Shearman & Sterling is the inaugural contract for Jill Bartlett, which was formed recently by Jill herself, together with some equally experienced caterers, including Kitch Davies, who runs this site as General Manager. Jill Bartlett's strategy is to provide a selection of good and nutritious food with the emphasis very much on healthy options, Fairtrade and ethical sourcing.

The restaurant at Shearman & Sterling boasts a deli bar, fruit selection, salad bar and "Grab ‘n Go" Chiller unit, besides providing a comprehensive menu of hot dishes from 7am in the morning until 9pm in the evening. Since the appointment of Jill Bartlett, usage of the restaurant has risen by over 30 per cent - as staff enjoys the daily variety and high quality of food on offer.

Kitch Davies quickly realised the shortfalls and inadequacies of the existing payment system and, being familiar with Quintus, introduced them to the senior partners at Shearman & Sterling. An EPnet system was installed which integrates cashless payment in restaurant and vending machines with security access. Conveniently using the same card that gains access to the building - it also acts as tender to pay for meals in the restaurant and to purchase snacks from vending machines. In the restaurant, although staff may pay by cash, most use their security device, a Cotag proximity card. This is read by the till and immediately recognises the staff member, before charging their account with the cost of the purchase.

Payroll interface

Payment for purchases is deducted from salary on a monthly basis, using EPnet's advanced payroll interface. Here, since transactions are recorded in ‘real time', the account balance is always accurate. Once a month, the upto- date balance is sent to payroll and then cleared to zero for the next month. This is much simpler than cash on card systems and far more secure, whether used in credit mode, as at Shearman and Sterling or when used in debit mode in conjunction with moneyloaders.

Vending

The complex houses over 300 staff and includes six ‘break-out' areas. These are refreshment and relaxation rooms dotted around the building, with tables, chairs, television and even a pool table, where staff can relax and take refreshment. Each area has three vending machines for snacks, confectionery and beverages. To make a purchase, staff pass their proximity card in front of the reader. As before, the cost is added to their account and deducted from salary.

The EPnet software system is controlled by a simple PC from Kitch's office. Being an on-line system means that every single transaction is recorded and aggregated. This then becomes a useful management tool, giving Kitch a clear overview of foodservice transactions throughout the building.

Speaking about his experience with EPnet, Kitch said: "Many of our staff have had prior experience of EPnet on other sites. It gave us the confidence to recommend them for this very prestigious account. I'm pleased to report that the system has run perfectly from day one with no disruption to the existing security infrastructure."

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