BSQUARE helps Springboard develop revolutionary shopping cart system

Tags: Assisted Selling, Furniture and Fixtures, Supermarkets & Grocery Stores

Type: Case Study

Springboard Retail Networks, based in Toronto, Ontario, develops technology-based information systems for retailers. Its latest product, Concierge, is a wireless, touchscreen-based system installed in shopping carts. With the ability to display store maps and built-in GPS capabilities, Concierge can quickly guide shoppers to products. A built-in scanner tracks purchases as they’re added to the cart, checks them off the customer’s shopping list and keeps a running tab of the total. Concierge also suggests additional purchases based on what the customer has already selected, deliver coupons for additional savings, and even offer menu and recipe suggestions. The feedback about customer behavior it provides is a value add for retailers.

Facing a tight timetable and lack of expertise to develop Concierge in-house, Springboard divided the project among several vendors. It hoped to speed up the time to market. When the project proved to be too challenging for the other vendors, Springboard gave the entire project to BSQUARE. BSQUARE developed both the hardware and software for the device, which is based on an RMI Au1250 processor and runs Windows CE. BSQUARE also created the user interface, based on Adobe Flash Lite; developed a board support package; significantly enhanced battery life; integrated Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities; performed extensive quality assurance testing; over-saw certification; licensed the Windows CE and Flash Lite software; and provided post-development support.