What services do retailers expect from their IT service provider today? In this interview, Wolfgang Künkler, VP Product Related Services at Wincor Nixdorf, explains how maximum availability of POS systems and thus a cost-effective operation can be guaranteed.
Retail groups operate worldwide. How global does the footprint of their IT service provider have to be?
More than 40 percent of new stores are now abroad. And retail groups often open them at a terrific pace: A dozen new foreign stores in the space of a few weeks isn’t unusual for a global player. That means technical systems have to be up and running within a short space of time – excessively long delivery and setup times, but in particular downtimes during operation, are not allowed. An IT service provider must also have a global footprint like its retail customers and be able to deliver the required IT services in the same quality anywhere in the world.
How is Wincor Nixdorf’s set up internationally?
We operate as a global service provider. Wincor Nixdorf, which is headquartered in Paderborn, has a presence in more than 130 countries worldwide. Over 3,500 IT service experts, aided by certified partners, look after more than two million systems. Products and services with a modular design, offerings and solutions that can be marketed internationally, standardized processes and procedures, clear governance models and efficient control systems, as well as competent and committed employees are the attributes that qualify Wincor Nixdorf to be a service provider to global retail groups.
Retail companies are extremely cost-conscious. How do you address that?
Worldwide costs for IT support must be minimized, while keeping downtimes as low as possible. That can only be achieved through standardized service processes that are largely carried out remotely and can be scaled – from individual stores to national and international store networks. That’s also one of the reasons for the continuing trend toward standard software and away from custom software. Not least, retailers can also benefit from economies of scale that service providers are able to offer by providing large service quotas for their customers and delivering them efficiently.
What different services does Wincor Nixdorf offer its customers?
We offer internationally standardized IT services for retailers which ensure maximum availability and cost-efficient operation of POS systems, as well as protect customers’ investments long term. We differentiate between product-related services, managed services and outsourcing. Our services are internationally standardized so that globally expanding retail companies can benefit from master agreements that apply worldwide and have the assurance of obtaining the same quality of services and consistent reporting anywhere in the world.
What is covered by “product-related services”?
First of all, it covers global deployment services – system deployment and installation services as part of rollouts. The services can focus on individual IT systems and range as far as equipping complete stores anywhere in the world. Large projects and the design of internationally standardized IT infrastructures are accompanied by a project manager, who is the central point of contact from the planning to the implementation phase.
How do you guarantee high system availability long term?
Our availability services, as well part of our product related services offering, help ensure technical availability of systems during operation. Problems are rectified by remote maintenance or on-site visits by technicians within the agreed times.
As part of our managed services, we optimize technical system availability by monitoring the entire network and by means of a customer-specific service desk that handles all hardware and software questions (first, second and third level). Under its store lifecycle management solution, Wincor Nixdorf also assumes responsibility for running all IT systems at the store and controls all the processes, such as software distribution there, with the aid of the eServices Platform.
So customers can outsource their entire IT infrastructure to Wincor Nixdorf?
We offer retailers complete management of their IT applications and infrastructures – data centers, servers, POS systems or cash office systems. By delegating services that are part of Wincor Nixdorf’s core business, retailers can “buy in” efficient and legally binding processes and thus free themselves up to focus on their core business.
Can you call outsourcing a trend?
Yes, more and more retailers want a one-stop shop for extensive, all-round service. As part of this, responsibility for services and the IT infrastructure is increasingly being delegated to the service provider – from customized implementation of the hardware and software, monitoring and operations management solutions to support for all cash and payment processes. This leaves the retail companies free to implement their international expansion plans quickly and efficiently.
What are the most frequent reasons for repairs and service requests?
Especially in retailing, where a large number of different peripherals are often used at the POS systems, there may be problems in the interplay between third-party hardware and the software. These challenges grow if new devices, for example for including a new method of payment, are to be integrated in a hardware and software environment that’s already several years old. Service queries also result from the pressure on retailers to adapt quickly and the need this entails to network merchandise management systems and integrate new methods of payment. Problems with systems may occur in particular if employees have not been trained in using a new solution.
Which services can be provided centrally and which have to be carried out on site?
Despite the heady pace of technological progress, it goes without saying that not all IT services, such as maintenance and repair work, can be performed remotely by the commissioned IT service provider. For instance, various maintenance activities and adaptations to the customer’s environment will remain typical on-site tasks in the medium term. However, in particular as part of rollouts and installation, the resources required by global service providers to do their work can be slashed. For example, the responsible service employees can be given advance training in a country where rollout is underway for the customer and then take charge of the project seamlessly in their home country.
You control service processes using the Wincor Nixdorf eServices Platform. What is that?
The Wincor Nixdorf eServices Platform can be regarded as an overall concept for handling services electronically. All the tools, technologies and instances are pooled on a globally uniform platform and combined to enable efficient interaction.
What specific advantages does this electronic platform give customers?
An interface in the eServices Platform enables our customers to obtain information at any time on the current operating status of their systems, devices and infrastructures, view performance data and gain a picture of system states and availabilities. If something goes wrong, traffic light functions indicate where preventive action or measures to rectify a problem quickly are needed. That makes the eServices Portal a useful and powerful source of data and decision-making aid for managers who are responsible for ensuring smooth IT operation at their company.
Interview: Daniel Stöter; first publication EuroCIS.com
