Sunday, June 28, 2015

Big Discount and Incentive for Microsoft Dynamics RMS Users

Wow, so I have been made aware of a special offer from a national NCR CounterPoint SQL point of sale partner. As you know, many Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software users are looking at different point of sale options due to the upcoming EMV liability shift date as well as the end of life status with RMS (sales of RMS to new customers and mainstream support for RMS and HQ end July of 2016).

The offer is a 20% discount on licensing costs as well as a free transfer of your inventory, customer, and vendor data.  This is a very large potential cost savings - especially as the majority of the 725 stores using RMS (and HQ) that have contacted me for advice have indicated that they plan on switching away from RMS sooner than later.

Please contact me for more information and I'm also happy to share my personal experiences having helped a few stores upgrade from RMS to NCR CounterPoint back when I was selling and supporting a large variety of point of sale systems for retail stores, restaurants. and museums.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

NCR CounterPoint SQL as an Upgrade or Replacement for Microsoft Dynamics RMS

A quick reminder that sales of Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ to new users as well as mainstream support ends next year (2016) so please keep that in mind if you are thinking of purchasing RMS or HQ as point of sale software for your business or organization.

April 3rd, 2016, new video review/overview of the NCR CounterPoint SQL point of sale software: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/04/updated-review-of-ncr-counterpoint-sql.html

With the EMV Liability Shift Deadline looming as well as the "end of life" status form Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ, I wanted to revisit NCR CounterPoint SQL as a logical upgrade from RMS.

I've had direct experience in the past with retail stores and museums replacing RMS with NCR CounterPoint and overall the experience has been positive. It is easy to transfer the data from RMS to NCR CounterPoint SQL and users appreciated the additional features and functions that NCR CounterPoint SQL offers. The user interface for NCR CounterPoint SQL is very different from the user interface in RMS but is also more customizable.

As NCR CounterPoint SQL offers a lot more than RMS, dedicated training sessions are a "must have" as is allowing for time to transition to a new point of sale system. Another bonus is that NCR CounterPoint SQL works with most of the same peripherals (barcode scanners, cash drawers, etc) as Microsoft Dynamics RMS.  NCR CounterPoint SQL is also much better suited for multi-location environments that using Microsoft Dynamics HQ.

About the only complaints that I heard from businesses and organizations who upgraded to NCR CounterPoint SQL from Microsoft Dynamics RMS is that the reporting in NCR CounterPoint SQL is not as robust as the reporting in Microsoft Dynamics RMS. In most cases this was overcome by writing custom reports using Crystal Reports.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

EMV Options for Microsoft Dynamics RMS (and HQ) Point of Sale Software Users

Update July 2016: Since many Microsoft RMS point of sale software would like to keep using RMS for another couple of years but still need to deal with the EMV Liability Shift Date, visit this post for more information on the Card Defender EMV add-on for Microsoft RMS versions 1.3 and higher (and HQ as well): http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/06/card-defender-emv-add-on-for-microsoft.html

Video explaining the different EMV Liability Shift Date options and offering advice for users of the Microsoft Dynamics RMS (and HQ) point of sale programs in the United States. Covers all the options from doing nothing, using separate credit card terminals, using a payment gateway, or switching to a different point of sale system.

Between EMV and the 'end of life' status with RMS and HQ, just about everyone using RMS (including HQ) has to take some course of action.

I have already been contacted by 1102 stores and organizations using RMS (with about 12 also using HQ) for free and unbiased advice and direction so this is real word advice and not sales fluff. If you are in need of free and unbiased advice - including trusted contacts at any of the solutions that I mention in the video of which many are offering significant discounts to RMS users - please contact me via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632.  You can also visit my contact page for other ways to get in touch with me.


Thursday, June 18, 2015

In Addition to EMV...

Since just about everyone is looking at hardware and software costs related to the upcoming EMV Liability Shift Date of October 1st, 2015 in the United States for card present transactions, this is a perfect time to look at other "housekeeping" items related to the point of sale system used by your business or organization.  In no specific order:

  1. Make sure that you have the latest version of your point of sale software
  2. Check to see if your annual maintenance contract is current for support and updates to your point of sale software
  3. Look at a system "refresh" to see if any hardware, computers, or network equipment needs to be updated or replaced
  4. Compare merchant services rates - never hurts to check and see what you could save by paying lower fees for credit and debit card processing service
  5. Look at other point of sale systems before you commit to spending any money on your current point of sale system - a lot has changed recently and you may find that it is better to switch to a new point of sale system than continue to invest in your current point of sale system
Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Sales of Retail Management Hero

If anyone out there is planning on selling and supporting Retail Management Hero in the US once it becomes available, could you please get in touch with me?  I have several hundred RMS users that need more information on Retail Management Hero plus new leads coming in each week asking about Retail Management Hero.

Here is a link to my contact information: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

Monday, June 15, 2015

Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ Buying Group

A quick reminder that sales of Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ to new users as well as mainstream support ends next year (2016) so please keep that in mind if you are thinking of purchasing RMS or HQ as point of sale software for your business or organization.

Update July 5th, 2015:  I've now had 731 stores using RMS contact me and, while the "RMS buying group" sounds great, it is proving to be too cumbersome to coordinate.  What I have done instead is work out some discounts for RMS users with various point of sale program that have already proven to be popular replacements for RMS and HQ. Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me for more details and to see how I can direct you to the best resources.

I wanted to pass along this idea: since I'm now in contact with over 720 stores in the United States that currently use the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software (with around 17 also using HQ), would it be good for all of you to connect with each other?

Based on my records, none of you are in competition with each other but all of you are seriously considering replacing RMS/HQ with a different point of sale solution. 720 stores approaching a vendor who can offer a solution to replace RMS/HQ would mean huge buying power (think along the lines of the buying groups that many of you are members of). While its likely that one point of sale program will not meet everyone's needs, the potential for cost savings is huge even if some of you go with one solution and others choose a different solution.

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or want to get on the "list" - please get in touch with me using the contact form to the right, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com, or on my cell at 208-340-5632.


Thursday, June 11, 2015

Want to Meet in Person?

While its awesome to speak with so many of you over the phone or chat via email, I really enjoy traveling as it gives us a chance to meet in person as well the opportunity for me to visit your business or organization in person. Here are some of the areas that I will likely be visiting for the rest of June and into July 2015:
  • Utah - Salt Lake City and surrounding areas
  • Washington State - Seattle and surrounding areas
  • Colorado - Denver and surrounding areas 
Of course, I'm always available to meet in person for anyone in Idaho as well as Eastern Oregon. I can arrange other travel as time and budget allow or if you are able to reimburse my travel expenses.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Watch for EMV Scams

Good warning from a media company related to watching out for scams related to new EMV terminals. Don't ever feel pressured in to signing a contract for any equipment for your business or organization.  As pointed out in the article, this merchant checked for reviews and found a lot of negative feedback which is a huge warning sign not to buy anything from that person or company.

Plus, new credit and debit card terminals still need to be injected/encrypted which normally takes several business days so no one should be attempting to sell you something needed instantly (The EMV liability shift date is not until October 1st, 2015 for card present transactions in the US so we all have time to plan accordingly).

Here is a link to the full article from KTVB: http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/2015/06/09/shop-owners-are-being-targeted-during-credit-switch/28724615/

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Most Popular Point of Sale Systems for 2015 (so far)

Thanks to the 200+ businesses and organizations who have contacted me so far in 2015 for free and unbiased point of sale advice and information, I'm able to share what the most popular point of sale solutions are based on what folks have actually been selecting as a point of sale solution for their business or organization.

Most Popular Retail Point of Sale System: Bindo POS (www.bindopos.com). Bindo combines the cost effectiveness of a mobile point of sale system with features and functions normally only found in legacy point of sale systems than run primarily on computers with the Windows operating system.

Update: another point of sale news and information website has also selected Bindo as the best iPad Retail POS System: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8067-best-ipad-pos-system.html

Most Popular Restaurant Point of Sale System: Sapphire from Khamu Solutions (http://www.khamu.com/). Sapphire from Khamu Solutions has quietly grown to to offer just about everything that MICROS, Digital Dining, Aloha, and Aldelo offer but at a much lower price point. The praise that I hear from Sapphire users related to the support and customer service offered by Khamu Solutions is second to none.

Most Popular Legacy Retail Point of Sale System: Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems (RMS). I'm honestly surprised by how many businesses and organizations have selected RMS so far this year. While RMS is an awesome point of sale solution (I personally know around 700 stores in the US using RMS), RMS can't be sold to new customers starting in July of 2016 and mainstream support also ends in 2016 so it strikes me as odd that folks would invest in a point of sale solution whose life cycle is ending.

Most Popular Company to Use for Merchant Services: Gravity Payments (http://gravitypayments.com/). Honest, ethical and treats their employees well - not words normally associated with merchant services companies that offer credit and debit card processing services.

Retail Point of Sale System with the Most Potential: Retail Management Hero (http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/new-option-for-rmshq-users-retail.html) .  While this point of sale program will likely not be available until late 2015 or early 2016, as a direct replacement for RMS,  Retail Management Hero has huge potential given the 38,000+ retail stores currently using RMS.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

New Option for RMS/HQ Users - Retail Management Hero

Updated information on Retail Management Hero as a direct replacement for RMS as of December 3rd, 2015: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/12/updated-information-on-new-retail.html

New video discussing options for Dynamics RMS and HQ users as of December 5th, 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evVWS7dj0Bs

How to obtain a 30 day trial version of Retail Management Hero: http://www.pospondering.com/2017/01/how-to-obtain-30-day-trial-license-of.html

Wanted to let all of you using the  Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software more about the new Retail Management Hero point of sale software that will be available in late 2015 or early 2016. Please keep in mind that all the information is subject to change as the software is still in development mode.

Retail Management Hero (RMH) is being developed as a solution for single location RMS users and smaller chains using HQ that don't have the size or budget to migrate to Retail Realm Essentials. RMH could truly be considered RMS version 3 as the core database will remain the nearly the same but the user interface will be completely updated and new features will be added.

This is great for RMS users as the plan is that you can transfer your data (inventory, customers, etc) from RMS to RMH.  Even better is that the current plan is to offer free licenses of RMH to RMS users who are current on their software maintenance. Users who have opted not to stay current on their software maintenance will be able to purchase licenses of RMH.

About the only bummer in all of this (for RMS users) is that it appears that RMH will not be available in time to meet the October 1st, 2015 EMV Liability Shift Date in the US. This means that RMS users still need to make arrangements related to EMV along with the associated hardware and software costs.

You can always contact me with any questions related to RMH, RMS or point of sale in general. All advice is free and unbiased (up to 1 hour of my time).

I'm working on getting some screen caps and more details related to RMH and will post more information as it becomes available as I personally know about 700 stores in the US using RMS of which around 15 also use HQ.

Based on the interest from end users as well as Microsoft Partners it looks like the folks at Retail Hero have a goldmine on their hands!  Now they just need to get the software ready for deployment.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Point of Sale Options for Dynamics GP (Great Plains) Users

Users of the Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) accounting software have a multitude of options when it comes to choosing a point of sale system that offers some level of interfacing with GP.  Two options really stand out as they don't just interface with GP but actually become part of GP as a GP point of sale "bolt on".

I recently spent some time getting familiar with the Compass and SalesPad point of sale solutions for GP and was very impressed. The cost and complexity of Compass and SalesPad put these solutions in the small to mid-sized chain retailer and offer scale-ability whether you have 5 locations or 150 locations.

Given the complexity of these point of sale programs, please contact me directly for more information and the contact information for a trustworthy Dynamics Partner who is experienced with the sales and support of Compass, SalesPad, and Dynamics GP.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.