By Chris Veli, Principal Consultant, Rizing

From traditional cashier-based point-of-sale (POS) systems, to tablets, smartphones, and self-checkout, the number of ways customers expect to pay for their purchases has grown. Along with that, expectations for offers and promotions, often at a customer level, have become commonplace. With multiple POS systems and varied promotions being the norm, technical integrations are required to bring sales and promotional information into a single place.

SAP has partnered with GK Software (GK) to help provide solutions that offer uniform store-level POS data, while still allowing for varying methods of payment. Rizing has partnered with GK to implement the SAP Omnichannel Point-of-Sale by GK, with a US apparel company—and doing so remotely during this time of social distancing.

Project Objectives

In implementing SAP Omnichannel Point-of-Sale by GK, the apparel provider is seeking to achieve three primary goals:

1. Create a competitive edge through improved customer engagement and service;
2. Optimize appeal to shoppers through the use of highly flexible promotions, unlimited loyalty campaigns, and a mobile customer experience solution; and
3. Ensure rapid localization and monetization to support growth and expansion into new markets utilizing the same software.

With this GK and SAP integration (currently in-progress at the time of this publication), the US-based apparel company is seeking to create a stable POS environment that removes the need to reboot throughout the day and completes store closing functions without failures. This should occur while also delivering complete and accurate POS reporting that captures and processes all POS-related transactions across multiple devices—including a fully functional mobile POS solution.

This implementation will include an integration between POS and Pin Pad solutions, improving the ability for external gift card and credit card authorizations. There will also be the ability to create robust promotional, bonus buy, and discounting capabilities. Together, these improvements and building an integrated POS system with GK and SAP will lead to a more stable POS and ultimately, a more tailored and optimized customer experience.

How to Complete a POS-Implementation Project Remotely

In the SAP ecosystem it is not unusual to expect that consultants will travel directly to customer sites, often for three to four days a week, in order to complete a project. However, with social distancing measures in place as of late, consultants are having to find new ways to complete implementation projects in a remote environment. Completing projects remotely with your customers will differ depending on your unique situation, capabilities, and requirements. However, this section will explain two methods that Rizing Consumer Industries consultants applied when completing the specific SAP and GK project with our customer, the US apparel company, without in-person contact.

Leverage Available Technology Platforms to Improve Communication

Rizing leveraged Microsoft Teams and other centralized systems to ensure that communication was continually available between Rizing’s consultants and the US apparel company. We also focused on validating the out-of-the-box (OTB) solution with an emphasis on leveraging a prototype in support of presentations to key stakeholders.

The chosen method for communications was also used for all workshops, as both companies use Microsoft Teams as their main internal communication system. During workshops it is customary to have a scribe taking notes. While these workshops were run in the customary fashion, to assist in notetaking, there was also the additional component of recording each session with Microsoft Teams. The recording function was also helpful during system setup, as the video series was downloaded from the MS Stream and filed on the SharePoint as a reference for future system installations.

The workshops were run in the normal fit gap methodology, whereby the standard OTB GK functionality was presented to the client to validate where potential gaps might be in comparison to their current and future processes.

In a normal SAP implementation, the remote system setup and troubleshooting would not be an issue, but with this particular project, which involved a POS, there were peripherals to set up, test, and service, including scanners, printers, ETF units, register drawers, and customer displays.

Typically, these hardware components must be physically with the consultant or client business representative for two reasons:

1. The physical device needs to be tested when setting it up with POS, but also servicing is required, e.g. changing the printer paper when empty
2. These devices must connect to the POS within the client’s network

If the consultants were on site, the client representative and consultants would be sitting side by side logging many hours within the lab. However, due to social distancing requirements, the need for remote work caused a challenge. This was overcome with a joint initiative of remote connections onto the client’s lab devices and the client shipping hardware to developers and consultants.

Keeping the Customer Engaged

Despite these effective workarounds, engagement often requires an extra nudge during remote work, particularly for those who aren’t accustomed to working outside of the office. We found that trimming down workshops to shorter intervals, 2.5 hours at most, facilitates more constructive learning while making the shorter sessions more manageable. Throughout the project and during workshops we tried to inject insights and activities to keep the session interactive. For example, having a participant take control of the prototype system and guiding them though a transaction, within the session as to demo the system’s capabilities.

Clear and concise communication with regularity has been essential to the success of this project implementation. This helps specifically set up an environment where clients are just as comfortable asking a question remotely as they are when the consultant is sitting at the next desk over.

Benefits of Implementing SAP Omnichannel Point-of-Sale by GK

In any software implementation, much of the effort and resources are reserved for integration tasks. The effort involved with mapping a POS Transaction Log (TLOG) into SAP CAR POSDTA is ordinarily defined within its own project workstream and integration with ERP in receiving the master data.

SAP Omnichannel Point-of-Sale by GK has pre-defined integration mapping for SAP standard ERP master data IDOCs and CAR POSDTA TLOGs. This reduces the project’s cost and timeline by the factor of integration. Within this client’s project, set to go live in late Q3/early Q4 of 2020, the SAP S/4HANA Merchandise Hierarchy, Plant Master (store), Material Master (items) and SAP CAR POSDTA TLOG integration was set up within a week. Master data was sent from SAP S/4HANA, through SAP PO, and consumed by GK. GK POS then posted sales through SAP PO into SAP CAR POSDTA. This accomplishment speaks for itself because often, TLOG mapping alone could be a 3 to 6-month project, depending on the mapping and analytic requirements.

A challenge experienced was the change in the IDOC type and structure for Plant Master (store) as the client’s SAP fashion management functionality was activated. Ironically, working remotely helped us overcome the challenge faster and more effectively by allowing for collaborative working sessions. For example, all eyes were on one screen (a difficult feat to achieve when in an office/meeting room setting) and we avoided side conversations as often happens during workshop-style meetings that occur in an office/meeting room setting.

The solution to the challenge was found and implemented in a single session. It was decided that the IDOC type and structure would be changed in PO, so that no changes are required in SAP S/4HANA and GK POS.

Conclusion

This project had challenges, namely implementing the POS completely remotely without stepping foot into the customer’s POS Lab. Other challenges were learning how to efficiently perform the project phases and deliverables remotely, using technology that is relatively new.

Consider the differences from previous projects (e.g., traveling to customer, sitting with the project team in a war room setting, and having unlimited access to the POS Lab). Compared to today, where all team members on the project are working from home.

The new climate we all find ourselves in is just another problem to solve—luckily, problem solving is second nature for consultants.