For an operator of any coin-op game there are a number of important operational issues. For redemption and novelty games, however, there is the further complexity of merchandise. Jenni Shuttleworth talks to Embed's managing director Mark Easte about how technology helps operators to manage and control effectively
The operator’s ability to select the right merchandise product, understand the redemption habits of customers, tightly manage and control inventory levels and prevent theft and shrinkage is critical to the level of success of their operation.
The Embed system not only provides management and control systems for redemption and novelty games, but also provides an end-to-end merchandise management solution that will track merchandise from receipt of the supplier through to over-the-counter redemption by customers or distribution through direct vend prize or novelty games.
Connectivity and the ability for real time and automated information collection on a cost effective basis are the major advances in technology that have facilitated the evolution of the Embed systems.
Mark Easte from the company spoke to InterGame: "Our systems look to accurately capture transactional information in real time right from its source and then sort and process that information into a form that enables better operational decision making. Embed has developed technology that delivers the required sophisticated connectivity and processing power to the games industry."
Specific features of the Embed system that would not be possible if it weren’t for advances in technology include the company’s proprietary game interface hardware.
Coupled with its robust and efficient in-store communications network, it enables accurate and reliable reporting of game play and payout transactions for all games in a location.
"Reliability and integrity of this data is paramount and Embed’s software and hardware has evolved to handle the diverse range of technical standards used by different game manufacturers across the world. With over 30,000 games connected to Embed systems around the world the versatility of this technology has been well tested," said Easte.
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With the evolution of secure login information being transferred via the internet, the Embed system also allows operators to access data and manage information from remote locations, plus allow multiple sites to report back to a centralised head office if required.
Further, systems can be set up to automatically notify of operational issues and send automated reports and alerts to an operator by SMS or email.
Talking about advances in technology within the coin-op sector, Easte told InterGame: "Innovation on its own is central to the success of the coin-op industry. We are in the entertainment industry after all and success will always come from the ability to continually offer something fresh and new.
"It’s also an increasingly competitive world out there and the coin-op industry is having to compete heavily for the customers’ dollar and operators must make their businesses more efficient from a cost and control perspective.
"This is particularly important in the redemption and novelty sector because companies are competing with sophisticated retailers of the same kinds of merchandise.
"Merchandise retailers employ sophisticated management information systems to monitor customer demand and manage and control inventory and the same principals need to be adopted by operators of redemption and novelty games if they want to stay competitive," continued Easte.
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To stay ahead of the competition and continously push products and systems forward, Embed relies on innovation and technology. The company has received several awards for its products and it has been the only company to successfully deploy electronic redemption ticket operations on a wide scale using the Embed Electronic Ticket Interface.
Embed has also developed an industrial grade wireless technology that is superior to the wifi and consumer grade technology employed by others.
On the software side, the company has led with its depth of features to support point-of-sale marketing, customer loyalty and retention, operational management and control and high level reporting and analysis.
"The future is all about adding further features, functionality and refinement that will allow any possible activity likely to occur within an amusement or entertainment centre to be managed by the Embed system," said Easte.
As more and more systems are adopted into the market place, the company feels that the next significant step will be for improvements to the way in which merchandise suppliers can electronically transact with operators and interface directly to the merchandise management systems now residing in these operations.
Easte told InterGame: "Use of more features like Embed’s digital packing list where suppliers can send an electronic packing list directly to the operator’s system (rather than a paper one involving data entry and processing) will become more prevalent as systems are adopted on a wider scale in the market."
