Shortcuts: Quick Tips to Enhance Your Retail Success

March/April 2015
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In Store Networking for Maximum Mobile POS
Have you ever experienced slow response, dead spots in your store or other
connectivity issues that interfere with capitalizing on the many advantages Cloud
9 Mobile POS provides our customers and yours? If so, you will be pleased to
Read More
Are You Ready for Hardware Encryption?
At the January Big Show, we announced the incorporation of Apple Pay into the
KWI Cloud 9 Mobile platform. Now, following close on the heels of that major
advance, we are pleased to announce a new generation of updates. KWI Mobile
Read More
Who’s Who at KWI: Meet Zubayer Kahn, Manager SQA
Total client satisfaction is at the heart of everything we do at KWI. We put a
great deal of care into selecting new additions to our staff. We are pleased to
announce that Zubayer Kahn has joined KWI in Quality Assurance. As Manager
Read More
Client Highlight: Milly NY
It is a fact of business life that clients sometimes get wanderlust. So when
MILLY NY moved on from KWI two years ago, we were sad, but stoic. Now, we
are thrilled to report, MILLY NY has returned to the KWI family of valued clients!
Read More
Shortcuts: Quick Tips to Enhance Your Retail Success
CRM Tip:
Loss Prevention Tip:
Merchant Services Tip:
Get More from eMail Marketing
Bank Deposits: Invest in your
Fast Track Your PCI Compliance
An eMail campaign can be the
Policies & Procedures
Are you doing all you can to protect
workhorse of your outreach strategy.
The following cautionary tale is a true
your cardholder data? KWI can help
Read More
Read More
Read More
March/April 2015
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In Store Networking for Maximum Mobile POS
Have you ever experienced slow response, dead spots in your
store or other connectivity issues that interfere with capitalizing on
the many advantages Cloud 9 Mobile POS provides our customers
and yours? If so, you will be pleased to know KWI is here to help.
Please note our recommendations for improving your wireless
device performance experience.
In Store:
“Maintaining wireless strength in dense retail locations is challenging” notes Bill Barasch, CTO at KWI. KWI clients are
often dealing with hundreds of neighboring wireless access points, which can interfere with each other. To overcome this:
• Place your wireless access point very close to areas where Mobile POS will be used. Distances of a few feet can
have an impact on signal strength.
• Set wireless access points to select dynamic channels.
• Have sufficient access points to cover the physical locations where transactions take place. One access point per
store might not be enough.
• Always use business quality wireless equipment.
• A wireless site inspection will identify available channels. Your local wireless environment will change over time, so
conduct a site inspection whenever performance issues are noted.
• Both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz Wireless frequency should be considered.
• Wireless default values are not always the correct values.
• Having wireless protocol A,B,G,N all turned on is not always the optimal solution as well.
Internet Connectivity:
Internet connectivity is key to the success of your Mobile POS functionality. While Mobile POS does not require expensive
enterprise Internet lines, it does need clean bandwidth that meets the specification of the line. To that end:
• Bandwidth should be reserved for Mobile POS if the Internet line is shared for other uses (such as video cameras,
music service or Voice over IP). This feature is called Quality of Service (QOS) or traffic shaping.
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• Internet routers should have a backup Internet connection. This can be 3G or 4G cellular or any other redundant line.
• We recommend Business Internet with static external IP addressing.
• Some Internet lines are considered shared bandwidth, e.g. shared with other subscribers. If bandwidth saturation due
to other subscribers’ usage is slowing you down, choose an Internet service which is not shared.
• To verify your quality of Internet performance, try uploading and downloading files to gmail or other sites. Speedtest is
not a good indication of performance. Providers sometimes optimize for Speedtest and this will give a false indication
of performance. If your test results are not good, work with your provider to resolve, or change your service.
With KWI Cloud 9 Mobile POS, you have the retail industry’s leading mobile platform. We are here to help you make the
most of it, so please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
You can reach Bill Barasch, Chief Technology Officer, at [email protected] or call (516) 621-2400 ext. 302.
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March/April 2015
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Are You Ready for Hardware Encryption?
Release of New Mobile POS 4.2 and 4.3 enhance the KWI Cloud 9 Mobile Platform
At the January Big Show, we announced the incorporation of Apple Pay into the KWI Cloud
9 Mobile platform. Now, following close on the heels of that major advance, we are pleased to
announce a new generation of updates.
KWI Mobile POS 4.2 and 4.3 advance the capabilities of our cutting edge retail technology
with some valuable features available to you without delay.
Here is an overview of how these new releases will enhance the KWI Cloud 9 Mobile POS
platform:
KWI Cloud 9 Mobile POS Release 4.2 highlights
The Omni-Channel umbrella has expanded now to include integrated FedEx and UPS label generation seamlessly within
the transaction. This functionality includes the ability to require signature, declare value and generate multiple labels for
multiple boxes all in one action. In addition, the tracking number of the shipment is included on the customer’s receipt
eliminating customer service inquires.
Forgot to print a Gift Receipt? No problem, our on-device electronic journal “Transaction Activity Report” now includes the
ability reprint any receipt as a gift receipt after the transaction has completed.
Parlez-vous français? Você fala português? The KWI Cloud 9 Mobile Platform now supports accent character support on
screen and on your receipts.
Additional highlights include:
• Support for non-merchandise and same-day returns
• End of Day reporting to include Omni-Channel transactions
• Gift card and store credit receipt to credit card now support refund tender types
• Custom labeling of all tender types of register totals
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• Price Override during all returns to override the retail price
KWI Mobile POS Release 4.3 highlights
• Support for VeriFone Sled e315, e315M and e335; includes integration with hardware encryption capabilities for swipe
as well as manual entry from pin pad
• Apple Pay and digital wallet support for credit card transactions
• Enhanced error handling in processing errors such as signature capture, receipt print, and email
• Implements the new Cloud Payment Service on the KWI Cloud that communicates with VeriFone gateway to process
credit-card payments
• Elimination of the in store requirement of needing a PC for payment services.
• Significantly reducing or eliminating PCI compliance requirements.
Now, more than ever, your KWI Cloud 9 Mobile POS installation is a smart tool and a brilliant choice!
Questions? Contact Peter George, Vice President of Client Services at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400 ext. 310.
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March/April 2015
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Who’s Who at KWI: Meet Zubayer Kahn, Manager SQA
Total client satisfaction is at the heart of everything we do at KWI. We put a great deal
of care into selecting new additions to our staff.
We are pleased to announce that Zubayer Kahn has joined KWI in Quality Assurance.
As Manager of Systems Quality Assurance, Zubayer brings our valued clients more
than ten years of expertise in leading software quality assurance and program
management. He joined us in October of last year.
Zubayer’s credentials include a Bachelor degree in Economics and Computer
Information Systems from St. Francis College. He started his career at fashion and
lifestyle publishing giant CondeNast, where he built an outstanding QA team to support
world-class entertainment and fashion sites like Style.com and Vogue.com. These sites
garnered up to 1.3 billion page views per month.
As part of this effort, Zubayer introduced automation and performance testing frameworks to uphold site quality and
improve efficiency while reducing cost. As QA manager of TIME Inc.’s signature TIPS content management application
project, he established an agile onshore-offshore hybrid testing model.
In other initiatives, Zubayer led testing efforts in large scale data backup, recovery and business continuity solutions in
virtualized environments, in the cloud, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications including Salesforce, Google Apps,
and more.
With his extensive experience in building cross-platform, scalable, and automated mobile testing environments, Zubayer
is a perfect fit with KWI’s technology leadership and client-centric business mission.
Zubayer lives on Long Island with his wife and two children. Please join us in welcoming him to the KWI team.
To welcome Zubayer, drop him a note at [email protected] or call (516) 621-2400, ext. 301.
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March/April 2015
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Client Highlight: Milly NY
It is a fact of business life that clients sometimes get wanderlust. So when MILLY NY moved
on from KWI two years ago, we were sad, but stoic.
Now, we are thrilled to report, MILLY NY has returned to the KWI family of valued clients!
There is no stronger testament to the fact that KWI delivers on the promise of superb client
service and cutting edge retail technology than when a business like MILLY NY returns to the
fold. Milly represents the 5th client in the past 3 years to return to the KWI family. They are now
utilizing KWI Mobile POS, Merchandising and Merchant Services.
The MILLY collection epitomizes bold contemporary fashion with a feminine edge. Founder and designer Michelle Smith
transforms classic silhouettes by merging American sportswear influences with distinctive Parisian atelier techniques. Her
eye for impeccable detail, use of luxurious, innovative fabrics and precise tailoring have made MILLY a cult favorite across
the globe.
Convinced from an early age that fashion design was her calling, Smith followed her passion to New York’s Fashion
Institute of Technology, worked for Hermés, and founded MILLY in 2001. Her following include Beyoncé, Allison Williams,
Kate Middleton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mila Kunis and Sofia Vergara.
Welcome back MILLY NY! We are so pleased to know our values and talents will once again help drive your success.
For more information, contact Gary Brill, Vice President Business Development, at [email protected] or call (516) 621-2400 ext. 325
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March/April 2015
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Short Cuts: Quick Tips to Enhance Your Retail Success
Get More from eMail Marketing
by Evan Rubin, Vice President KWI-CRM
An eMail campaign can be the workhorse of your outreach
strategy. Its ability to pull loads of traffic to your website and
deliver maximum return on digital marketing investment
might even surpass SEO and display ads, but only when
utilized with a true customer focus. That means turning CLV
(Customer Lifetime Value) on its head.
Most marketers focus on extracting value from their customers. Instead, by focusing on how you can deliver value to
your customers increases their motivation to engage with your brand. The way to achieve increased motivation is through
relevancy. If you are utilizing the full power of the KWI platform, you already have the tools to make this happen.
Our powerful POS and Mobile POS systems automatically gather massive amounts of customer data. You have the
means at hand to determine what drives each customer while in store or engaging with your brand online. This can be
achieved via pertinent questions, surveys and other interactions that elicit their response.
Then, when you have accumulated your ‘Big Data’, our CRM program can help you find patterns which form the basis for
strategically targeted group mailings to key customer prospects.
Data-driven direct marketing is one of the fastest growing (and changing) aspects of today’s technological revolution.
Ongoing innovation at KWI keeps you on the leading edge. If you think that your CRM program should be pulling stronger
results, please give us a call. We will help you to utilize the KWI CRM toolkit to its full advantage.
For more information, please contact Evan Rubin, Vice President KWI-CRM, at [email protected] or
(516) 621-2400, ext. 367.
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Bank Deposits: Invest in your Policies & Procedures
by Lauren Pedro, Senior Manager of Client Services, The Zellman Group
The following cautionary tale is a true story:
About a year ago, a man posed as an armored car guard
and made off with thousands of dollars. This man, dressed
as a guard, simply walked into the store and told an
employee he was there to pick up the weekly deposit.
The employee said the man appeared to know what he
was doing, so she gave him the deposit bag containing
thousands of dollars in cash and checks. It was not until the
real armored car and driver arrived about 15 minutes later
that employees realized their store had been robbed.
The moral to this tale is that stores need clear policies in place regarding cash handling and deposit procedures.
Accurately completing all the daily deposit information and accounting for all funds, is essential to financial integrity.
Keep these helpful tips in mind when completing your banking procedures:
• All funds should be secured. Cash should never be visible at the cash wrap. If change is needed for the register
drawer, obtain it discreetly.
• Never show signs of slush funds in order to force-balance the registers.
• Overages and/or shortages should be deposited as such and documented on that day’s media along with a deposit
log. The log should verify the amount of the deposit, the bag number used for that day and who completed the
deposit.
• Each deposit should be carefully prepared after the close of business and deposited the next business day. Daily
deposits help limit the amount of individual deposits, minimizing opportunity for loss.
• Deposit slips should have two sets of initials to verify the amount. The verified deposit slip should always be attached
to that day’s media. This will help ensure that the bank receives the correct dollar amount.
• If an Armored Carrier is utilized, be sure that pick-up logs are completed and signed by the driver. Always have an
updated list, from your carrier company, of their authorized personnel. If in doubt, do not hesitate to ask for ID and to
call the company for verification.
Store Managers should verify that all signatures and logs are completed properly each day. Management should be held
accountable for enforcing the company’s deposit process. Setting a standard will aid in any necessary research should an
issue arise re: a deposit.
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For more information, please contact Lauren Pedro, Senior Manager of Client Services, at [email protected]
or (516) 625-0006, ext. 426.
Fast Track Your PCI Compliance
by Christine Colasanto, Operations Manager, KWIMS
Are you doing all you can to protect your cardholder data? KWI
can help you meet PCI DSS: the Payment Card Industry Data
Security Standard. PCI DSS was created by the major credit card
companies to prevent fraud. This standard has been around for several years and it works.
Non-compliance is NOT an Option!
Compliance with PCI security standards helps protect sensitive cardholder data from thieves. Failure to become PCI
compliant can put your business at greater risk from the growing threat of payment card data breaches and theft. These
breaches often result in substantial penalties (such as fines from banks, regulatory agencies, and card organizations),
fraud and charge backs, as well as legal costs, lost customers and diminished brand image.
Additionally, if your business fails become PCI DSS compliant or to report compliance status via a third-party vendor to
your merchant services provider, you may be charged a monthly fee until compliance is established.
Ultimately, if your business experiences a data security breach, you could even lose your ability to process credit card
payments. These are dangerous and unnecessary risks.
PCI Compliance Made Easy
To achieve PCI DSS compliance, simply work with a vendor that offers PCI compliance services. Here are a few of the
steps that the vendor will take you through depending on the complexity of your network:
• A self-assessment questionnaire
• A vulnerability scan
As the processor for your payment card transactions, KWI Merchant Services offers PCI DSS compliance services
through First Data, via the PCI Rapid Comply solution.This easy-to-use online tool helps you achieve and maintain PCI
DSS compliance, quickly and easily.
Of course, you are free to obtain PCI DSS compliance services from other third party vendors. But why would you? Using
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PCI Rapid Comply is the simplest and best solution, fully integrated with KWI Merchant Services. It’s as streamlined as
compliance gets.
Questions? Contact Christine Colasanto, Manager of Payment Services at [email protected]
or (516) 621-2400 ext. 376.
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