Motivate Employees

The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills a business leader can possess.  With the help of great team leaders you can build the culture in your business, but also create a passionate, hard-working team that is as committed to growing and improving your company as you are.  Here are some ways to boost morale in your business:

 

Be generous with praise - Everyone desires praise and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise can go a lot farther than you think; praise every improvement that you see your team members make.  Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others.

Make your ideas theirs - Instead of telling people what you want done; ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea. “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “Do you think it’s a good idea if we do it this way?”

Never criticize or correct - Try an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix them.  Ask, “Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not?  Do you have any ideas on what you could have done differently?”  That way you’re having a conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger.

Give recognition and small rewards - These two things come in many forms: Recognize someone in a company meeting for what they have accomplished. Run contests or internal games and keep track of the results on a whiteboard that everyone can see.  Tangible awards that don’t break the bank can work too.  Try things like dinner, trophies, spa services, and plaques.

Share the rewards—and the pain.  When your company does well, celebrate. This is the best time to let everyone know that you’re thankful for their hard work.  Go out of your way to show how far you will go when people help your company succeed.  If there are disappointments, share those too.  If you expect high performance, your team deserves to know where the company stands.  Be honest and transparent!

Radcliffe Great Valu - Mertztown, PA

Radcliffe Great Valu recently upgraded their retail store system to the STCR Store Management Suite. The system change was part of a larger plan to revamp the store. 

This initial phase was well received by the store personnel.  Mike Radcliffe indicated they are enjoying the new functionality from friendliness of the point of sale, the simplicity of the back office operations to scale management being driven by back office price changes.  The transition went very smooth, with cashier’s finding it very easy to pick up.  Manager’s experienced the same smooth transition with the common user interface design used across the entire platform.

Front End Printers

One of the most critical components on your front end is the customer receipt printer. A properly functioning printer gives your customer a clear record of what they have purchased, where they have purchased from, as well as any promotional messages you want them to receive. The IBM 4610 printer is designed to handle the demands of your business, giving years of reliable service.

You can ensure the print quality on your machines by following some of the easy cleaning recommendations from IBM. Clean the printer cover with a soft cloth and warm soapy water. Apply the soap to the cloth, not directly to the printer.  Do not use abrasive materials or harsh chemicals such as ammonia or chlorine. The thermal and check printing heads can be cleaned by gently wiping them with cotton swabs soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Check the paper loading area for build up of dust and miscellaneous debris.

If you do have a situation where the printer will not function correctly, here are a couple of troubleshooting ideas. 

If the printer has no power:  check the printer cable.  Verify that the printer cable is plugged into the printer as well as the register; additionally, power off the register before restoring any connections. 

If the paper advances but the receipt is blank:  check to see if the paper roll is inserted right-side up. 

Document Insert Station is not printing: Verify that there are no obstructions where the check is inserted. Verify the ribbon is not in need of replacement.

 

The printer-ready light is flashing: Ensure that the paper and ribbon doors are closed. Re-insert the paper roll, and advance a small length of paper.

When the printer does require service make sure to note the serial number on the unit. This can be found either on the front or just inside the check flipper area.  Remember to check your printer supply levels periodically. Using the best quality paper and ribbons will ensure premium print quality. Call STCR 800-776-6576 for your supply order today!

Datalogic Fixed Mount Area Imager Bar Code Reader

The Gryphon™ 4000 series represents the premium level of data collection devices from Datalogic ADC.  Using advanced imaging technology, the Gryphon™ GFS4400 2D fixed mount bar code
reader provides a complete self-contained solution for OEM use into self-service kiosks, price verifiers and ticket readers applications.  Designed for easy integration, the Gryphon GFS4400 2D module provides a ‘plug-and-play’ solution for system designers.  Constructed using high-impact resin to withstand repeated cleanings with solvents and disinfectant solutions, the sealed enclosure meets industrial standards against water and particulates to provide dependable scanning performance.  The GFS4400 2D OEM module features outstanding near-field reading, a wide angle field-of-view, high motion tolerance, snappy reading, and also offers excellent performance on decoding poor or damaged bar codes.

As with all Gryphon readers, the GFS4400 reader offers good-read visual confirmation with Datalogic’s patented ‘Green Spot’ technology.  User comfort is maximized with the GFS4400 OEM module’s steady, deep red illumination light.  Easier on the eyes than competitive products with flicker illumination, the highly visible 4-Dot aimer defines a precise reading zone and reduces accidental reads.  The aimer’s center cross provides a locator for targeted scanning in a multiple bar code environment.  The GFS4400 OEM module provides snappy reading performance on all common 1D and 2D codes as well as postal, stacked and composite codes like PDF417.  For mobile marketing or ticketing applications, this imager also offers excellent performance when reading bar codes from mobile devices. 

 

The GFS4400 OEM module eliminates the need for separate equipment with signature capture and document scanning capabilities.  The GFS4400 OEM module supports several modes that can be used as a trigger.  This module has the ability to automatically sense objects and trigger itself.  A continuous scan mode captures data whenever a bar code passes into its field-of-view. The reader can also be triggered remotely through software commands or via hardware input from programmable logic controller (PLC) or sensor.  The GFS4400 OEM module supports an RS-232 serial interface, a USB HID Keyboard and a USB COM interface.  Available in two models, the GFS4450-9 model supports an RS-232 serial interface, or the GFS4470 features a USB interface.

Reprinted from Datalogic ADC Web