The introduction of new checkout software is a challenging task for any company. This step was also very important for NKD Group GmbH.
What challenges did it face? Where does NKD stand today? And what added value has been created - all this can be found in this success story.
Before the introduction of our pos4brand checkout software and our apps4brand mobile applications, NKD already had a functioning solution in place. However, this no longer met the company's growing requirements.
A project group, consisting of sales, audit and IT, held workshops to define requirements and ideas for the new software and evaluated various providers.
NKD's aim was to make things easier in the shops, simplify processes and further improve the shopping experience for customers. A provider had to be found that covered the fiscal framework conditions at the various locations in Europe.
From a sales perspective, it was particularly important for NKD to optimise the promotional deposit. This was achieved with the introduction of pos4brand. For example, it is now possible to differentiate between reduced and non-reduced items. Discounts that previously had to be entered manually are now recognised automatically by the checkout. This significantly reduces the workload for checkout staff, simplifies the payment process and ultimately shortens the queue in the store.
In addition, applications that are not relevant to checkout have been outsourced to the mobile data collection device (MDC). This means that, for example, time recording, material orders, goods management, etc. can be carried out easily and conveniently on the MDE without blocking the cash register. "These are significant advantages that are made possible by the functional scope of act'o-soft's software suite and that simplify the processes at the point of sale," says Andreas Kaiser, Head of IT at NKD, summarising the company's decision.
"In addition to the checkout software and mobile applications, we also utilise act'o-soft's 3rd level support. We are planning to expand the support together with act'o-soft. This gives us an all-round carefree package that absolutely fulfils our requirements and makes our work much easier," says Andreas Kaiser.
After the pilot phase, the successful roll-out of pos4brand and apps4brand began in Austria. Within four months, all 320 Austrian shops were quickly, securely and fully equipped with the desired software and hardware and made ready for operation.
This was followed by the roll-out in Germany with a store network totalling 1,400 stores. In addition to Austria and Germany, the Czech Republic is the third country in which the roll-out has already been successfully completed. Italy will follow at the end of the first quarter of 2024. All shops here are currently being equipped with pos4brand and apps4brand. This will be followed by Poland, Slovenia and Croatia.
act'o-soft will also provide the necessary fiscal solutions in these countries. "With act'o-soft, we are delighted to have a specialist at our side who already has many years of experience with fiscal solutions across Europe," emphasises Andreas Kaiser.
NKD at a glance
NKD Group GmbH is a German retail company based in Bindlach. It was founded in 1962 and specialises in the sale of textiles, household goods, decorative items and other non-food products. The company operates around 2000 shops in Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic.
NKD positions itself as a provider of affordable products for everyday needs, pursues a multi-channel strategy and operates an online shop in addition to its shops. The company emphasises social and ecological sustainability. It has set itself the goal of promoting fair working conditions in the supply chain and developing more environmentally friendly production and distribution methods.
In recent years, NKD has continued its expansion efforts and extended its store network. It has become one of the leading retailers in its market segment and serves a broad customer base with a focus on price-conscious shoppers.
We would like to thank everyone involved in the project for the successful introduction of pos4brand and apps4brand and look forward to working with them in the future!