Examples of shop assistant & till categories

This topic is primarily for administrators and other people who manage a Fiftytwo solution

You may need to have particular user rights in order to use this functionality. Ask your Fiftytwo administrator if you're in doubt.

In 52ViKING, you define shop assistants' and tills' allowed feature sets (that is which features it's permitted to use) by assigning them to a shop assistant category or till category. The category then defines the permissions that individual shop assistants or tills that are assigned to the category will inherit.

The following are examples of four such categories in a large supermarket, with relevant permissions to suit four different usage scenarios. The example categories might be for shop assistants or they might be for tills – the main point is to illustrate that the permissions in the categories must match the needs of the people and/or tills to which you assign the categories.

The examples are for inspiration only; other categories with other permissions may be required in your organization.

You don't necessarily need to set up categories for both shop assistants and tills. It depends on your organization's needs. Some organizations only set up one of the two types of categories, for example only categories for shop assistants. Ask your Fiftytwo consultant if you're in doubt.

The example supermarket's bakery department sells freshly baked bread as well as sandwiches. It opens one hour earlier than the supermarket's other departments. The following would be typical permissions to use in the example supermarket's bakery department.

Finance

  • Add funds from services: Ability to manually add funds to a till to register earnings from a service, for example from a coin-operated rocking horse outside your store.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department.

  • Withdraw funds from services: Ability to manually withdraw funds from a till to pay for a service, for example to pay for window cleaning.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department.

Account

  • Deposit to account: Ability to add funds to a customer's account in the customer wants to increase their balance.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department. Some account customers use their accounts to buy bread for company breakfasts, but they're billed monthly by the supermarket chain's finance department, so there's no need for them to be able to top up their accounts at the bakery department till.

  • Withdraw from account: Ability to pay out funds from a customer's account.

    Not permitted
    This permission should only be used if a mistake has been made when adding funds to a customer's account, and because that ability is not permitted (see the previous), there's no need for this permission.

Cash handling

  • Add funds: Ability to add funds to till.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department.

  • Withdraw funds: Ability to withdraw funds from till.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department. For banking purposes and when staff want to remove cash from the till for security reasons.

  • Cash in trasfer: Ability to perform tasks related to connected cash management systems (CMSs).

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department that doesn't use a CMS.

  • Statement: Ability to do cash statements.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department.

  • Exchange: Ability to use the exchange feature, typically if a customer needs to buy cash with their credit card.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department. That's because the bakery department is physically located right next to the supermarket's main entrance, so customers often come to the bakery department to buy cash for unlocking shopping trolleys.

Inquiry

  • Price Inquiry: Ability to answer price inquiries.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department where all articles have clear and simple price signs. In the morning, when only the bakery department is open, no one needs to inquire about prices of articles form other departments. When the rest of the supermarket is open, bakery staff refer price inquiries to the information desk.

  • Inquiry statement: Ability to inquire about a till's current cash balance.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department. Instead, the example supermarket uses the 52ViKING maximum allowed balance feature that can automatically warn staff if cash in excess of a defined threshold needs to be removed from a till and taken to a safe for security reasons. You currently can't set that feature up in 52ViKING Store Management, but in 52ViKING Client you or your Fiftytwo consultant can set it up per payment type, for example Euro cash, in the Payment type (VB11) mask's Max balance and Txt. at max balance fields.

Sales

  • Sale: Ability to sell articles.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department in order to sell stuff.

  • Staff sale: Ability to handle sales to staff (that may include a staff discount)

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department. Staff often buy rolls and sandwiches in the bakery department.

Discount

  • Percentage discount: Ability to grant a manual discount as a percentage.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department. At the end of the day, most articles in the bakery department are reduced to clear, typically with a 50% discount.

  • Amount discount: Ability to grant a manual discount as an amount.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department. The ability to grant percentage discounts is all they need.

  • Mark down: Ability to mark down an article on the spot, for example if the article's price is obviously wrong compared with what's been advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department. The ability to grant percentage discounts is all they need.

Prices

  • Without VAT: Ability to sell articles (that would otherwise be subject to VAT) without VAT.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department. Some local businesses, who are eligible to buy articles that are exempt from VAT, use their accounts to buy bread for company breakfasts. However, they're billed monthly by the supermarket chain's finance department, so any VAT exemption is handled when those businesses are billed.

  • Fixed price: Ability to sell articles at a fixed price. Typically used for weight-variable articles when you want a fixed price for the article even though individual units of the articles don't weigh exactly the same.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department.

Return

  • Return: Ability to handle returns.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department.

  • Return lotto: Ability to handle returns that specifically concern lotto number purchases.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department.

Transaction

  • Cancel sale: Ability to cancel ongoing purchases.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department.

  • Cancel payment: Ability to cancel purchases during payment.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department.

  • Park/resume: Ability to park and resume ongoing purchases.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department. All sales in the bakery department are simple, and should a customer have forgotten their wallet or phone, so that they need to postpone their purchase, staff simply cancel the customer's ongoing purchase.

Receipt

  • Price correction: Ability to correct an article's price (up or down) on the spot, for example if the article's price is obviously wrong compared with what's been advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department.

  • Receipt correction: Ability to look up an original receipt and change prices on that receipt if, for example, one or more prices on that receipt were obviously wrong compared with what was advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant in the bakery department.

  • Cancel latest line: Ability to cancel the most recently added line on an ongoing purchase order.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department. Customers often change their minds during an ongoing purchase.

  • Cancel multiple lines: Ability to cancel any one or more lines on an ongoing purchase order. On displays with touch screens, the shop assistant simply selects required lines. On older till types without touch screens, or even without keyboard arrow keys, the shop assistant is typically asked to scan or enter the article numbers of the articles whose purchase order lines they want to cancel.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant in the bakery department. Customers often change their minds during an ongoing purchase.

Keys

None of the key-related permissions, for example Key 1: Ability to use key 1, are relevant in the bakery department because all sales are so simple.

Here we look at the example supermarket's busy staffed checkouts where customers exit the main area of the store.

Finance

  • Add funds from services: Ability to manually add funds to a till to register earnings from a service, for example from a coin-operated rocking horse outside your store.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. In the example supermarket, earnings from services are registered at the information desk.

  • Withdraw funds for services: Ability to manually withdraw funds from a till to pay for a service, for example to pay for window cleaning.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. In the example supermarket, payments for services are registered at the information desk.

Account

  • Deposit to account: Ability to add funds to a customer's account in the customer wants to increase their balance.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. In the example supermarket, payments into customer accounts are registered at the information desk.

  • Withdraw from account: Ability to pay out funds from a customer's account.

    Not permitted
    This permission should only be used if a mistake has been made when adding funds to a customer's account, and because that ability is not permitted (see the previous), there's no need for this permission.

Cash handling

  • Add funds: Ability to add funds to till.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts.

  • Withdraw funds: Ability to withdraw funds from till.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. For banking purposes and when staff want to remove cash from the till for security reasons.

  • Cash in transfer: Ability to perform tasks related to connected cash management systems (CMSs).

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts that don't use a CMS.

  • Statement: Ability to do cash statements.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts.

  • Exchange: Ability to use the exchange feature, typically if a customer needs to buy cash with their credit card.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. Customers occasionally want to buy cash, and it can help keep the till's cash balance down, so that it doesn't represent a security risk.

Inquiry

  • Price inquiry: Ability to answer price inquiries.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. Even though the example supermarket has price checkers strategically positioned around the shelves, customers often bring articles to the staffed checkouts to inquire about their prices.

  • Inquiry statement: Ability to inquire about a till's current cash balance.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. Instead, the example supermarket uses the 52ViKING maximum allowed balance feature that can automatically warn staff if cash in excess of a defined threshold needs to be removed from a till and taken to a safe for security reasons. You currently can't set that feature up in 52ViKING Store Management, but in 52ViKING Client you set it up per payment type, for example Euro cash, in the Payment type (VB11) mask's Max balance and Txt. at max balance fields.

Sales

  • Sale: Ability to sell articles.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts in order to sell stuff.

  • Staff sale: Ability to handle sales to staff (that may include a staff discount)

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. Staff often do their own shopping in the example supermarket.

Discount

  • Percentage discount: Ability to grant a manual discount as a percentage.

    Permitted when key 2 is set
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts, but in order to prevent misuse it requires key authorization from a manager.

  • Amount discount: Ability to grant a manual discount as an amount.

    Permitted when key 2 is set
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts, but in order to prevent misuse it requires key authorization from a manager.

  • Mark down: Ability to mark down an article on the spot, for example if the article's price is obviously wrong compared with what's been advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Permitted when key 2 is set
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts, but in order to prevent misuse it requires key authorization from a manager.

Prices

  • Without VAT: Ability to sell articles (that would otherwise be subject to VAT) without VAT.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts, but for account customers VAT exemption is typically handled when they're billed by the supermarket chain's finance department.

  • Fixed price: Ability to sell articles at a fixed price. Typically used for weight-variable articles when you want a fixed price for the article even though individual units of the articles don't weigh exactly the same.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts, for example when the example supermarket sells frozen ducks at a fixed price even though individual animals don't weigh exactly the same.

Return

  • Return: Ability to handle returns.

    Permitted when key 2 is set
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts, but in order to prevent misuse it requires key authorization from a manager.

  • Return lotto: Ability to handle returns that specifically concern lotto number purchases.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. The example supermarket does sell lotto numbers at the staffed exit till, but in the country where the example supermarket resides lotto number purchases aren't returnable.

Transaction

  • Cancel sale: Ability to cancel ongoing purchases.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts.

  • Cancel payment: Ability to cancel purchases during payment.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts.

  • Park/resume: Ability to park and resume ongoing purchases.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. Because it must be possible to resume a parked purchase at a another till, all of the example supermarket's staffed checkouts and shop assistants who work at them have this permission set to Permitted.

Receipt

  • Price correction: Ability to correct an article's price (up or down) on the spot, for example if the article's price is obviously wrong compared with what's been advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Permitted when key 2 is set
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts, but in order to prevent misuse it requires key authorization from a manager.

  • Receipt correction: Ability to look up an original receipt and change prices on that receipt if, for example, one or more prices on that receipt were obviously wrong compared with what was advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. When the need occurs, staff refer customers to the example supermarket's information desk till.

  • Cancel latest line: Ability to cancel the most recently added line on an ongoing purchase order.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. Customers often change their minds during an ongoing purchase.

  • Cancel multiple lines: Ability to cancel any one or more lines on an ongoing purchase order. On displays with touch screens, the shop assistant simply selects required lines. On older till types without touch screens, or even without keyboard arrow keys, the shop assistant is typically asked to scan or enter the article numbers of the articles whose purchase order lines they want to cancel.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkouts. Customers often change their minds during an ongoing purchase.

Keys

  • Key 1: Ability to use key 1

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkout tills (even though only key 2 is used for authorization in the examples, it must be possible for managers to use any authorization key when required). However, it's only relevant for people who should have the right to use the key in question.

  • Key 2: Ability to use key 2

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkout tills (even though only key 2 is used for authorization in the examples, it must be possible for managers to use any authorization key when required). However, it's only relevant for people who should have the right to use the key in question.

  • Key 3: Ability to use key 3

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkout tills (even though only key 2 is used for authorization in the examples, it must be possible for managers to use any authorization key when required). However, it's only relevant for people who should have the right to use the key in question.

  • Key 4: Ability to use key 4

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the example supermarket's staffed checkout tills (even though only key 2 is used for authorization in the examples, it must be possible for managers to use any authorization key when required). However, it's only relevant for people who should have the right to use the key in question.

Here we look at the example supermarket's self-service checkouts (SCOs) where customers check out their articles themselves before they exit the main area of the store. The example supermarket's SCOs don't take cash payment.

Even though SCOs are meant for customers to serve themselves, shop assistants also need to be able to interact with SCOs, for example when customers ask for help. That's why staff are typically able to log in to SCOs and get access to more features than customers.

If you use both shop assistant categories and till categories, and there's a conflicting permission, the most restrictive permission wins. If, for example, the ability to cancel a line is permitted for the shop assistant, but not permitted on the till, the shop assistant will not be able to cancel lines on the till. That's why you may not always want to apply very restrictive till category permissions on an SCO because they could prevent shop assistants from helping customers at the SCO. Some organizations simply don't use a till category on their SCOs at all. Instead, they rely completely on shop assistants' permissions from their shop assistant categories. Ask your Fiftytwo consultant if you're in doubt.

For the reason outlined in the previous, the example supermarket doesn't assign their SCOs to a till category.

For shop assistants who must be able to help out at SCOs, the example supermarket makes sure that they have the following permissions as part of their other shop assistant category permissions:

Inquiry

  • Price inquiry: Ability to answer price inquiries.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant for a shop assistant to be able to check article prices when they're logged in on the SCO.

Sales

  • Sale: Ability to sell articles.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant for a shop assistant to be able to sell articles when they're logged in on the SCO.

  • Staff sale: Ability to handle sales to staff (that may include a staff discount)

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant for a shop assistant to be able to sell articles to colleagues when logged in on the SCO.

Discount

  • Mark down: Ability to mark down an article on the spot, for example if the article's price is obviously wrong compared with what's been advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant for a shop assistant to be able to mark down articles when they're logged in on the SCO.
    The example supermarket has chosen to use the Mark down permission for this purpose, although other stores might prefer, for example, the Receipt > Price correction permission.
    Also, the example supermarket normally requires a key to be set by a manager for this permission to work, but to provide a smooth customer experience they've simply set this to Permitted. Otherwise, the customer would have to call for help from a shop assistant, and the shop assistant would then have to call for help from a manager before they'd be able to help the customer.
    The example supermarket is aware that with this set to Permitted there's a potential risk that shop assistants could be tempted to fraudulently mark down articles for their friends and family, but because SCOs are typically heavily covered by video surveillance and all transactions are logged like on a regular till, they've decided that the risk is very small.

Transaction

  • Cancel sale: Ability to cancel ongoing purchases.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant for a shop assistant to be able to cancel ongoing purchases on the SCO.

  • Park/resume: Ability to park and resume ongoing purchases.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant for a shop assistant to be able to park purchases on the SCO and resume them at another till, for example if the transaction involves a return (which would then require the shop assistant to have the Return permission).

Receipt

  • Cancel multiple lines: Ability to cancel any one or more lines on an ongoing purchase order.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant for a shop assistant to be able to cancel lines in cases where the SCO user interface doesn't allow customers to do that themselves.

The example supermarket's information desk is located behind the staffed checkouts where customers exit the main area of the store. Customers can access the information desk when they enter the supermarket, but most customers pass it on their way out. The information desk is staffed by experienced employees with supervisor or manager rights, and it handles any type of query. Staff from other departments often refer customers with complaints, returns, etc. to the information desk.

Finance

  • Add funds from service: Ability to manually add funds to a till to register earnings from a service, for example from a coin-operated rocking horse outside your store.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk. Earnings from services, including the example supermarket's popular coin-operated rocking horse, are registered at the information desk.

  • Withdraw funds for service: Ability to manually withdraw funds from a till to pay for a service, for example to pay for window cleaning.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk because that's where the example supermarket handles payments for services.

Account

  • Deposit to account: Ability to add funds to a customer's account in the customer wants to increase their balance.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk. In the example supermarket, that's where customers are able to top up their account balances.

  • Withdraw from account: Ability to pay out funds from a customer's account.

    Permitted
    This permission should only be used if a mistake has been made when adding funds to a customer's account, so it's relevant at the information desk in case staff make a mistake.

Cash handling

  • Add funds Ability to add funds to till.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk.

  • Withdraw funds: Ability to withdraw funds from till.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk. For banking purposes and when staff want to remove cash from the till for security reasons.

  • Cash in transfer: Ability to perform tasks related to connected cash management systems (CMSs).

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant at the information desk that doesn+'t use a CMS.

  • Statement: Ability to do cash statements.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk.

  • Exchange: Ability to use the exchange feature, typically if a customer needs to buy cash with their credit card.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk.

Inquiry

  • Price inquiry: Ability to answer price inquiries.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk. Staff often use this feature when customers ask if they've been charged the correct price for an article that they've bought.

  • Inquiry statement: Ability to inquire about a till's current cash balance.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk. Because the information desk often handles returns and refunds, it's important for information desk staff to be able to check if they have sufficient cash to cover payouts to customers

Sales

  • Sale: Ability to sell articles.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk in order to sell stuff.

  • Staff sale: Ability to handle sales to staff (that may include a staff discount)

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk. Staff often do their own shopping in the example supermarket, and their purchases may also involve the information desk.

Discount

  • Percentage discount: Ability to grant a manual discount as a percentage.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, and staff who work at the information desk have supervisor or manager rights, so key authorization isn't required.

  • Amount discount: Ability to grant a manual discount as an amount.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, and staff who work at the information desk have supervisor or manager rights, so key authorization isn't required.

  • Mark down: Ability to mark down an article on the spot, for example if the article's price is obviously wrong compared with what's been advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, and staff who work at the information desk have supervisor or manager rights, so key authorization isn't required.

Prices

  • Without VAT: Ability to sell articles (that would otherwise be subject to VAT) without VAT.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, but for account customers VAT exemption is typically handled when they're billed by the supermarket chain's finance department.

  • Fixed price: Ability to sell articles at a fixed price. Typically used for weight-variable articles when you want a fixed price for the article even though individual units of the articles don't weigh exactly the same.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk.

Return

  • Return: Ability to handle returns.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, and staff who work at the information desk have supervisor or manager rights, so key authorization isn't required.

  • Return lotto: Ability to handle returns that specifically concern lotto number purchases.

    Not permitted
    This permission isn't relevant at the information desk. The example supermarket does sell lotto numbers, but in the country where the example supermarket resides lotto number purchases aren't returnable.

Transaction

  • Cancel sale: Ability to cancel ongoing purchases.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk.

  • Cancel payment: Ability to cancel purchases during payment.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk.

  • Park/resume: Ability to park and resume ongoing purchases.

    Permitted
    Because it must be possible to resume a parked purchase at another till that where the purchase was parked, this permission is also relevant at the information desk.

Receipt

  • Price correction: Ability to correct an article's price (up or down) on the spot, for example if the article's price is obviously wrong compared with what's been advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, and staff who work at the information desk have supervisor or manager rights, so key authorization isn't required.

  • Receipt correction: Ability to look up an original receipt and change prices on that receipt if, for example, one or more prices on that receipt were obviously wrong compared with what was advertised on shelf labels, in campaign leaflets, etc.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, and staff who work at the information desk have supervisor or manager rights, so key authorization isn't required.

  • Cancel latest line: Ability to cancel the most recently added line on an ongoing purchase order.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk.

  • Cancel multiple lines: Ability to cancel any one or more lines on an ongoing purchase order. On displays with touch screens, the shop assistant simply selects required lines. On older till types without touch screens, or even without keyboard arrow keys, the shop assistant is typically asked to scan or enter the article numbers of the articles whose purchase order lines they want to cancel.

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk.

Keys

  • Key 1: Ability to use key 1

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, for the till as well as people. Even though no permissions at the information desk require key authorization, it must be possible to use any authorization key when required.

  • Key 2: Ability to use key 2

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, for the till as well as people. Even though no permissions at the information desk require key authorization, it must be possible to use any authorization key when required.

  • Key 3: Ability to use key 3

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, for the till as well as people. Even though no permissions at the information desk require key authorization, it must be possible to use any authorization key when required.

  • Key 4: Ability to use key 4

    Permitted
    This permission is relevant at the information desk, for the till as well as people. Even though no permissions at the information desk require key authorization, it must be possible to use any authorization key when required.

Related: Manage shop assistant categories in 52ViKING Store Management

Related: Manage till categories in 52ViKING Store Management