single, unified POS solution for all of their processes. Whether convenience stores to supermarkets with food service – similar to Whole Foods opening restaurants and bars – a unified POS simplifies integrations, reduces the cost and time required for maintenance and gives retailers the agility needed for continuous innovation.
Recognizing this need, GK Software has launched GK Hospitality, enabling retail companies to now use the same highly scalable software platform that they use for other areas in their stores for their restaurant and hospitality segments.
Catering to restaurant requirements
The new solution meets customers’ high expectations for service, quality and convenience by offering common restaurant features, including:
- Assigning orders to tables
- Supplying counter or kitchen printers with data
- Splitting tables when paying, creating subtotals
- Handover when changing shifts
- Recording tips
Serving the POS for all departments
Manufactum, a German retailer, is currently utilizing the GK Hospitality solution. The company relies on GK Software’s solutions across all of its business units, including its hospitality department, Manufactum Brot & Butter. By using standardized software, guests are able to frictionlessly pay for food items they order in-store, as well as items they purchase at the checkout lane.
Of the implementation, Jens Braida, Manufactum Group’s Project Manager notes, “We offer our customers a seamless, end-to-end dining and shopping experience. A standardized software solution is the answer to this, and at the same time enables us to reduce the number of systems in use.”
Reducing complexity to better serve customers
Beyond reducing complexity, the GK Hospitality solution simplifies an overarching customer approach to the point of sale, as well as implementing company-wide promotions and loyalty campaigns.
Under the CLOUD4RETAIL platform, GK Hospitality enables retailers to provide payment options from anywhere. Reach out to us to learn more about how a single POS platform can benefit your business.
As with all CLOUD4RETAIL components, the catering version can be used both in the cloud and in the classical way on premises. SAP is also already selling GK Hospitality as an add-on to the SAP Omnichannel Point-of-Sale by GK solution, which is identical to the GK Software solution.
As of Release 5.17, typical restaurant requirements such as assigning orders to tables, supplying counter or kitchen printers with data, splitting tables when paying, creating subtotals, handover when changing shifts and recording tips have become standard features of the proven GK Software platform.
One of the first companies to decide to use GK Hospitality for their retail catering is Manufactum. The company relies on GK solutions across all of its business units and sales divisions and is now applying them for the Manufactum Brot & Butter catering business as well. By using standardized software, the intention is to enable guests to pay for the food and drink they consume on the premises along with the products they purchase at the counter. To this end, the scales used at the counters are also fully integrated into the solution.
Jens Braida, Manufactum Group Project Manager explains: “We offer our customers a seamless, end-to-end dining and shopping experience. A standardized software solution is the answer to this, and at the same time enables us to reduce the number of systems in use. That also applies to fiscalization, which we have implemented with the Deutsche Fiskal cloud solution. We are extremely satisfied with the collaboration with GK Software and are delighted that our catering requirements are also now reflected in the GK solution.”
Following the GK Drive petrol station solution, GK Hospitality brings another addition to the CLOUD4RETAIL platform enabling retail companies to implement the requirements of their different business areas with a uniform solution. Besides reducing complexity, this hugely simplifies an overarching customer approach and company-wide promotions and loyalty campaigns.
Contactless payments have become ubiquitous with COVID-19. While the increase in adoption was driven by the need for safe and secure payment methods, the number of payment methods has been consistently increasing, beyond traditional cash, debit or credit options. In fact, some may argue that U.S. adoption of new payment methods is long overdue, as 86% of first-time users now plan to keep using contactless payments after the pandemic.
Alternative payments are growing as well. Popular in mobile-first countries like China, AliPay and WeChat have slowly increased adoption in the U.S. We also saw a rise in QR code adoption as an effective way to order and pay for items during the pandemic, and major players like PayPal and Venmo have adopted QR codes as a method of payment. PayPal added a merchant to its QR code payment option every 28 seconds in Q1 2021 – an astounding feat.
With the number of contactless and alternative payments options, it can be confusing to determine what's a critical, must-have for your business. Plus, integration of new payment methods can often be time intensive and costly. Below, we'll explore the payment options to consider within a variety of retail environments.
Grocery and retail
For decades, grocers and retailers have sought effective alternatives to making customers wait in a long checkout line in order to pay. The use of mobile devices – from both consumers and associates – has risen in popularity as a way to scan and pay for items. A flexible solution can unify payments regardless of channel, supporting transactions whether it's card-not-present, tap-to-pay, and more.
Another new payment method many big box and apparel retailers have adopted is Buy Now, Pay Later. In fact, the number of customers using this option has risen 18% since last July.
Convenience and fuel
Mobile payments are seeing adoption within convenience retailers as well. This is critical to serving shoppers that order ahead, whether they choose to pay online or in store. As well, if shoppers are in the store and see a long line forming, they can quickly pull out their mobile phone and use their choice of the retailer's app or scan a QR code to pay.
Retailers that also offer fuel must not neglect payments at the pump, integrating through mobile pay or payment via car. Payments have grown beyond omnichannel – they now must be connected and unified.
Hospitality and QSR
Since 2020, the pandemic shaped how customers visit their favorite restaurants. This can be broken down into three key technology adoptions:
- Curbside pickup – 60% of customers used curbside pickup at fast-casual restaurants in May 2021. During COVID-19, hospitality brands quickly realized the importance of mobile payments in order to serve the rapid use of curbside pickup.
- Pay-at-table – Whether through a POS device at the table or with their own mobile devices, guests are in control of their experience with pay-at-table payment options. This also frees up servers to focus on customer service, such as curated recommendations or faster refills.
- QR codes – Just like retail, grocery and convenience, QR codes have served the hospitality industry by providing a fast, contactless way to interact with consumers. They're especially beneficial to hospitality businesses, since QR codes can be scanned to access menus, ordering pages and more.
Whether shoppers want to pay as soon as they place their order, or swipe a card once they're in the physical space, retailers should be able to accommodate consumers' preferences.
Let customers pay how they want to pay
No two payment experiences are alike. Unsurprisingly, a study has found that customers are more likely to shop where they can pay how they want to pay. Providing multiple payment options for a number of different shopping journeys is critical for customer satisfaction. But retailers must also keep in mind speed and security. GK Software's TransAction+ is a payments processor that integrates a variety of point-of-sale systems to a wide range of payment authorization providers. GK has a number of options available to retailers with TransAction+.
GK Software today announced it is collaborating with IBM (NYSE: IBM) to help clients adopt an edge computing strategy designed to enable them to move data and applications seamlessly across hybrid cloud environments, from private data centers to the edge. GK Software's CLOUD4RETAIL hosted on IBM Cloud to help drive innovation and enhance the omnichannel experience.
CLOUD4RETAIL is GK Software's flexible, open commerce platform providing services for the operation of integrated unified commerce environments from in-store and online touchpoints through to mobile devices. The platform is enriched by innovative services such as AI-based dynamic pricing, personalization, fraud detection, and mobile applications. Now optimized on IBM Cloud, the industry's most secured and open public cloud for business, the extensive expansion and customization options of the various CLOUD4RETAIL services, can be used on a wide range of devices.
GK Software will also extend the deployment flexibility of CLOUD4RETAIL by adopting Red Hat OpenShift, the industry's leading enterprise Kubernetes platform, allowing customers to run GK solutions across hybrid environments - from on-premises to multi-cloud environments and at the edge.
A recent IBM Institute for Business Value report, "Why organizations are betting on edge computing: Insights from the edge", revealed that 91% of the 1,500 executives surveyed indicated that their organizations plan to implement edge computing strategies within five years. IBM Edge Application Manager, an autonomous management solution that runs on Red Hat OpenShift, enables the secured deployment, continuous operations and remote management of AI, analytics, and IoT enterprise workloads to deliver real-time analysis and insights at scale. With the introduction of Intel® Secure Device Onboard (SDO) and multi-tenant support based on Intel technology, the solution enables enterprises to manage up to 40,000 edge devices simultaneously per edge hub. IBM Edge Application Manager is the industry's first solution powered by open-source project, Linux Foundation Open Horizon.
"We look forward to collaborating with GK Software to help clients deploy, operate and manage thousands of endpoints throughout their operations with IBM Edge Application Manager," said Evarsitus Mainsah, GM, IBM Hybrid Cloud and Edge Ecosystem. "Together, we can help enterprises accelerate their digital transformation by acting on insights closer to where their data is being created, at the edge."
Michael Scheibner, Chief Strategy Officer of GK Software, commented: "GK Software and IBM share a long partnership in the retail industry and many common customers. We are very pleased to accompany retailers on their transition to the cloud in cooperation with IBM. We believe that we can make an excellent offer for holistic omnichannel processes based on state-of-the-art technology, especially to long-standing IBM customers."
GK Software is part of IBM's partner ecosystem, collaborating with more than 30 equipment manufacturers, networking, IT & software providers to implement open standards-based cloud-native solutions that can autonomously manage edge applications at scale. IBM's partner ecosystem fuels hybrid cloud environments by helping clients manage and modernize workloads from bare-metal to multicloud and everything in between with Red Hat OpenShift, the industry's leading enterprise Kubernetes platform.
Omnichannel retail innovation has increased dramatically as a result of COVID-19. Retail formats are converging with the emergence of new concepts such as grocerants and an increased emphasis on dining, fuel, customer engagement and mobile apps. But many retailers still manage siloed POS solutions. For example, grocers and convenience stores may operate separate systems for in-store restaurants, fuel and their core business.
Our CLOUD4RETAIL OmniPOS 5.19 solution provides a single POS platform for every retail Format. This simplifies integrations, reduces the cost and time required for maintenance and gives retailers the agility needed for continuous innovation.
OmniPOS 5.19's flexible, open commerce platform powers the contemporary retail experience, from touchless mobile payments to table-service support, as well as flexible, integrated payment processing. Because OmniPOS 5.19 includes headless commerce services, it provides a single unified platform that can adapt to the changes affecting all retail segments.
POS integration for restaurants
Support for QSRs and full-service restaurants is a key feature of the new release. Features include:
- Full table-service functionality
- Integrations with kitchen production systems
- Enhanced APIs to enable innovative 3rd party integrations and customization of the solution to address retailer specific requirements.
Service for fuel retailing
OmniPOS 5.19 also provides improvements for fuel retailing that include EMV and contactless payments in the store and at the pump, widescreen POS support for fuel pump displays and visibility of external applications – such as security monitors, integrated lottery, workforce management and more. Ultra-thin POS (utPOS) clients provide a highly flexible mobile POS that can operate on any device or platform with full functionality.
Blend industry lines
According to Fiona Harris, CEO of ROC Associates, "Industry lines are invisible to customers, and smart retailers are embracing this thinking. The pace of change in retail is unprecedented, and it's urgent for retailers to meet customers' changing expectations. Retailers must operate lighter, find new ways to grow and take care of their customers."
GK Software is stepping up to meet these needs. Contact us today to learn more about how OmniPOS 5.19 can benefit your business.
GK Software today announced the release of CLOUD4RETAIL OmniPOS 5.19, the only POS solution that provides an enterprise-class, unified platform for every retail format: grocery, convenience, fuel, QSRs and full-service restaurants, fashion and other retail segments. OmniPOS 5.19's flexible, open commerce platform powers the modern retail experience, from touchless mobile payments to table-service support, as well as flexible, integrated payment processing.
Omnichannel retail innovation has increased dramatically as a result of COVID-19, and OmniPOS 5.19 will help further accelerate that transformation. Retail formats are converging as never before, with the emergence of new concepts such as grocerants and an increased emphasis on dining, fuel, customer engagement and mobile apps.
GK Software's all-in-one platform provides a single solution that eliminates the need for multiple POS systems and enables rapid innovation. Because OmniPOS 5.19 provides headless commerce services, it provides a single unified platform that can adapt to the changes affecting all retail segments.
"Industry lines are invisible to customers, and smart retailers are embracing this thinking," said Fiona Harris, CEO of ROC Associates, a leading advisor on technology and process alignment for retailers in convenience and fuel retailing, grocery, hospitality and QSR/full-service restaurants. "The pace of change in retail is unprecedented, and it's urgent for retailers to meet customers' changing expectations. Retailers must operate lighter, find new ways to grow and take care of their customers. I'm excited to see GK Software stepping up to meet these needs."
OmniPOS 5.19 includes restaurant POS
Support for QSRs and full-service restaurants is a key feature of the new release, and GK Software includes this in its core POS platform. Features include:
- Full table-service functionality
- Support for quick-service restaurants
- Integrations with kitchen production systems
- Enhanced APIs to enable innovative 3rd party integrations and customization of the solution to address retailer specific requirements.
OmniPOS 5.19 also provide improvements for fuel retailing that include EMV and contactless payments in the store and at the pump, widescreen POS support for fuel pump displays and visibility of external applications – such as security monitors, integrated lottery, workforce management and more. Ultra-thin POS (utPOS) clients provide a highly flexible mobile POS that can operate on any device or platform with full functionality.
"Many retailers struggle with managing different POS solutions; for example, grocers and convenience stores may operate separate systems for in-store restaurants, fuel and their core business," said Michael Jaszczyk, CEO, GK Software USA. "That's why OmniPOS 5.19 is such a groundbreaking solution. By providing a unified platform for all retail formats, GK Software simplifies integrations, reduces the cost and time required for maintenance and gives retailers the agility they need for continual innovation."
Amazon is no stranger to innovation. One of its recent launches happened on June 15, when the company announced the upcoming implementation of Just Walk Out technology in a new full-size Amazon Fresh grocery store in Bellevue, Washington. At this store, all grocery items including meat, pre-made meals, pastries and produce can be purchased without stepping foot in a checkout line. The Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision, sensor fusion and deep learning to register what items the shopper has selected, and instantly charges shoppers via their Amazon account or connected credit card.
As GK Software CEO Michael Jaszczyk told Winsight Grocery Business, this announcement by Amazon should encourage other grocers to lean into innovation. He pointed out, “The future of checkout is here, and retailers must deploy technology that’s designed for simplicity and convenience to stand out from the competition and win over customers.” But before implementing new technology, grocers must first understand how to cater their offerings towards what shoppers really want.
Embracing customers open to change
The announcement from Amazon excited many U.S. consumers, especially those who prioritize contactless, efficient shopping experiences in the wake of the pandemic. The Amazon Go stores across the country have done remarkably well, with 76% of shoppers who tried the cashierless experience within the first few months saying they preferred it over traditional store formats, according to a survey from Inmar Intelligence.
Those that are open to the new technology were optimistic that overall retail transformation was in the works. The same survey found that 54% of shoppers expected this new type of store to succeed as e-commerce grows. For these consumers, they will be drawn to stores that lean into innovation and offer exciting new shopping experiences such as pop-up locations or mobile app engagement.
Acknowledging shoppers afraid of experimentation
However, not everyone is comfortable with new technology, or the necessary changes associated with implementing it. In fact, 43% of shoppers were not interested in seeing Amazon Go or Just Walk Out technology in their towns. For some, the disinterest comes from a fear of how it will impact their local communities. Retail Dive reported that 59% of American consumers see Amazon Go as a threat to other major grocers.
Another concern with digital-first stores is the impact the advancements will have on elderly community members. Pew Research recently reported that only 61% of citizens over the age of 65 owned a smart phone as opposed to 96% of those younger than thirty. For groups more wary of technology, retailers must invest in easy-to-use platforms that encourage shoppers to adapt to new processes.
Accessible innovations for everyone
Despite the contradicting viewpoints on what the future of grocery retail – and checkout technology – looks like, there are ways to cater to both sides. The first is to offer easy-to-adopt and user-friendly innovations like BOPIS or QR Code scanning that shoppers of almost any level of digital understanding can utilize. The next is to ensure that there is always an alternative. Touchless check points should be paired with a nearby employee to help confused shoppers ease into the more innovative store experience. Technology does not have to be intimidating or exclusive. With the right solutions for the target audience, the future of grocery is bright for all types of shoppers.
Meet the needs of all customers with GK
We understand that your store must satisfy all potential customers on the first try in order to succeed. That’s why our solutions were designed with a variety of shoppers and digital skill levels in mind. To hear how GK Software can help your store stay ahead of the curve without leaving anyone behind, reach out to us today.
CLOUD4RETAIL is GK Software's flexible, open commerce platform providing services for the operation of integrated unified commerce environments from in-store and online touchpoints through to mobile devices. The platform is enriched by innovative services such as AI-based dynamic pricing, personalization, fraud detection, and mobile applications. Now available with Azure, SAP Cloud, and IBM, the extensive expansion and customization options of the various CLOUD4RETAIL services can be used on a wide range of devices.
‘The partnership with GK and their innovative AppEnablement allows us to offer retailers the Abacus managed lottery services in a simple and effective way, cutting significant effort and time for retailers and allowing them to realize increased sales and a broader, more integrated way of selling lottery to their customers’ says Simon Butler, Abacus CEO. ‘We are glad to be able to offer our customers, leading retailers in over 65 countries, such a quick and simple way to introduce lottery, everywhere. Increasing retailers revenue and pleasing their consumers’ says Orit Bar-Ad, GK Software Portfolio Director.
See a demo here.
About ABACUS
Abacus – the gateway at the heart of connecting consumers, retailers and lotteries in the global market. With an established presence in Europe operating for the last six years Abacus is actively growing their market presence in North America. Abacus believes the future of lottery lies in integrating into the existing retailer and consumer infrastructures by providing a highly secure transaction gateway that enables all parties to work together and create mutual growth. The Abacus Fusion Platform sits at the heart of connecting consumers, retailers, and lotteries, with the Abacus team managing integration from start to finish. Abacus is building long term relationships by working together to develop new and innovative solutions. We use cutting edge technology, created by forward thinking industry experts, the Abacus gateway enables lotteries and retailers to respond to the ever-changing consumer market with speed, agility, reliability, and integrity. For more information visit: www.lotteryeverywhere.com.
Retailers juggle vast amounts of data from a variety of sources to improve their level of service and the customer experience. This is critical, as 90% of consumers say the amount they spend or shop with a retailer is impacted by how consistently the retailer delivers a personalized shopping experience – and 65% are willing to share their data with retailers in order to receive it.
But analyzing data without advanced technology can be overwhelming. AI is helping retailers aggregate their physical and online data to better serve their customers. What's more, these personalized engagements can be carried out at the point of sale in order to foster loyalty.
Employee devices to access omnichannel data
What makes customer service good? During an interaction with a customer, sales staff can learn about specific needs and recommend corresponding products. But imagine how much more beneficial it would be to know a shopper's preferences at the beginning of each interaction – without having to even ask.
Devices for employees, such as mobile phones or tablets, can provide support while they are on the sales floor interacting with shoppers. After identifying a customer by loyalty card or e-mail, additional information across both physical and digital channels can be accessed. This includes information on recent purchases as well as items viewed or added to a basket but not purchased. Based on this information, AI-based solutions can calculate product recommendations, enabling sales staff to make relevant suggestions during each customer visit.
Through recommendation-based interactions, sales staff achieve a better quality of service, strengthen customer loyalty and generate additional purchases, which in turn has a positive impact on sales volume.
Personalized coupons to foster loyalty
Whether on paper or presented digitally, coupons are still a popular means of customer loyalty. In fact, 2020 was the first year digital coupons exceeded print circulars. But regardless of format, coupons must be relevant. Offering a vegetarian a discount for a meat-based product is not only inappropriate, it can be offensive.
To increase redemption rate, retailers must suggest relevant products to customers on an individual level. Self-learning AI algorithms can automatically calculate product recommendations of the highest personal relevance and combine these with existing coupons and promotions. At the point of sale, a customer can then receive a coupon directly on the receipt or in an email newsletter. This interaction can spur return purchases and further brand loyalty.
Digital signage for real-time content
In-store television and digital signage is often used to promote specific products. This technology is also beneficial as retailers look to safe, engaging in-store experiences. However, this method of in-store advertising requires significant manual maintenance. In order to be timely, the display must be constantly updated. Luckily, AI can fully automate digital signage with real-time, relevant content depending on the retailer's goal.
The content used on digital signage can also be adapted to time of day, location, regional events or current customer behavior. For example, if there is little demand in the baked goods department, the sign will display a special offer during a specific time slot. If the weather is warm, AI recognizes this and can recommend barbecue supplies or ice cream. In this way, the impact of in-store TV and digital signage is significantly increased, and more interesting offers can be played out to customers.
Unlock actionable insights
As the point of sale is expanding beyond the checkout counter, making sense of data can be overwhelming. Between customer, inventory and pricing information – just to name a few factors – retailers need the right technology to access actionable insights. GK Software is here to help you implement the best solutions for your business.
