{"id":175,"date":"2010-09-13T15:18:07","date_gmt":"2010-09-13T19:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.m2sys.com\/blog\/?p=175"},"modified":"2022-06-22T04:16:02","modified_gmt":"2022-06-22T08:16:02","slug":"biometric-solutions-in-the-retail-point-of-sale-pos-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.m2sys.com\/blog\/others\/biometric-solutions-in-the-retail-point-of-sale-pos-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Biometric Solutions In The Retail Point Of Sale (POS) Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"POS Software Must Be Agile, Accurate and Secure<\/strong><\/p>\n

Modern day retail point of sale software systems have come a long way over the years.\u00a0 Transactional complexities and nuances of the retail industry requires sophisticated technology that performs a myriad of functions and most importantly, assures that safety, security, accountability, reliability and accuracy are paramount.\u00a0 The fast paced world of today\u2019s POS environments demands user-friendly software that can handle transactions with agility to maximize profits without sacrificing precision.\u00a0 Every second and every penny counts within POS systems and end users want to have the faith and peace of mind that the technology they use<\/a><\/strong> is going to ensure maximum returns on investment (ROI) and build sustainable profit margins while at the same time minimizing fraud and waste.<\/p>\n

How Biometric Technology Can Help POS Establishments<\/strong><\/p>\n

More and more retailers and restaurants are turning to hybrid biometric technology<\/a><\/strong> as a trusted component of their POS systems to meet the strenuous demands of the industry and incorporate secure systems that hedge against losses by boosting accuracy and security for transactions.\u00a0 Fingerprint recognition<\/a><\/strong> has become the mainstream biometric modality of many POS systems but as biometric technology has evolved, many end users are choosing biometric readers such as finger vein<\/a>, palm vein<\/a><\/strong> and iris recognition<\/a><\/strong> as their modality of choice due to the inherent benefits<\/a><\/strong> that are included such as lower False Acceptance and False Rejection Rates<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 What are some of the driving forces behind the migration to biometric technology from the POS perspective<\/a><\/strong>?\u00a0 Let\u2019s examine a few:<\/p>\n

#1 \u2013 Loss Prevention<\/em> <\/span>– Although retailers like to believe in the honesty and integrity of their workforce, there is a need<\/a><\/strong> to adopt modern POS loss prevention technologies that will safeguard a business, curb fraud and maximize profits.\u00a0 There have been countless news stories and reports of retailers being scammed and ripped off from unscrupulous employees through false returns, phony transactions and antiquated POS systems which allow for loopholes to fraudulent transactions.\u00a0 Have you ever caught an employee or a group of employees who collaborate on ways to trick and fool your current POS system where they simply pocket the proceeds or intentionally skim or siphon money from the top?\u00a0 Maybe you have adopted swipe cards as a security measure only to learn of employees sharing cards and using them for corrupt purposes.\u00a0 Biometrics adds a layer of security to your POS system by ensuring that only one individual can access their own account and must be physically present when executing transactions, eliminating barcode card swapping or sharing of ID #\u2019s while establishing a concrete audit trail.<\/p>\n

#2 \u2013 Workforce Management<\/span><\/em> \u2013 Biometrics can also be used to capture critical employee time and attendance<\/a><\/strong> data providing a much more affordable alternative than a wall mounted time clock and maximized security over card scanning systems.\u00a0 If you have hourly employees and straightforward time calculations, leveraging biometrics to ensure data accuracy and eliminate buddy punching<\/a><\/strong> is an important step in establishing more efficient workforce management practices.<\/p>\n

#3 \u2013 Elimination of Card Scanning and PIN #\u2019s<\/span><\/em> \u2013 As mentioned earlier, biometric technology eliminates the need for card scanning or entering PIN#\u2019s.\u00a0 Magnetic stripe cards or barcode cards can be shared which promotes fraudulent or nefarious activity.\u00a0 They can also be lost which incurs an expense and waste of resources<\/a><\/strong> to manufacture a replacement card, or forgotten entirely creating unnecessary misspent resources and productivity interruptions.\u00a0 If you have a PIN # policy in place, chances are that employees regularly forget their PIN #\u2019s, creating unnecessary work for your IT help desk \u00a0who have to frequently reset the pass codes.\u00a0 In fact, a recent report by Gartner Research claimed that as much as 40% of an IT help desk\u2019s time is spent resetting pass codes for employees.\u00a0 Imagine the productivity increases if you could eliminate that time drain completely and allocate those resources elsewhere.\u00a0 Biometrics affords that opportunity by removing \u00a0the need for password management and allowing POS establishments to focus on their core competencies.<\/p>\n