POS devices… Pitfalls for the unwary

Mothercare, with a long record of having successfully applied computerisation to their operations, has over the last two years or so been investigating POS devices which will capture SKU data through the use of wands, look up prices automatically, and be able to communicate efficiently with a central computer. The pitfalls inherent in such an operation are manifold, and in this paper, originally presented to a CIES Symposium in Brussels earlier this year, Harold Sanderson outlines the problems which confront any retaier setting out on this tasK. The paper is the result of a number of discussions and study sessions which reflect not only his own company's experiences but also the problems faced by other retailers both in the UK and the USA.