Minister Pinkwart visiting

On August 11, 2021, Prof. Dr. Pinkwart, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, visited the corporate headquarters of q.beyond AG in Cologne to gain an impression of the companies that promote and advance digitalization in the state of NRW. As a strong partner of q.beyond AG, Snabble was also able to present its innovative self-checkout solution.

The Cases: IoT And Scan & Go

Snabble highlighted the different self-checkout options available to merchants. First, a smooth stationary checkout with various shopping items could be demonstrated. The products were scanned, landed in the virtual shopping cart and were then paid for. This was followed by a demonstration of the characteristic scan-and-go process using the Snabble app. To be able to convey the functionality to everyone present, the smartphone interface was also reflected on a screen. Some of the most interesting features of the Snabble app were the shopping list, age verification, and the ability to gain access to autonomous stores via a QR code.

Scan & Go technology enables a wide range of new business models. Store concepts without staff can open up regions that were previously not economical for retailers. These stores can be operated effortlessly 24/7, i.e., around the clock, thanks to self-checkout. The small-store concept Tegut.. teo already proves that these concepts are a viable model for the future.

In addition to the Snabble Self-Checkout, a case from the industrial sector was also presented. This shows that self-contained production machines can be connected to the Internet of Things and cloud services using a technology developed by q.beyond. Industrial machines are networked with the software via a simple interface. This enables extensive data analysis in the cloud and opens up new possibilities in the industrial sector: optimization processes can be developed and implemented in a decentralized manner.

Due to the retro-fit approach, even older machines can be expanded with the technology and integrated into the cloud. Small and medium-sized companies in particular benefit from this.

 "I am thrilled by what I was able to see today. Both the IoT solutions for industrial SMEs and the new digital checkout systems that will digitally drive the future of shopping." 

Prof. Dr. Pinkwart, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

The visit of the Minister took place in strict compliance with the current Corona rules. The 3G rule (Fully Vaccinated, Recovered or Tested) applied.