Review INTERNORGA 2023

„All together“ – Review INTERNORGA 2023

Five days of focus and passion around food, beverages and coffee machines, restaurant and hotel equipment, kitchen technology and digital applications. The leading international trade fair of the entire out-of-home market once again proved to be a hub and place for the most important questions (and answers), innovations, technologies and inspirations centred around hotel and gastronomy.

Many ideas - new formats

Over 1,000 exhibitors and more than 80,000 visitors came to Hamburg, eager to not miss the industry biggest meeting of the year. After all, the trade fair organisers had once again put a lot together, so that there was something for every "taste" - via various congresses, trend areas, specials. Such as the Open Stage, a platform for direct, professional exchange, the KI Center, the Café Future live as an innovative communication meeting place for culinary tastings, the Pink Cube trend forum as a discussion platform for new gastronomic concepts and to competitions such as the awarding of the Gastro Founder Prize, the INTERNORGA Future Prize or even the Next Chef Award. In short, there was plenty to see, taste, marvel at, try out and partake in.

Digitization - the big topic in the hospitality sector

"All together" - this was not only the motto of this year's INTERNORGA - but also of our MS POS booth in hall A3 as well. The signs were all on cooperation. After a break of three years due to corona, we decided to extend our trade fair appearance and were on site together as a team with Martin Becker GmbH - our new partner, the company Signum and the self-ordering platform Jamezz. And indeed - the new concept worked! One stand - and a wide range of products all at the same time. Whereas the hospitality industry used to focus on one (POS) system, it was noticeable that a revamp is taking place and doubts about digitalization have long since given way to a growing interest and an open-mindedness to these new features. Our stand visitors were well prepared throughout and knew their needs on making their catering or hotel business digital and efficient and with a new goal of appealing more to the younger target groups. It was clearly expressed that a service provider is desired as an all-in-one partner who can meet (almost) all requirements.

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In order to counter the shortage of staff caused by the latest crisis and new workplace concepts such as home offices, the topics of self-ordering, central solutions, ordering and paying with a single device, connectivity to various interfaces and kitchen monitors were particularly in demand. The vast majority of respondents when asked, said that they want to get rid of paper but also felt the obligation to issue a receipt for every transaction.
And our unTill cash register system, which enables connectivity to a variety of these interfaces, is the Linchpin in the middle of it all. Our new "Look & Feel" graphics, which we had placed as a large-format print on the back wall of our trade show for illustration purposes, were received positively and were acknowledged as fresh and innovative, especially by our existing customers.

Our conclusion after this five-days-fair?

A consistently (very) well-attended trade fair, many interesting technical discussions, a motivated trade fair team that complemented each other perfectly and an INTERNORGA that was able to assert itself as the industry meeting place again after the difficult times in the last few years!
We say thank you to all those involved - in front of, on and behind the booth! #Teamwork!!!
We are already looking forward to the 2024 next meeting appointment and until then we say "Moin, Moin Elbmetropole - we will gladly take part again. We only have one tiny request: would it be possible to optimize the parking situation in front of the exhibition halls a little bit?

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Our review of EuroShop 2023

Hot topics in retail - our review of EuroShop 2023

In the retail sector, EuroShop is considered the world's largest trade fair for the retail industry and its partners. For the 4th time, we were on site in Düsseldorf for this big event. As one of 1,830 exhibitors, unfortunately we were not able to welcome all 81,000 trade visitors from all five continents at our stand, but we tried our best to show our solution to as many potential customers and partners as we could. Especially Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were busy days with intensive discussions and many new contacts.

As already observed during last year's EuroCIS, the current trend is towards ever larger players. We at MS POS are one of the few medium-sized family businesses in contrast to the large and global companies. Many companies have been bought up in the meantime, even traditional companies hardly have their roots in Germany anymore or are in the hands of German owners. This (unfortunately) fits the general trend of consolidation.

Three POS solutions with high-end features

At our new trade fair stand in Hall 6, we showcased our three POS solutions live and for the trade public to try out:

POSsible
Our newly fully developed Solution, based on more than 20 years of experience in user practice and in-house development. The POS solution for the specialised, chain store retail sector has a consistent modular structure, where its latest version is SaaS-based. Individual processes can be integrated without changing the core of the application.

POSsible requires only one browser (platform-independent), is modular and yet standardised through exchangeable software components. Growth is pre-programmed, because POSsible can be used individually or in branch operations. Employees quickly find their way around, it is intuitive to use, with an attractive user interface.

Cegid
The system was developed according to the latest technological standards. Cegid stands out as a fully flexible and highly adaptable solution. The user interface is the same on all devices and can be introduced and learned very quickly. New functions and releases can be implemented easily and on the fly. Live Store accesses the Cegid Cloud System in real time, providing up-to-date information and facilitating the use of various omnicommerce functionalities offered by the platform.

Microsoft 365 Commerce
How Microsoft 365 Commerce provides a seamless customer experience has been a focus for many retailers in their checkout solution requirements. With its unified commerce approach, Microsoft 365 Commerce ensures a smooth customer journey across all online and offline channels.

The MS POS warehouse management system based on D365 F/O celebrated its premiere at EuroShop 2023. We presented an efficient warehouse control system based on modern tools (hardware and software).
With the integration of Hololens in D365, MS POS offers the possibility, to carry out maintenance or repairs in specific production areas without having to be directly on site. And we also showed how AI improves the efficiency in D365 even more, e.g. through intelligent allocation of payments to invoices or through automated booking of invoices.

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The country needs new (city centre) concepts

Once again it has become clear that the retail industry needs to become more flexible. The question is how retailers alongside shopping centre operators can create places where customers would like to spend their time and come back! Although, this includes many aspects such as how shops are designed, furnish used, gastronomic offers and of course a pinch of entertainment. We are convinced that only an overall experience and feel-good atmosphere is attractive enough to revitalise city centres. The fusion of gastronomy and shopping experience helps in attracting people to this city sites in question. Nowadays, a traditional shopping street has lost its appeal as an everyday occurrence or cannot compete with the advantages of online shopping. Other city centre concepts are needed alongside the courage to implement them. The technologies are there and ready for use.

A trade fair is changing

Konstantin Gergianakis, CEO of MS POS GmbH, sums up: "EuroShop 2023 was better than expected. At the same time, you could see that the retail fair is changing. Today, the event has transitioned into a more communication-oriented trade fair, in contrast to the past, when it was more of a supplier-customer retail fair. People try to engage into partnerships with each other, to sell or initiate a project. Dealers, on the other hand, are more reserved, decision-making processes are more protracted.

Nevertheless, as at last year's EuroCIS, it is still very important to meet in person, to exchange ideas and to maintain contacts. But potential customers get the actual information in advance on the internet, on the suppliers' website."

Since we already reorganised our website a few years ago, MS POS is very well positioned here. We have always taken into consideration the desire and need for information at all times, showing in an understandable and clear manner what we offer and its benefits. Detailed information and decision-making aids guide retailers through the process of finding the right POS solution. We are therefore pleased to receive positive feedback on our website.

All-in-one solution

In discussions with retailers, there was always a desire for that one (!) solution that goes beyond a normal checkout solution. It should not only be a "cash register", but should map everything in the store, from cashing up, an integrated merchandise management and customer loyalty programmes and of course be omnichannel-capable. In other words, one centralised solution instead of many different ones. Requirements that are now also coming from one-shop retailers, as they have understood how (survival) important it is to have a presence on the internet or to add an online shop.

Trend towards internationalisation

Another focal point is the trend towards internationalisation. Although many retailers shy away from the complexity of an international roll-out, they also realise how important this is in order to retain a healthy business for the future. We are very well positioned here, both with our POS solutions and with our international project experience. Because the expansion into other European countries, such as Italy and France alone, is a challenge for many smaller companies. Not only legal differences, but also the mentality, culture, employees, and special features of the specific country require suitable solutions and a partner with expertise. Thanks to our experience in international retail, we are able to support small and medium-sized enterprises here.

Digitisation as an ongoing topic in retail

It can no longer be overlooked that digitalisation is becoming increasingly important in retail. Through the use of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence or real-time data exchange, new opportunities are constantly emerging that continuously improve customer experience and increase the efficiency and profitability of retail.

It remains exciting to see how retail technology will evolve in the coming years. Trade shows have been and will continue to be an important trend barometer for the industry and a gauge of what retailers are looking for in manufacturers and solutions.

A big thank you to a strong team

On behalf of the management, we would like to thank everyone whose commitment and assistance made our participation and our presence at the fair possible in the first place. A big thank you goes to our trade fair team on site, our colleagues behind the scenes, our co-exhibitor Cegid "the english team", our colleagues from the MS POS location in Lodz, who travelled all the way from Poland by car, and of course to our booth builder and Michael Büllesbach for the successful booth design. Dankeschön! Thank you! Merci bien! Dziękuję!

After five days, the gates of EuroShop 2023 in Düsseldorf have now closed again and our trade fair team is back at the Willich location. But maybe we'll see you at EuroCIS from 27 to 29 February 2024!?

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Digital Signage

Hip, trendy, always well informed? If you want to present your messages in a timely, modern, and fashionable manner, you must have a digital signage. A digital signage display is used as a visual communication option, and it is currently considered as one of the most flexible banners on the market.
Companies all over the world use it to perfectly stage their products, services, or any other important content. These displays are available in many different shapes and sizes - from tablet devices to single large-format screens, with ranges like video walls with multiple screens, free-standing kiosks or shelf-edge displays - the possibilities are numerous and can be combined in any way, depending on your wishes and requirements.

Digital signage – the facts

Reduce your costs, save more money

Like any other conversion, digital signage does require an initial investment, no question about that. Although in the long run, using digital signage will help you and your business save real money. That's because once your displays are up and running, you can say goodbye to all the ongoing printing, all the delivery and installation costs that would otherwise be incurred every time your paper-based point-of-sale needs an update.

There will also be no need for costly video production. With content management systems like Signagelive, free-to-use resources like their Webpage app, lets you showcase your company's existing video assets by displaying your YouTube channel or even a video-centric website URL.

Additionally, you can offset initial investment costs by selling ad space on your own network.

Saving the environment

Simply switching from paper to super-efficient and long-lasting LED digital signage networks will reduce your company's carbon footprint in the long run.

Increase engagement and revenue

The digital signage has been proven to engage more viewers, expanding the viewer scope, increase your productivity, and maximize the potential of all revenue opportunities. Its colourful and dynamic interface brings products and services to life and delivers fresh, cutting-edge content that is continuously relevant contextually.

Digital signage displays are often installed at cash registers or in their immediate vicinity. This enables your business to play in timely calls-to-action and noticeably increase the chance of a last-minute impulse purchase.

Fast and efficient updates

Gone are the days when your advertising had to settle for one message per billboard. With digital signage, you have endless options to create a dynamic series of content that is updated either on specific digital signage displays or on all of them.

Messages can be targeted and updated regularly to match specific times, days, events, and locations where your digital signage displays are installed. Features such as tagging make it quick and easy to categorize and then identify playlists and players.

A quite useful tagging example is, if you tag your players by region, you only need to schedule the appropriate region-specific playlist once to publish it to all digital signage displays in that geographic area. CMS solutions like Signagelive, among others, automatically download assets to your players where your playlists are saved and ensure that you don't have to republish content that you edit in an active playlist.

User-friendly and efficient

With user-friendly CMS solutions like Signagelive, any team members can help update your electronic signage. Local users can also edit content for the screens at their present location.

With features like Granular User Permissions, you can grant individual users, and/or user groups access, to manage content on some, or all your digital signage displays.

Enhanced customer experience

How often do we have to stand somewhere waiting, wherever it's at airports, train stations, events, etc.? On these occasions, with a digital signage display, you will attract customers attention and help them enjoy the time waiting with entertainment and new infotainment, while displaying targeted advertising messages, with multi-zone digital signage templates.

Digital signage - the application possibilities are manifold

  • Instore TV or video walls as entertainment or advertising space
  • Multimedia advertising stands with information about offers, events and services
  • Double screen scales as product or advertising information directly at the POS
  • POS screens for direct customer contact
  • Touch kiosk solutions and customer guidance systems, as interactive information systems for navigation and simplification in product searches
  • Electronic shelf labels for price and item information on digital shelf labels, smartly updated with the touch of a button
  • Digital "board" for position displays or as a display for important news for your customers and/or employees

Digital signage - what we can do for you

You would like to use the various application possibilities of Digital Signage, and you are also planning to use one or more displays for your company?

As your "all-in-one partner", we offer to install the required MagicINFO software remotely by a qualified MS POS employee. 25 MagicINFO Lite licenses are included in the delivery scope. We can order, set up and install the necessary hardware on request.

For the effort of the remote installation approx. 0,5-1 MT are considered. The effort for the installation of the hardware is calculated depending on the extent.

Additional services can be booked as an option:

1.  Defining the digital signage project goals (kick-off)
2. Creating an action plan
3. Setup of a MagicINFO account, basic account setup (users and roles, default settings), configuration (creation of display hierarchies and playlists)
4. MagicINFO handover to two MagicINFO users
5. Two weeks of hands-on assistance (support/training)
6. Final onboard meeting/support

The effort for optional services is approximately 1 - 1.5 MD.

We are happy to advise and support you on your business endeavours, feel free to Contact us. We will take care of your request as soon as possible.

Upcoming events 2023
Have you already started planning your trade fair visits for 2023?
It's that time again! Trade fair time at MS POS!

For all retailers

As always, in 2023 also, EuroShop will be the international highlighted event for all retail technologies! We would like to invite you to Düsseldorf, where a broad specialised companies part of the retail sector, will meet in the exhibition halls on the banks of the Rhine and present to the audience their new products, ideas and innovations.

What will you expect from our stand? The latest developments of our three POS solutions of course!
From the D365 framework, there is the innovative warehouse management system based on D365 including efficient hardware tools. And, the brand new Hololens integration in D365.
With Cegid Retail Y2 we present to you the new, platform-independent checkout system ‘Live Store’ that includes the integration with Viva Wallet - one of the most innovative payment providers in the market.
And last but not least, after 2 years of development, we will present our new POS system POSsible. A modern cloud solution, that is modular, scalable and platform-independent. With an expandable architecture, based on your needs and will, that offers simple solutions, for update and release capability "on the fly".

You can book your appointment for EuroShop directly here ! We are looking forward to your visit!

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For hospitality

Straight after Düsseldorf, our team will continue to Hamburg, where the leading international trade fair for the entire out-of-home market will take place. You will find us at the city centre, on the exhibition grounds of INTERNORGA. This trade fair is regarded as the industry meeting place to present innovations in the catering sector. For many, it is held as one of the main sources in the catering sector for trends, new concepts, products and services.

At our booth we will show our POS system unTill® as a central solution with various connections such as the self-ordering app Jamezz, the merchandise management system Orgasoft.NET from Signum, digital payment systems or customer loyalty and various loyalty programs. Of course, also many other future-oriented applications. Stop by, our team will be very happy to advise you on your business needs without any obligation.

You can book your appointment for Internorga directly here ! We are looking forward to your visit!

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Viva wallet integration in Cegid Retail Y2

Good News

We have good news from our development department and have taken an important step towards integrating Viva Wallet into our Cegid Retail Y2 POS system: In the last few weeks our developers were able to develop a Cegid Y2 CPOS driver to work with electronic payments from Viva Wallet . Since Cegid offers its solution in over 69 country versions and currently in 22 languages, a provider that is similarly positioned (in Europe) is an ideal fit.

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This driver enables merchants to integrate Cegid Y2 with Viva Wallet and the entire family of its terminals to take and manage in-store and card-present payments .

The terminal models supported include Q30 or IM30 Prolin terminal with a software version 4.13 or later. Any Axxx (e.g. A80, A920/A920 Pro) or IMxx series (e.g. IM30) Android card terminal with a software version 1.6.0 or later.

Viva Wallet POS terminals can receive requests for initiating transactions from a Cegid Y2 client connected to the same local wired or wireless IP network. Communication with the terminal is done through a TCP/IP connection.

The following transactions are supported
  • Electronic payment
  • Cancelation of payment
  • Refund
  • Settlement (print list of transactions per terminal) at the end of the day

Get more information to the POS
terminals here ...

Viva Wallet Next

Viva Wallet Next

Outlook

In the future an implementation of the driver to be able and communicate with the terminals using Viva Wallet`s dedicated REST API (secure HTTP connection) is also considered. This will result into a more flexible and easier configuration. As soon as it is released we will implement and update the driver.

Good to know

Additional focus is of course the Viva Wallet POS app payment solution which will be supported also by the REST API. Using one device, especially a non-dedicated, is in our opinion the future in payment handling in the stores.

In addition to the innovative technology Viva Wallet is offering very attractive pricing. Just a flatrate with no hidden cost. As there is also no long-lasting contract to be signed it is easy to try it out for a month without any obligation. Just Contact us and we will provide you a competitive offer.

About Viva Wallet

Viva Wallet is one of the leading upcoming payment providers in Europe and is already present in 24 European countries.

Viva Wallet has extremely advanced technology and is one of the first companies to implement a software-based solution instead of a hardware-based solution, eliminating the need for additional hardware terminals.

Viva Wallet is the first European fully cloud-based neobank using Microsoft Azure. Viva Wallet offers businesses of all sizes the ability to accept cards via the innovative Viva Wallet POS app, additional devices with Google Play and sophisticated payment gateways in online shops. In addition, Viva Wallet supports corporate accounts with local IBAN and a corporate Viva Wallet Mastercard.

More information about Viva Wallet you can find here ...

D365 Commerce & Machine Learning

Automation of purchasing processes - image recognition at the POS

The modern running of retail stores is not as obvious as it was a couple of years ago. Strong competition on the market and constant innovations to attract customers are big challenges for all shop owners. Consumers nowadays are much more demanding and expect not only a good product but also a customer experience that has the potential to be remembered positively. Keyword: customer memory. In order not only to retain existing customers, but also to attract new ones, retailers must respond to the needs of the modern consumer by introducing innovative solutions in their stationary stores. By means of a personalised and digital customer approach as well as customer-specific marketing campaigns, it is also increasingly AI-supported approaches such as the digital recognition of products that positively support such a holistic concept. This is where D365 Commerce in conjunction with Customer Vision AI comes in.

Automatic recognition of products taken from the shelf and transferred directly into the virtual shopping cart? No problem with D365 Commerce and Custom Vision AI!

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But what is in the background to enable digital shopping experiences?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce , for example, provides a solution with multi-channel e-commerce that allows you to create websites, connect physical and digital shops, track customer behaviour and requirements, and deliver personalised experiences. The system can also greatly improve operations and resource management, as well as gain a holistic view of the development of your business. You can create analytics for all areas of your retail and sales data, navigate a scalable commerce platform and significantly reduce your costs by optimising business practices.

The modern functionalities of Dynamics 365 Commerce are complemented by Azure Services , so technical capacities must be used economically and situationally.

Azure Custom Vision is an image recognition service that allows you to create, deploy and enhance your own image ID models. Image ID labels are recognised based on their visual characteristics. Each label represents a classification or object. Unlike an image processing service, Custom Vision lets you define your own labels and train custom models to recognise them.

In doing so, Custom Vision Vision uses a machine learning algorithm to analyse images and identify them based on various properties. The images are given their own custom labels (tags) at the time of upload. The algorithm trains on this data and calculates its own accuracy by testing itself on the same images. In subsequent use, offline recognition is also possible through an export!

Are you wondering how D365 Commerce and Azure Custom Vision can support your business? Feel free to Contact us. We have the experience, the know-how and together with you we will develop the right idea to add value to your customers' shopping experience - taking into account your economic interests.

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MS POS - Kassensysteme für Retail und Gastronomie 
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