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Element’s All-in-One Medical Devices for Healthcare Efficiency Element K95A Full HD Medical-Grade Panel PC Although healthcare is far removed from retail and hospitality, there are key parallels Element’s panel PCs and washable healthcare peripherals are perfect for a medical setting Together, items in the range can offer an all-in-one solution Far from the world of retail and hospitality, Element’s focus on design, quality, and purpose fits well in a special place: healthcare. Even with the differences, there are still similarities between these settings, both have a fast pace and need for efficiency. The customer experience in healthcare is crucial, because the “customers” are the patients and those receiving care. Element provides a full range of medical-grade products. This includes touchscreen panel PCs and Washable keyboards and mice. All products meet strict certification standards. Element’s healthcare hardware is made from special plastics with silver nanotechnology and is carefully designed for hospitals, where controlling infections is very important. Constant use of eMR (electronic medical records) is essential in healthcare today, so quick access is crucial. Having a terminal available whenever and wherever needed is imperative. This is especially true when hospital staff are always short on time and resources. Having the computing power to get results, enter patient data, and track their health is key to meeting health goals.  The Element K95A and K959 are touchscreen panel PCs designed for portability and ease of use. Both units have optional RFID readers. This lets clinicians use their ID cards to log into their accounts. Their desktop and work environment will be ready to use right away on the terminal. One of the key features of both the K95A and K959 is convenient side-mounted battery access. This design allows for smooth, secure hot-swapping of batteries, minimising strain and ensuring reliable connections. The feature allows easy access for quick battery replacement. Even when on a cart, it works for users of all heights. This makes power replenishment faster, safer, and more comfortable.  On battery power, the K95A and K959 can run continuously for up to 12 hours. Both units have a built-in power supply unit (PSU). This means you can easily plug them into a powered cart or wall socket for power.  The K95A and K959 both feature an optional onboard camera to facilitate video consults, while their 11th Gen Intel® Core™ Tiger Lake processor ensures plenty of headroom for medical applications.  To reduce noise for patients, the K95A and K959 are fanless medical PCs. This allows staff to work quietly at night. Each of these units also has an LED reading light mounted on its lower edge to illuminate a keyboard or hardcopy medical information without the need to switch on brighter overhead lights and disrupt the sleep of patients. The Element M24-HC clinical review monitor is great for diagnostics. It shows medical images clearly and accurately. This includes X-rays, ultrasounds, and MRIs.  Element M24-HC medical-grade touchscreen monitor The monitor is DICOM calibration compliant, meaning that if clinicians share patient files between hospitals, for example, they can be sure they are seeing exactly the same thing as what anyone else with a DICOM-compliant monitor is seeing. This LCD digital display comes in touch and non-touch versions. You can use it on a cart or at an imaging centre. Perfect for any place that needs a high-quality medical monitor. Powerful peripherals The Element ECT-105 is an exceptionally cost-effective but feature-rich medical-grade keyboard. Its small form factor makes it easy to keep on a cart, without compromising on a full 104-key layout. It supports multiple ways to connect. You can use a USB cable, Bluetooth, or WiFi, and it has an IP68 rating. This means you can easily clean it by washing it in a disinfectant solution. The Element ECT-409 wireless washable mouse mouse has very quiet buttons and a scroll wheel. Perfect for medical settings where noise should be low to avoid disturbing patients. The design includes an actively sealed battery compartment, allowing you to sterilise it in a dishwasher. For medical scanning applications, Element offers the P50BT cordless companion scanner. A Useful feature of this unit is that it can connect directly to a tablet or PC using Bluetooth. It can also connect with its charge and communication cradle. You can carry the scanner unit around as it is not permanently fixed and will easily pair with different cradles when needed. Light enough to hang on a lanyard around a healthcare worker's neck, it uses a green laser for scanning. This is better than a red laser, which can remind people of blood in a hospital. The P50BT also features night mode with haptic feedback to avoid waking patients with audio alerts. It reads all mainstream barcodes and QR codes, including those from a mobile phone screen. Element Healthcare Peripherals Putting it all together Element’s healthcare range offers a purpose-designed all-in-one solution to transform healthcare delivery, with a strong focus on staff efficiency and, equally, patient experience. The K95 series can be mounted on a powered or unpowered medical cart, and connected to the washable ECT-105 keyboard via Bluetooth, cable or WiFi.  Paired with an ECT-409 wireless mouse, the system is easily cleanable, reducing the risk of infection. Adding a P50BT provides the necessary functionality for scanning medicines, pathology samples and the like, and together, these products represent a complete technology suite to meet all the needs of a healthcare setting. Thousands of these units are already used in hospitals across Australia and are reliable tools for bedside patient care. Contact Element today to learn more about how we can create an all-in-one healthcare solution to suit your requirements.

Concealment is the name of the game for a next-level customer experience The benefits of a technology-free counter are more than skin deep Hiding the hardware will necessitate practical considerations such as cable management Element offers a super-compact product that is perfect for under-the-counter installation There may be a proverb about not judging a book by its cover, but the reality is that everyone does anyway. So, ensuring a sleek, attractive appearance at the sales counter is an important way to create a positive impression of your business. One effective way to deliver a neat, minimalist look is to conceal as much POS hardware as possible by building it into the cabinetry. It’s generally unlikely that you are going to hide 100% of your technology, but Element has worked with retailers to fit even items such as touchscreens into recessed areas that leave the benchtop free and open. There are functional benefits to having as much of your technology hidden as possible. Apart from the appearance of a clear counter space, it will be advantageous for a fashion business to have more of the benchtop available to fold and bag clothing. Keeping the POS hardware out of sight means you can get away with a smaller counter, diminishing the Great Wall of Retail and making less of a barrier between sales staff and customers. Saving space at the counter also means more floor area for displaying products to sell, or in a hospitality setting, room for an extra table. Security is another advantage, as keeping the technology under the counter makes it less accessible to staff. Without an available USB port where someone can charge a phone or potentially plug in a USB drive, the network is protected from cyber threats that staff may unwittingly bring to work on an unsecured thumb drive. Putting it into practice There are several considerations that must be taken into account when installing POS hardware under the counter. Heat is the chief consideration, and adequate ventilation was crucial for older-type 180W POS systems. However, cutting-edge hardware such as the Element MPC1 (see below) is a low-power fanless unit, featuring reduced heat output. Element MPC1 Mini Box PC Cable routing is vital for the effective functioning of your POS system, and choosing peripherals that support Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity will be efficient to use in this scenario. Remember to ensure peripherals such as receipt printers are mounted so that staff can readily access them, for easy replacement of consumables as required. Use a display-mounted barcode scanner on the head unit, or keep a handheld or desktop scanner in its own recessed area under the counter for storage, to be brought out when needed. The key is to keep these items concealed whenever they are not in use, leaving as much of the counter free as possible. Out of sight, out of mind Hiding the technology away can make us forget how powerful and versatile it is. It can sometimes be easy for retailers to not be aware of everything that goes into setting up a POS system, and all the in-built features that can make a huge difference to your business. It pays to explore all the options available instead of just going for a bulky default POS terminal, and one such option is a product whose tiny size belies its enormous potential. The Element MPC1 mini box PC is a commercial-grade, modular unit that is incredibly compact without compromising on power, making it particularly valuable as an under-the-counter POS solution. It is also a prime candidate for use in digital signage, especially in applications where space is at a premium. At just 120mm square by 23mm thick, the Element MPC1 has 100mm and 75mm VESA mounts for effortless installation. Its space-saving form factor allows it to be installed into areas that are prohibitively small for standard-sized POS hardware, and its low energy consumption means you save on operating costs. Plus, because it’s an industrial PC, it is built with long-term architecture in terms of its chipset and its board. This tiny powerhouse is equipped with an Intel Elkhart Lake J6412 processor, runs WiFi 6, and can be operated continuously with very low heat output, and no noise. This is another advantage for applications such as digital signage, where it can be connected to as many as three displays via USB-C and two HDMI interfaces for output in dazzling 4k resolution. Element RW60+ It is also the perfect option for use with a touchscreen as a slimline kiosk. Add a wireless receipt printer such as the Element RW60+  and the Element P135BT cordless Bluetooth barcode scanner, and you have a complete kiosk solution. These wireless peripherals minimise the need for cable management, helping your business create its own kiosk that can be embedded in a wall, for example, to suit space constraints. Element P135BT 2D Cordless Bluetooth Barcode Scanner Contact Element  today to learn more about the hidden magic of technology, and how we can help create a concealed POS solution that will ensure an epic customer experience. We will empower you to understand why the not-so-obvious features of Element technology make it efficient, versatile, and successful for your business.

Self-service technology is streamlining and improving the customer experience all over the world, from your local café to the busiest supermarkets. The rise of contactless service during COVID-19 made kiosks a must-have for many retailers Self-service kiosks speed up transactions and reduce staff workloads, especially before Christmas Element's self-service kiosks offer scalable solutions for all types of businesses If you haven’t succumbed to the convenience of a self-ordering or self-checkout kiosk recently, you’re probably living off the grid and doing a digital detox. These handy digital devices are transforming the customer experience across the planet, from your local café to the busiest supermarkets, making shopping faster and easier for everyone. Even more importantly, self-service kiosks are helping smaller companies to stay in business, because they reduce overheads and encourage repeat business. When customers know they can nip in and out in half the usual time, they’re more likely to come back.  Blame COVID-19, but in a good way So, what’s driving the adoption of self-service kiosks? While they’ve been around for a while, in recent times (aka pandemic times) they’re really taken off.  When COVID-19 hit the world, businesses had to think on their feet. Suddenly, contactless everything was the way to go, which meant self-service kiosks became the holy grail of customer service. No need for face-to-face transactions, just a few quick taps and you’re done.  Fast forward to today and these kiosks are still doing the business, because customers love the speed and independence of DIY service. Whether it’s checking out groceries or ordering a flat white, kiosks make the process snappy and stress-free.  Christmas chaos? Not with a kiosk! With the holiday season looming, businesses are already bracing for the Christmas rush. Like tinsel and big guys dressed in red and white, we all believe that long queues, frazzled staff and impatient customers are part of the season. Or are they? By adopting self-service tech, it’s possible to flip the negatives and make Christmas shopping easier for everyone.  Imagine a packed café in December. Instead of standing in a queue, customers can place their orders through a kiosk. Staff can focus on making coffees, while customers get their flat whites and matcha lattes faster. And in retail? Self-checkout kiosks speed up the checkout process so that shoppers can get back to wondering where they parked their car and if one turkey will be enough for Christmas dinner.  Element’s got the right self-service kiosk for every type of business No matter what type of business you run, Element has a self-service kiosk to suit your needs. From affordable, space-saving models to high-tech, customisable options, there’s a kiosk solution for every company that physically interacts with its customers.  On a budget? Check out the SSK-E  If you’re a small business looking for an affordable option, Element’s SSK-E and SSK-V kiosks are a great fit. Compact, simple to install and easy for customers to use, these Element kiosks are working brilliantly in smaller cafés and shops. They’re particularly good at helping stores to cope with times of high demand, like lunchtime, without having to put on extra staff.  If space is really limited, a countertop kiosk is the way to go. Element’s SSK-E can be configured to sit on your counter without hogging floor space. Customers can search for products, place orders, or pay – all from the tiniest footprint.  Need something flash? Meet the SSK-P3 and SSK-P4 For bigger businesses with busy front lines, Element’s SSK-P3 and SSK-P4 kiosks offer all the bells and whistles. These premium models can be fully customised to suit your needs, from advanced payment systems to loyalty programme integration. They’re perfect for high-traffic businesses that need self-service options to keep up with the Christmas crowds. Picture a bustling gastro-pub during the holiday season. With a self-ordering kiosk like the Element SSK-P4 , customers can easily browse the menu, order and pay in one seamless process—no queues and no fuss. Plus, these kiosks are modular, allowing you to add extras like printers or scanners to fit your operational needs. Does a self-service kiosk make sense for your business? If you’re still on the fence about getting a self-service kiosk, here’s a quick checklist of benefits to help you decide. Faster service:  Customers can breeze through transactions, easing the workload on your staff. Happy customers:  People love the speed and independence of self-service kiosks, because they can get more done in less time.   More efficient:  Kiosks can be used to take care of the routine stuff, so your team can focus on more important tasks. Cost-effective:  Even the most budget-friendly self-service kiosks help save on labour costs while improving service. Scalable:  From a single countertop kiosk to multiple self-checkout stations, Element’s kiosks can grow with your business. Why choose Element for your self-service revolution? Element’s kiosks aren’t just about looking good – they’re practical, adaptable and easy to use. Whether you’r e after a basic self-ordering kiosk or something more advanced, Element has the self-service tech to match your business needs. And with the option to add peripherals, like barcode scanners and payment terminals, you’re getting a kiosk that’s tailored to fit your operations. And the best part? You don’t need to be an IT expert to get them an Element kiosk solution up and running. Installation is straightforward, so you’ll be seeing the benefits of self-service in double-quick time.  Ready for the Christmas rush? As the holiday season approaches, there’s no better time to consider how Element’s kiosk solutions can help streamline your business and solve staffing issues. Whether you’re a café, retail store or something in between, Element’s range of kiosks has you covered. Get ready to impress your customers with faster service and the convenience they’re craving. Self-service kiosks can turn the silly season into the slick season, because who has time for queues when there’s a glazed ham in the oven!

Connect with customers like never before, thanks to cutting-edge hardware Element Tanso POS Tablet Use customer data to personalise the sales experience The personal touch can make visitors feel uniquely understood The right technology is essential to support effective clienteling Human connection is something we all seek, and effortless connections can be a potent driving force for successful sales transactions. Skilled sales staff always have a knack for developing rapport with customers and will also know when to give people space when they need it. But repeat visitors to a business can grow tired of re-telling their story and explaining their preferences and requirements to new staff. Luckily, in the 21st century, technology can come to the aid of sales assistants, equipping them with not only background information on customers but also the power to show different options immediately, filter results and check stock availability in real time. This offers all the advantages of the online shopping experience in a brick-and-mortar store, combining the best of both worlds. What is clienteling? This is a term that refers to using customer metrics to personalise the sales experience for them. When the so-called ‘ platinum rule ’ can be the deciding factor for what makes shoppers return, it’s imperative to tap into how the customer  wants to be treated. Clienteling can do just that: by bringing up a customer’s profile, sales staff can provide relevant recommendations and instantly have a platform for developing great rapport. As soon as a customer is identified, which can be as early as when they make a booking at a hospitality venue or present a loyalty card, they can be treated to a personalised shopping or dining experience. Using data such as ordering preferences or purchase history, staff can tailor the in-store experience to each visitor, creating a meaningful relationship very quickly. And that relationship can be leveraged both for purchases made during that visit, and to encourage the customer to return to the store for more of the uniquely connected, personalised service that is on offer. The personal touch Through clienteling, staff can address a customer by name and draw on their purchase history to help establish a meaningful connection -- recreating an old-school shopping experience where ‘everyone knows your name’. For example, being aware of a customer’s recent appliance purchase can allow the sales staff to ask how their new smart fridge is shaping up, for an effective ice-breaker in more ways than one. Element Tanso POS Tablet Based on preferences such as knowing a previous fabric colour selection for a sofa, staff can make recommendations for items that complement the customer’s interior colour scheme. This depth of insight can elevate the customer journey to a truly bespoke experience: if a visitor to the store feels innately ‘understood’, then they are much more likely to return to the business that creates that feeling for them. Ultimately, it’s about investing in a process that will not only generate sales but ensure happy customers who are more likely to review your business positively and recommend it to others. The tech that makes it possible Powerful hardware is essential for a memorable clienteling experience, as the device used by sales staff will not only need fast processing and impeccable connectivity but a vibrant display and a fast, responsive interface. The Element Tanso POS Tablet is the perfect tool for clienteling: a sleek design that is lightweight and easy to carry, it features a generous 10.5” screen for presenting staff-facing data and customer-facing options. Tanso 10.5" POS Tablet Running Windows 11 on an Alder Lake-N, N100 processor and boasting impressive battery life, the Element Tanso is the ultimate platform for delivering customer profile information for staff. It is equally effective for presenting product catalogues, menus and item variants to customers on a beautiful IPS display, which supports 4k media decoding. Thanks to WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, it can integrate with your existing POS system and connect to peripherals such as printers and barcode scanners. In one example of clienteling, it can efficiently bring up all the details of a customer who has identified themselves using a loyalty card. The salesperson can quickly make a connection with the customer and explore how they can help -- drawing on previous purchases to provide subjects for conversation and points for comparison. From there, the Element Tanso facilitates showing new product ranges, filtering by various parameters ranging from colours and sizes to material types, as well as checking stock availability on the spot. In a hospitality setting, the Element Tanso can be used to show a digital menu pre-populated with a customer’s favourite meals to make cuisine selection a breeze. Depending on the menu software running on the tablet, meals can also be filtered by dietary requirements such as vegetarian or gluten-free options, all illustrated with sumptuous graphics. Enhance Your Hospitality Experience with the Tanso Tablet Contact Element  to learn more about this portable powerhouse and how it can become an affordable technology cornerstone for your business. Product demonstrations are available so that you can see for yourself what a difference the Element Tanso can make through clienteling.

Take an omnimorphic look into the future of retail through the lens of the latest tech Think of interaction points as stepping stones on the ultimate customer journey Adaptive technology is essential for supporting an omnichannel shopping experience Element can provide tech solutions to make the most of every opportunity Some say opportunities are taken, not handed out. But in today’s market reality, where retailers need to be more adaptive than ever before, every interaction point with technology represents an opportunity to win the customer’s favour. This potential abundance of opportunities poses a weighty question: does your business have the technology it takes to deliver the ultimate customer experience? Omnichannel retail is a well-established strategy that involves ensuring a “consistent, coordinated, and cohesive experience” across all physical and digital touchpoints, ranging from social media to online to instore. Think about the points of interaction a customer has in a retail environment: they include the POS, a self-service kiosk, digital signage. In some settings, adaptive devices such as a tablet can be used for clienteling, giving sales staff greater freedom to apply their skills. At each of these points, a retailer can give the visitor worthy reasons to not just transact, but also return for another rich and personalised customer journey. In a world where consumers expect a seamless omnichannel experience, retailers must be more focused than ever before on delivering such an experience. But working smarter does not have to mean working harder. A customer-centred approach In our previous post , we explored the concept of frictionless retail, asking a confronting question about the concept, right from the outset. Around the same time, Amazon announced that it would be removing Just Walk Out  frictionless technology from its larger Fresh grocery stores. In a LinkedIn article  on the subject, retail analyst Neil Saunders commented that the model was “a solution in search of a customer problem” rather than being an example of “consumer-centric technology”. We’ve argued that adaptive retail is a more ‘consumer-centric’ pathway, and the omnichannel experience is an essential aspect of this ethos. So if this is the new status quo, what do we mean by ‘omnimorphic’? Ultimately we are talking about adaptive technology designed to support a personalised customer journey at every point of interaction. Taking an omnimorphic approach is all about being nimble, it’s about recognising that you are the expert when it comes to your business. It also means harnessing that expertise and channelling it into enhancing your brand via every available platform, utilising technology touchpoints to remind the customer that you care about them. It’s a complete wraparound, invisible yet always tangible, that ensures a response to every desire and every enquiry is within the customer’s reach at all times. To complement and support the positive outcomes of such a strategy, it’s imperative to work with a technology provider who understands the realities of the retail industry. An outcome-focused tech provider can offer services that are thoughtfully designed, high in quality, and impeccably purposeful. Such services allow a glimpse into the future while also meeting the here-and-now necessity for a retailer to be ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’. Technology at the pointy end Let’s take a closer look at the technology that supports an omnimorphic experience at various interaction points. For starters, a self-service kiosk such as the Element SSK-P4  can be the customer’s first or only point of interaction. There are plenty of situations where customers may prefer not to interact with staff, so they must have access to technology that makes them feel equally valued. With a responsive, reliable touchscreen and option of either a built-in payment terminal or a multi-grip plate to hold a third-party payment device, this kiosk’s feature-packed interface makes it a pleasure for customers to interact with. Whether it is deployed as a self-checkout or as an ordering terminal in a QSR (quick-service restaurant), its optional 2D scanner supports scanning loyalty membership cards, further adding to its omnimorphic quality. K22W Panel PC - Kitchen Video System In other hospitality scenarios, the customer experience hinges on staff utilising robust and purpose-driven interaction points, connecting seamlessly with various operational needs. The Element K22W  is a panel PC designed for use as a KVS (kitchen video system), although it is equally suitable for tasks ranging from digital signage to self-ordering. In a busy commercial kitchen, this type of touchscreen unit makes managing meal orders simple and efficient, allowing staff to focus on delivering a sumptuous dining experience.

How our company ethos drives the advantages we offer The real-life applications of our values are continually evolving What does it take to make a product the perfect solution to a business challenge? We look at three peripherals as case studies into relative benefits To ride the wave of innovation, a company must stay at the forefront of market trends, be perpetually up to speed with partner expectations and in tune with the reality of what customers desire. At Element, our values of design, quality and purpose are continually evolving to deliver on expectations and stay at the cutting edge of where the present meets the future. On the personal front, living in line with our values allows us to experience a state of tranquility, peace and harmony. Similarly, applying our company values to everything we do ensures our development from strength to strength, and guides how we continue to bring new products to the market. For partners who have already been utilising the Element brand for some time, our values ensure that they have made an investment into longevity and reliability. Our values are also represented through our deep understanding of what our partners need to deliver, the adaptive retail experience  that today’s customers expect. We fully understand our partners’ requirements, and address these using our industry experience to create technology solutions that are precisely aligned with what is needed in a given scenario. Solutions that fit the problem While the three pillars of our company ethos are closely interlinked, we can also look at each of them individually. At the design level, we start by considering the challenges that a product needs to solve. One such challenge might be how to harness the convergence of POS and Payments  in a single terminal -- the answer is an Android-based POS  device that can also accept payments. Element Tanso Tablet We always design with purpose in mind first, rather than trying to create solutions in search of a customer problem, and this is how the circle closes. When the purpose is to create antimicrobial keyboards for use in a medical setting, the Element ECT-105 keyboard  is fully washable, and this single device features cable, Bluetooth and WiFi to suit any connectivity requirement. For the purpose of pampering customers with one-on-one attention while adding the advantages of an online experience, the Element Tanso tablet  runs Windows 11 and facilitates effortless clienteling. Three tiers of performance Through our distributor, Sektor, we can offer a range of top-quality peripherals such as barcode scanners that are available at great prices to help partners and customers. The value they offer represents a balance of investment and performance; depending on where a scanner or other peripheral is intended to be used, we can make recommendations about the best model to fit the purpose. This month, our focus is on three desktop scanners. At the entry level is the Element P220 barcode scanner. With this item, the purpose is to provide a price-conscious solution for occasional scanning. It’s the perfect option for a setting such as a mixed-business establishment where staff are ringing up a hamburger order on the POS and scanning a can of soft drink. Having a product that is priced at the economical end of the spectrum is necessary in the market, but this has to be tempered with the understanding that there are limitations to such a product’s speed of use, for example. When performance becomes a more pressing priority, we move up a tier to the Element P881 , a 2D scanner that features a 1280 x 1080 CMOS image sensor to help it breeze through higher-volume scanning. This unit is designed for pharmacy, semi-grocery or bottle-shop type environments, and it is capable of scanning effortlessly (including from mobile devices) at a high pass rate.   Our premium offering is the Element P880 Duet , a double-headed scanner with a highly aggressive scan engine. Reducing both the total cost of ownership and its counter footprint, this purpose-driven device features a front-facing product scanner and a second scanning head on its upper surface for capturing loyalty cards or ID. This provides high ROI through customer convenience and efficient service -- essential considerations considering how crucial it is to honour visitors to your store . Element P220 , Element P880 Duet , and Element P881 By providing different levels of performance, we can ensure the value that your business needs, and we can further tailor our technology solutions by exploring the exact features required in a specific setting. Contact us  today to learn about how we can channel our company values to find the right hardware for the challenges faced by your business. Through our adherence to design, quality and purpose, we can help you achieve the optimal balance of performance and investment.

A new synergy is upon us through the convergence of POS and Payments POS terminals are as mission-critical as payment devices What are the key drivers for this innovation? Hardware such as the Element CA30X series is essential for supporting convergence It’s not often that we can say we are at the threshold of a retail revolution. Yet two forces that have traditionally been separate are coming together in a unique, spectacular, and industry-changing way. We’re talking about the strength of the ability to accept payments on the same device that handles the many essential tasks of POS functionality, and this convergence is happening around new applications for the Android platform. An underappreciated hero Industry insiders are all too aware that the importance of POS hardware is chronically undervalued. Bear in mind that besides managing transactional data and inventory, the POS terminal is what supports in-store business applications and loyalty engines. It is the mission-critical core of the powerful business systems driving outcomes for retail and hospitality. Until now, the majority of these systems have been Windows-based — but this is changing. In an effort to free staff from behind the counter — or the Great Wall of Retail — businesses are equipping salespeople with mobile devices for clienteling. To further improve the customer journey and remove barriers, retail and hospitality businesses are opting for solutions such as self-service kiosks and other technological touchpoints that ensure visitors enjoy an efficient and pleasant purchase experience. And Android is the key platform that is allowing technology, software development and hardware design to eliminate those barriers. Driving forces The convergence of POS and Payments is being driven by customer and merchant demand. As people want to do more with the systems they have available, we are pushing the boundaries of innovation to provide a superior experience for both staff and customers. Having a single Android device that can accept payments as well as run multiple applications is freeing staff from behind that ‘great wall’ to deliver a personalised customer journey. Payment devices have traditionally been seen as separate additions required to augment POS hardware — but this is no longer the case. There are many advantages to Android being used as a payment platform, such as the ease with which a SmartPOS device can support multiple applications running together. This means a single point-of-service device can now be used for everything from recording a sale and checking inventory levels to managing loyalty points as well as, of course, accepting a payment. By supporting these varied applications, Android is facilitating payment systems to become omnimorphic , making them part of a comprehensive retail ecosystem that includes e-commerce. Loyalty is another key factor joining the convergence of POS and Payments, as the omnimorphic approach supports seamless integration through features such as gamification on payment terminals and digital stamp cards. POS and Payments in one terminal The Element CA30X series , which runs Android GMS (Google Mobile Services), supports a PCI-certified Softpos solution to ensure the utmost in security. This all-in-one terminal features POS functionality for staff and the convenience of onboard payments for the customer. It offers standardised hardware that can be used across many industry verticals and segments, ranging from fashion and convenience to grocery, fuel and hospitality. But besides being used as a POS/Payments terminal, it offers a variety of form factors utilising the same environment and a common technology support base. This means the CA30X series can be utilised as a self-service kiosk or digital display, and it is compatible with peripherals such as a side-mounted NFC reader, scanner or MSR (magnetic stripe reader). To assist customers with different operating system preferences, the CA30X series also supports a backpack variant that provides a Windows option. In this case, the priority is on the OS, as only the Android variant is designed for combined POS and Payment functionality. As POS and Payments converge, Element is at the forefront, ready to equip you with hardware and software that embodies design, quality and purpose. Contact us  to learn how you can harness this retail revolution, transforming the staff journey and customer experience your business can offer.

Being strategic about your interaction points will rub customers the right way In some instances, maximising throughput is indeed desirable There are other cases where friction is a crucial and welcome aspect of retail An adaptive approach is arguably the best-case balance of convenience and interaction If you walked into a store, grabbed a few items from the shelf and walked straight out again, wouldn’t you be shoplifting? Not if there was advanced AI tracking the products you picked up, automatically performing a checkout service and using biometrics to charge your preferred payment method. What would otherwise be a crime becomes an example of frictionless retail in its purest form. According to a report published by PwC, more than 40% of people surveyed would be prepared to pay extra for products that could be bought more quickly and effortlessly. In this report, the frictionless model is described as “the future of shopping” and there is a strong emphasis on how retailers can embrace and drive its uptake. But a little like Schrödinger’s cat, the ‘shoplifting’ comparison illustrates that there may be a component of absurdity involved in an otherwise seemingly logical retail process. Because when it comes to retail, the path of least resistance does not necessarily equate to the best possible customer journey. The benefits of express service Imagine a stadium packed with music lovers or sports fans, at a moment when there is a break in the action and people want to purchase fast food. In this situation, moving people through the checkout at the swiftest possible rate is a highly desirable goal. Ideally, the line will go straight in, then straight out, as the crowds purchase their refreshments without being burdened by any unnecessary processes. By the same token, consider drive-thru lanes at QSRs (quick-service restaurants), where cars notoriously get backed up -- not only during times of peak service, but regularly throughout the day. One improvement rolled out by quick-service burger chains is the concept of dual-lane drive-thru: it’s a way of reducing friction, and in this case, creating greater opportunity for revenue. It also improves the customer experience, as people don’t have to wait as long or get frustrated while queuing in an epic river of vehicles. The registers are still staffed by people taking orders, but the addition of camera AI helps track the movement of cars, and the process-driven kitchen meshes smoothly with this improvement in fluid dynamics. And when customers wave their phone at the point of payment, a lightning-fast NFC (nearfield communication) transaction removes yet another friction point. No retail exists in a vacuum From one perspective, frictionless retail is the idea of treating your customer as a commodity. There is truth in this, but truth doesn’t make it right; just because customers’ money drives your business, doesn’t mean they’re simply walking paycheques. Applying the ‘platinum rule’ and keeping the customer experience and the staff journey front of mind will reliably translate to loyalty and revenue. The reality of human behaviour means there is always going to be some aspect of retail or hospitality that could be described as ‘friction’. We don’t live in a vacuum; the only truly frictionless interactions occur in outer space. Bringing our attention back to McDonald’s, consider how the self-serve kiosks’ GUI (graphical user interface) is designed. Above all, it is user-intuitive and provides a satisfying, frustration-free experience. But simultaneously, a key aspect of the user pathway includes a subtle endeavour to upsell the customer, since adding more items to the basket is going to create more revenue. This means McDonald’s must tread a very delicate balance of including just enough friction to maximise each transaction, while keeping the process adequately stress-free so that customers aren’t alienated. Creating strategic friction From fashion stores to luggage retailers, the best place for staff is out among the customers rather than being stuck behind the counter -- the Great Wall of Retail. The idea of salespeople interacting with customers is not consistent with the vision described by PwC, yet even their statistics note that the majority of customers still value a traditional model. Just as e-readers have not rendered physical books obsolete, there will probably always be a desire for the attention salespeople can lavish on their customers. People have questions that only an experienced sales assistant can answer, and so far AI has still not been able to equal this. Visitors to a brick-and-mortar store want to compare products, they want to see alternatives, and adaptive retail augments these opportunities with a personalised digital service. It’s a little like using technology such as an advanced POS tablet while interacting with customers to offer ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’ -- including an online-like experience. Adaptive retail recognises that the ability to physically try on clothing, touch and see physical products, is as irreplaceable as the guidance of a trained salesperson. These aspects of the customer journey are more complex than simply walking in and then walking straight out, and when enhanced by technology, add up to a rich and rewarding retail experience. Element’s years of experience working with retailers and hospitality businesses enable us to explore with you where to strategically introduce friction, and conversely, where (as well as how) to eliminate it. Contact us to discover how you can equip your staff with technology that will allow them to indulge your customers in an adaptive retail experience that is second to none.

Equip yourself with the hardware you need to deliver an individualised experience Ensure you take good care of the ultimate authority in retail -- the customer How can adaptive retail give you a competitive edge? The Element Tanso equips you with the technological power to augment the retail experience In the world of retail, the customer is all-powerful -- so in such an uncertain and fraught economic climate, with sky-high costs of living, it’s more important than ever to entice return business. One solution is for retailers to adapt to the changing face of customer expectations, and deliver a uniquely personalised experience. There is simply no space for a second-rate customer journey. And in today’s reality, that means the interaction points between consumers and technology must be meaningful, effortless and rewarding. Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, once delivered a powerful training program for employees which centred around ‘the customer who never returns’, as a model for what not to do in retail. Although this training was initiated years ago, its message is all the more incisive today in an age when the retail landscape is saturated with data and metrics on consumer behaviour. Sam was quoted as saying, “There is only one boss: the customer. And they can fire everyone in the company, from the president to the janitor, simply by taking their money to spend elsewhere.” Adapt and conquer What does adaptive retailing actually mean, and how can it be harnessed to ensure the customer does not spend their money elsewhere? As a high-level management practice, it is all about adapting your business approach to impress your customers like never before, drawing on data you have gathered about their shopping patterns, their likes and dislikes. Adaptive retail means communicating with your customers and using channels such as social media to develop meaningful relationships, instead of taking a one-size-fits all approach. As the authority in conducting your business, it is imperative to implement ways of offering a service that combines the benefits of online shopping with the advantages of in-person sales. When the store’s counter can be like the Great Wall of Retail that creates a barrier between staff and customers, mobile technology can break through this barrier and allow one-on-one attention that doesn’t sacrifice access to your POS system. Corporate brands make huge investments into training their staff to deliver outstanding service. But to really derive a competitive edge from this, staff need to be equipped with adaptive technology that helps them facilitate a new kind of in-store experience. At the level of customer interaction in a retail setting, adaptive retail is all about providing a flexible shopping experience on the fly, responding to the customer’s needs but also anticipating unspoken opportunities. With so many shopping-related channels available -- from the online marketplace to the prolific availability of reviews -- customers are building a personal ecosystem of preferences around how they spend their money. To lavish your customers with attention they will find irresistible, and make them excited about returning to your store, retailers need to adapt to a new norm for consumers: accessing ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’. What this can look like in practice is using technology to showcase related items for a shopper, such as accessories or different products of the same class. This gives them a wider variety of choices and puts the key perks of an online experience right at their fingertips, ensuring an inspirational in-store journey. Technological enhancement The Element Tanso is an ultra slimline tablet designed to facilitate adaptive retailing. It frees sales staff from behind the Great Wall of Retail and arms them with the information they need to better understand each customer. And what better way to attract glowing approval from the boss that the customer represents, than by augmenting their journey through your store with the feature-rich power of online sales? Running Windows 11, the Tanso allows staff to interact meaningfully with visitors to the store and adapt in real time to their preferences and requirements. Staff can accompany customers as they browse, providing valuable insights, checking the availability of different sizes or colours, and offering clienteling services that would be impossible without a fast and powerful mobile terminal like the Tanso. The unit can then be brought back to the counter and mounted on a compatible clamp stand for use in a stationary configuration, with efficient cable management and sophisticated aesthetics that complement a modern store interior. Just as breaking the fourth wall in movies creates a more intimate connection between the viewer and the narrative, overcoming the Great Wall of Retail personalises the connection between sales staff and customers. But the Tanso is not limited to a retail environment; it is equally suited to an adaptive approach within the hospitality setting. It can enable waiting staff to easily show customers images of the dishes they are considering, or provide interactive details such as a description of exotic ingredients. Element’s ethos of design, quality and purpose is epitomised in our approach to creating adaptive technology that provides a uniquely dynamic customer experience. We can help you enhance both the staff journey and the services your salespeople can offer customers, supercharging their in-store interaction with the ability to be ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’. Contact us today to learn how we can empower your business to thrive like never before by embracing adaptive retail principles.

Gold standards are undoubtedly prestigious, but there is a way to go beyond Applying a lens of empathy for customers puts transactions in a new light Idealistic though it may seem, there are concrete ways to put this theory into practice At Element, we’re committed to empowering your business to deliver top-tier service Since time immemorial, precious metals have been used as indicators of value, success and victory. From jewellery to record sales, a relatively recent development on this theme is the idea that platinum represents an even more desirable prize than gold. So it follows that a principle known as the ‘platinum rule’ is something you may consider worthy of implementing. One person discussing this platinum rule is John Foley, a Blue Angels pilot, bestselling author and leadership speaker who has been described as “the greatest keynote on the planet”. In a reel posted earlier this year, John reflected on a conversation he’d had regarding sales training, and one subject in particular resonated with him. The golden rule of treating others the way you would like to be treated yourself is an age-old truism most of us are familiar with. But the ‘platinum rule’ that John quoted was all about treating others the way they want to be treated. Tune in to client wishes Shifting the perspective to a platinum model might be relatively straightforward in some aspects of sales. When it comes to a retail store, however, you might wonder how it’s possible to achieve this level of empathy. Clienteling is a one effective way to treat people to a personalised pop of luxury, so the right hardware and software to facilitate this is essential. Experienced sales staff will naturally intuit how the customer wishes to be treated, and some stores also have colour-coded shopping baskets to help facilitate interpreting a client’s desires. Evolving to platinum What about when the retailer is the customer? Element’s pillars of design, quality and purpose are not static properties — they are continually evolving. Evaluating market forces such as the increased cost of living, interest rate rises and so on, as well as our industry experience, gives us clues about what our partners will appreciate. Among the conclusions we are drawing is the notion that people are not currently looking for complex, technical, high-cost hardware. Instead, we are hearing calls for good value, good products and good pricing. For this reason, in the lead-up to Christmas, we have a whole raft of specials that can help retailers seeking dependable technology replacements at the right value. And these solutions will enable your business to continue delivering platinum-level service right through the transaction process. Make the last mile gleam When we think about how a customer would like their transaction to unfold, our attention will naturally encompass key peripherals. Depending on what products you have available, will a fixed barcode scanner be convenient to use, or is a portable one a better option? Applying the platinum rule means putting the right scanner in the right place, at the right value. Element’s range of 2D scanners can be positioned in a fixed location, but also fit in the palm of your hand, allowing you to bring the checkout to the product as required. The humble receipt printer is another item that can be a make-or-break cornerstone of the customer experience, for those who need a hardcopy record of their purchase. Maximise your ability to deliver effortless throughput by choosing a unit that will handle kilometres of receipts before the print head is even close to conking out. Because if there’s one thing you can be sure that someone who already loves your store doesn't want, it’s the hassle of being delayed at the checkout due to equipment failure. Contact Element to discover what deals we can offer across various ranges, providing value products at a crucial time and helping to make your business a shining example of ‘getting it right’.

Elevate your technology ecosystems with seamlessly integrated onboard features Subtle additions can equip healthcare terminals for exceptional EMR management A hybrid POS that can transform into a tablet offers remarkable versatility Element can empower your brand to shine through an integral technology experience We’ve already talked about the power of peripherals, and how the lead players of a technology ecosystem are nothing without a first-rate supporting cast. Regardless of whether the vertical is POS, healthcare, hospitality or industrial, the greatest gains in workflow efficiency are attained through the ingenious integration of peripherals and other key hardware features. Healthy interest At first glance, retail and healthcare might seem worlds apart, unless you’re in a shopping centre like Chadstone. But when viewed through the lens of technology, notable parallels soon become apparent. Think of a medical practitioner as a service provider, and a patient or recipient of care as the customer. Psychologists and counsellors overtly refer to the people they work with as ‘clients’, while in a more general mental health setting, people requiring services are frequently called ‘consumers’. So how can workflow be economised to support the healing process, minimising the disruption to the patient’s life? Integrating subtle but powerful features into an AIO (all-in-one) touchscreen terminal such as the Element K959 can make a huge difference when working with the inescapable medical reality of EMR (electronic medical record). Something as simple as a single sign-on function thanks to an integrated RFID reader makes it effortless for nursing staff to log in to a terminal, and an in-built LED work light offers tightly focused illumination where it’s needed, minimising disturbance to sleeping patients. When the patient is on the move and the terminal needs to roll with them, the onboard power supply can simply be disconnected from the wall and the unit switches to its hot-swappable battery system. And side-mounted orientation of the battery bay means gravity can’t work against you. These small differences may not have conspicuous effects at the conscious level - however, in concert, they serve to reduce the stress points in an environment that is inevitably fraught with worry. Hybrid theory When is a tablet not just a tablet? When it can be instantly transformed into a freestanding POS, loaded with optional peripherals. These are too diverse to list here, but they’re perfect for ‘clienteling’ -- the art of building meaningful relationships with customers, that can be transfrerred to other individuals within the sales team. It’s a popular choice for concept stores, since staff can close a sale directly from the unit. The modern, ergonomic docking station features a magnetic lock and rotating ball joint so the tablet can be viewed from a variety of angles. Plus, the docking station offers extra comm ports, LAN, USB ports and even cash drawer points -- all integrated into the base of the unit. Interaction by stealth It’s not enough just to spruik the value of integration: choosing the right products means understanding where and how they are going to be used, then qualifying them correctly. Ultimately, the whole point is to make the hardware and software disappear, and allow the engagement with your brand to take centre stage. Hardware that is effectively ‘invisible’ will often nevertheless create a subliminal impression of your business space as a whole being sleek, modern and beautiful. And while customers should hardly notice the POS itself, they should remember their transaction as being smooth and pleasant. Let Element help you map the right staff experience with the customer journey to ensure the best possible outcome for your business.

Enhance your retail space with technology that makes people want to use it It is imperative that retailers see consumers as more than just walking meal tickets Creating a rich, rewarding customer experience is central to the success of your brand The Element Duet is a great example of how design and inspiration can intersect Have you noticed anything special about those individuals who have chosen to give you their time and attention by visiting your business environment in the real world? They care enough, or are curious enough, about what you offer, to bless you with a moment of their consciousness. Your customers aren’t just walking transactions -- while it’s true that their purchase decisions drive your livelihood, they have so much more to offer than simply being your meal ticket. What are you going to give them in return? Sure, they have come to you for specific goods or services. But the way they feel when they interact with your staff and your technology is a delicate fourth dimension to their retail experience, and it’s imperative that you make the most of that opportunity to acknowledge how valuable they are to you. Make those precious seconds count Kayleigh Fazan is a top influencer in the field of future-proofing customer experiences, who creates incisive and valuable content advising businesses on how to thrive in a post-COVID world. Now the floodgates have been opened and physical stores are an option rather than a necessity, we need to rethink many of the time-worn practices traditionally associated with retail. In a recent vlog reel she posted on LinkedIn, Kayleigh made the poignant observation that when a person comes into your retail space, they are giving you a “golden ticket” to “engage, inspire and educate” them. When someone visits a physical store, they are in effect voting with their feet, which provides you with an opportunity to enrich their lives through inspiring, engaging and educating them. Option paralysis That’s not to say you need to be all over every visitor like a skin condition. Innisfree -- a Korean beauty chain with outlets in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan -- offers customers the ingenious option of choosing colour-coded shopping baskets to indicate whether they want to be approached by staff, or they’re happy just browsing independently. But whether you use a brilliantly expedient method like this or simply train your staff to read the people walking into your store, it is vital that you make the most of those precious seconds. Even if your product or service is the best thing since sliced bread, you may never get a second chance to make a lasting impression. Attention scan It can be frustrating for customers to pass an item over a wave-and-weigh surface and it doesn’t scan. With products such as the Element Duet, we’ve tried to overcome this annoyance by developing a product from the ground up that has a remarkably sensitive scan engine. It can be positioned on a countertop or easily fit in your hand, with a 2D scanner that can pick up and read the smallest of barcodes, such as those found on small pharmacy labels. But the real kicker is the ability to digitally interact on single device with your customer through a second barcode scanner on the customer-facing side. Obviously this saves money, because you do not need to buy two scanning devices for individual tasks. More importantly, it creates a unique customer experience, and expedites the transaction -- and by doing so, it shows your customers that you care about their time and don’t want to hold them up. This makes the Element Duet a quintessential example of how our ethos of design, quality and purpose intersects with Kayleigh’s vision of a 4D consumer experience that is ‘engaging, inspiring and educating’. We are always committed to moving forward, embracing the cutting edge of the cresting wave and mixing metaphors while we’re at it. And when all is said and done, a win for your customers is a win for your business.