Stop Looking For a Point Of Sale System Start Looking For a Solution
A Point of Sale is not just a register. It handles the sales to the consumer, but it is only one part of the entire POS system used in a retail business. "Back-office" computers typically handle other functions of the POS system such as inventory control, purchasing, receiving and transferring of products to and from other locations. Other typical functions of a POS system are to store sales information for enabling customer returns, reporting purposes, sales trends and cost/price/profit analysis. Customer information may be stored for receivables management, marketing purposes and specific buying analysis.
I love it when people come to me looking for answers to these questions. What is the best Retail Management Software system out there?Selecting the right retail point of sale system is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a retailer. Your POS system is an integral part of your customers' checkout experience—not to mention how important it is to managing your entire retail business.
With so much riding on your point of sale system, you need to make the right purchasing decisions. Purchasing the retail software and hardware components from one vendor is a great way to start. There isn't just one best top of the line system. you need to ask the right questions and find the best solution for you and your business needs. What can a System like that do for me? Well a system is only as good as the features it offers and the time you put in to learning it and the support team you have to maintain it. Why do I even need Retail Management Software? This is a question that is easily answered by a question: are you doing what it takes to be competitive in your business field or are you letting your competition get the best of you? If you answer this question by saying, "well my business has been maintaining the same sales for the last 5 years." Well my answer to this is just imagine how much it could have grown in those years rather then just maintaining. I don't think I am big enough for a Retail Management System like that. Why would you ever limit your business to size? There is always room for a business to grow and when a business stops growing that is when you should be concerned. So why not invest in a system that could help you get new customers and maintain the already loyal ones. this is what you really should ask yourself, Why would I need a Retail Management system? What problems would a system solve and how much time and money would it save me? By finding your needs and resolving these issues you would build value in whatever system you get. In order to find what one's solution is they must first ask what am I searching for? In this case you have to figure out what are your needs for a system and how can this product be your solution? People commonly get sold on a system from the ideas of the sales person even though they are not a good fit for them and their growing business. My greatest job as a Retail Technology Consultant is to find out what products best fit my client and steer them towards a solution that is not only fit for their Retail Management needs, but is easy to use for their employees, and allows them to grow their business because this is what the system is designed to do is help you grow your business.
With so much riding on your point of sale system, you need to make the right purchasing decisions. Purchasing the retail software and hardware components from one vendor is a great way to start. There isn't just one best top of the line system. you need to ask the right questions and find the best solution for you and your business needs. What can a System like that do for me? Well a system is only as good as the features it offers and the time you put in to learning it and the support team you have to maintain it. Why do I even need Retail Management Software? This is a question that is easily answered by a question: are you doing what it takes to be competitive in your business field or are you letting your competition get the best of you? If you answer this question by saying, "well my business has been maintaining the same sales for the last 5 years." Well my answer to this is just imagine how much it could have grown in those years rather then just maintaining. I don't think I am big enough for a Retail Management System like that. Why would you ever limit your business to size? There is always room for a business to grow and when a business stops growing that is when you should be concerned. So why not invest in a system that could help you get new customers and maintain the already loyal ones. this is what you really should ask yourself, Why would I need a Retail Management system? What problems would a system solve and how much time and money would it save me? By finding your needs and resolving these issues you would build value in whatever system you get. In order to find what one's solution is they must first ask what am I searching for? In this case you have to figure out what are your needs for a system and how can this product be your solution? People commonly get sold on a system from the ideas of the sales person even though they are not a good fit for them and their growing business. My greatest job as a Retail Technology Consultant is to find out what products best fit my client and steer them towards a solution that is not only fit for their Retail Management needs, but is easy to use for their employees, and allows them to grow their business because this is what the system is designed to do is help you grow your business.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When Choosing a Retail POS System Selecting the right retail point of sale system can be a lengthy process. Failure to do the research to match the best retail software and point of sale hardware to your business can cost you thousands of dollars. Here are a few common pitfalls to avoid.
Buying Your POS Hardware First
Most retail software packages have certain hardware requirements and a specific operating system on which they run. By purchasing the hardware first, you really limit your available software options, as you're forced to pick retail software that fits your POS hardware as opposed to the needs of your retail store. It's best to purchase the complete solution—retail software, point of sale hardware, and technical services—from a single supplier. Buying everything from the same technology vendor can reduce or eliminate compatibility issues and can often reduce your overall costs.
Buying a Retail POS System Based Solely on Price
As a retailer, you thoroughly understand that you get what you pay for. The same principle holds true when it comes to purchasing a point of sale system for your retail business. While the least expensive retail POS system may seem to be a good choice financially, oftentimes, hidden costs such as additional features, technical support, supplemental services, installation, and overall inefficiency can significantly increase your total cost of ownership. While price should not be ignored in your selection process, it should not be the most important factor either.
Relying Solely on the Advice of a Local Computer Consultant
This is not to disparage the work of computer consultants. When you have technical questions, they're the right call to make. But when it comes to understanding the specific needs of your industry, it may be outside the realm of a computer consultant's expertise. Talk to other business owners in your industry to find out what retail point of sale system works for them.
Underestimating the Research Aspect of Selecting a Retail POS System
You and your managers should sit down and decide which features your store needs and act on that. There are literally hundreds of point of sale systems available, so researching which ones fit your needs and your budget can help you narrow your choices down dramatically. Need help narrowing down the features you need in your retail software? Start with our Needs Analysis
Only Researching Retail POS Systems within Your Industry
While there are many industry-specific software packages available, many of them don't offer all of the features available in a general retail software package. Make sure you research general retail software packages as well as those specific to your industry. Often times, a general retail software package can do everything that industry-specific software can do, plus a whole lot more. Ask yourself what features you need now and in the future. Do you want a customer loyalty program? Do you need faster credit card authorizations over the Internet? What about a Dashboard view of your key performance indicators? Make sure that you don't lock yourself into an industry-specific software package that can't handle all of your basic retail needs.
http://johnhoweretailsolutionblog.weebly.com/
When Choosing a Retail POS System Selecting the right retail point of sale system can be a lengthy process. Failure to do the research to match the best retail software and point of sale hardware to your business can cost you thousands of dollars. Here are a few common pitfalls to avoid.
Buying Your POS Hardware First
Most retail software packages have certain hardware requirements and a specific operating system on which they run. By purchasing the hardware first, you really limit your available software options, as you're forced to pick retail software that fits your POS hardware as opposed to the needs of your retail store. It's best to purchase the complete solution—retail software, point of sale hardware, and technical services—from a single supplier. Buying everything from the same technology vendor can reduce or eliminate compatibility issues and can often reduce your overall costs.
Buying a Retail POS System Based Solely on Price
As a retailer, you thoroughly understand that you get what you pay for. The same principle holds true when it comes to purchasing a point of sale system for your retail business. While the least expensive retail POS system may seem to be a good choice financially, oftentimes, hidden costs such as additional features, technical support, supplemental services, installation, and overall inefficiency can significantly increase your total cost of ownership. While price should not be ignored in your selection process, it should not be the most important factor either.
Relying Solely on the Advice of a Local Computer Consultant
This is not to disparage the work of computer consultants. When you have technical questions, they're the right call to make. But when it comes to understanding the specific needs of your industry, it may be outside the realm of a computer consultant's expertise. Talk to other business owners in your industry to find out what retail point of sale system works for them.
Underestimating the Research Aspect of Selecting a Retail POS System
You and your managers should sit down and decide which features your store needs and act on that. There are literally hundreds of point of sale systems available, so researching which ones fit your needs and your budget can help you narrow your choices down dramatically. Need help narrowing down the features you need in your retail software? Start with our Needs Analysis
Only Researching Retail POS Systems within Your Industry
While there are many industry-specific software packages available, many of them don't offer all of the features available in a general retail software package. Make sure you research general retail software packages as well as those specific to your industry. Often times, a general retail software package can do everything that industry-specific software can do, plus a whole lot more. Ask yourself what features you need now and in the future. Do you want a customer loyalty program? Do you need faster credit card authorizations over the Internet? What about a Dashboard view of your key performance indicators? Make sure that you don't lock yourself into an industry-specific software package that can't handle all of your basic retail needs.
http://johnhoweretailsolutionblog.weebly.com/
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