Case Studies – Central Science Laboratory

VMC cashless system enhances the ‘appliance of science’.

The Central Science Laboratory houses some of the country’s finest scientists who conduct vital research for the government and other major organisations.

From a base at Sand Hutton on the outskirts of York, the CSL plays a front line role in the UK’s agriculture, food safety and environmental science – and provides contingency capabilities for handling national emergencies such as Foot and Mouth outbreaks.

Efficiency and attention to detail are some of the hallmarks for success. It’s an environment where doing things right really matter. This ethos is emphasised by a vision to become a centre of excellence for science, underpinning sustainable agriculture, safe food and a healthy environment.

Over 700 members of staff help generate an annual turnover of over £40 million. Not surprisingly, staff welfare is high on the agenda, particularly when “a world class, state of the art facility run on efficient and competitive business lines” is one of many aims and missions.

To reflect such high aspirations, each member of staff has been issued with a personalised cashless card which has been combined with access control functionality.

Staff build up an ‘electronic purse’ to make purchases at a vending or coffee machine or the till in a staff restaurant. No cash purchases take place on site and CSL offers the choice of cash top-up or payroll deduction for staff to load on to their cards. In January 2002, CSL introduced their latest system from VMC - a leading provider of reliable, efficient and forward thinking cashless payment solutions – to upgrade a more limited catering card cashless operation from a different manufacturer.

The system incorporates photo ID access control and is based on VMC’s flagship Metro technology – a third generation smartcard cashless payment system that brings several specific innovative benefits to the market, including the Metro Manager software, which provides a comprehensive system management tool including hospitality control, card management and full audit reporting.

CSL enjoy a wide range of benefits such as:

• Higher turnover due to reduced queuing times as part of a smooth running and flexible catering and vending operation
• Much more accurate auditing
• Reduced opportunity for on-site theft due to no requirement for cash
• A significant reduction in missing cards thanks to Photo ID
• Improved reliability - reduced machine downtime due to coin mechanism problems

“Cashless came in from the start when the building was initially constructed in 1996 but only in a limited form,” explained CSL Procurement Manager Sally Frear. ”The philosophy was to move away from traditional problems associated with cash such as hygiene, queuing times, audit inaccuracies and general security.”

About 60% of staff now utilise the payroll deduction system and numbers continue to grow as new workers are employed. Individuals can put anything from a £1 to £40 on at any one time and they can view all top-up transactions via CSL’s secure intranet site.

Guest cards are available for visitors whilst a cash loader provides electronic credit for those not on the payroll system. CSL also has dedicated departmental cards for specific circumstances.

“The old system had reached the end of its life so we had to choose a brand new system. We specifically wanted to combine cashless with access control and reviewed many different systems but felt the VMC Metro solution was the best fit for us. The management information it provides is particularly useful,” explained Sally. “At the same time there was a fundamental review of our vending facilities to maximise performance and costs, and we were able to build a deli bar as part of this process.”

The VMC system comprises six vending machine card readers, a note and coin loader, two PIN wall mounted loaders for payroll deduction, a guest card terminal and three touchscreen catering tills with card readers. All transactions are logged by the Metro Manager software application and collected using a handheld terminal.

This data management is viewed as very important to the on-site contract caterer to help base their internal marketing and future planning. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea is complemented by flexible vending facilities.

Adding access control to the cashless facility has brought some unexpected benefits, according to Sally who revealed: “Although it was an initial aspiration to combine the two, we weren’t quite sure what the benefits would be. From a security point of view it was a good idea because people would definitely carry their card with them. But we have discovered that if they leave their card say in a catering machine, they realise pretty quickly because they are unable to access parts of the building. The photo ID ensures that other people know immediately whose card has been left behind.

“We used to have hundreds of catering cards go missing, people would have spares, but now everyone has just one card which is usually carried around the neck.

“The data management is very useful as we now have a system that can stand up to audit. The only coins we count are from the coin loading machine so, for the on-site caterer, there is no time wasted counting coins from the vending machines and no machine downtime due to money getting stuck in coin mechanisms. There is much improved security, and we don’t have to pay for a separate secure cash collection from our catering operation.”

CSL has experienced a combination of a high quality and reliable cashless service coupled with the convenience of self service, particularly with two top quality coffee machines that have been a real hit with the staff.

“As a member of staff you have the assurance of knowing that you don’t have to carry cash in your pocket. There are no issues with providing change for purchases and you never have to bring money to work if you don’t want to,” said Sally.

“Fortunately, CSL has never had a problem with internal theft but, if people are not carrying cash in their pockets, there is little chance for the opportunist thief to strike. The dual functionality of catering card and access control means significantly reduced card losses.”

This case study is available for download (PDF)