The variety of POS systems on the market today are almost as varied as the businesses that deploy them. The bad news; trying to sift through the choices and options leading to a decision. The good news; somewhere out there is the system that is just right for your business. There are a few important concepts involved in the sucessful journey to system acquisition. Generally, business owners will spend a great deal of time and effort making decisions on many aspects of their businesses such as location, equipment, decor, staffing, etc (as they should). But often times when it comes to POS, they devote little time and may make decisions strictly on price. The decision to buy the cheapest solution can, in fact, turn out to be the most expensive option of all. Consider the POS system as a security device; a potential money maker, or, more aptly put, a money saver. The POS system actually holds and secures the money that is presented to your cashiers. It is the device that records all transations and can (or at the very least should) provide actionable data for the business owner to detect potential sales manipulation and therefore internal theft issues. It can be your inventory control system, your time clock, your stock order management system, and more. A single system oferring all of these valuable tools is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the operation of a retail business. Picking an inadequate system can be comparable to putting in a cigar box to store your proceeds. So now that you are convinced that the POS system is the central system putting all the business management pieces together, what should be your next steps? First, you can categorize POS systems into three general categories. 1. Cash Registers 2. ECR-based systems 3. PC-based systems. The size and type of business will help determine what type to look at. As a general rule, a POS system has a life cycle of about 8 years so it is important to look ahead and get a system that is robust enough and has the necessary features needed to fulfill your anticipated needs for about 8 years. The smallest of businesses with a very limited number of items (plu's) may be the only candidates for low-end cash registers. Most businesses will benefit most by the use of ECR and PC based systems. ECR systems are very reliable, dedicated machines, (sometimes with touchscreens) and are usually less expensive than PC-based systems. But they generally have fewer features and less processing power. The are also not usually susceptible to viruses and spyware which makes them very stable. A good quality ECR can be a real workhorse. For more advanced features such as online ordering with your vendor, web-based ordering by your customers, data migration and automatic e-mailing of reports, a PC-based system is usually required. The larger, more complex businesses deploy PC-based systems. Visit other similar businesses in your area and try to find out what they are using and how they like it. A good reference from a current user is an excellent starting point. Also consider things about a vendor such as local support, the number of deployments the company has, the number of years in business. Try to identify two or three repudible local vendors and solicit itemized proposals. This will provide you with a great deal of initial data to analyze. Expect the vendor to make the case to purchase their product. If the vendor does not make a compelling case, he may not be knowledgable enough about his own product and may not be able to offer proper support after the sale which is so important. POS systems are complex and you need to only consider systems that can be supported by the same vendor after the sale. It is not a good idea to utilize do-it-yourself POS systems. Look for vendors who believe in lifelong customers and not vendors who wish to make the quick sale (perhaps by offering huge discounts) and you will never see them again. You will benefit directly by the solvency of your POS vendor and if you expect too good a deal, or a vendor willingly offers a price that seems too good to be true, you will probably pay dearly for making a decision to go with that vendor. A few prolonged system down scenarios and the resulting unhappy customers will quickly make you sorry for your decision, and your business is likely to suffer. After identifying a few vendors and looking at their appropriate products, ask them for customer references, and call a few from each vendor. It is your best insurance against making a poor choice. It can also be an advantage to utilize independent POS vendors who represent more than one manufacturer. They can offer a better selection and are not limited to giving you only one choice, especially if that one choice is not the best for your particular business. Finally, do expect to pay for training and do expect the vendor to provide the necessary training. It is normal to make a sizeable down payment on a system, but you shoudl have an arrangement that the final payment is not made to the vendor until you are satisfied with the installation and training you have received.
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