Devices

Device setup

Device management occurs within the InStore colleague app. Registering devices (peripherals) can be done by a central team before a store is opened or by location managers on an as-needed basis. To edit devices, a user must have a role with the DeviceManagement permission enabled.

During initial setup, we recommend registering devices in the order in which the application lists them:

• Printers
• Cash Drawers
• Scanners
• PEDs
• Workstations
• Safes

You can register a device as inactive and activate it later. After a device is activated, you can select it from lists and use it with the application.

Administrators can access view-only information about registered devices on the Devices tab of the InStore Center. For more information, see Device search.

Registering a printer

The purpose of registering printers is to enable retailers to produce receipts and coupons for customers and to produce receipts as a result of cash management activities. For retailers that handle cash, a printer is physically connected to each cash drawer and is required to open a connected cash drawer. The printer informs the application whether a connected cash drawer is open or closed.

A printer can also be physically connected to a scanner to serve as a power source to the scanner.

If the retailer does not handle cash and does not require receipts, or if deployment is still in test phase, you can use InStore without a physical printer. In this case, your administrator can set the Enable_Printer parameter to false and the Simulate_Printer parameter to true to use the on-screen simulator.

To register a printer or edit its information:

1. Access the Manage Devices page in the InStore colleague app.

2. On the Printers tab, view the list of printers to verify that this printer has not yet been registered. Or, click Edit to view or change details about a listed printer. Any printer with an inactive flag is unavailable for selection by another device.

3. On the Printers tab, click Add Printer.

4. Provide the following information:

   • Device Name: assign a name for this device that is unique to the location—for example, Epson Printer Mobile. This name is displayed on the Printers tab list of printers and on selection lists.
   • Supported Device: the listed printer has been tested and verified for use with InStore.
   • Shared: mark the printer as shared if it should be an option for multiple workstations.
   • Activated: if it is for immediate use, activate the printer. An active printer is available for selection by the connected device or by multiple devices if shared. Toggle this selector to inactivate the printer if it is not in use yet or is no longer in use—for example, the retailer can replace older model devices with newer ones. Add new devices in an inactive status to indicate to the administrator that they have arrived at the location. Deleting a device is not an option.
   • Print Server Address: provide the URL for the print server, if any. This endpoint is not validated, but your entry must conform to URL formatting rules.
   • Printer Address: this is provided by the valid print server, if any. Otherwise, specify the unique static IP address for this printer. InStore validates the IP address format. This is required because almost all brands and models of retail printers act as a device hub, which allows you to control a connected cash drawer, among other devices, through the printer's network port.

5. Click Register. The printer is listed on the Printers tab and the device count increments by one.

6. To exit the Manage Devices page, click Done.

Registering a cash drawer

The purpose of cash drawer setup is to secure the retailer’s supply of cash, to enable tracking of tender, and to support cash management activities. A cash drawer can serve as a safe.

You must register at least one cash drawer to activate a location in the InStore Center.

To register a cash drawer or edit its information:

1. Access the Manage Devices page in the application.

2. On the Cash Drawers tab, click Edit to view or change details about a listed cash drawer. Any cash drawer with an inactive flag is unavailable for selection by a workstation or for use as a safe.

3. On the Cash Drawers tab, click Add Cash Drawer.

4. Provide this information:

   • Cashdrawer ID: assign an ID for this device that is unique among all cash drawers and safes within the location.
   • Device Name: assign a name for this device that is unique to the location—for example, Fixed Drawer or Mobile Drawer. This name is displayed on the Cash Drawers tab list of cash drawers and on selection lists.
   • Supported Device: select the listed cash drawer, which has been tested and verified for use with the application.
   • Shared: enable this if the cash drawer should be selectable by multiple workstations.
   • Eligible as Safe: enable this if the cash drawer could be used as a safe. Enabling this places the cash drawer on a selectable list when setting up a safe for the location.
   • Activate: if it is for immediate use, activate this cash drawer to make it available for selection by the connected device or by multiple devices if shared. Toggle this selector to inactivate the device if it is not in use yet or is no longer in use—for example, the retailer can replace older model devices with newer ones. Add new devices in an inactive status to indicate to the administrator that they have arrived at the location. Deleting a device is not an option. Note that the location will revert to Pending status and be unusable if it has no active cash drawers.
   • Connected Printer: select an active printer from among the listed printers. A cash drawer must be associated to a printer so that the employee can provide receipts. If you select a printer that is registered but not activated, InStore will not allow employees to accept cash or pop the cash drawer.

5. Click Register. The cash drawer is listed on the Cash Drawers tab and the device count increments by one.

6. To exit the Manage Devices page, click Done.

Registering a scanner

The purpose of scanner setup is to enable employees to perform sales and refunds by scanning in wallet tender, merchandise bar codes for sales or refunds, and gift cards. Scanners are also used to retrieve previous orders or transactions from a receipt. In the absence of a scanner, employees may use the camera on a mobile workstation to scan.

To register a scanner or edit its information:

1. Access the Manage Devices page in the InStore colleague app.

2. On the Scanners tab, view the list of scanners to verify that this scanner has not yet been registered. Or, click Edit to view or change details about a listed printer. Any scanner with an inactive flag is unavailable for selection by another device.

3. On the Scanners tab, click Add Scanner.

4. Provide this information:

   • Device Name: assign a name for this device that is unique to the location—for example, Symbol Scanner Cash Wrap or iPod Embedded Camera. This name is displayed on the Scanners tab list of scanner and on selection lists.
   • Supported Device: the listed scanners have been tested and verified for use with InStore. Select Camera if the workstation is a device that has an embedded camera instead of a scanner. Remember to configure the workstation to allow the app to access the device's camera.
   • Shared: mark the scanner as Shared if it should be an option for multiple workstations that you will define.
   • Activate: if it is for immediate use, activate the scanner. Toggle this selector to inactivate the device if it is not in use yet or is no longer in use.
   • Connected Printer: select from among the listed active printers if you have a scanner that requires a printer as a power source.

5. Click Register. The scanner is listed on the Scanners tab and the device count increments by one.

6. To exit the Manage Devices page, click Done.

Registering a PED

The purpose of registering a PED (payment entry device, or sled) is to accept a customer’s credit or debit card for payments and returns through the retailer’s payment processor. Any card that has a magnetic stripe, near-field tap-to-pay, insertable chip, or PIN requires a PED. Without an active PED, the only tenders that a location can process are cash and a bar-code-based retailer gift card.

Any PED you register must have an assigned alias or ID from the retailer's payment provider. If you are in test mode, you must use our simulator or obtain a test-allocated PED from your payment provider.

To register a PED or edit its information:

1. Access the Manage Devices page in the InStore colleague app.

2. On the PEDs tab, view the list of PEDs to verify that this PED has not yet been registered. Or, click Edit to view or change details about a listed PED. Any PED with an inactive flag is unavailable for selection by another device.

3. On the PEDs tab, click Add PED.

4. Provide this information:

   • Device Name: assign a name for this device that is unique to the location—for example, Verifone P400 PED. This name is displayed on the PEDs tab list of printers and on selection lists.
   • Supported Device: choose the PED to register. The list shows only PEDs that have been tested and verified for use with InStore and with the payment provider.
   • Shared: mark the PED as Shared if it should be an option for multiple workstations that you will define.
   • Activate: if it is for immediate use, activate the PED. An active PED is available for selection by other devices. Toggle this selector to inactivate the PED if it is not in use yet or is no longer in use—for example, the retailer can replace older model devices with newer ones. Add new devices in an inactive status to indicate to the administrator that they have arrived at the location. Deleting a device is not an option.
   • Registration Code: specify the code or alias that you received from the retailer’s payment provider. This is sometimes provided through the payment provider's managing agent applet.

5. Click Register. The PED is listed on the PEDs tab and the device count increments by one.

6. To exit the Manage Devices page, click Done.

Registering a workstation

A workstation (also known as a till or cash register) is an employee's center of operation. It is where employees access InStore, and their metrics are tracked here. A workstation is a hand-held device or desktop computer that can run applications and connect to other devices physically or virtually.

For employee accountability and metrics, we recommend individual logins for each employee. When a user is logged in to a workstation, the workstation is marked by the system as claimed and displays an override prompt (which acts as a "speed bump") if another user attempts to gain access.

InStore supports both "register accountability" (where the cash drawer is associated with a workstation and is available to any user who signs into the workstation) and "till accountability" (where the cash drawer is assigned to one user). Till accountability is also called "cashier accountability." The keys to InStore's flexibility are:

• an optional configuration to log the user out after each transaction
• the availability of "soft logins" using a personal 4-digit code that allows users to regain access or switch users

To register a workstation or edit its information:

1. Access the Manage Devices page in your InStore colleague app.

2. On the Workstations tab, view the list of workstations to verify that this workstation has not yet been registered. Or, click Edit to view or change details about a listed workstation. Any workstation with an inactive flag is unavailable for selection by another device.

3. On the Workstations tab, click Add Workstation.

4. Provide this information:

   • Workstation ID: Specify a numeric identifier for this workstation. It must be unique within the location.

     Avoid assigning a Workstation ID that contains alpha or special characters.

   • Device Name: assign a name for this device that is unique to the location—for example, Mobile iPad. This name is displayed on the Workstations tab list of workstations and on selection lists.

   • Supported Device: select from among the available workstations.

   • Mobility: select whether this device is Mobile or Stationary (fixed). A mobile workstation is typically on an iPod or mobile phone. Tablets and iPads can be stationary or mobile. PCs and Macs are usually marked as stationary.

   • Activate: to continue providing more information about this workstation, activate it. Note that the location will have Pending status and be unusable if it has no active workstations.

   • On-Screen Keypad: toggle the control to indicate whether MIST should display a keyboard for employees to use when entering amounts for payments and refunds or denomination quantities during cash counts. The InStore keyboard includes a Back key and Clear key.

   • Default Printer: select the printer that this workstation usually uses. Employees can override this—for example, if the selected printer becomes unusable. If no active printer is connected to the workstation, the Cash option becomes unavailable and the cash drawer cannot be popped. We recommend planning ahead for a printer-offline scenario—for example, by keeping a spare device registered and active.

   • Default Cashdrawer: select the cash drawer that this workstation usually uses. Employees can override this—for example, if the selected cash drawer becomes unusable.

   • Default PED: select the PED that this workstation usually uses. Employees can override this in the event that the selected PED becomes unusable.

   • Default Scanner: select the scanner that this workstation usually uses. Employees can override this in the event that the selected scanner becomes unusable, and in the meantime can type in the required information.

5. Click Register. The workstation is listed on the Workstations tab and the device count increments by one.

6. To exit the Manage Devices page, click Done.

Registering a safe

The purpose of registering a safe is to protect cash inventory. It is not possible to register multiple safes per location. A cash drawer can be marked as "safe-eligible" and can be deputized as a safe. Safes and cash drawers must receive IDs that are unique from all other safes and cash drawers in the location.

When you first add a location, a cash drawer that you mark as "safe-eligible" is sufficient to activate the location. You can later add a safe in the InStore colleague app and reassign it to serve as the location's store safe.

To register a safe or edit its information:

1. Access the Manage Devices page in your InStore colleague app.

2. On the Safes tab, click Edit to view or change details about a listed safe. Any safe with an inactive flag is unavailable for selection by another device or during cash transfers.

3. On the Safes tab, click Add Safe.

4. Provide this information:

   • Safe ID: assign an identifier to the safe that is unique from other safes and cash drawers in the location.
   • Device Name: assign a name to this device that is unique to the location—for example, Back Office Safe. This name is displayed on the Safes tab list of safes and in selection lists.
   • Supported Device: select from among the available safes. This list includes cash drawers that may be designated as safes.
   • Activate: if it is for immediate use, activate the safe. An active safe is available for selection by other devices. Toggle this selector to inactivate the safe if it is not in use yet or is no longer in use. Deleting a device is not an option.

5. Click Register. The safe is listed on the Safes tab and the device count increments** by one. If you previously had a cash drawer acting as the safe, designation now shifts to the new safe.

6. To exit the Manage Devices page, click Done.

7. If this is the first-time setup of devices for a location, return to the InStore Center and access the Locations menu.

8. Click the Edit icon for the location.

9. In the Store Safe field, select the name of the safe you added in the InStore colleague app.

10. Click Save Changes.