By Erin Harris, Integrated Solutions For Retailers magazine
Salvatore Pugliese, VP of IT and systems at Hart Stores, a Canadian department store chain with 92 stores, is in the process of overhauling the company's ERP (enterprise resource planning) system in various phases. Phase one consisted of the POS overhaul, which meant replacing 500 of the company's antiquated dot matrix printers with thermal printers that would meet Hart Stores' unique needs.
Like the legacy ERP system, the retailer's former receipt printers were antiquated, as they were dot matrix printers, which did not print receipts quickly. As Hart Stores implemented the JDA ERP system, Pugliese researched printers that would meet the retailer's need for reliability, form factor, and functionality. Last year, Pugliese headed to the NRF BIG Show to find a POS printer that would print receipts faster and fit under the retailer's counters. Also, Hart Stores used various cash drawers with old cables. Therefore, Pugliese needed to find a cable solution to fit both new and old printers, as some cash drawers were discontinued. "Because we have been in business for 50 years, many of the cash drawers in our older stores have been discontinued, and only a few stores have newer cash drawers," says Pugliese.
