Gadgets galore
Buying new equipment can be a minefield, so we've gathered together all the latest gadgets on the market to ensure licensees pick what's right for their businesses
Remote controls
Wireless technology and the internet are starting to spawn changes in the way buildings and businesses operate.
Just over a year ago, Manchester-based Adam International used the two technologies to introduce a system that allows remote access for monitoring and controlling the electrical services within a building.
Anyone with a mobile phone or hand-held or laptop computer with broadband can use the SmartRetail system to, among other things: turn lights on or off; take temperature readings and adjust the heating; read the electricity meter; check that the smoke detectors and carbon dioxide monitors are OK; and even to see what's happening inside or outside the premises by linking up with the building's CCTV camera system.
Adam International chief executive Steve Dillon says the system can be linked to control and monitor as many or as few items as the owner requires and can also be used to send text messages to inform people of a problem.
SmartRetail is a smaller, less sophisticated version of the complex building management systems found in offices and large buildings and used to control building services to make them more energy-efficient.
Dillon says: "Before wireless technology, building management systems had to be hard-wired with cables running all over the place, which was very expensive. Now, technology costs have dropped while installation costs have soared and this has made wireless technology very affordable because it only takes a couple of minutes to fix each piece of equipment."
Dillon says he has compared the cost of a SmartRetail installation against a quotation from a major manufacturer for a hard-wired system with similar capabilities. "Our equipment cost £1,500 with another £200 to install, whereas for the other system, the equipment cost £5,000 with another £5,000 quoted for installation."
At present, Mitchells & Butlers has SmartRetail installed in around 250 of its managed houses.
Fingerprint checks
Fourth Hospitality has installed a biometrically-activated system that records the attendance of employees at a pub in North Yorkshire. Staff at the White Swan Inn in Pickering sign on and off duty by having their fingerprints scanned and the information is used to create a profile of an individual's work record. The record can highlight early starters and overtime worked, as well as indicating those who are consistently late for work. As well as recording attendance, the system can be used to prepare staffing schedules and rotas and to feed into a payroll program to calculate wages and record actual salary bills against budget allocations.
Party time
Fourth Hospitality is adding an events package to its range of EPoS programs. The package is designed to make life easier both for those who host regular events, such as wedding banquets, or licensees catering for an ad-hoc function, like a large party.
The program covers the cost of necessary equipment hire, such as tables, chairs, cutlery and crockery, plus items such as staffing levels. The program will produce a forecast of the costs and allow licensees to analyse what margins they can expect.
Instant access
In almost every pub, employees have to share tills with their workmates. The most common ways employees gain access to the till is via a swipe card or by keying in a PIN, which are both time consuming and pose a security threat.
Quest Retail Technology has come up with a system that removes both concerns - a radio frequency-activated wristband or key fob system, called RF Clerk, which provides hands-free logging on. As soon as a member of staff with a wristband or key fob approaches the till, that person is logged on automatically and remains so until moving away from the till triggers a logging off mechanism. Also incorporated is the further safeguard that any unfinished transactions are automatically put on hold.
Each wristband and key fob contains a uniquely-shaped piece of metallic foil that responds to radio signals sent out by the till to identify the user. The radio frequency system works in a similar way to barcodes, where items are scanned and the different pattern of line thicknesses and spaces is used to identify a product.
Quest's managing director Tom Bell comments: "The RF Clerk system is great for security and great for the fast processing of customers."
