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3 best practices for a retail customer experience assessment

KYLE KENNEDY | July 30, 2018 | 103 views

As a retailer, it is more crucial than ever to truly understand your customers and how you are delivering on their expectations. You are competing with the store down the street, online retailers, and sometimes even your customer's last "great" experience, even if it's not a direct competitor. Providing a superior experience is the only real differentiator today and is the key to retaining customer loyalty and driving future revenue. While some companies might take a casual approach to auditing their customer experience, conducting a formal audit provides not only results to help meet current customer expectations but also gives you a process for ongoing assessments. Conducting a customer experience assessment should be an integral part of your retail operation. If you keep in mind three best practices, your assessment will be effective and productive as you discover valuable information about your customers, their journey with your company, and how you can better meet their needs.

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POS SOLUTIONS

Why Businesses Should Switch to Cloud-based POS System

Article | July 13, 2022

Embrace the future and need of business operations with cloud-based POS systems. Experience unrivaled features such as unparalleled flexibility, scalability, real-time analytics, and more. Introduction Key Reasons for Businesses to Switch to Cloud-based POS System • Accessibility and Mobility • Flexibility and Mobility • Scalability • Improved customer experience • Cost saving Introduction With constant evolution in payment technologies, businesses are constantly looking for innovative ways to streamline their operations and improve their bottom line. As a result, innovative payment solutions are increasingly playing a crucial role in enhancing their transforming and upscaling businesses. One such technology that has revolutionized the way businesses operate is cloud-based POS systems. A significant transition from traditional POS systems to cloud-based POS systems has been witnessed in recent years. Businesses worldwide are increasingly deploying cloud-based point of sale systems to adapt to emerging paymentFrom enhanced security to real-time data accessibility and improved customer experience, learn why businesses should make the switch to cloud-based POS systems. technologies, improve customer experience, enhance payment security, and others. According to a study by SalesForce, more than 20% of retail businesses currently use a cloud-based POS, and around 29% of businesses plan to deploy it in the coming future. Key Reasons for Businesses to Switch to Cloud-based POS System Payment processes are presently propelled by connectivity and technological advancements, which have resulted in a significant impact on the payments industry. Consequently, it has become imperative for businesses to adopt point-of-sale systems powered by agile, cloud-based software to harness the full benefits of modern cutting-edge technology. Deploying a cloud point of sale system can guarantee optimal customer experience to businesses while remaining aligned with the rapidly evolving technological landscape. Here are the primary reasons why businesses should contemplate the adoption of a cloud based POS system: Real-Time Accessibility In today's fast-paced business environment, the abilityto access real-time data is crucial.Cloud-based POS systems allow businesses to access data from any device with internet access, enabling real-time inventory management, sales tracking, and customer insights. This real-time data accessibility empowers enterprises to make informed decisions, optimize operations, and improve customer experience. Flexibility and Mobility Cloud POS solutions are highly flexible, making it easier for businesses to adapt to changing needs and ecosystems. Leveraging a POS system, businesses can quickly and easily add or remove products, update pricing, and make other changes to their inventory. Furthermore, with the accessibility from any location, these cloud based retail POS systems enable employees/ staff to work remotely. These capabilities are especially useful for businesses that sell seasonal products, experience fluctuations in demand, or have multiple locations. Scalability With legacy POS systems, businesses need to invest in new hardware to expand their operations, which can be costly and time-consuming. However, cloud-based POS systems offer businesses the flexibility to scale up or down their operations without worrying about upgrading their hardware. In addition, businesses can seamlessly add new locations, products, and users without any hardware upgrades. Improved Customer Experience Cloud-based POS systems for retail enable businesses to provide a seamless customer experience by allowing employees to access customer data from any device with an internet connection. This allows businesses to personalize their offerings, offer faster service, and resolve customer complaints quickly. The ability to access real-time data also enables businesses to anticipate customer needs and preferences, allowing them to provide tailored promotions and recommendations. Cost Savings Businesses need to invest in expensive hardware and software, access as well as pay for ongoing maintenance and support while using a legacy POS system. Switching to a cloud POS system can result in significant cost savings for businesses. As these POS solutions require minimal hardware and software investments and often come with a low monthly subscription fee, businesses can save on maintenance and support costs, as these are typically included in the subscription fee. Bottom Line A cloud-based POS system with seamless integration offers an extensive business overview and can perform operations much more than accept orders and payments. Not only does it streamline services, but it also provides insightful data and simplifies day-to-day business management, allowing business owners to focus on development. It is evident that combining day-to-day operations with cloud-based POS software is now a critical requirement for businesses. In addition, the technological evolution of these systems in recent years and the possibilities for continuous development have made point-of-sale data, inventory, staff, and payment management much easier for businesses. Since the world is becoming increasingly digital, it is imperative that businesses adapt and adopt cloud-based POS systems to remain competitive and relevant. Therefore, businesses should consider the benefits of cloud-based POS systems and make the switch to ensure long-term success and growth.

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POS RETAIL

Retail ,Wholesale Trade,Ecommerce,Retail,E-commerce,point of sale.

Article | July 26, 2022

Last July, a small group representing the giants of the tech industry gathered in the seat of US government, Washington DC. They probably didn’t want to be there. Congress had summoned their employers Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon to answer questions about the command they hold over the markets they operate in. On Amazon’s behalf, associate general counsel Nate Sutton spoke in defense of his employer’s role in US retail. Throughout, he argued that Amazon isn’t so powerful as to be able to control prices and stifle competition. Amazon, he pointed out, makes up less than 1% of retail globally. In the US, it accounts for around 4% of retail. In fact, Walmart is much larger than Amazon, he said. In terms of sales, Sutton is right. Walmart reported $510 billion in total sales across its US and international segments in the 2019 fiscal year, versus Amazon’s $233 billion in roughly the same period.

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RESTAURANT POS

How SMEs can emulate the success of Amazon through ecommerce personalization

Article | December 1, 2022

Whatever your feelings are towards Amazon, there is no denying that they have revolutionised ecommerce and now set the bar for the personalised experience of users when it comes to online shopping. So much so that it was recently reported that they have more than a 30% share of the UK’s ecommerce market. With statistics like this, it may feel like it is impossible to compete, especially as Amazon has huge tech and marketing budgets at its disposal. However, all is not lost. It is possible for SMEs to learn from the forerunner and implement some of their most successful techniques, with regards to their use of ecommerce personalisation and AI, to increase sales cost effectively.

Read More

How Retailers Can Utilize In-Store Digital Signage

Article | February 10, 2020

Consumer attention is shifting. Brick-and-mortar stores must now compete with e-retailers as customers spend more time online, thanks to targeted ads and personalized deals. As noted by Digital eCommerce, online sales rose almost 18 percent last year to $3.46 trillion worldwide and are on track to top $892 billion across the U.S. in less than two years. This shift has alerted most brands to the need for a retail evolution to ensure ongoing success. With e-commerce sales still accounting for just under 10 percent of retail revenues, businesses have an opportunity to boost sales and raise their brand profile — if they can reliably capture consumer interest. One solution: effective and engaging digital signage. Retailers Can Capture Crucial In-Store Moments To capture attention and drive conversion, businesses must capitalize on what Google calls micro-moments, when customers leverage their mobile devices to discover more information, find a price or pinpoint a vendor online.

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POS SOLUTIONS

Impact of Cashless Transactions on Third-Party Payments

Article | July 13, 2022

Embrace the future and need of business operations with cloud-based POS systems. Experience unrivaled features such as unparalleled flexibility, scalability, real-time analytics, and more. Introduction Key Reasons for Businesses to Switch to Cloud-based POS System • Accessibility and Mobility • Flexibility and Mobility • Scalability • Improved customer experience • Cost saving Introduction With constant evolution in payment technologies, businesses are constantly looking for innovative ways to streamline their operations and improve their bottom line. As a result, innovative payment solutions are increasingly playing a crucial role in enhancing their transforming and upscaling businesses. One such technology that has revolutionized the way businesses operate is cloud-based POS systems. A significant transition from traditional POS systems to cloud-based POS systems has been witnessed in recent years. Businesses worldwide are increasingly deploying cloud-based point of sale systems to adapt to emerging paymentFrom enhanced security to real-time data accessibility and improved customer experience, learn why businesses should make the switch to cloud-based POS systems. technologies, improve customer experience, enhance payment security, and others. According to a study by SalesForce, more than 20% of retail businesses currently use a cloud-based POS, and around 29% of businesses plan to deploy it in the coming future. Key Reasons for Businesses to Switch to Cloud-based POS System Payment processes are presently propelled by connectivity and technological advancements, which have resulted in a significant impact on the payments industry. Consequently, it has become imperative for businesses to adopt point-of-sale systems powered by agile, cloud-based software to harness the full benefits of modern cutting-edge technology. Deploying a cloud point of sale system can guarantee optimal customer experience to businesses while remaining aligned with the rapidly evolving technological landscape. Here are the primary reasons why businesses should contemplate the adoption of a cloud based POS system: Real-Time Accessibility In today's fast-paced business environment, the abilityto access real-time data is crucial.Cloud-based POS systems allow businesses to access data from any device with internet access, enabling real-time inventory management, sales tracking, and customer insights. This real-time data accessibility empowers enterprises to make informed decisions, optimize operations, and improve customer experience. Flexibility and Mobility Cloud POS solutions are highly flexible, making it easier for businesses to adapt to changing needs and ecosystems. Leveraging a POS system, businesses can quickly and easily add or remove products, update pricing, and make other changes to their inventory. Furthermore, with the accessibility from any location, these cloud based retail POS systems enable employees/ staff to work remotely. These capabilities are especially useful for businesses that sell seasonal products, experience fluctuations in demand, or have multiple locations. Scalability With legacy POS systems, businesses need to invest in new hardware to expand their operations, which can be costly and time-consuming. However, cloud-based POS systems offer businesses the flexibility to scale up or down their operations without worrying about upgrading their hardware. In addition, businesses can seamlessly add new locations, products, and users without any hardware upgrades. Improved Customer Experience Cloud-based POS systems for retail enable businesses to provide a seamless customer experience by allowing employees to access customer data from any device with an internet connection. This allows businesses to personalize their offerings, offer faster service, and resolve customer complaints quickly. The ability to access real-time data also enables businesses to anticipate customer needs and preferences, allowing them to provide tailored promotions and recommendations. Cost Savings Businesses need to invest in expensive hardware and software, access as well as pay for ongoing maintenance and support while using a legacy POS system. Switching to a cloud POS system can result in significant cost savings for businesses. As these POS solutions require minimal hardware and software investments and often come with a low monthly subscription fee, businesses can save on maintenance and support costs, as these are typically included in the subscription fee. Bottom Line A cloud-based POS system with seamless integration offers an extensive business overview and can perform operations much more than accept orders and payments. Not only does it streamline services, but it also provides insightful data and simplifies day-to-day business management, allowing business owners to focus on development. It is evident that combining day-to-day operations with cloud-based POS software is now a critical requirement for businesses. In addition, the technological evolution of these systems in recent years and the possibilities for continuous development have made point-of-sale data, inventory, staff, and payment management much easier for businesses. Since the world is becoming increasingly digital, it is imperative that businesses adapt and adopt cloud-based POS systems to remain competitive and relevant. Therefore, businesses should consider the benefits of cloud-based POS systems and make the switch to ensure long-term success and growth.

Read More
POS RETAIL

Artificial Intelligence: Making Retail POS Systems Smarter

Article | July 26, 2022

Last July, a small group representing the giants of the tech industry gathered in the seat of US government, Washington DC. They probably didn’t want to be there. Congress had summoned their employers Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon to answer questions about the command they hold over the markets they operate in. On Amazon’s behalf, associate general counsel Nate Sutton spoke in defense of his employer’s role in US retail. Throughout, he argued that Amazon isn’t so powerful as to be able to control prices and stifle competition. Amazon, he pointed out, makes up less than 1% of retail globally. In the US, it accounts for around 4% of retail. In fact, Walmart is much larger than Amazon, he said. In terms of sales, Sutton is right. Walmart reported $510 billion in total sales across its US and international segments in the 2019 fiscal year, versus Amazon’s $233 billion in roughly the same period.

Read More
RESTAURANT POS

How POS Solutions Assist Restaurants to Increase their ROI?

Article | December 1, 2022

Whatever your feelings are towards Amazon, there is no denying that they have revolutionised ecommerce and now set the bar for the personalised experience of users when it comes to online shopping. So much so that it was recently reported that they have more than a 30% share of the UK’s ecommerce market. With statistics like this, it may feel like it is impossible to compete, especially as Amazon has huge tech and marketing budgets at its disposal. However, all is not lost. It is possible for SMEs to learn from the forerunner and implement some of their most successful techniques, with regards to their use of ecommerce personalisation and AI, to increase sales cost effectively.

Read More

How Retailers Can Utilize In-Store Digital Signage

Article | February 10, 2020

Consumer attention is shifting. Brick-and-mortar stores must now compete with e-retailers as customers spend more time online, thanks to targeted ads and personalized deals. As noted by Digital eCommerce, online sales rose almost 18 percent last year to $3.46 trillion worldwide and are on track to top $892 billion across the U.S. in less than two years. This shift has alerted most brands to the need for a retail evolution to ensure ongoing success. With e-commerce sales still accounting for just under 10 percent of retail revenues, businesses have an opportunity to boost sales and raise their brand profile — if they can reliably capture consumer interest. One solution: effective and engaging digital signage. Retailers Can Capture Crucial In-Store Moments To capture attention and drive conversion, businesses must capitalize on what Google calls micro-moments, when customers leverage their mobile devices to discover more information, find a price or pinpoint a vendor online.

Read More
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ReSource Point of Sale LLC

At ReSource Point of Sale we understand your unique business challenges and have the expertise to help you solve any point-of- sale problem you might have. Our local, stateside support team is available to take your calls 24/7/365.

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POS RETAIL

Mode Eleven taps Finzly for cloud-based payments platform

FinTech Futures | May 31, 2023

Through the partnership, Mode Eleven will now be able to facilitate large-scale and high-value payments on the ACH and Fedwire networks.Finzly says that by using its payments platform to process ACH and wires, Mode Eleven has boosted its operational efficiency by simplifying its operations, reducing manual effort by 99% and eliminating the need for “laborious” file processing. Mode Eleven can now provide its customers with a single payment portal across various payment rails using Finzly’s unified, rail-agnostic offering.Finzly’s unified API ensures that Mode Eleven can onboard and process payments for fintechs and other platforms, unlocking revenue opportunities for the bank in embedded payments. Finzly, headquartered in North Carolina, provides financial infrastructure to banks, fintechs and businesses through a cloud-based and API-enabled core platform.Its payment hub allows banks to provide “a single API for all payment rails to fintech partners” and also establishes a direct connection with the Federal Reserve, The Clearing House and Swift, offloading all payment processing from banks’ legacy cores. About Finzly Finzly help banks to prepare for the embedded, connected and real-time demands of the new economy through an digital, real-time, cloud-native operating system. Using our payment hub on this operating system, banks can centrally process ACH, FedWire, RTP, SWIFT and FedNow payments. We easily integrate with the banks’ core. Banks can innovate using Finzly's parallel core platform, that is modern, cloud-based, real-time and API enabled. The digital core readily integrates to the banks’ existing core, saving banks time and money replacing the core, allowing them to focus on innovation. With an array of readymade solutions including a multi-rail payment hub (ACH, wires, RTP, FedNow and SWIFT), foreign exchange, multi-asset deposit core, Digital Account Opening, KYC, Risk, Compliance, and a suite of customer experience components.

Read More

POS RETAIL

Contentsquare Selects Ivalua to Digitize its Procure-to-Pay (P2P) Processes

PRnewswire | May 31, 2023

Ivalua, a global leader in spend management, today announced that Contentsquare, the global leader in digital experience analytics, has selected Ivalua and its implementation partner Cyrias to digitize its P2P operations.Contentsquare's AI-powered platform provides insight into customer behaviors, feelings, and intent to help brands transform the way they do business, allowing them to build customer trust through customer experiences that are rooted in security, privacy, and accessibility. More than 1,000 leading brands use Contentsquare to power the customer experience on over 1 million websites worldwide. Contentsquare was founded in Paris and has 18 offices around the world, with more than 1,800 employees. In a context of fast-paced growth, Contentsquare was looking for a flexible and scalable P2P solution allowing the company to better monitor its spend, manage the growing volume of transactions with vendors, and streamline the onboarding and deployment of new suppliers. Contentsquare selected Ivalua's supplier risk and performance management (SRPM) and P2P solutions to streamline its P2P processes and improve operational efficiency by digitizing purchasing and invoicing operations.Enabled by Ivalua, their strategic procurement approach will allow Contentsquare to digitize its current procurement operations, and future-proof the solution for the company's evolving requirements. "Consolidating and digitalizing our processes with Ivalua's unified, yet highly-flexible platform will provide us greater visibility into our procurement activities enabling us to better manage our spend and forecast more accurately," said Nicolas Fritz, Chief Operating and People Officer at Contentsquare. "With its automation capabilities and insights into our spend, we will be able to make better informed strategic decisions, so that we can continue to focus on innovating as a business and serving our customers." "The entire Cyrias team is proud and thrilled to bring its expertise to support Contentsquare's procurement and Account Payable transformational journey with the key objectives of fastening accounting closing, ensuring proper segregation of duty, and reinforcing control automation and productivity," said Xavier Thevenet, Partner and co-founder at Cyrias. "Thanks to Ivalua's unmatched agility, our solution is well positioned not only to enable Contentsquare's procurement digitalization but also to support its ambitious development plans", said Dan Amzallag, Ivalua's Chief Operating Officer (COO). "We are delighted to begin this partnership with Contentsquare whose innovation-driven culture aligns with Ivalua." About Ivalua Ivalua is a leading provider of cloud-based Spend Management software. Our complete, unified platform empowers businesses to effectively manage all categories of spend and all suppliers, increasing profitability, improving ESG performance, lowering risk and improving employee productivity. We are trusted by hundreds of the world's most admired brands and recognized as a leader by Gartner and other analysts About Contentsquare Contentsquare delivers the power to make the digital world more human. Its AI-powered platform provides rich and contextual insight into customer behaviors, feelings and intent — at every touchpoint in their journey — enabling businesses to build empathy and create lasting impact. The global leader in digital experience analytics, Contentsquare helps brands everywhere transform the way they do business, allowing them to take action at enterprise scale and build customer trust with security, privacy and accessibility. More than 1,000 leading brands use Contentsquare to grow their business, deliver more customer happiness and move with greater agility in a constantly changing world. Its insights power the customer experience on over 1 million websites worldwide. Founded in Paris and with offices around the world, Contentsquare has raised $810m in investment funding from leading investors, including Softbank, BlackRock and others.

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POS RETAIL

Surfsand Resort Elevates Guest and Staff Experiences with Agilysys Property Management, Point-of-Sale, and Payment Processing Solutions

Businesswire | May 30, 2023

Surfsand Resort in Cannon Beach, Oregon has built its long-held reputation as a leading vacation spot in part based on its enviable location overlooking the iconic 235-foot-high Haystack Rock just off the Northwest Pacific Coast. In 2022 the resort further elevated its stature by updating all the property’s systems prior to a property-wide renovation and expansion starting in November 2023. Surfsand also reinforced its allure as a destination for special moments by introducing various packages of themed experiences and upgrades individual guests and groups can reserve in addition to their rooms. Coinciding with these advancements, Surfsand decided to upgrade its operational and digital capabilities by choosing property management, point-of-sale and payment processing software and systems from Agilysys. In addition to improving efficiency for both guests and staff, the new software will help Surfsand unify data on guest preferences across various property experiences so that each stay can be tailored in advance with special amenities and offers, and so that staff can personalize their interactions with guests before, during and after each stay. The property’s diverse offerings include those that are family-friendly, such as Taffy the Puffin birthday bashes, guided tide pool excursions, group photo shoots and beach bonfires featuring s’mores; those with romantic appeal such as sunset dining on the beach, couples spa retreats and art tours; and those designed for pet lovers, such as pet-friendly rooms, furry guest welcome baskets that provide a towel, a placemat, bowls for food and water and tasty treats at check-in, and activities designed for pet participation. Surfsand General Manager Phillip Wilson noted that systems that make these enriched guest experiences easy to discover and reserve are integral to the property’s evolution.Wilson said, “Our one-of-a-kind location supports delivering unique guest experiences, whether visitors are designing their dream weddings, celebrating family milestones, or connecting more closely as couples. When evaluating technology systems, it was essential that we be able to tailor them to fit our hotel and the special things we do for our guests. Our guests are looking to book more than rooms; they want to book something special. Our technology systems need to make it easy for guests to connect with all the amenities and thoughtfully designed experiences we offer, so Surfsand can be not only their favorite resort, but the one to which they return most often to enjoy personalized experiences they cannot find elsewhere.”While the ability to tailor the technology to Surfsand’s unique offerings is important, Wilson said his number one driver in selecting systems is customer service he can count on. “I have worked with Agilysys and numerous other hospitality technology providers, and Agilysys’ support is hands-down better than all the rest,” Wilson said. “All of us users know systems, no matter who provides them, will have problems or even fail from time to time. Knowing that skilled and intelligent support is there to help and that response times are quick is hugely important. Agilysys has that advantage,” he said. Wilson also noted that properties that are not part of a standardized brand structure greatly benefit from the ability to tailor reports and functions for their unique guest and market data requirements. “In non-branded hotels, operations change and different needs pop up, so we often need custom data sets,” Wilson observed. “Other hospitality technology providers, including the largest ones, charge customers for any report you ask to have built. Agilysys accommodates diversity in how properties operate without exacting that financial burden,” he concluded. A pleasant surprise was how quickly the Surfsand staff members were able to learn the new software as well as operate it proficiently. “When software is intuitive and easy to learn, user satisfaction is meaningfully higher,” Wilson said. “We were pleased with how quickly our staff members became comfortable operating even the advanced capabilities of the system,” he added. Jeba Kingsley, Agilysys vice president of professional services, commented that Surfsand’s goals make the property an ideal customer for Agilysys solutions. “Helping Surfsand create deeper understanding of guests and staff over time so they can continuously evolve personalized, unique and enhanced experiences is the perfect role for Agilysys solutions,” Kingsley said. “Our solutions provide best-of-breed operating performance when deployed standalone, and also are designed to work together across a hospitality ecosystem to deliver exponential value as each solution contributes data to create and utilize a unified profile for each guest over time. We get energized when working with customers such as Surfsand who recognize the long-term advantage of using their hospitality technology systems to enhance guest and staff experiences and to take satisfaction to a higher level,” Kingsley added. Versatile PMS Capabilities Support Efficiency and Deeper Guest Knowledge Key drivers for Surfsand’s PMS selection were the ability to manage a diverse mix of accommodations and amenities; the ability to leverage efficient cloud-based operations while also maintaining offline operating integrity during Internet challenges; and rich digital and mobile options for both guests and staff.The system also equips staff to see and book available upgrades, dining and activity reservations and Experience Enhancement packages in a single session from a single comprehensive view without switching among different systems. In turn, guests also can experience personalized offers when booking in advance and while they are checking in. Intuitive interfaces, simplified workflows, and groupings of commonly used tasks also make user training simpler and faster. Proven Point-of-Sale and Payment Solutions Maximize Security and Convenience Agilysys POS and payment solutions enable Surfsand to use a wide range of traditional fixed-station POS terminals and mobile devices (across Microsoft Windows, Android and iOS operating systems) to match the needs and style of different venues and revenue centers across the property.Guests can pay for restaurant checks and other transactions using their mobile phones through one of the first point-to-point encryption (P2PE) payment solutions for hospitality validated by the PCI Security Standards Council. Surfsand can deliver secure electronic payments across guest experiences, including countertop, table service, EMV, mobile tablet, and signature capture scenarios. They also can choose from a broad array of U.S. credit card processors and can easily change equipment as technology evolves. “Agilysys has been a terrific partner in helping us to map out our hospitality technology evolution, and we look forward to continuing to create new ways to delight guests leveraging the advanced capabilities these systems enable,” Wilson concluded. About Agilysys Agilysys is well known for its long heritage of hospitality-focused technology innovation. The Company delivers modular and integrated software solutions and expertise to businesses seeking to maximize Return on Experience (ROE) through hospitality encounters that are both personal and profitable. Over time, customers achieve High Return Hospitality by consistently delighting guests, retaining staff and growing margins. Customers around the world include: branded and independent hotels; multi-amenity resort properties; casinos; property, hotel and resort management companies; cruise lines; corporate dining providers; higher education campus dining providers; food service management companies; hospitals; lifestyle communities; senior living facilities; stadiums; and theme parks. The Agilysys Hospitality Cloud™ combines core operational systems for property management (PMS), point-of-sale (POS) and Inventory and Procurement (I&P) with Experience Enhancers™ that meaningfully improve interactions for guests and employees across dimensions such as digital access, mobile convenience, self-service control, personal choice, payment options, service coverage and real-time insights to improve decisions. Core solutions and Experience Enhancers are combined in Hospitality Solution Studios™ tailored to specific hospitality settings and business needs.

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POS RETAIL

Mode Eleven taps Finzly for cloud-based payments platform

FinTech Futures | May 31, 2023

Through the partnership, Mode Eleven will now be able to facilitate large-scale and high-value payments on the ACH and Fedwire networks.Finzly says that by using its payments platform to process ACH and wires, Mode Eleven has boosted its operational efficiency by simplifying its operations, reducing manual effort by 99% and eliminating the need for “laborious” file processing. Mode Eleven can now provide its customers with a single payment portal across various payment rails using Finzly’s unified, rail-agnostic offering.Finzly’s unified API ensures that Mode Eleven can onboard and process payments for fintechs and other platforms, unlocking revenue opportunities for the bank in embedded payments. Finzly, headquartered in North Carolina, provides financial infrastructure to banks, fintechs and businesses through a cloud-based and API-enabled core platform.Its payment hub allows banks to provide “a single API for all payment rails to fintech partners” and also establishes a direct connection with the Federal Reserve, The Clearing House and Swift, offloading all payment processing from banks’ legacy cores. About Finzly Finzly help banks to prepare for the embedded, connected and real-time demands of the new economy through an digital, real-time, cloud-native operating system. Using our payment hub on this operating system, banks can centrally process ACH, FedWire, RTP, SWIFT and FedNow payments. We easily integrate with the banks’ core. Banks can innovate using Finzly's parallel core platform, that is modern, cloud-based, real-time and API enabled. The digital core readily integrates to the banks’ existing core, saving banks time and money replacing the core, allowing them to focus on innovation. With an array of readymade solutions including a multi-rail payment hub (ACH, wires, RTP, FedNow and SWIFT), foreign exchange, multi-asset deposit core, Digital Account Opening, KYC, Risk, Compliance, and a suite of customer experience components.

Read More

POS RETAIL

Contentsquare Selects Ivalua to Digitize its Procure-to-Pay (P2P) Processes

PRnewswire | May 31, 2023

Ivalua, a global leader in spend management, today announced that Contentsquare, the global leader in digital experience analytics, has selected Ivalua and its implementation partner Cyrias to digitize its P2P operations.Contentsquare's AI-powered platform provides insight into customer behaviors, feelings, and intent to help brands transform the way they do business, allowing them to build customer trust through customer experiences that are rooted in security, privacy, and accessibility. More than 1,000 leading brands use Contentsquare to power the customer experience on over 1 million websites worldwide. Contentsquare was founded in Paris and has 18 offices around the world, with more than 1,800 employees. In a context of fast-paced growth, Contentsquare was looking for a flexible and scalable P2P solution allowing the company to better monitor its spend, manage the growing volume of transactions with vendors, and streamline the onboarding and deployment of new suppliers. Contentsquare selected Ivalua's supplier risk and performance management (SRPM) and P2P solutions to streamline its P2P processes and improve operational efficiency by digitizing purchasing and invoicing operations.Enabled by Ivalua, their strategic procurement approach will allow Contentsquare to digitize its current procurement operations, and future-proof the solution for the company's evolving requirements. "Consolidating and digitalizing our processes with Ivalua's unified, yet highly-flexible platform will provide us greater visibility into our procurement activities enabling us to better manage our spend and forecast more accurately," said Nicolas Fritz, Chief Operating and People Officer at Contentsquare. "With its automation capabilities and insights into our spend, we will be able to make better informed strategic decisions, so that we can continue to focus on innovating as a business and serving our customers." "The entire Cyrias team is proud and thrilled to bring its expertise to support Contentsquare's procurement and Account Payable transformational journey with the key objectives of fastening accounting closing, ensuring proper segregation of duty, and reinforcing control automation and productivity," said Xavier Thevenet, Partner and co-founder at Cyrias. "Thanks to Ivalua's unmatched agility, our solution is well positioned not only to enable Contentsquare's procurement digitalization but also to support its ambitious development plans", said Dan Amzallag, Ivalua's Chief Operating Officer (COO). "We are delighted to begin this partnership with Contentsquare whose innovation-driven culture aligns with Ivalua." About Ivalua Ivalua is a leading provider of cloud-based Spend Management software. Our complete, unified platform empowers businesses to effectively manage all categories of spend and all suppliers, increasing profitability, improving ESG performance, lowering risk and improving employee productivity. We are trusted by hundreds of the world's most admired brands and recognized as a leader by Gartner and other analysts About Contentsquare Contentsquare delivers the power to make the digital world more human. Its AI-powered platform provides rich and contextual insight into customer behaviors, feelings and intent — at every touchpoint in their journey — enabling businesses to build empathy and create lasting impact. The global leader in digital experience analytics, Contentsquare helps brands everywhere transform the way they do business, allowing them to take action at enterprise scale and build customer trust with security, privacy and accessibility. More than 1,000 leading brands use Contentsquare to grow their business, deliver more customer happiness and move with greater agility in a constantly changing world. Its insights power the customer experience on over 1 million websites worldwide. Founded in Paris and with offices around the world, Contentsquare has raised $810m in investment funding from leading investors, including Softbank, BlackRock and others.

Read More

POS RETAIL

Surfsand Resort Elevates Guest and Staff Experiences with Agilysys Property Management, Point-of-Sale, and Payment Processing Solutions

Businesswire | May 30, 2023

Surfsand Resort in Cannon Beach, Oregon has built its long-held reputation as a leading vacation spot in part based on its enviable location overlooking the iconic 235-foot-high Haystack Rock just off the Northwest Pacific Coast. In 2022 the resort further elevated its stature by updating all the property’s systems prior to a property-wide renovation and expansion starting in November 2023. Surfsand also reinforced its allure as a destination for special moments by introducing various packages of themed experiences and upgrades individual guests and groups can reserve in addition to their rooms. Coinciding with these advancements, Surfsand decided to upgrade its operational and digital capabilities by choosing property management, point-of-sale and payment processing software and systems from Agilysys. In addition to improving efficiency for both guests and staff, the new software will help Surfsand unify data on guest preferences across various property experiences so that each stay can be tailored in advance with special amenities and offers, and so that staff can personalize their interactions with guests before, during and after each stay. The property’s diverse offerings include those that are family-friendly, such as Taffy the Puffin birthday bashes, guided tide pool excursions, group photo shoots and beach bonfires featuring s’mores; those with romantic appeal such as sunset dining on the beach, couples spa retreats and art tours; and those designed for pet lovers, such as pet-friendly rooms, furry guest welcome baskets that provide a towel, a placemat, bowls for food and water and tasty treats at check-in, and activities designed for pet participation. Surfsand General Manager Phillip Wilson noted that systems that make these enriched guest experiences easy to discover and reserve are integral to the property’s evolution.Wilson said, “Our one-of-a-kind location supports delivering unique guest experiences, whether visitors are designing their dream weddings, celebrating family milestones, or connecting more closely as couples. When evaluating technology systems, it was essential that we be able to tailor them to fit our hotel and the special things we do for our guests. Our guests are looking to book more than rooms; they want to book something special. Our technology systems need to make it easy for guests to connect with all the amenities and thoughtfully designed experiences we offer, so Surfsand can be not only their favorite resort, but the one to which they return most often to enjoy personalized experiences they cannot find elsewhere.”While the ability to tailor the technology to Surfsand’s unique offerings is important, Wilson said his number one driver in selecting systems is customer service he can count on. “I have worked with Agilysys and numerous other hospitality technology providers, and Agilysys’ support is hands-down better than all the rest,” Wilson said. “All of us users know systems, no matter who provides them, will have problems or even fail from time to time. Knowing that skilled and intelligent support is there to help and that response times are quick is hugely important. Agilysys has that advantage,” he said. Wilson also noted that properties that are not part of a standardized brand structure greatly benefit from the ability to tailor reports and functions for their unique guest and market data requirements. “In non-branded hotels, operations change and different needs pop up, so we often need custom data sets,” Wilson observed. “Other hospitality technology providers, including the largest ones, charge customers for any report you ask to have built. Agilysys accommodates diversity in how properties operate without exacting that financial burden,” he concluded. A pleasant surprise was how quickly the Surfsand staff members were able to learn the new software as well as operate it proficiently. “When software is intuitive and easy to learn, user satisfaction is meaningfully higher,” Wilson said. “We were pleased with how quickly our staff members became comfortable operating even the advanced capabilities of the system,” he added. Jeba Kingsley, Agilysys vice president of professional services, commented that Surfsand’s goals make the property an ideal customer for Agilysys solutions. “Helping Surfsand create deeper understanding of guests and staff over time so they can continuously evolve personalized, unique and enhanced experiences is the perfect role for Agilysys solutions,” Kingsley said. “Our solutions provide best-of-breed operating performance when deployed standalone, and also are designed to work together across a hospitality ecosystem to deliver exponential value as each solution contributes data to create and utilize a unified profile for each guest over time. We get energized when working with customers such as Surfsand who recognize the long-term advantage of using their hospitality technology systems to enhance guest and staff experiences and to take satisfaction to a higher level,” Kingsley added. Versatile PMS Capabilities Support Efficiency and Deeper Guest Knowledge Key drivers for Surfsand’s PMS selection were the ability to manage a diverse mix of accommodations and amenities; the ability to leverage efficient cloud-based operations while also maintaining offline operating integrity during Internet challenges; and rich digital and mobile options for both guests and staff.The system also equips staff to see and book available upgrades, dining and activity reservations and Experience Enhancement packages in a single session from a single comprehensive view without switching among different systems. In turn, guests also can experience personalized offers when booking in advance and while they are checking in. Intuitive interfaces, simplified workflows, and groupings of commonly used tasks also make user training simpler and faster. Proven Point-of-Sale and Payment Solutions Maximize Security and Convenience Agilysys POS and payment solutions enable Surfsand to use a wide range of traditional fixed-station POS terminals and mobile devices (across Microsoft Windows, Android and iOS operating systems) to match the needs and style of different venues and revenue centers across the property.Guests can pay for restaurant checks and other transactions using their mobile phones through one of the first point-to-point encryption (P2PE) payment solutions for hospitality validated by the PCI Security Standards Council. Surfsand can deliver secure electronic payments across guest experiences, including countertop, table service, EMV, mobile tablet, and signature capture scenarios. They also can choose from a broad array of U.S. credit card processors and can easily change equipment as technology evolves. “Agilysys has been a terrific partner in helping us to map out our hospitality technology evolution, and we look forward to continuing to create new ways to delight guests leveraging the advanced capabilities these systems enable,” Wilson concluded. About Agilysys Agilysys is well known for its long heritage of hospitality-focused technology innovation. The Company delivers modular and integrated software solutions and expertise to businesses seeking to maximize Return on Experience (ROE) through hospitality encounters that are both personal and profitable. Over time, customers achieve High Return Hospitality by consistently delighting guests, retaining staff and growing margins. Customers around the world include: branded and independent hotels; multi-amenity resort properties; casinos; property, hotel and resort management companies; cruise lines; corporate dining providers; higher education campus dining providers; food service management companies; hospitals; lifestyle communities; senior living facilities; stadiums; and theme parks. The Agilysys Hospitality Cloud™ combines core operational systems for property management (PMS), point-of-sale (POS) and Inventory and Procurement (I&P) with Experience Enhancers™ that meaningfully improve interactions for guests and employees across dimensions such as digital access, mobile convenience, self-service control, personal choice, payment options, service coverage and real-time insights to improve decisions. Core solutions and Experience Enhancers are combined in Hospitality Solution Studios™ tailored to specific hospitality settings and business needs.

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