Eco-friendly scales

METTLER TOLEDO promotes sustainability at the fresh foods counter

Energy-saving processors and power-saving modes, long-life, recyclable materials: METTLER TOLEDO is bringing increasingly sustainable weighing technology to the fresh foods counter.

In the face of climate change, sustainability is increasingly becoming a distinguishing feature in food retailing, whether it is fish and seafood from environmentally friendly fisheries or organically grown regional produce. Anyone who wants to use sustainability in order to make their range of products and brand distinctive, or simply wants to demonstrate social responsibility, requires suit-able technology partners for their infrastructure. METTLER TOLEDO offers energy-efficient weighing solutions – and has a commitment to sustainability above and beyond the legal requirements (see background).

Energy-saving power-saving modes

Today, all METTLER TOLEDO touch-screen scales are equipped with a time-controlled display deactivation function. This function is available for all operating sys-tems and is flexible enough to be easily adapted to the company’s policy requirements, as defined by the IT de-partment for production systems.

The power-saving modes allow for using differing pro-files still commonplace in food retailing, in regard to op-erating periods, shut-downs and disconnections from the network, without compromising operating safety and availability. Depending on which scales are used and where – pre-packaging, self-service or service counter – the food retailer is able to reduce electricity consumption by 20 to 25 per cent.

Up to 50 per cent less power consumption

METTLER TOLEDO stands for reliable and efficient weighing solutions on the basis of innovative technology. “That is why it is our philosophy to follow the trend to-wards increasingly economical processors, power adapters and memory elements at the earliest possible stage, in the procurement of electronic parts and components”, says Daniel Joha, Head of Retail Marketing Management at METTLER TOLEDO. ”The Intel Atom Processors are certainly a particularly interesting example in terms of the potential energy savings. Our classic tactile scales, which work with imbedded technology, are already very eco-nomical.” At the level of the components, energy savings of up to 50 per cent are possible.

Long-life and recyclable materials

METTLER TOLEDO often uses steel plating for the cas-ings of the scales. The material is not only very durable and eminently suitable for recycling at a later date, “We also succeed in leading off waste heat through the casing. Of course, we do our best to avoid it in the first place.” Daniel Joha adds. “At the same time, we can usually do without the energy-guzzling fans, which always represent a certain hygiene risk and breakdown potential as well.”

Background: Green-IT

ISO 14001: METTLER TOLEDO manufactures its retail scales under an environmental management system certi-fied according to ISO 14001 that guarantees the continual improvement of the environmental performance of the company according to the PDCA method (Plan-Do-Check-Act).

RoHS: Almost all of the products distributed by METTLER TOLEDO fall into the product categories 8 and 9 of the EU directive 2002/95/EG RoHS for the limi-tation of certain hazardous substances in electric and electronic devices. Until further notice, these categories are excluded from the compliance with the limits set by the RoHS for certain substances. Since 1 July 2006, METTLER TOLEDO has voluntarily complied with the strict limits of the RoHS for all newly introduced elec-tronic products, including those in these two categories.

WEEE: METTLER TOLEDO supports the underlying principles of the EU directive 2002/96/EG WEE (Waste

Electrical and Electronic Equipment). The company par-ticularly ensures that the recycling and disposal of its products is readily possible and carried out properly. In order to avoid products being disposed of in the unsorted domestic waste, METTLER TOLEDO has been labelling all of its electronic products accordingly since 13 August 2005.

Logistics: METTLER TOLEDO uses re-usable systems during production in order to save on packaging materi-als. Additionally, the company is constantly optimising the supply chain processes to ensure the shortest possible transport routes. Wherever it makes sense and is possible, METTLER TOLEDO uses regional suppliers to keep the transport routes short.

Service: METTLER TOLEDO customers can take ad-vantage of the InTouchSM Enabled Remote Services for service and maintenance. This is environmentally friendly as faults can often be rectified without the service techni-cian making a journey.

VCODisp

More space and better overview at the checkout: At the EuroCIS 2010 METTLER TOLEDO is showing food retailers how to improve the overview and create space in the sensitive checkout area – creating the perfect shopping experience for for customers with VCODisp.

Many consumers are familiar with the situation: shopping may be relaxing, but when it comes to paying things get hectic: the person behind is hurrying you while the one in front is still busy packing their shopping. This makes it difficult for customers to keep an eye on the monitor of the cash register and the display of the scales.

More scope for design in the checkout zone

Retailers who weigh at the checkout can effectively coun-teract such disruptions with the Virtual Checkout Display VCODisp: this software tool enables you to display cash register information and weighing data on the checkout monitor as well as on separate displays on the scales. "This considerably expands the scope retailers have in designing the checkout area”, explains Julia Obstfelder, METTLER TOLEDO Head of Marketing Retail Region Central Europe. For example, the retailer can decide to do without a separate display for the scales in order to have more space available on the checkout band. He can also complement the display of the weighing information on the monitor of the cash register with an extra display at the end of the checkout band – where the customers pack their shopping. “Consequently, retailers are able to use the VCODisp in accordance with the space available to them in the checkout zone, minimising delays and distur-bances”, says Julia Obstfelder. “The customer is able to see the information on the scales at all times, while pack-ing their shopping or searching for change.”

Thank you for shopping with us!

VCODisp displays all weighing information from the scanner scales such as article text, net weight, tare as well as kilo-price and end-price of the weighed goods. The layout of the display, its position, font size, and colour can be chosen freely within legal regulations. This way, retail chains can adjust the colour and lettering of the dis-plays to meet their own design requirements. “Clear, easy-to-read displays invoke trust in the customer”, Julia Obstfelder emphasises. Thanks to the flexibility in design, VCODisp creates the opportunity adjust the display of the weighing information to particular customer needs. This means that it is not a problem to use larger lettering in supermarkets with a lot of elderly customers, enhancing customer loyalty through better service.”

Certified all over Europe

VCODisp was certified for the whole of Europe by the regulatory authority in the Netherlands, NMI in 2008. The legally required reset function can be carried out with the help of the reset button on the scanner or on a sepa-rate keypad. VCODisp is available as Windows or LINUX-based software and is suitable for all METTLER TOLEDO DIVA scanner scales. Already installed scales can be upgraded with a software update. VCODisp can be integrated into any ordinary cash register application.

Over 6,000 installations already

VCODisp has been tried and tested. METTLER TOLEDO has already equipped more than 6,000 Wincor Nixdorf checkout systems with VCODisp. The VCODisp customers include the REWE chain.

Fresh Promoter

Triggering emotions, strengthening brands, increasing profits: METTLER TOLEDO is presenting the Fresh Promoter for the first time at the EuroCIS 2010 (Hall 14, B 67). The web-based application complements the touch-screen scales of the UC3-Line with a marketing tool for visual sales promotion at the service counter that is both efficient and easy to use.

The Fresh Promoter makes it possible for food retailers to capture the customers´ attention with brands and prod-ucts in the right place, where consumers often spontaneously decide what to buy: directly at the service counter, the Point of Sale (PoS).

Visual sales promotion made easy

“Fresh Promoter transforms UC3-Line touch-screen scales into real sales talents”, says Julia Obstfelder, METTLER TOLEDO Head of Marketing Retail Central Europe. Fresh Promoter achieves this by using texts and images as well as animations and videos on the customer side of the double-sided displays of the UC3-Line scales. One of the particular advantages of the Fresh Promoter is how easily marketing and advertising staff can use the application to design, schedule and distribute effective campaigns for sales promotion at the fresh-foods counter. The user interface impresses with its modern design and intuitive handling, making it extremely easy for users to compile campaigns without extensive training. “The media editor of the Fresh Promoter provides a wide range of tools and functions with which advertising screens and campaigns can be compiled quickly and conveniently”, says Markus Dohl, METTLER TOLEDO Product Manager Applica-tions.

Creating the impulse to buy – systematically!

Text inserts, tickers with up to date offers and slide shows: the media editor makes it possible to compile campaigns in no time at all. Content can be organised clearly, is instantly accessible at all times – and can be changed quickly in the media editor if necessary. With the help of drag and drop, the sequence of recordings on the display is put together in clearly laid out playlists, just as easily as your favourite songs on your MP3 player or mobile”, says Julia Obstfelder. In such playlists, all kinds of media content can be combined, meaning: the se-quence in which texts, images and animations are loaded onto the scales can be chosen freely. Particularly impor-tant for addressing the customer directly: the playlists can be categorised according to weighing groups such as fish, deli and meat counter and combined with differing re-gional information – the latter being particularly impor-tant for local campaigns promoting regional products. “Fresh Promoter makes controlling visual sales promotion on the display of the scales extremely flexible – regardless of whether it it is supposed to complement a current print campaign, present cross-selling promotions or boost the sales of a product close to its date of expiry with a spontaneous promotional price offer.”

Scaleable for any infrastructure

Fresh Promoter can be integrated directly into existing IT infrastructures and stands out because of its excellent scalability and flexible solution. Retail chains can upload and and manage the content on their own content server, grant their marketing department or advertising agency access to it and manage the recordings in their subsidiar-ies from any computer online. Scales as a new, efficient instrument in the in-store marketing mix can therefore be optimally integrated into the process of steering market-ing and advertising.