Roots POS system

In order to meet the changed requirements in the Roots business model and to optimally support the new opening of the canteen in the On Running Tower, the existing cash register system was to be replaced. The new checkout system is based on an iPad-optimised iOS application that is connected to external hardware via various interfaces. It is used both as a self-checkout system and as a served terminal. In the background, an intuitive administration system is available with which the POS system can be configured according to each location and statistics and financial statements can be generated.

The very diverse locations of Roots presented a major challenge. Different products or variation options, price structures and organisations required a complex and adaptable system.

The user interface had to be intuitive to use as well as modern and elegant - both at staffed checkouts and at self-checkout stations. The fact that a payment process should only take a few seconds (to avoid long queues over lunchtime) was another challenge for our UX team and resulted in a simple and highly effective user interface.

Various additional requirements such as different payment options (including gift cards), as well as the interaction with different external systems added to the complexity.

A POS system is much more than just software. The hardware integration with various external and interconnected systems was a particular crux: The (serial) weighing scale, the reader for employee badges, the payment terminal, the cash drawer and the receipt printer are integral parts of the payment process and require specific connections and complex interactions.

To ensure the system's resilience, the Roots POS system has an offline mode: In the event of a temporary interruption of the internet connection, all interactions continue to function without problems and are managed locally. At a later point in time, synchronisation with the central cloud system takes place.