Approximately 18 months ago, Netcare implemented Apex CCS`s point of sale (POS) solution at its Sandton head office to smooth and optimise the operations of its partially subsidised staff canteen.
Apex was able to provide an automated POS solution that caters for a cashless environment and integrates into the canteen stock control system, as well as Netcare`s financial and payroll system - a challenge for any canteen environment. The solution has provided the organisation with a canteen that handles `rush hour` traffic with ease and features integration capabilities that extend greater functionality and comprehensive reporting, promoting a more efficient operation.
Netcare is an integrated healthcare organisation that has expanded its operations since 1996 to now own and manage 62 hospitals. The group also owns and manages 56 Medicross Family Medical and Dental centres with additional pharmacies and administered practices.
As the company began to expand and grow, it became apparent it would need to relocate its head office to new premises in order to accommodate its growing staff complement. When Compaq moved into HP`s building in Rivonia in 2003, Netcare took the opportunity to move into the vacated Sandton premises, providing a comfortable and spacious working environment for its staff. An added bonus was that the new building featured a canteen and access control system. One of the tenets of Netcare`s work ethics is that it is passionate about people. To ensure the well-being of its staff, it implemented a full canteen service which is partially subsidised.
Netcare inherited a Quest POS terminal from the previous tenant and faced the challenge of finding additional hardware and software that would meet its requirements to operate in a cashless environment and integrate with the legacy access control system, enabling staff to use the same access control card for their canteen transactions. It was also necessary for the solution to include a back-of-house system that provides extensive reporting for management.
Says Miro Karamarkov, catering manager at Netcare: "With the high volume of lunches being served in a short timeframe, it was paramount for us to operate a cashless environment in the canteen. Another key consideration was to ensure the canteen system could integrate with the existing access control solution thus allowing us to use the same HID access control cards for payment in the canteen. A `basic` meal transaction only requires the member to hold the HID card near the sensor. This requires no intervention from the operator, and the transaction is literally completed in about one-and-a-half seconds. Based on a basic `credit limit`, we also wanted the new balance highlighted after each transaction, which is printed on the sales slip. It was also important for staff to have the option to either increase their limit or pay cash once the limited is reached."
Previously, Netcare offered a `kitchen service` whereby lunches were made for staff and paid for with pre-printed coupons purchased through Netcare. This `manual` system, was inaccurate, cumbersome and time-consuming; and didn`t offer the benefit of integrating stock control, accounts and the payroll system.
Netcare`s investigation revealed that only Apex Cash Control Solutions (Apex CCS) were able to provide the `missing` components of the Quest solution and its TaskManager back office software was installed. An HID card reader was also installed and integrated with the Quest POS terminal to allow for the `cashless` environment and payment method using the access control card. The implementation was handled professionally and although it was not a standard straightforward installation, it was completed successfully with no hitches.
Says Karamarkov: "Apex CCS was selected as they were able to accommodate our every PoS need including integration capabilities with our financial system. Speed of transactions was a primary consideration as we have several hundred diners (staff only) that converge in the canteen over a very short time period during the lunch rush. This number can grow substantially, if we provide meals for conference attendees and visitors. A sales transaction can be completed in less then two seconds, a feat which not many POS systems can match.
"Ensuring simplicity is the order of the day; we are able to provide bottleneck-free high-volume till transactions in this high speed service environment, without sacrificing accuracy."
Says Peter Held, managing director of Apex CCS: "The system provides a breakdown of each menu item, and each item can be costed according to the ingredients used. The seamless back-office integration capability with the payroll and financial system also saves time and improves accuracy. At month end, the system automatically tallies the totals of each individual`s purchases from the canteen at the touch of a button and offsets this with a R100 contribution towards lunches from Netcare. The balance is updated as a deduction on the payroll, providing an automated method to calculate these figures."
The system also controls stock and is reconciled with a physical stock count that takes place on a monthly basis. Held explains: "The system is almost maintenance free and our visits to Netcare are generally to ensure relationships are properly managed rather than resolve problems."
The extensive reporting provides Netcare with information that interprets patterns and trends. This assists greatly with purchasing stock as an average can be calculated based on the regular amounts ordered over the months. Canteen project manager Irene Slabbert makes use of this functionality extensively to assist with the efficient management and planning of the catering operation.
The POS system has been operating successfully for the last year-and-a-half and due to its efficiency, Netcare plans to extend its POS system, implementing additional terminals to meet the needs of an expanded kiosk environment that caters for cocktail functions, a cash bar and a self-service kiosk that dispenses snacks.
The success of Netcare`s POS system paved the way for Apex CCS to supply a different solution to the company`s management lodge at Mabalingwe, a reserve that features guest lodges and conference facilities. The Mabalingwe solution also includes full property management system (PMS) facilities with front-of-house control, reservations, conference management, house keeping control as well as POS with full inventory control, further highlighting the company`s confidence in Apex CCS and its flexible solutions.
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