Gerrard Schmid, CEO & President Human interaction to place orders and checkout in brick-and-mortar outlets is likely to be a part of the history soon. There is an emerging global trend wherein consumers seek easier and more intuitive access to products as well as product information while in-store. Today, shoppers expect the integration of new-age technologies into the retail arena to make their shopping experience better. With significant numbers of footfall in the brick-and-mortar outlets, retailers must continue to work in tune with the increasing influence of digital and online channels by adopting interactive technologies. Aligning well with the global need, so much of what is evolving in the technological standpoint is heading towards ‘self-service’ options for users. This crucial requirement paved the way for Diebold Nixdorf, an Ohio-based information technology and services firm, to hit the market with their robust and interactive kiosk solutions.
According to Gerrard Schmid, the president and CEO of Diebold Nixdorf, interactive kiosks are adjudged as the feasible solution to help retailers stay ahead of the competition in a customer-centric global ecosystem. Shoppers are evidently primed to make crucial purchase decisions using available information and expect more from their shopping experiences. In this scenario, Kiosks provide the perfect complementary services within brick-and-mortar environments. Once limited to ATMs or information booths at shopping malls, these interactive machines continue to pop up everywhere— from government centers to retail outlets and business shop front. A study into this emerging trend by Research and Markets found that the interactive kiosk market is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 11.81 percent. Are all retailers keeping up with this trend?
Schmid says, “No.” He adds, “But, they can; we can help them to align well with the evolving pace of the retail landscape, which has been reshaped by the new headwinds in the market.” How is Diebold Nixdorf attaining this goal while the advancements in FinTech solutions, mobile connectivity, AI, and blockchain are drastically remolding the retail space?
Three-Pillar Architecture: The Driving Force
The retail industry is shifting toward mobile, contactless tech, smart data, and advanced analytics. And hence, the digitally savvy consumer population paves the need for the orchestration of touchpoints that meet and even exceed the 24/7 automation requirements of the retail space. As a global leader in connected commerce, Diebold Nixdorf effectuates this by their proven expertise and comprehensive portfolios in cutting-edge systems technology, multi-vendor software and service excellence for retail customers. “We have a relentless focus on customer satisfaction and retention with a comprehensive approach and continuous innovation,” adds Schmid.
Diebold Nixdorf adopts a “three-pillar architecture” while designing their solution and service portfolio to achieve the aforementioned benefits. What makes the firm unique in the space is their dedication to employing the industry-best human resource, “The Brightest Minds,” which Schmid denotes as the first pillar.
We can help them to align well with the evolving pace of the retail landscape, which has been reshaped by the new headwinds in the market
By leveraging the expertise of this experienced workforce, the firm develops simplified solutions that enable organizations to ingrate them easily and in an agile manner. The company is thus able to eliminate the pain points out of running a business in the retail space. Out of 23000 employees deployed in more than 130 countries across the globe, Diebold Nixdorf has 15000 certified and trained service professionals and more than 1900 software experts. Furthermore, the company has a customer helpdesk that supports more than 25 languages.
Technology and Innovation is Diebold Nixdorf’s second pillar, as Schmid points out. The firm’s capability to connect the dots between the physical and digital worlds enables them to stay ahead of the curve. Diebold Nixdorf is on a continuous drive to sharpen the edge of their solutions through R&D to further establish their footprints in the retail space. By spending $156 million on R&D activities, the firm was able to achieve the prime position in deploying several technologies, tear gas defense, voice recognition ATM, antimicrobial ATM screen and iris recognition ATM to name a few. “Business Transformation” being the third pillar, Diebold Nixdorf has a core focus on omnichannel enablement and global supply chain logistics as they have gained massive significance in today’s retail space. For this, the firm has developed an international infrastructure and local resources and helps their clients to manage, service and evolve their entire multi-vendor self-service network, their global cash cycle and branch and store networks across the globe. “We understand the value of a process that have been created through experience and evolved through continuous improvement,” adds Schmid.
Evolution of Interactive Kiosks; Revolution in Retail Space
It is evident that the next and the most significant evolution of digital signage have arrived in the form of interactive kiosks. Diebold Nixdorf aligns well with this crucial transformation in the retail space by developing the industry-best interactive kiosk duo, K-one, and K-two. They function as self-service tools and have emerged as an integral part of places with high footfalls, primarily at retail outlets.
By deploying them at more than 1 million ePOS systems worldwide, Diebold Nixdorf provides leading technologies for automating checkout processes and engaging consumers. With a significant global presence, the firm better understands the market needs of today and anticipates those of tomorrow and helps retailers to achieve their business objectives. Their interactive kiosks help in omnichannel retailing, store transformation and global delivery excellence and enable a convenient and seamless checkout and shopping experience for consumers who desire consistency across all channels―from stores to mobile and beyond.
K-one and K-two: Consumer-Retailer Interface
With K-one and K-two, clients can ensure that their store network has an edge on the competition. With the potential to adapt to the changing business needs and consumer demands, this versatile and tailored solution can be employed for a wide range of functionalities. This includes order taking, service, further product information, ticket and lottery sales, and even self-checkout.
K-one and K-two are developed for today’s busy consumers with an attractive and intuitive design to attract users and deliver on their expectations as pointed out by Schmid. They can be customized to a wide variety of brand images, have optimal placement of components, and are CSA/ ADA-compliant. Built for 24/7 operation, K-one and K-two offer flexible configuration options, making them the perfect kiosks for businesses that require tailored solutions. Diebold Nixdorf deploys the latest ePOS technology in these kiosks, offering excellent scalability with the capability to adapt to the continually changing retail business requirements. They can be easily integrated with organizations’ IT system landscapes with maximum flexibility. K-one and K-two have a modular design that reinforces the visual brand identity with a variety of color customization options.
To improve customer satisfaction, Diebold Nixdorf integrates cashless payment functionality into these interactive retail kiosks. They are incorporated with standard payment terminals, including Ingenico ipp320/ipp350 and VeriFone vx 820. Furthermore, K-one and K-two have a project-specific implementation of customized countertop payment terminals and NFC payment solutions. Their potential to operate on a wide range of OS, including Microsoft 7®, POSReady7®, Windows 8.1 Professional, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, and WNLPOS makes them easily adaptable.
Additionally, Diebold Nixdorf offers tailored services that enable efficient deployment of their solutions and the highest possible system availability as well as security based on the Diebold Nixdorf Services Platform. First among them is global deployment and implementation service, where the firm installs and integrates their solutions into clients’ existing environments. Diebold Nixdorf also offers maintenance services that help in easy and fast recovery and managed services, which includes store lifecycle management, transformational outsourcing, and consulting services.
Integrated Solutions to Enhance Consumer Experience
With a robust suite of solutions and services, Diebold Nixdorf enhances the consumer experience by enabling new functionalities and efficiencies across the entire retail value chain. Through a strategic partnership, the company assisted the iconic line of Italian department stores, Rinascente to improve its interactions with consumers. In addition to that, several other retailers have enjoyed the benefits of Diebold Nixdorf’s integrative solutions, EDEKA Paschmann, a German-based supermarket corporation, Decathlon, and Pepco, to name a few. With several such success stories, the firm continues to be passionate about further helping their customers to solve current challenges and anticipating future ones. To effectuate their future goals, Diebold Nixdorf is working on enhancing their solutions and innovate more in the retail space.
"Our patented platform not only runs dynamically scheduled ads from a cloud service, but also enables shopper engagement through an interactive interface that shares rich, brand-controlled product information"
Diebold Nixdorf is planning to roll out Fusion, a modular and dynamic retail, and banking self-service touchpoint. The software-enabled technology transcends today’s traditional thinking of omnichannel and focuses on tomorrow’s interplay between banks, retailers, and other providers. “Additionally, our innovation labs are on a drive to introduce several ground-breaking technologies to the market that can add value to the retail space,” concludes Schmid.
