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Self-Service & Kiosk Glossary |
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— A —
Affiliated chain - A group of non-competing stores operating under an alliance to benefit from volume purchasing or to gain exclusive territorial rights to market certain products.
Affiliated retailer - A retailer participating in an affiliated chain; or a retailer participating with other retailers in cooperative wholesale purchasing.
Affiliated wholesaler - A wholesaler that hosts a group of affiliated retailers; or a wholesaler who is a member of an affiliated wholesaler group.
Affinity marketing - The practice of marketing to the interests of specific demographic or shopper groups.
Aftermarket - Secondary sales related to repairs, replacement parts, or additions to a primary piece of equipment.
Alpha/beta testing - Two-pronged method of testing a new product's likelihood of success through internal (alpha) and marketplace (beta) tests.
Ambient lighting - The use of lighting to help create a particular atmosphere or mood within a store.
ANSI - The American National Standards Institute.
Antitrust laws - A series of Federal laws created to establish fair trade practices and outlaw anti-competitive activity. The most important are:
- Clayton Act, which makes it unlawful for a manufacturer to require that a retailer not sell a competing product as a condition of any distribution deal, in cases where such actions lessen competition or create a monopoly. The act also places restrictions on other exclusive deals.
- Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibits a wide range of actions that would result in restraint of trade of commerce.
- Robinson-Patman Act, also known as the Anti-Price Discrimination Act, which prohibits manufacturers from giving price discounts or other preferential treatment to certain retailers when the result could be restraint of competition.
Automated Cash Handling - The process of dispensing, counting and tracking cash in a bank, retail, check cashing, payday loan / advance, casino or other business environment through specially designed hardware and software for the purposes of loss prevention, theft deterrence and reducing management time for oversight of cash drawer (till) operations. The hardware consists of one or more of the following devices:
- Cash dispenser
- Cash validator (acceptor)
- Cash recycler
- Rolled coin dispenser
- Loose coin validator (counter)
In an automated cash handling environment, a cashier or teller opens a cash drawer (till) at the start of shift by dispensing cash from the automated cash handling equipment. At the end of the shift, the cashier or teller deposits cash into the automated cash handling equipment which counts the cash and deposits it back into the safe. A manager sets permissions for each teller or cashier for dispensing and counting cash. A few automated cash handling systems allow for networking and remote operation (dispensing, counting, reporting). Remote operation of automated cash handling equipment facilitates cost savings and efficiency by centralizing all cash related activity to one location that can remotely monitor and control cash operations.
Automated Retailing - Vending machines that carry non-traditional merchandise. The most prevalent examples include Zoom Stores, which are in many airports, and Redbox DVD machines, which have revolutionized the DVD rental industry. Automated retailing is still in its formative stage.
Automated Teller Machine (ATM) - An automated teller machine (ATM) or the automatic banking machine (ABM) is a computerized telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public space without the need for a cashier, human clerk or bank teller. On most modern ATMs, the customer is identified by inserting a plastic ATM card with a magnetic stripe or a plastic smartcard with a chip, that contains a unique card number and some security information, such as an expiration date or CVVC (CVV). Authentication is provided by the customer entering a personal identification number (PIN).
Using an ATM, customers can access their bank accounts in order to make cash withdrawals (or credit card cash advances) and check their account balances as well as purchasing mobile cell phone prepaid credit. ATMs are known by various other names including automated transaction machine, automated banking machine, cashpoint (in Britain), money machine, bank machine, cash machine, hole-in-the-wall, Bancomat (in various countries in Europe and Russia), Multibanco (after a registered trade mark, in Portugal), and Any Time Money (in India).
Available market - The number of consumers identified as having an interest in a product or service, access to its purchase, and the financial means to purchase it.
Average ticket (receipt) - The average dollar amount spent by a shopper.
Awareness - The ability of consumers to remember information about a brand, ad, or promotion to which they were exposed. "Unaided awareness" refers to the ability to recall without assistance; "aided awareness" refers to cases in which the consumer's recall was prompted.
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— B —
Back order - A product currently not in stock but being reordered.
Backroom (or back office) - The non-sales storage area, usually in the back of the store, where shipments are received and overstock is kept.
Backlit display - A display that utilizes a fluorescent bulb or other lighting system to illuminate a film transparency or graphic from behind.
Bar code - A scanable line graphic on packaging that contains a product's Universal Product Code and other identifying information. See UPC.
Bar code scanner - A device that reads bar codes. Portable versions are sometimes referred to as "handhelds" or "wands."
Benchmark - A performance measurement or standard that future activity may be measured against.
Benchmarking - (See Benchmark.) The process by which companies, following pre-established guidelines for disclosure, share best business practices with other companies. Generally focusing on one aspect of business (credit procedures, distribution procedures, etc.).
Benchmarking study - A study that identifies performance measurements and standards for a specific industry, product category, or other group, thereby allowing individual entities to compare their performance with peers.
Bill Acceptor/Validator - Also known as bill and paper currency detectors, bill validators scan pliant currency using optical and magnetic sensors. Upon validation, the bill validator will inform the vending machine controller (VMC) or other host device of a credit via a parallel or serial interface. Various interfaces exist for the host device including a single-line pulse interface, a multi-line parallel interface, a multi-line binary interface, and serial interfaces such as ccTalk, SSP, and MDB. Wrinkled or creased bills can cause these machines to reject the bills.
The basic process involves looking at the currency that has been inserted and by using various tests, determine if the currency is counterfeit. Since the parameters are different for each coin or paper money, these detectors must be programmed for each item that they need to accept.
In operation, if the item is accepted it is retained by the machine and placed in a storage device. If the item is rejected, the machine returns the item. If it is a coin, it usually drops into a container for the customer to take back. If it is a bill, the machine pushes the bill out and the customer must remove it from the slot in which it was placed.
Biometrics - Biometrics refers to methods for uniquely recognizing humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. In information technology, in particular, biometrics is used as a form of identity access management and access control. It is also used to identify individuals in groups that are under surveillance.
Biometric characteristics can be divided in two main classes:
- Physiological are related to the shape of the body. Examples include, but are not limited to fingerprint, face recognition, DNA, hand and palm geometry, iris recognition, which has largely replaced retina, and odor/scent.
- Behavioral are related to the behavior of a person. Examples include, but are not limited to typing rhythm, gait, and voice. Some researchers have coined the term behaviormetrics for this class of biometrics.
Strictly speaking, voice is also a physiological trait because every person has a different vocal tract, but voice recognition is mainly based on the study of the way a person speaks, commonly classified as behavioral.
Brand - The trademarked name of a product or group of products.
Brand affinity - The goodwill that a brand has established among consumers.
Brand equity - The value of a brand as defined by consumer attitudes toward its stated attributes, product performance and perceived status.
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— C —
C-store - Commonly used abbreviation for convenience store.
Campaign - A coordinated effort to market a product, often including an overview of advertising schedules and the various media and tactics to be employed.
Cannibalization - An action that generates sales in one respect by decreasing sales in another. Examples include the addition of kiosks to a market, thereby drawing away customers from existing locations, or the launch of a line extension that attracts users of the flagship product. Also used in regard to the potential for promotional tactics, such as coupons, to reduce profits through their redemption by loyal product users who would have paid full price.
Capacitive - A capacitive touch screen panel consists of an insulator such as glass, coated with a transparent conductor such as indium tin oxide (ITO). As the human body is also a conductor, touching the surface of the screen results in a distortion of the local electrostatic field, measurable as a change in capacitance. Different technologies may be used to determine the location of the touch. The location can be passed to a computer running a software application which will calculate how the user's touch relates to the computer software.
Card Reader - Also known as a magnetic card reader, a card reader is a device used to scan cards containing magnetic data strips
Category management - The practice of analyzing SKU selection, shelf merchandising, as well as promotion and sales history to improve the business performance of a specific product group. The function is the responsibility of a retailer's category manager, with varying levels of support provided by relevant product manufacturers.
Check 21 - The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (or Check 21 Act) is a United States federal law, Pub.L.108-100, enacted into law October 28, 2003 by the 108th Congress. It took effect one year later, on October 28, 2004. The law allows the recipient of the original paper check to create a digital version of the original check—called a "substitute check," thereby eliminating the need for further handling of the physical document.
Consumers are most likely to see the effects of this act when they notice that certain checks (or image of) are no longer being returned to them with their monthly statement even though other checks are still being returned. Another side effect of the law is that it is now legal for anyone to use a computer scanner to capture images of checks and deposit them electronically, a process known as remote deposit.
Check 21 is not subject to ACH (Automated Clearing House) rules; therefore transactions are not subject to NACHA (The Electronic Payments Association) rules, regulations, fees and fines.
Coin Acceptor - The basic principle for coin detection is to test the physical properties of the coin against known composites from coinage that is acceptable. It performs its function by evaluating the coin based on its weight, size, and/or magnetism, and then sends an appropriate electrical signal via its output connection.
Today, sophisticated electronic coin acceptors are in use in some places that, in addition to validating weight and size, also scan the deposited coin using optics and match the image to a pre-defined list. Some new types of coin acceptors are able to recognize the coins through training, so they will support any types of coins or tokens.
Computer Aided Design (CAD) - Computer software used widely for designing product displays and other marketing materials.
Convenience store (C-Store) - A small, easily shopped store that merchandises an extensive assortment of high-volume products such as cigarettes, beverages and snacks, along with a limited selection of numerous other items. More than half of all C-Stores sell gasoline, and an increasing number offer fresh coffee and prepared-food options. C-Stores range in size from enclosed kiosks shopped from the outside to 5,000-square-foot, full-service locations. Some supermarkets and other larger retailers operate adjacent C-Stores to capture more convenience trips.
Cost of goods sold - All expenses related to the manufacture, sales, and distribution of consumer products. In the case of product manufacturers, it includes all promotional allowances paid to retailers. Some companies also classify the production and distribution of displays and signs as a cost of goods sold rather than as part of the marketing budget.
Customer relationship management (CRM) - Originally used specifically for computer-based methods of tracking customer interactions, the term now refers to the practice of efficiently managing all aspects of customer interaction and the use of purchase history and other data to develop targeted marketing offers. The underlying goal is to manage each customer based on individual preferences and needs over time rather than on isolated transactions or general behavioral assumptions.
Customer segmentation - The practice of dividing a retailer's shopper base (or a brand's user base) into groups that reflect their demographics, lifestyle needs, purchase habits, and shopping behaviors in order to develop more effective methods of marketing and merchandising and, ultimately, to engender deeper loyalties.
Customer-Facing - Any retail operation, technology, service or program to which the shopper is exposed. Often contrasted with "back-office" activity.
Customer Facing Technologies - Screens, kiosks, and devices that empower or enable customers to interact or receive information targeted to the shopping or buying experience.
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— D —
Decal - A print that is enclosed between a lamination film and pressure-sensitive adhesive film with a mounted release liner.
Digital advertising network - A narrowcast network combining targeted entertainment and/or informational content with advertising. Distributed through digital networks and/or screens in place-based, out-of-home, consumer venues such as retail, transit, malls, grocery, health clubs, medical offices, gas stations, as well as office buildings and hotels.
Digital display (billboard) - Devices that display advertising-only messages via screens equipped with LED (light emitting diode) or LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, often changing, at predetermined times or through motion recognition technology, to feature multiple brands.
Digital Distribution/Download - Digital distribution/download, also known as digital delivery or electronic software distribution, is the practice of providing content in a purely digital format, which is downloaded via the internet straight to a consumer's device. Digital distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media, such as paper or DVDs. The term digital distribution is typically applied to freestanding products; digital add-ons for other products are more commonly known as downloadable content.
Digitally distributed content may be streamed or downloaded. Streaming involves downloading and using content "on-demand" as it is needed. Meanwhile, fully downloading the content to a hard drive or other form of storage media allows for quick access in the future.
Digital signage - A flat-screen digital display. The term covers both large screens (usually mounted on walls or ceilings) and small (a few inches in size, attached at the shelf edge), as well as single-screen displays and chain-wide narrowcast networks. They offer information, advertising copy, animation, and/or broadcast-quality content. Today, the screens are usually programmed and networked from a remote, central location. Also used synonymously with in-store TV; dynamic signage; digital out-of-home media and electronic signage.
DVD Kiosk - Kiosk terminals that provide consumers with a fast and convenient way to rent DVDs and Video Games.
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— E —
E-Commerce - Electronic commerce, commonly known as (electronic marketing), e-commerce, or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. Online retailers are sometimes known as e-tailers and online retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all big retailers have electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web. Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions.
Electronic Bill Pay - Online banking - Electronic bill payment is a common feature of online banking, allowing a depositor to send money from an account to a creditor or vendor such as a public utility or a department store to be credited against a specific account. The payment is optimally executed electronically in real time, though some financial institutions or payment services will wait until the next business day to send out the payment. The bank can usually also generate and mail a paper check or banker's draft to a creditor who is not set up to receive electronic payments.
Most large banks also offer various convenience features with their electronic bill payment systems, such as the ability to schedule payments in advance to be made on a specified date, the ability to manage payments from any computer with a web browser, and various options for searching one's recent payment history. In many cases one can also integrate the electronic payment data with accounting or personal finance software.
Enclosure - External protective covering used to contain the components of the kiosk. Materials used for enclosures include metals, wood and plastics. Enclosures can be designed specifically for climate-protected indoor use, while others can be fortified to be used outdoors.
Ethnographers - In the shopper research context, they are usually graduate anthropology students who are trained to note aspects of the shopping experience such as needs, decision logic, brand/channel/store selections, aisle behavior, etc. They work on site, from videotape, via in-store focus groups and/or shop-alongs.
Ethnographic research
- The use of personal observation or video monitoring to study the behavior of shoppers as they traverse the store; or the similar observation of consumers in their homes or other natural environments.
- The analysis of information collected through such techniques to gain better insights into the consumer mindset.
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— F —
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - A protocol allowing a user linked to one Internet host to access and transfer files with another host over a network.
Financial Services Kiosk - The financial services kiosk can provide the ability for customers to perform transactions that may normally require a bank teller and may be more complex and longer to perform than desired at an ATM.
These units are generally referred to 'multi-function financial service kiosks'. The first iteration was back in late 90s with the VCOM product deployed in Southland (7-Eleven) convenience stores offering check-cashing, bill-payment, and even dispensing cashcards. Firewall - A firewall is a part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting authorized communications. It is a device or set of devices configured to permit, deny, encrypt, decrypt, or proxy all (in and out) computer traffic between different security domains based upon a set of rules and other criteria.
Firewalls can be implemented in either hardware or software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria.
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— G —
Gift Registry - A gift registry is a particular type of wish list. A registry is limited to the stock of a given retailer. The retailer will maintain the list for the registrant and make sure that items are removed from the list as they are purchased. Retailers will often make this list public to anyone who asks for it and will not divulge who has purchased the registered items.
Graphical User Interface (GUI) - A graphical user interface (GUI) is a type of user interface item that allows people to interact with programs in more ways than typing. A GUI offers graphical icons and visual indicators as opposed to text-based interfaces, typed command labels, or text navigation to fully represent the information and actions available to a user.
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— H —
HTML - Hypertext markup language; the language used to code Web pages.
HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol, conventions to transfer information in Web systems.
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— I —
Incremental revenue (incremental sales) - Revenue gained from marketing and merchandising activity that would not have been generated through the standard course of business.
Interactive display - A display that invites and often responds to interaction from shoppers via buttons, touch screens, functioning product samples or other means.
Intercepts - Interviews with shoppers and/or retail personnel that usually occur either on the sales floor, at checkout, or in the parking lot prior to or immediately after a store visit.
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— K —
Kiosk - An electronic kiosk (or computer kiosk or interactive kiosk) houses a computer terminal that often employs custom kiosk software designed to function flawlessly while preventing users from accessing system functions. Indeed, kiosk mode describes such a mode of software operation. Computerized kiosks may store data locally, or retrieve it from a computer network. Some computer kiosks provide a free, informational public service, while others serve a commercial purpose. Touch screens, trackballs, computer keyboards, and pushbuttons are all typical input devices for interactive computer kiosk.
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— L —
LCD - Acronym for "liquid crystal display," a type of flat-panel display or screen. Requires less power than a plasma screen, so it is more commonly used with battery-powered devices.
LED/OLED - Acronym for "light emitting diode/organic light emitting diode." Semiconductor diodes that light up when electrified. Organic LEDs utilize organic compounds and are considered more flexible.
Local Area Network (LAN) - A group of computers linked together within a limited physical space, usually to share printers and software.
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— M —
Mailing list(s) - An electronic list of e-mail addresses designated by a single name, to which a common message may be sent when the message is "posted to the list".
Managed Services - Managed services is the practice of transferring day-to-day related management responsibility as a strategic method for improved effective and efficient operations. The person or organization that owns or has direct oversight of the organization or system being managed is referred to as the offerer, client, or customer. The person or organization that accepts and provides the managed service is regarded as the service provider.
Typically, the offerer remains accountable for the functionality and performance of managed service and does not relinquish the overall management responsibility of the organization or system.
MICR - Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, or MICR, is a character recognition technology used primarily by the banking industry to facilitate the processing of checks. The technology allows computers to read information (such as account numbers) off of printed documents. Unlike barcodes or similar technologies, however, MICR codes can be easily read by humans.
MICR characters are printed in special typefaces with a magnetic ink or toner, usually containing iron oxide. As a machine decodes the MICR text, it first magnetizes the characters in the plane of the paper. Then the characters are then passed over a MICR read head, a device similar to the playback head of a tape recorder. As each character passes over the head it produces a unique waveform that can be easily identified by the system.
The use of magnetic printing allows the characters to be read reliably even if they have been overprinted or obscured by other marks, such as cancellation stamps. The error rate for the magnetic scanning of a typical check is smaller than with optical character recognition systems. For well printed MICR documents, the "can't read" rate is usually less than 1% while the substitution rate (misread rate) is in the order of 1 per 100,000 characters.
Mobile Apps - Mobile software is designed to run on handheld computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), enterprise digital assistants (EDAs), smart phones and cell phones. Since the first handheld computers of the 1980s, the popularity of these platforms has risen considerably. Many cell phone models of the late 2000s include the ability to run user-installed software.
Mobile Phone Top Up - The act of adding additional funds to your pre-paid calling card or phone, also known as 'pay as you go'. Self service kiosks enable consumers to deposit cash and other forms of payment to add additional minutes to their card or phone.
MP-3/MP-4 Players - A digital audio player, sometimes referred to as an MP3 or MP4 player, is a consumer electronic device that has the primary function of storing, organizing and playing audio files. Some DAPs are also referred to as portable media players as they have image-viewing and/or video-playing support.
Multi-Touch - Multi-touch is a method of interacting with a computer screen or Smartphone. Instead of using a mouse or stylus pen, multi-touch allows the user to interact with the device by placing two or more fingers directly onto the surface of the screen. The movement of the fingers across the screen creates gestures, which send commands to the device. The term Multi-Touch is a trademark of Apple, Inc.
Multi-touch requires a touch screen (screen, overlay, table, wall, etc.) or touchpad, as well as software that recognizes multiple simultaneous touch points, as opposed to the single touch screen (e.g. computer touchpad, ATM), which recognizes only one touch point. This effect is achieved through a variety of means, including: heat, finger pressure, high capture rate cameras, infrared light, optic capture, tuned electromagnetic induction, ultrasonic receivers, transducer microphones, laser rangefinders, and shadow capture.
Many products using multi-touch interfaces exist and are being developed. Multi-touch is used on portable devices including the Apple iPhone and iPod touch, HTC Hero, Microsoft's Zune HD, Samsung Moment, Motorola Milestone and the Palm Pre, as well as desktop products such as the Microsoft Surface and the DELL Latitude XT2.
Mystery shopper - A brand or retail representative who visits a store anonymously to evaluate store conditions, customer service or other things without influencing the actions of store personnel.
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— N —
Narrowcast network - An audio or video feed of content created for delivery through a specific, closed network to a unique audience.
The Nielsen Company - One of two leading auditing services that collect point-of-sale scanner data from retailers to provide syndicated tracking and analysis of product sales, market share and other performance benchmarks. It also is the leading syndicator of audience measurement analytics for television advertising and other mass media. Through its Nielsen In-Store division, the company will offer syndicated data on in-store audience levels and ad placement.
Network Operations Center (NOC) - A network operations center (or NOC, pronounced "knock") is one or more locations from which control is exercised over a computer, television broadcast, or telecommunications network. Large organizations may operate more than one NOC, either to manage different networks or to provide geographic redundancy in the event of one site being unavailable or offline.
NOCs are responsible for monitoring the network for alarms or certain conditions that may require special attention to avoid impact on the network's performance. For example, in a telecommunications environment, NOCs are responsible for monitoring for power failures, communication line alarms (such as bit errors, framing errors, line coding errors, and circuits down) and other performance issues that may affect the network. NOCs analyze problems, perform troubleshooting, communicate with site technicians and other NOCs, and track problems through resolution. If necessary, NOCs escalate problems to the appropriate personnel. For severe conditions that are impossible to anticipate – such as a power failure or optical fiber cable cut – NOCs have procedures in place to immediately contact technicians to remedy the problem.
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— P —
Pantone Colors - A standardized color system for printing patented by Pantone Inc. The Pantone Matching System (PMS) utilizes a palette of standard colors that can be mixed in precise combinations to recreate a wide range of colors consistently across different printing presses and substrates.
Plasma screen - A type of flat-panel display or screen. Plasma screens are said to have better viewing angles than LCD screens, but use more power and are not as conducive for bright venues.
PCI Compliance - The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is a worldwide information security standard assembled by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). The standard was created to help organizations that process card payments prevent credit card fraud through increased controls around data and its exposure to compromise. The standard applies to all organizations which hold, process, or pass cardholder information from any card branded with the logo of one of the card brands.
Validation of compliance can be performed either internally or externally, depending on the volume of card transactions the organization is handling, but regardless of the size of the organization, compliance must be assessed annually. Organizations handling large volumes of transactions must have their compliance assessed by an independent assessor known as a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), while companies handling smaller volumes have the option of self-certification via a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ). In some regions these SAQs still require signoff by a QSA for submission.
Enforcement of compliance is done by the bodies holding relationships with the in-scope organizations. Thus, for organizations processing Visa or Mastercard transactions, compliance is enforced by the organization's acquirer, while organizations handling American Express transactions will deal directly with American Express for the purposes of compliance. In the case of third party suppliers such as hosting companies who have business relationships with in-scope organizations, enforcement of compliance falls to the in-scope company, as neither the acquirers nor the card brands will have appropriate contractual relationships in place to mandate compliance. Non-compliant companies who maintain a relationship with one or more of the card brands, either directly or through an acquirer risk losing their ability to process credit card payments and being audited and/or fined.
Photo Kiosk - An interactive kiosk which allows users to print pictures from their digital images. Two major classes of photo kiosks exist:
Digital Order Stations -- This type of photo kiosk exists within retail locations and allows users to place orders for prints and photographic products. Products typically get produced instore by a digital minilab, or at another location to be shipped directly to the consumer, or back to the store to be picked up at a later time. Digital Order Stations may or may not support instant printing, and typically do not handle payments.
Instant Print Stations - This type of photo kiosk uses internal printers to instantly create photographic prints for a self serve paying customer. Often located in public locations (hotels, schools, airports), Instant Print Stations handle payments. Often such systems will only print 4x6 inch prints although popular dye sublimation photo printers as of 2008 allow for 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, 8x12. It's more a matter of resupply labor economics and chassis size.
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— Q —
Qualitative research - In broad terms, anecdotal research. The analysis of narrative feedback derived from a handful of consumer focus groups is an example of qualitative research
Quantitative research - In broad terms, data-driven research. The analysis of scanner data to forecast sales is an example of quantitative research.
Queue Management - Queue areas are places in which people in line (first-come, first-served) wait for goods or services. Examples include checking out groceries or other goods that have been collected in a self service shop, in a shop without self service, at an ATM, at a ticket desk, a city bus, or in a taxi stand.
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— R —
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - A technology in which the location of a specific pallet, display, shipping case or individual SKU can be verified by an attached data chip called an electronic product code. The chip emits radio waves that continuously broadcast its data to nearby readers, which can be attached to a door, forklift, shelf or hand-held device. To date, the technology's advancement in the retail industry has been driven largely by Wal-Mart and its efforts to track product shipments to stores; Walgreens has been testing its capabilities for determining in-store marketing effectiveness for several years.
Remote Management/Monitoring - Sometimes referred to as Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM), this refers to remotely managing information technology (IT) infrastructure such as workstations (desktops, laptops, notebooks, etc), servers, network devices, storage devices, IT security devices, etc of a company.
Major sub-services included in RIM are:
- Service desk / Help desk
- Proactive monitoring of server and network devices
- Workstation Management
- Server Management
- Storage management
- Application support
- IT security Management
Request For Proposal (RFP) - More commonly used acronym for "request for proposal," a request by a potential client for suppliers to submit bids on a project. Product manufacturers often require RFPs from marketing agencies and point-of-purchase suppliers.
Request for Quotation (RFQ) - Acronym for "request for quotation." Some use it synonymously with RFP (see above).
Resistive
A resistive touch screen panel is composed of several layers, the most important of which are two thin, metallic, electrically conductive layers separated by a narrow gap. When an object, such as a finger, presses down on a point on the panel's outer surface the two metallic layers become connected at that point: the panel then behaves as a pair of voltage dividers with connected outputs. This causes a change in the electrical current which is registered as a touch event and sent to the controller for processing.
Return on Investment (ROI) - In finance, rate of return (ROR), also known as return on investment (ROI), rate of profit or sometimes just return, is the ratio of money gained or lost (whether realized or unrealized) on an investment relative to the amount of money invested. The amount of money gained or lost may be referred to as interest, profit/loss, gain/loss, or net income/loss. The money invested may be referred to as the asset, capital, principal, or the cost basis of the investment. ROI is usually expressed as a percentage rather than a fraction.
Roll Out - The act of shipping and installing self service kiosks to their appropriate locations. Steps in a typical roll out include site selection, site preparation, shipping, delivery, installation and on-site quality assurance testing.
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— S —
SaaS (Software as a Service) - Software as a service (SaaS, typically pronounced 'sass') is a model of software deployment whereby a provider licenses an application to customers for use as a service on demand. SaaS software vendors may host the application on their own web servers or download the application to the consumer device, disabling it after use or after the on-demand contract expires. The on-demand function may be handled internally to share licenses within a firm or by a third-party application service provider (ASP) sharing licenses between firms.
Section 508 Compliance - Section 508 was originally added as an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in 1986. The original section 508 dealt with electronic and information technologies, in recognition of the growth of this field.
In 1997, The Federal Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility and Compliance Act was proposed in the U.S. legislature to correct the shortcomings of the original section 508; the original Section 508 had turned out to be mostly ineffective, in part due to the lack of enforcement mechanisms. In the end, this Federal Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility and Compliance Act, with revisions, was enacted as the new Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, in 1998.
Section 508 addresses legal compliance through the process of market research and government procurement and also has technical standards against which products can be evaluated to determine if they meet the technical compliance. Because technology can meet the legal provisions and be legally compliant (e.g., no such product exists at time of purchase) but may not meet the technical compliance (doesn't meet the Access Board's technical accessibility standards) users are often confused between these two issues. Additionally, evaluation of compliance can be done only when reviewing the procurement process and documentation used when making a purchase or contracting for development, the changes in technologies and standards themselves, it requires a more detailed understanding of the law and technology than at first seems necessary.
There is nothing in section 508 that requires private web sites to comply unless they are receiving federal funds or under contract with a federal agency. Commercial best practices include voluntary standards and guidelines as the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Automatic accessibility checkers (engines) such as "IBM Rational Policy Tester" and AccVerify, refer to Section 508 guidelines but have difficulty in accurately testing content for accessibility.
Self Check In/Checkout - Self check in and checkout devices are automated alternatives to the traditional cashier-staffed checkout at various businesses.
SKU - The more commonly used acronym for "stock keeping unit," a numerical identification tag given by a retailer to a specific product, brand, flavor, variety and/or package size.
Smart Cards - A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC), is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits which can process data. This implies that it can receive input which is processed — by way of the ICC applications — and delivered as an output. There are two broad categories of ICCs. Memory cards contain only non-volatile memory storage components, and perhaps some specific security logic. Microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally PVC, but sometimes ABS. The card may embed a hologram to avoid counterfeiting. Using smart cards is also a form of strong security authentication for single sign-on within large companies and organizations.
Surge Protector - A surge protector (or surge suppressor) is an appliance designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to regulate the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or by shorting to ground voltages above a safe threshold. Many power strips have surge protection built-in; these are typically clearly labeled as such. However, sometimes power strips that do not provide surge protection are erroneously referred to as surge protectors.
Sustainability - The development of environmentally sound business practices and products.
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Test market - A limited, controlled geographical area in which a new product or marketing plan is launched as an experiment. Results from the launch are carefully monitored in order to revise and develop plans for expansion into other markets.
Touch screen - A touch screen is a display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touch or contact to the display of the device by a finger or hand. Touch screens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus. However, if the object sensed is active, as with a light pen, the term touch screen is generally not applicable. The ability to interact directly with a display typically indicates the presence of a touch screen.
The touch screen has two main attributes. First, it enables one to interact with what is displayed directly on the screen, where it is displayed, rather than indirectly with a mouse or touchpad. Secondly, it lets one do so without requiring any intermediate device, again, such as a stylus that needs to be held in the hand. Such displays can be attached to computers or, as terminals, to networks. They also play a prominent role in the design of digital appliances such as the personal digital assistant (PDA), satellite navigation devices, mobile phones, and video games.
Trackball - A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down mouse with an exposed protruding ball. The user rolls the ball with the thumb, fingers, or the palm of the hand to move a cursor. Large tracker balls are common on CAD workstations for easy precision. Before the advent of the touchpad, small trackballs were common on portable computers, where there may be no desk space on which to run a mouse. Some small thumb balls clip onto the side of the keyboard and have integral buttons with the same function as mouse buttons. The trackball was invented by Tom Cranston and Fred Longstaff as part of the Royal Canadian Navy's DATAR system in 1952, eleven years before the mouse was invented. This first trackball used a Canadian five-pin bowling ball.
Turnkey - The term turnkey is also often used in the technology industry, most commonly to describe pre-built computer "packages" in which everything needed to perform a certain type of task (e.g. audio editing) is put together by the supplier and sold as a bundle. This often includes a computer with pre-installed software, various types of hardware, and accessories. Such packages are commonly called appliances. Turnkey products are synonymous to "off-the-shelf" solutions.
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Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) - An Uninterruptible power supply (UPS), also known as a battery backup, provides emergency power and, depending on the topology, line regulation as well to connected equipment by supplying power from a separate source when utility power is not available. It differs from an auxiliary or emergency power system or standby generator, which does not provide instant protection from a momentary power interruption. A UPS, however, can be used to provide uninterrupted power to equipment, typically for 5–15 minutes until an auxiliary power supply can be turned on, utility power restored, or equipment safely shut down.
While not limited to safeguarding any particular type of equipment, a UPS is typically used to protect computers, data centers, telecommunication equipment or other electrical equipment where an unexpected power disruption could cause injuries, fatalities, serious business disruption or data loss. UPS units range in size from units to back up single computers without monitor (around 200 VA) to units powering entire data centers, buildings, or even cities (several megawatts).
Universal Product Code (UPC) - A Universal Product Code (UPC) is the unique number assigned to a product for identification purposes, printed on the product's packaging with an accompanying barcode so that it can be optically scanned at checkout to automatically log the sale. Retail point-of-sale systems align UPCs with pricing information so the correct price will be charged (and recorded).
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Value-Added Reseller (VAR) - A Value-Added Reseller (VAR) packages applications and services for re-sale.
Vending - The first vending machine in the U.S. was built in 1888 by the Thomas Adams Gum Company, selling gum on train platforms.
Vending has gone through significant changes over the decades. With consumers wanting quick and convenient access to competitively priced products, the vending industry has seen a great deal of growth over the last ten years. New innovations in service vending machines include internet kiosks and DVD vending. Cashless vending now allows consumers to use debit cards or precharged 'keys' such as the U-Key for added convenience. Vending is a multi-billion dollar industry, and growing.
The National Automatic Merchandising Association, or NAMA, is the American national trade association of the food and refreshment vending, coffee service and foodservice management industries.
In 2009, Coca Cola introduced a new “vending” machine that integrates kiosk technology, digital signage, and traditional vending into one device – enhancing the term vending.
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WAN (Wide Area Network) - A wide area network (WAN) is a computer network that covers a broad area (i.e., any network whose communications links cross metropolitan, regional, or national boundaries. This is in contrast with personal area networks (PANs), local area networks (LANs), campus area networks (CANs), or metropolitan area networks (MANs) which are usually limited to a room, building, campus or specific metropolitan area (e.g., a city) respectively.
WANs are used to connect LANs and other types of networks together, so that users and computers in one location can communicate with users and computers in other locations. Many WANs are built for one particular organization and are private. Others, built by Internet service providers, provide connections from an organization's LAN to the Internet. WANs are often built using leased lines. At each end of the leased line, a router connects to the LAN on one side and a hub within the WAN on the other. Leased lines can be very expensive. Instead of using leased lines, WANs can also be built using less costly circuit switching or packet switching methods. Network protocols including TCP/IP deliver transport and addressing functions. Protocols including Packet over SONET/SDH, MPLS, ATM and Frame relay are often used by service providers to deliver the links that are used in WANs. X.25 was an important early WAN protocol, and is often considered to be the "grandfather" of Frame Relay as many of the underlying protocols and functions of X.25 are still in use today (with upgrades) by Frame Relay.
Wireless Communications and Devices - Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of electrical conductors or "wires". The distances involved may be short (a few meters as in television remote control) or long (thousands or millions of kilometers for radio communications). When the context is clear, the term is often shortened to "wireless". Wireless communication is generally considered to be a branch of telecommunications.
It encompasses various types of fixed, mobile, and portable two-way radios, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and wireless networking. Other examples of wireless technology include GPS units, garage door openers and or garage doors, wireless computer mice, keyboards and headsets, satellite television and cordless telephones.
Word of mouth - The spread of information about a product or store through common human conversation and interaction. The concept became a marketing "discipline" when companies began attempting to trigger word-of-mouth buzz about their products. Also known as "viral marketing," especially in the context of digital media.
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Testimonials
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"Being a member of SSKA is extremely beneficial. It's a great organization that helps its members to achieve their goals."
Janet Webster
President
Creative Solutions Consulting
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