Ashton Under Lyne Golf Club installs cashless club membership card system with the help of Direct Business Equipment & Toshiba technology

Since its formation in 1913 Ashton U Lyne Golf Club has grown to become the most prestigious Golf Club in North Manchester. With over 700 current members and a growing waiting list, the club needed a PoS solution that could easily control its labour intensive bar system for members, with 100% accuracy.

The solution they had been using for many years required members to be issued with smart cards which kept a balance of their individual spend. However the system was limited -

Direct Business Equipment were recommended to consult, install and manage the project by an existing club member, who had first hand experience of the system, service, installation and support they had provided for his hotel business. Direct Business Equipment recommended a solution of Datasym.POS on TOSHIBA’s ST-60 integrated touch screen terminals. The robust touch screen (easy for both voluntary and paid staff to operate) and the compact design made the ST-60 the perfect choice for a bar environment.

All members' details (including phone number and address) and all the bar products were programmed into the back office software and the information sent down to the tills.

A printed card was then issued to each member enabling them to put credit on the card at the till (using either cash or a credit card). Each member could then use their card to pay for drinks, removing the need to carry cash (or credit cards), on their visit to the club, in addition by using the card a 15% discount was automatically deducted from their bar bill.

The installation commenced in the morning and was completed in one day. All cards were issued and working, staff trained and the stock was 100% up to the minute accurate by the end of the day, this ensured minimum interruption to both the members and the club.

As well as being programmed to work with the till membership system, for club security each members card has been programmed to give access control throughout the club - all that is required is the fitting of the access security points, this has ensured that the solution is future proof, ready for Ashton to add security to the club when funds become available.

In addition promotions can be run on the cards with the brewery, for example to push slow moving lines. A simple link and additional till could extend the system to other parts of the club, such as the Pro-shop, if required.

With the new system installed, it is now possible to quickly and easily print out an individual card holders spend, including full details of all drinks, amount spent and balance available, so that members now know exactly what their bar balances are at any time. Customers are saved from embarrassing misunderstandings and do not need to carry cash with them when visiting the club. The club management no longer need to keep till rolls, or go through the time consuming process of manually checking till rolls to respond to an individual members query.

As a fail safe against data loss, the back office and till information is stored in two different ways on two different systems to provide the club with an extremely secure system.

The back-office Stockade system provides quick and easy analysis of till sales for all the 120 stock lines for any period, and ensures the club can double check brewery figures, essential for 100% accuracy.

A separate log on identification facility for each staff member ensures operator errors are easily highlighted and staff are accountabile for all their transactions. The intuitive TOSHIBA touch screen menu options guide the staff quickly and effortlessly through each transaction to improve service. The screens can be easily customised and new products quickly and simply added to cater for any special promotions or offers.

The ease of reporting and increased efficiency of the system allows analysis of profit margins, avoiding the lengthy and time consuming manual checking of invoices. Slow lines can be quickly identified and promoted.

Mike Haughton - Club Treasurer commented on the new system ‘we are extremely pleased with the benefits that the system has brought to both the members and to the efficient running of the club. Our members value the card system with its automatic 15% bar discount, giving them the confidence that their balances are 100% accurate at all times and removing the need to carry large amounts of cash.’

He continued, as Club Treasurer my job in running the club efficiently and profitably has been made far easier. We can now obtain full reporting information on the profit of each different stock line easily and quickly, giving greater visibility of spending and accountability to the club’

‘The reliability and robustness of the hardware is extremely impressive and the low total cost of ownership was an important consideration in our selection process - return on investment is key when we are making a major investment on behalf of our members’

‘The future proofing element built into the card system by Direct Business Equipment means that the Club is ready to improve security for members using their existing cards – all that is required, is the fitting of access points. The system is scalable, so that other areas of the club, such as the Pro-shop or catering, can be easily integrated should we wish to do so in the future.’