Advanced User Interface Comparison - NCR

Advanced User Interface Comparison 

© 2007 NCR Corporation

For Additional Information, contact: 

NCR Retail Solutions Division 

Phone: 866.431.7879 

retail.contactus@ncr.com 


This document is provided for information purposes only, and NCR makes no guarantee, representation, 

or warranty as the to the actual impact on your business. The estimates and results suggested in this document 

are based on industry averages and the actual impact on or savings to your business is dependent on many 

variables, the determination of which is beyond the scope of this document. 

DynaKey is a registered trademark or trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All brand and 

product names appearing in this document are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective holders. 

© 2007 NCR Corporation 

© 2007 NCR Corporation Page 1 

All rights reserved.

With touch advances, 

is DynaKey still an 

advantage? This 

paper will tell you 

where and when. 

Introduction 


While research shows that both touch screen and the NCR DynaKey cashier 

interfaces are superior to traditional CRT/keyboard implementations due to their 

ease of use and ability to reduce training time, each device has certain strengths 

and weaknesses that may yield better performance in certain environments. It is 

important to consider your specific store and transaction environment before 

making a final selection. 

The following whitepaper includes a summary of strengths and weaknesses based 

on analysis conducted by NCR Human Factors Engineering (HFE) in 2003. These 

strengths and weaknesses are then analyzed to enable retailers to see how 

DynaKey or touch may fit in their particular environment. 

Advanced User Interfaces 

Retailers are consistently faced with the challenge of improving customer service 

while reducing labor costs to improve margins. Without the appropriate technology, 

these initiatives can be counter-productive and result in decreased customer 

satisfaction. The ideal technology solution allows retailers to reduce training time, 

simplify the transaction process by reducing memorization, process customers 

faster, and improve customer service. DynaKey, DynaKey with touch, and touch 

devices offer significant advantages over traditional LCD/keyboard interfaces used 

in retail. When combined with the appropriate retail application software, these 

devices enable retailers to achieve their productivity objectives and focus their 

attention on the customer, not the POS device. 

However, each device contains certain strengths and weaknesses that can increase 

or decrease productivity in your environment. NCR DynaKey leverages the same 

intuitive design characteristics as an ATM. Eight dynamic keys guide associates 

through each transaction and provide only viable options as next steps in the 

transaction. These dynamic keys are combined with a mechanical keypad that 

improves productivity on numeric entry. Touch screens have become very common 




as customer kiosks due to the simplicity of ‘point-and-touch’ and the ability to 

leverage graphics and audio to attract customer attention. In addition, touch devices 

can incorporate additional graphics to aid in complex or non-traditional transactions 

such as item look-up without alphanumeric input. NCR DynaKey with touch 

combines strengths of both devices into a single advanced user interface. The 

following chart provides a summary of the strengths and weaknesses that will be 

discussed in greater detail in the following pages. 

Numeric 

Entry 

LCD/ 

Keyboard 

DynaKey 

DynaKey 

with Touch 

Touch Screen 

+ + + - 

Alpha Entry ++ - + + 

Error 

Reduction 

- + + - 

Look-up - + ++ ++ 

Ease of 

Learning 

- + + + 




Applications that fully leverage the design characteristics of both devices can guide 

employees through transactions, minimizing memorization and the amount of 

experienced assistance required. 

• Through intuitive user interfaces and application design, advanced user 

interfaces dramatically reduce initial training time – often by as much as 50%; 

some retailers have experienced reductions of 75%. 

• Retailers will see long-term productivity benefits as transactions are simplified 

and the time from novice to expert associate is reduced. 

• Customer service will improve as associates become more confident in their 

ability to use the interface, they can pay more attention to the customer rather 

than trying to interpret a keyboard. 

As you review the strengths and weakness of each device, consider the following 

questions about your retail environment: 

• Do you have a high turnover rate? Does is take a long time to train employees 

on your current system? 

• How often do your associates enter numeric strings (produce codes, bar codes, 

driver’s license numbers, birth dates, etc.)? 

• How often do your associates need to enter alpha data (name, address)? 

• How common are complex or multi-layer transactions such as looking up 

seasonal items or produce? 



Numeric input is still 

critical. DynaKey excels 

here with tactile 

feedback and key ahead 

capability. 

Strengths and Weaknesses Summary 

DynaKey Summary 


Definition: 12-inch screen with eight mechanical keys in one column directly to the 

right of the screen, called "dynakeys". A mechanical keypad sits to the right of the 

dynakeys, containing numbers and twelve configurable keys, called "function keys". 

Two mechanical scroll keys are provided. 

DynaKey Strengths 

1. Mechanical keys provide several advantages: 

a. Mechanical keys provide tactile feedback. Tactile feedback enables the 

cashier to know where the fingers are positioned and whether or not they 

have moved. Think of the keyboard that you use everyday on your 

computer or your television remote control. How often do you look at the 

keys to change the channel or type an email? Tactile feedback is not 

available on touch. 

b. NCR HFE studies show that the tactile feedback of DynaKey allowed users 

to more accurately input numeric strings. This accuracy leads to 

approximately a 10% performance increase for DynaKey. Error detection 

and measurement can be difficult, however, studies consistently show an 

increase in errors on touch compared to DynaKey. 

c. Mechanical keys allow keying ahead, since the screen does not have to be 

displayed before selecting the next entry. This is particularly beneficial to 

experienced cashiers who are more familiar with transactions and may have 

memorized most product codes. Novice users will typically not attempt to 

key ahead. Key-ahead capability is not available on touch. 

d. Tactile feedback helps reduce errors and improve cashier confidence. As 

cashiers become more confident on the device, they can focus their 

attention on the customer not on the POS terminal. This leads to more eye 

contact with the customer and improved customer service. 




2. DynaKey is sold with accompanying documentation of best design practices. 

These practices were developed by NCR HFE to promote good usability and 

overall performance. 

3. DynaKey controls are located within an 8-inch by 5-inch area, with a maximum 

of 8 inches between any two controls, which reduces homing time. Homing 

time is the time to get between two controls. By comparison, touch screen 

controls vary by user interface design. While NCR developers leverage HFE 

expertise to minimize homing time on touch devices, poor user interface design 

can result in up to 15 inches between any two controls, which can lead to 

increased homing time, transaction times and error rates. 

DynaKey Potential Weaknesses 

1. NCR customers who have purchased DynaKey without implementing DynaKey 

optimized applications don’t realize the full DynaKey benefit. For example, they 

may not offer extensive multi-pathing. Multi-pathing allows functions within each 

transaction to be completed in multiple ways. In essence, the software allows 

the cashier to perform the sales functions the way they think rather than forcing 

them into rigidly defined sequences. NCR has numerous partners who have 

leveraged HFE standards to increase the productivity of their applications. This 

same concern holds true for touch users. 

2. DynaKey has the potential to divide the user's attention between two interaction 

areas: the dynakeys and the static keys. DynaKey optimized applications 

mitigate this potential by intelligently dividing functions between the dynakeys 

and static keys to make the system easy to learn and use. 

3. The mechanical static keys require paper labels to designate their function for 

the user interface. Changes to these functions require an update of paper 

labels, which may be more costly and time-consuming than a software refresh 

that can be done for touch screen user interface changes. Typically, once the 

mechanical keys on the DynaKey are defined, they are never changed or are 

changed very infrequently. 



Touch provides the 

ability to do complex 

item look-ups easier. 

Touch Summary 



All rights reserved. 

Definition: a 12- or 15-inch screen that is touchable. No mechanical keys are 

provided. 

Touch Strengths 

1. Touch screen offers the opportunity for flexible user interface design, and 

today's common 15" touch screen size offers plenty of real estate. Having 

complete control of the entire screen layout can provide several benefits if the 

store will invest in the application: 

a. Add new functions with limited design restrictions, e.g., product cross- 

selling, produce look-up 

b. Implement a touch keyboard for limited alpha entry 

c. Improve or address remedial training through user interface design changes 

d. Lead the eye using visual cues (not possible on mechanical keys however 

‘dynakeys’ can lead the eye through a change of state) 

NCR touch-based applications are developed with HFE expertise to enhance 

usability and productivity, however not all software developers and companies 

have the benefit of HFE experience. This unlimited design flexibility could result 

in a strong user interface design, but it also has the potential to result in poor 

design and usability in the hands of an inexperienced software developer. 

2. Touch screens offer a single focus for input and output. All interaction and user 

input is manipulated directly on the screen, and the system response and output 

is displayed on that same screen. With appropriate user interface design, this 

benefits ease of use and learning. 

3. The simplicity and directness of a touch screen appears to be easy to learn and 

use for consumers. This includes the single point of focus (screen), single point 

of input and output (screen), direct manipulation of objects (touch buttons), 

single interaction style (touch buttons), and multimedia capability (color, 

graphics, video, animation). For this reason, touch screens may be preferable 

for a leveraged asset that can be used by store employees and then turned 

around for customer use during non-peak periods.

Touch Potential Weaknesses 


1. Touch screens do not have mechanical keys and therefore do not offer tactile 

feedback. 

a. Mechanical keys increase productivity by reducing errors when entering 

numeric strings such as driver’s license numbers, produce codes, and SKU 

numbers. 

b. Without tactile feedback, the primary point of focus must be the touch 

screen. Alternatively, mechanical keys allow a user to "home" their fingers 

via tactile feedback and look elsewhere while keying. The ability to multitask 

is difficult to measure, however anyone who has been in a checkout line with 

a child knows how distracting this can be to an associate. 

c. Keying ahead is not possible on a touch screen. The screen display must 

refresh in order to present a touchable target to the user. 

2. Touch screens consume valuable real estate that could be used for display 

(output) if mechanical keys are offered for operation (input), i.e., a single area of 

input and output also means that that same area must be divided between input 

controls and output display. In addition, poor application design has the 

potential to divide the user's attention between multiple interaction areas. 

Therefore it is important to make sure the layout and placement of controls 

follow good design practices. 

3. Not all touch screens are the same. Touch screens vary by sensitivity, type, and 

applicable environment. Depending on the technology utilized, touch may or 

may not allow input from fingernails or gloves. 



a. There are two primary types of touch screens: 


i. Capacitive: Capacitive touch screens are primarily found in harsh 

environments such as fast-food environments. Due to their design, 

capacitive screens only accept input from a finger. It can not accept input 

from prosthetics, fingernails, or a stylus. 

ii. Resistive: Resistive screens are most commonly found in general retail 

environments. Although not as durable as capacitive technology, 

resistive technology does recognize prosthetics, fingernails, or a stylus. 

b. Touch sensitivity can vary greatly between touch screens, and operators 

have been observed using varying degrees of pressure with touch targets. 

A mismatch between user pressure and touch sensitivity can cause the 

touch to not be accepted or double response for one touch, leading to an 

increase in errors. Maintaining a common platform throughout the store 

environment can mitigate this problem. There are no specific guidelines 

available for optimal touch settings and calibration. Fingernails may also 

cause double input. 

What does it all mean? 

A typical checkout transaction includes multiple tasks, such as scanning, payment, 

printing, and bagging, that do not interact directly with the POS input device. While 

signature capture and thermal printing are designed to impact specific segments of 

the transaction, operator interfaces such as DynaKey and touch devices are 

designed to improve an associate’s data entry at the point-of-sale. Industry 

averages show us that associates interact with the POS device 25 % of a typical 

general merchandise or specialty store transaction and 30 % of a typical 

supermarket transaction. The remaining portion of the transaction is spent 

scanning, bagging, printing and paying. 




During a typical transaction, an associate will utilize the POS input device for the 

following tasks: 

Supermarket 

• Associate sign-in/out 

• Department selection 

• Quantity selection 

• Bar code entry 

• DOB entry 

• Produce code entry 

• Product look-up 

General Merchandise / Specialty 

• Associate sign-in/out 

• Department selection 

• Quantity selection 

• Bar code entry 

• Gift card sale 

• Return/exchange 

• Product look-up 

• Catalog look-up 

• Price override 

Each task above includes both ‘selection’ and ‘numeric’ entry. Selection entries 

allow the user to drill down through a transaction. An example would be to scan 

a box of cereal, select ‘quantity change’ using a touch ‘button’ or a DynaKey, then 

enter the number 3. Tasks that include key entering a bar code, date of birth, or 

a produce code require considerably more numeric entry. In recent studies, there 

was not a significant difference between selection entries on touch or DynaKey. 

However, studies in a controlled environment do not incorporate the 



Supermarket 

Characteristics 

• High produce code entry 

• Low bar code key entry 

• Driver’s license, birth date entry 

Potential savings estimate based 

on NCR Business Impact Model - 

$2278 per store per year 

General Merchandise 

Characteristics 

• Moderate bar code entry 

• High price overrides 

• Moderate returns 

Potential savings estimate based 

on NCR Business Impact Model - 

$271 per store per year 


distractions that are a part of everyday retail environments. DynaKey’s tactile 

feedback will provide an advantage over touch as environmental distractions 

increase. 

Studies do show that DynaKey is faster when entering numeric strings. A touch 

screen’s tendency for double touches and the lack of tactile feedback for 

confirmation can lead to increased errors which slow down a transaction. As 

previously discussed, DynaKey offers several advantages for numeric entry 

including tactile feedback and key-ahead capability - both of which result in fewer 

errors and lead to faster transaction times. 

The following provides an example of how much time can be saved with 

DynaKey in various environments: 


All rights reserved. 

DynaKey 

Touchscreen 

DynaKey 

Touchscreen 

Supermarket Transactions 

0 4 8 

Hours 

General Merchandise Transactions 

0 0.5 1 

Hours 

DynaKey Advantage 

1.5 

Selection 

Numeric 

DynaKey Advantage 

Selection 

Numeric

Touch Screen Impact 


Studies have shown that mechanical keys maintain a significant advantage when 

entering numeric strings. However, studies have also shown that touch screens 

can provide additional flexibility and productivity in complex or multi-layer 

transactions. With appropriate software development, a graphical item look-up 

can take maximum advantage of a touch screen’s flexibility. HFE studies have 

shown that a graphical touch screen item look-up improves productivity versus 

the traditional list look-up on a DynaKey or an LCD/keyboard. An example would 

be seasonal items that are not familiar to associates who could benefit from 

additional graphics. 

The benefit of using touch for these non-standard transactions will vary by 

retailer. In many cases it requires application design that maximizes the flexible 

user interface of the touch to incorporate graphics that assist the cashier in 

completing the transaction. 

Conclusion 

In summary, both touch and DynaKey are superior to traditional CRT/keyboard 

implementations due to their ease of use and ability to reduce training time. 

However each device has certain strengths and weaknesses that may yield 

better performance in certain environments. It is important to consider your 

specific store and transaction environment before making a final selection. Many 

aspects, such as the business policies, store procedures, employee profiles, 

turnover rates, and application development resources, can influence the need to 

use one device over another. 

For environments with a high volume of numeric entry, DynaKey’s numeric 

keypad and tactile feedback reduce errors and help improve cashier confidence. 

By comparison, touch screens have proven to be highly productive in quick 

service environments that require numerous selection options on each screen, 

have considerable post-item modification, but have limited numeric entry. 




For an evaluation of how DynaKey or touch screen can impact your retail 

environment, please contact NCR’s Retail Business Impact Modeling team for a 

custom return on investment model.

Advanced User Interface Comparison - NCR

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