How to Improve Employee Safety with Automated Cash Systems

Retailers are always looking for new ways to streamline operations without increasing costs or sacrificing security. However, many businesses still manually handle their cash and are all too familiar with the challenges and risks that come along with the traditional cash management process.

Every day, managers and employees spend countless hours preparing and counting cash, pulling them away from other essential job duties. Employees also run the risk of potentially losing profits through accounting errors, accepting counterfeit bills or internal theft when doing tasks by hand.

In addition to in-store cash handling tasks, more time and labor costs are spent when employees make dangerous trips to and from the bank. Throughout the day, managers and authorized employees are exposed to various risks, including theft. This is particularly true for employees who transport cash deposits to the local branch or return with change or smaller bills for their tills.

Business owners and managers also face the challenges of employee accountability with manual cash handling processes. Management is often left wondering who has access to their cash and where exactly the funds are. Additionally, they’re unable to reconcile discrepancies or track lost or misplaced cash as needed.

Has your business experienced any of the frustrations above? You’re not alone.

Continue reading to see how retailers are automating common cash handling tasks to overcome these headaches and better secure their employees.

SCENARIO 1: AUTOMATED POINT-OF-SALE SOLUTIONS

At the start of the business day, a cashier begins their shift with a starting till. Then, throughout the day, cash sales increase the amount of money in the till. In an ideal situation, managers could come through for a till sweep or employees could drop the excess cash in a drop safe while ensuring customers are still assisted. But many times in fast-paced environments, managers may be pulled away from assisting customers or employees are unable to step away, resulting in cash build up in the tills.

Challenges:

• Excess cash increases the risk of internal theft or misplaced profits
• Multiple touch points and a lack of accountability occur from the point of sale to the drop safe
• Employees are exposed to danger anytime transfer cash from one location to another
• Time and labor are spent manually counting and preparing the cash 

Solution: Implement a Smart Safe

Smart safes are designed to boost efficiency of the cash handling process directly at the point-of-sale. With a smart safe, cashiers can drop cash directly into the safe into a secure location after each transaction. This solution provides a safer alternative to transporting large quantities of money to the back office.

Smart safes also increase employee accountability, as the safe requires the employee to enter an identification code prior to every cash drop. This enables managers to track all internal cash activity, eliminating the opportunity for internal theft.

Lastly, a smart safe will automate the cash preparation process, giving managers more time to focus on essential duties of their role. After cash is secured within the safe, the safe sends the data to a secure online portal where customers can remotely track their cash flow.

In using a smart safe, retailers can enjoy peace of mind knowing that their bottom line is secured immediately and that employees can remain focused on their responsibilities.

SCENARIO 2: OUTSOURCING CASH-IN-TRANSIT SERVICES

Manual cash management often requires managers or other authorized employees to leave the store and deliver deposits to the bank, sometimes more than one time a day.

Additionally, many retailers require two employees to go to the bank at the same time. This security measure requires extra labor and time away from servicing customers, which can ultimately detract from achieving business goals.

Managers are also responsible for receiving change from the bank, such as coins or smaller denomination bills. Many banks charge a fee to process the change, resulting in higher costs for the organization.

Challenges:

• Employees are exposed to risk of theft when transporting cash to and from the bank
• Various touch points are required from the store to the bank
• Making frequent trips to the bank is both time consuming and labor intensive
• Added costs of various bank fees accumulate over time

Solution: Partner with a Trusted Cash Logistics Provider

Trained security professionals will securely transport store deposits directly to the bank – eliminating the risks of theft and compromised security of both employees and cash. Armored trucks also increase cash handling accountability. The armored truck guards ensure the funds are secure before leaving the premise, removing the opportunity for internal theft.

Additionally, working with a trusted armored carrier allows retailers to simply place change orders online or receive the order their next service day. Retailers also save money as the armored services fee is typically less than the change order fee of a bank. Plus, this capability eliminates another risky trip for managers.

Finally, the cash logistics provider will give the customer access to a secure client online portal where managers can both place and track their change orders for any of their locations, as well as run reports for services. With added efficiency, managers and employees can reallocate the time saved from frequent trips to the bank, as well as ensure that their business is running smoothly and that all customer inquiries are addressed.

SCENARIO 3: INTERACTIVE REPORTING DASHBOARDS

In addition to making risky trips to the bank, managers are also responsible for ensuring that funds are deposited at the bank in accordance with their bank's hours of operation. If their deposit arrives too late, it will not appear on their bank statement until the following day, causing a deposit discrepancy.

Manual processes also lack an accurate paper trail of all transactions and deposits. Even if a retailer uses a tracking system, they may be required to log into multiple platforms to find the necessary data for reconciling their records.

Challenges:

• A lack of paper trails makes reconciliations more difficult
• Managers are unable to quickly identify and resolve accounting errors
• Inaccurate reporting prevents the organization the ability to forecast for their cash needs
• Data in multiple locations is not streamlined or efficient

Solution: Employ Automated Systems with Reporting Features

Retailers using an armored truck service and automated systems like smart safes can now access all information surrounding their funds in a single platform. Since the portal is online, retailers can simply manage their cash and store locations from anywhere at any time.

This convenient access to reports, proof of deliveries, and dashboards in a centralized portal enables the customer to resolve any discrepancies on their bank statements. Managers can now save time and return to essential duties of their role in the store to keep employees on task and customers happy.

Retailers are familiar with the challenges and risks to their employees associated with manual cash management. Fortunately, retailers no longer have to put up with the burdens thanks to the developments in cash technology and services offered by cash management companies. Organizations can rest assured knowing their employees are protect and not exposed to any threats. And with a peace of mind, employees can focus on their daily duties rather than manually counting and making dangerous trips to the bank.

Trust Your Cash Management to Brink’s (CTA)

For 160 years, Brink’s has been shaping the industry with more than unmatched experience and innovation in cash management. At Brink’s, we take a big-picture approach to our comprehensive solutions with hardware, software, and services that put you at the center. Visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube for more information on Brink’s technology, services, and solutions for your business.