touch screen at kiosk

So the time has come and purchasing a POS (point of sale) system will soon be a necessity. You may be upgrading your current system or in need of a system for a new business venture. If this is your first POS system, then educating yourself about the technology is a great place to start. If you are upgrading, there may be some changes since you last purchased a POS system. In either situation, there are a number of factors to consider before ordering the new terminals. One of the largest factors will be what type of touch screen technology will be best for your business type.

To determine which touch screen technology will be best for your company, there are a few key questions you should entertain before making a selection: “how” and “where”.

 

Asking “How?”

Consider the employee who will be interacting with the terminal on a daily basis. It will be important to actually observe how POS terminals are truly used in a real life setting, not just how employees were trained to use them. Do not make assumptions, but instead immerse yourself into the daily routine of the workers that use these terminals during their work shift.

For example, in restaurants, servers often have other items in their hands (credit cards, pens, etc). Something you will observe is that, to save time, servers often use the edge of the customer’s credit card or their employee card to input data into the POS system. It is already in their hand and allows them to continue to work smoothly without interruption. In this case, a resistive screen is the only option available, because this type of screen allows for any object to be used on the screen. So if you currently are using resistive and choose to move to a projected capacitive screen, you will see a drop in efficiency with your servers. The projected capacitive screens require a finger or special stylus to input data. The plastic card method will no longer work.

In retail settings, this may not be an issue as cashiers are not handling the customer’s credit card and have ample space to set items down. In most cases, the items being purchased are being bagged as they are scanned into the system, leaving the employee with empty hands. So requiring the use of their finger as the input object will not be an issue in these situations. A projected capacitive screen might be the better option. Most users would report that the projected capacitive screens are easier to read and react faster to their touch. Both of these factors would allow for faster check-out times compared to the resistive screen.

 

Asking “Where?”

The environment that the terminal will be located is another factor to consider. Every type of business adds its own unique challenges. In a retail setting, the customer is often very close to the POS system, so it may be wise to choose a terminal that has the most visual appeal, which will aid in building your brand image. Additionally, the customer may need to be able to see the screen to understand their transaction and the high image clarity will make it easy for customers to see their transactions. Most would suggest a projected capacitive screen based on these factors.

On the other hand, in a restaurant, there are many opportunities for food and drink to be spilled onto the terminal. A resistive screen would allow for the most resistance against long-term damage and would be the easiest to keep clean.

Outside of retail and restaurants, touch screens are used in many other environments. From warehouses to manufacturing to amusement parks and museums. It will be important to ask if the terminal could be at risk of getting wet or dirty. In a warehouse setting - even a retail one - high levels of dust may be a factor, while areas with checkout terminals in outdoor settings may need to resist adverse weather. Resistive screens are often considered very durable against liquids, and are easier to clean on a regular basis. However, if the customer will be using the touch screen, in a self-service kiosk, consider the projected capacitive due to the readability and fast response to touch.

 

Acquiring new hardware is a costly process so ensure that all factors are considered when making this decision. The “how” and “where” are two major factors to think about when making this decision – and making the right choice will help your employees better serve the customer and achieve the company goals. Click here to peruse the different options available.