Research Paper. Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening. Analysis of Toshiba SurePOS 785, NCR 82xrt, and HP rp5800

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1 89 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY Research Paper Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Analysis of Toshiba SurePOS 785, NCR 82xrt, and HP rp5800

2 Printed in the United States of America Copyright 2013 Edison Group, Inc. New York. Edison Group offers no warranty either expressed or implied on the information contained herein and shall be held harmless for errors resulting from its use. This study was sponsored by Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Inc. All products are trademarks of their respective owners. First Publication: December 2013 Produced by: Steve Ball, Analyst; John Steigerwald, Analyst; Barry Cohen, Editor-in-Chief; Manny Frishberg, Editor

3 Table of Contents Executive Summary... 1 Retail Hardening for POS Systems... 3 Test Methodology... 4 Findings... 6 Durability Can Impact Revenue Conclusion... 14

4 Executive Summary Fundamentally, retail happens with the exchange of money for goods between a customer and a merchant. Point of Sale (POS) systems are perhaps the most critical element to the successful operation of a retail business, so durability is a key consideration when buying a POS system. Durability has a direct effect on total cost of ownership (TCO) due to the need for maintenance and potentially repairs. Any system downtime can negatively impact customer satisfaction and loyalty, and ultimately, store sales and profits. POS system manufacturers understand how harsh retail environments can be, and the premium brands have focused on designing systems to withstand these rigors. Edison Group selected three systems, from HP, NCR, and Toshiba, for analysis. Each of these vendors were selected for their market share and each have made specific claims in their promotional literature about how they design and test their systems for high durability in harsh and extreme retail environments. Since retail environments are notoriously dusty, a key measure of durability is how well these systems perform over extended time periods in dirty and dusty environments. Lint and dust, in particular, are a significant issue for all retailers, whether specialty retail, general merchandise, quick serve, or grocery and drug stores. To objectively assess how well POS systems tolerate dust and lint, a Analysis of the data and direct observations clearly suggest the Toshiba system will be far more durable than the HP and NCR systems, and should have a longer lifespan and lower TCO. laboratory test was designed and executed under Edison Group s control to measure the impacts of an extended time in a durability chamber. While there are a number of facets related to retail hardening, this study focused the durability of POS systems over time, given that POS component manufacturers warn of system failure should internal temperatures exceed specifications. POS System durability can be seriously compromised if the specified maximum temperatures are exceeded. Even on the first day of testing, the CPU temperature readings on the HP system exceeded the manufacturer s specifications. The HP system continued to have CPU measurements exceeding specifications for the duration of the test. Edison halted testing after approximately 29 days, at which point the NCR system Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 1

5 was regularly spiking over the CPU temperature limits. The Toshiba system accumulated far less dust/lint than the competing HP and NCR systems and alone among the three, remained comfortably within specified temperature ranges throughout the test; whereas, the HP and NCR units exceeded the maximum specified CPU temperature ranges. Analysis of the data and direct observations clearly suggest the Toshiba system will be far more durable than the HP and NCR systems, and should have a longer lifespan and lower TCO. Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 2

6 Retail Hardening for POS Systems The three competitive POS systems evaluated were the Toshiba SurePOS 785, the NCR 82xrt, and the HP rp5800. These systems were selected based on market share data in the premium POS segment, and all claim to be retail hardened in their literature. A report by RBR 1 states 2012 global market share for EPOS shipments as follows: 24 percent Toshiba, 11 percent HP and 11 percent NCR. All three vendors have published marketing materials that illustrate the various aspects of retail hardening that their systems include and, to some extent, how they test and validate their designs. Examples of retail hardening tests include: Electromagnetic compatibility: radiated immunity and radiated emissions Electrostatic discharge Surge/lightning Environmental: thermal and humidity Dust/lint and debris Spill and drip Impact, drop, shock, and vibration Durability is one of the key considerations in purchasing a POS system. This research focuses on dust/lint and debris testing performance over time, because it illustrates the most distinguishing difference among the three systems being evaluated. Heat is the enemy of all electronic devices, since overheating can impact operating performance and can cause durability problems and premature failure. Properly managing and disposing of heat is a key challenge for POS system designers. Varying retail environments further complicate this challenge because systems are often fit into cramped spaces. They can be jostled, heat vents can get blocked, or they are placed in outdoor environments, subject to extreme levels of dirt and dust. This design challenge is critical for the expected life span and performance of a POS system. Durability is one of the key considerations in purchasing a POS system. Marketing literature for the Toshiba system claims a lifespan of seven years; neither the HP nor NCR product literature provided similar lifespan specifications. In addition to lifespan, maintenance, and repair costs must be considered as contributors to the overall total cost of ownership (TCO) equation. 1 Source: RBR, Global EPOS and Self-Checkout 2013, May, Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 3

7 Test Methodology This section describes the dust/lint testing setup, methodology and measurements. An industry standard method referred to as Arizona Road Dust testing (ISO 80939) is used to analyze the impacts of dust on automobiles, heavy equipment, electronics, etc. Edison feels that Arizona road dust does not accurately simulate the type of dust and lint that is present in a retail environment. Consequently, a method was invented to create retail dust and lint and to inject it into the test chambers. The dust/lint test chamber is a proprietary design, created to simulate an environment in which 72 days of testing approximates seven years of exposure to a typical, severely dusty retail environment. The simulation has been calibrated by working with various retailers who have extremely dusty store conditions where their POS systems are located. Three separate, identical dust/lint testing chambers, one for each system, were used. To create the dust/lint used in the tests, a proprietary mechanism was invented to combine particles of cotton and particles of rock (silicate). The dust/lint chamber generates the long fibers of between 4 mm and 20 mm which represent the fibers typically found across all retail industry segments, i.e. specialty retail, general merchandise, quick serve and grocery/drug stores. The dust/lint generated within the dust/lint chamber measures sub-micron up to 20 microns, representing the normal airborne particulate material (tobacco, spent fuel, machinery, cleaning, dander, etc.) that commonly occurs in the ambient environment of all developed countries. Extreme care was taken to have identical test conditions in each of the test chambers. The fabricated dust/lint supply was monitored daily and replenished, as necessary, to maintain the same mix in each chamber. The injection rate for the dust/lint was measured regularly to maintain a consistent volume across all units. As necessary (every three or four days), external filters on all the chambers were changed to maintain maximum constant dust/lint injection flow rates. For system monitoring and logging for each of the chambers, PassMark BurnInTest tools were utilized (BurnInTest V7.1 Pro 1015). The same test profile was executed concurrently on all of the systems. The key focus was on temperature measurements for the CPU and hard disk, since these are critical components. For each POS system under test, temperature probes were placed on the CPU heat sinks and on the hard drive enclosures. Temperature probes were also placed inside the chambers for ambient air temperature measurement. Minimum, current, and maximum temperature values were recorded every minute. Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 4

8 The chambers were not opened, and the systems under test remained undisturbed until the testing was completed. At that point, photographs were immediately taken of multiple components from various angles to compare the levels and locations of dust/lint buildup inside each unit as well as on the air intake filters. Test results were a combination of measured (quantitative) data taken from the PassMark BurnInTest tools and observed (qualitative) data. The test duration was planned for 72 days in order to simulate approximately seven years of life in a retail environment. Edison determined that the tests would be halted in the event of catastrophic failure of any of the units. Published system specifications and temperature limits for the system processor (CPU) and hard drive components are illustrated in Table 1. POS System HP rp5800 NCR 82xrt Toshiba SurePOS 785 System Processor (CPU) Intel(R) Core(TM) i GHz with 4 Cores 1 x Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.50GHz 1 x Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.50GHz CPU Maximum Case Temperature (Celsius) Table 1: Published system specifications and temperature limits Hard Drive Model: ST AS (Size: GB) Model: ST250DM000-1BD141 (Size: GB) Model: WD5003ABYX M C0468IBM ATA Device (Size: GB) Hard Drive Maximum Case Temperature (Celsius) Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 5

9 Findings Even on the first day of testing, the CPU temperature readings on the HP system exceeded the manufacturer s specifications. The HP system continued to have CPU measurements exceeding specifications for the duration of the test, representing a high likelihood of system failure if this were an actual store environment. Testing was halted late on the 29th day as the CPU temperature readings on the NCR system exceeded the CPU manufacturer s specifications. All systems were then shut down and the dust/lint chambers were carefully opened in order to limit the disturbance of collected dust and lint. Photographs of the insides of the systems, showing dust/lint buildup were taken, along with CPU temperature data. Temperature readings of the hard drives were also taken from all three systems. Since all three systems exhibited hard drive temperature readings within the normal specified operating ranges, the temperature data collected from the hard drive enclosures is not illustrated in this paper. Hard drive temperatures for all three units had maximum measured values that were more than 11 degrees Celsius lower than the manufacturer s specified maximum of 60 degrees C. At nearly 29 days of testing, the simulated retail lifetime is equivalent to approximately two and one-half years. Upon viewing the interiors of the three systems, it was dramatic to see the buildup of dust/lint inside the HP and NCR systems. In comparison, it was more dramatic to see the relatively small amount of dust/lint built up inside the Toshiba system. The following photographs show a comparison each system before the testing ( clean ) and at the conclusion of testing ( after ). Then, a larger image of the after is presented for each system in order to see more detail of the debris collection. Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 6

10 Figure 1 (below) shows the HP system with the cover removed in a clean state and then following the conclusion of the testing. Figure 1: Interior view of the HP rp5800 clean (left) versus after test conclusion (right) Power supply Disk drive CPU heat sink Intake fan Figure 2: Interior view of the HP rp5800 at test conclusion In Figure 2 (above) it is easy to see the significant buildup of dust/lint on the HP system s power supply and hard disk enclosure (top left), the CPU heat sink (right center) and the intake fan (bottom right). Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 7

11 Figure 3 (below) shows the NCR system with the cover removed in a clean state and then following the conclusion of the testing. Figure 3: Interior view of the NCR 82xrt - clean (left) versus after test conclusion (right) Disk drive CPU heat sink Figure 4: Interior view of the NCR 82xrt at test conclusion In Figure 4 (above) one can see the buildup of dust/lint on the NCR system s hard disk enclosure (top left) and the CPU heat sink (left center). Though the buildup is significant, it appears to be somewhat less than that of the HP system. Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 8

12 Figure 5 (below) shows the Toshiba system with the cover removed in a clean state and then following the conclusion of the testing. Figure 5: Interior view of the Toshiba SurePOS clean (left) versus after test conclusion (right) Disk drive CPU heat sink Exhaust fan Figure 6: Interior view of the Toshiba SurePOS 785 at test conclusion In Figure 6, it is remarkable to see the relatively low amount of accumulated dust/lint inside the Toshiba system relative to the buildup outside. One can see the Toshiba system s hard disk enclosure (top left), the CPU heat sink (left center) and the exhaust fan (lower left removed to allow a view of the CPU heat sink). Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 9

13 In summary, it appears that the HP system accumulated the most dust/lint in critical areas. At points during the testing, the dust/lint build-up caused the fan to become almost completely blocked. The NCR system showed less accumulation than the HP but still a great deal. In contrast, the Toshiba system showed markedly less accumulation than either of the two competitive systems. Upon evaluating the temperature data, Edison determined a strong correlation between the amount and location of the dust/lint buildup and the CPU temperature readings. Figure 7 (below) shows a line chart of the CPU temperatures throughout the duration of the test. The HP system s CPU temperature jumped immediately at the start of the test as a result of the BurnInTest s effect on the design of the HP system. As the test proceeded, the effect of lint and dust accumulation pushed HP s temperature to levels that far exceeded the maximum specification. The NCR system temperature increased steadily over time, and it continued to climb until the testing was halted. At the end of the test, it reached an average CPU temperature of 70 degrees Celsius. The Toshiba system exhibited a rather stable temperature profile, maintaining average temperatures in the low to mid-50s (degrees Celsius). 90 CPU Temperature ( o C) over Time HP Temperature NCR Temperature Toshiba Temperature NCR/Toshiba Spec (max) HP Spec (max) 0 Elaspsed Time (Hours) Figure 7: CPU temperature measurements over the test period Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 10

14 Figure 8 (below) illustrates the measured maximum temperature as a percentage of the maximum specified case temperature for the CPU being used in each system. The HP system had a measured maximum temperature that is 117 percent of the specified maximum; and, the NCR system was measured at a maximum of 5 percent over the specification during the testing period. The Toshiba system never reached a temperature higher than 86 percent of the specified maximum and averaged 77%. 140% Percentage of Maximum Temperature 120% 100% 80% 60% 117% 105% 86% 40% 20% 0% HP NCR Toshiba Figure 8: Maximum Measured Temperature as a Percentage of Maximum Temperature Specification The various systems use two different types of Intel CPUs. The CPUs have different specifications for the maximum case temperature, as illustrated in Figure 9 (page 12). The HP system exhibited temperature averages exceeding the maximum specification for most of the testing period. Though measured average hourly CPU temperature of the NCR system was less than the specified maximum, the NCR measured maximum temperature exceeded In contrast to the other two systems under test, the Toshiba system demonstrated a comfortable margin compared to the CPU temperature specifications, never nearing the specified maximum. the specs at several measuring points. The NCR system CPU temperature was continuing to trend higher when we halted testing. In contrast to the other two systems under test, the Toshiba system demonstrated a comfortable margin compared to the CPU temperature specifications, never nearing the specified maximum. Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 11

15 CPU Temperature Specs vs. Measures (Celsius) HP NCR Toshiba CPU Maximum Case Temperature Specification Measured Temperature Maximum Percentage of Measured Max to Specification 117% 105% 86% Measured Average Hourly Temp. (Last 24 hrs.) Figure 9: CPU temperature specifications compared to measured values 2 Reference: 3 Reference: 4 Reference: ibid ( GHz?q=G540) Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 12

16 Durability Can Impact Revenue Customer satisfaction is also related to durability. A paper published by Retail Info Systems News (RIS) 5 describes customer satisfaction as a major concern for retailers, with 60 percent of participants in the Boston Retail Partners survey deeming customer service as a top priority. The paper went on to say loss of revenue and profits can occur when customers are not able to receive quick and efficient service. RIS 6 stated: If a retailer s POS system is inefficient or otherwise malfunctions, sparking frequent delays at the checkout counter, most consumers will quickly take their business elsewhere. To get a better perspective on the impact of durability differences, let us consider a simple illustration of possible lost revenue. A sample retailer has 200,000 transactions a year at one of its stores equating to approximately 10 transactions per hour per system. The retailer has 2,000 POS systems across all of its front ends in 400 stores. Assume, based on the analysis of the different POS systems, that for a poor POS system the potential failure rate of POS systems is 4% (80). For a fair system, assume half of that or 2% (40) and for the best assume half again or 1% (20). The failed system results in fewer transactions that can be processed in a timeframe and an impact on wait time occurs. Some customers will view this impact negatively and choose to abandon their purchase. Assuming each transaction is $50 on average; that it takes 3 hours to return a failed POS system to functional again; and that 5% of customers would abandon their transaction during the down time, then the annual lost revenue for the systems would be as illustrated in Table 2 below: Loss of Revenue Illustration Poor Fair Best Number of POS Systems 2,000 2,000 2,000 Transactions Per Year 100, , ,000 Revenue ($) per Transaction $50 $50 $50 Failure Rate Due to Dust/Lint 4% 2% 1% % of People who will Abandon 5% 5% 5% Hours to Repair Revenue Impact over 7 Years $15,204,000 $7,602,000 $3,801,000 Table 2: Illustration of Potential Loss of Revenue over 7 Year Period 5 The Case for Retail-Hardened POS, RIS, Page 3, March, ibid. Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 13

17 Conclusion In summary, the three POS systems included in this retail hardening analysis have very different levels of durability and ability to tolerate dust/lint found in a typical retail environment. The HP rp5800 collected the most dust/lint and exhibited the highest CPU temperatures. In fact, the CPU temperatures regularly exceeded the CPU manufacturer s specifications. The NCR 82xrt also collected significant dust/lint in critical areas inside the system and demonstrated consistently rising CPU temperatures. Though the NCR CPU temperature did not consistently exceed the maximum specified temperature during the testing period, the rising trend indicated that it would soon regularly exceed the maximum and have a potentially catastrophic failure. In sharp contrast, the Toshiba system exhibited the lowest amount of accumulated dust/lint of any of the systems tested, and showed a very consistent temperature profile comfortably within normal operating temperature ranges. One of the main criteria impacting total cost of ownership is durability. The test findings indicated that both the HP and NCR systems could face durability problems relatively early in their lifespans. Exceeding the maximum temperature is likely to result in decreased system The Toshiba system clearly demonstrated a superior ability to manage dust/lint, and is expected to have lower TCO and better longevity and durability than the competing HP and NCR models. performance and premature system failure, and likely to result in higher maintenance costs as well as a shorter usable lifespan. To reduce risk of failure, the HP and NCR machines will likely require routine cleaning and maintenance. These efforts will have associated costs and system downtime. This system downtime has negative implications for customer satisfaction and the potential for associated loss of revenue and profits. The Toshiba system clearly demonstrated a superior ability to manage dust/lint, and is expected to have lower TCO and better longevity and durability than the competing HP and NCR models. In conclusion, Edison recommends that buyers of POS systems look closely at the retail hardening characteristics when evaluating POS systems. The evidence in this study demonstrates clear differences in how the three premium systems manage dust/lint and the potential impact that can have on durability and TCO. Among the three leading systems tested from HP, NCR and Toshiba, evidence clearly shows the Toshiba SurePOS 785 system performed as best in class. Edison: Comparing Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Retail Hardening Page 14