Friday, June 27, 2014

New NCR CounterPoint Reviews

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

Update 13.June.2015: A quick note that I have been receiving multiple calls and emails from Microsoft Dynamics RMS users looking to replace RMS due to the upcoming October 1st, 2015 EMV liability shift deadline as well as the "end of life" status for Dynamics RMS and HQ. I have personal experience with RMS users upgrading to NCR CounterPoint and would be happy to share - just visit my contact page for information on how to reach me. I can also put you in touch with a trusted NCR CounterPoint SQL partner.

In addition to the above, I also know which trusted NCR CounterPoint Partners are offering significant discounts and incentives to RMS and HQ users as well as hosted versions of NCR CounterPoint (helps reduce some of your IT costs) and special versions of NCR CounterPoint for thrift stores like Goodwill.

One of the things that I try to stay on top of are user reviews of different point of sale solutions.  The reviews have been the most popular posts on this site and have also generated the most phone calls and emails from folks searching for free and unbiased point of sale help and advice.

While it is easy to link to a review, I prefer to paraphrase the review for the following reasons:
  1. Over the years I have figured out how to 'read between the lines' to find the key points of each review
  2. I'm also able to easily spot reviews that may have been written from someone attempting to increase or decrease a products reputation (not truly a fake review but a review written with an intent that goes beyond just sharing personal experiences)
  3. The biggest reason is that a popular point of sale software review website exists only to sell your information to multiple point of sale companies - that's right, they make money by selling your information
So, there has been a new review of the NCR CounterPoint point of sale software posted recently. The review was very negative but it appears that the user had a restaurant or similar food service business. While I have seen food service business use NCR CounterPoint, we had to modify the software and it was only put in because the food service was part of a larger business like a deli which CounterPoint is well suited for.

Point being that NCR CounterPoint is designed for retail stores and museums but has been modified in some cases to work at food service businesses like concession stands and counter-service businesses. If you have a business that has both a retail and food service aspect, the CounterPoint may work but you really need to have a heart to heart talk with your NCR CounterPoint partner to make sure they have made the correct modifications and done this before (I've only done twice myself with NCR CounterPoint).

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 26, 2014

Retail Pro Reviews

One of the things that I try to stay on top of are user reviews of different point of sale solutions.  The reviews have been the most popular posts on this site and have also generated the most phone calls and emails from folks searching for free point of sale help and advice.

While it is easy to link to a review, I prefer to paraphrase the review for the following reasons:
  1. Over the years I have figured out how to 'read between the lines' to find the key points of each review
  2. I'm also able to easily spot reviews that may have been written from someone attempting to increase or decrease a products reputation (not truly a fake review but a review written with an intent that goes beyond just sharing personal experiences)
  3. The biggest reason is that a popular point of sale software review website exists only to sell your information to multiple point of sale companies - that's right, they make money by selling your information
Over the last couple of months there have been a large number of Retail Pro reviews posted online. Here are the key points gleaned from all the reviews which appeared to come from retailers of all sizes within the US:
  • Users really like the support and service that they receive from their Retail Pro Partner - especially Big Hairy Dog (BHD) 
  • Overall, Retail Pro received high marks for functionality and reliability
  • Both short and long term users mentioned that the software was very reliable
  • About the only minor issues noted are that the ease of use could be better and that the latest version of Retail Pro seemed to operate slower than the previous versions
Overall, some great reviews of Retail Pro which is what would be expected since Retail Pro is the type of point of sale solution that includes installation, training, and ongoing support as part of the price when purchased from a Retail Pro partner like BHD.

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.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems Store Operations (RMS) Review and Demo

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

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 (not a wise investment at this point).

Update 13.June.2015: A quick note that I have been receiving multiple calls and emails from Microsoft Dynamics RMS users looking to replace RMS due to the upcoming October 1st, 2015 EMV liability shift deadline as well as the "end of life" status for Dynamics RMS and HQ. I have personal experience with RMS users upgrading to NCR CounterPoint and would be happy to share - just visit my contact page for information on how to reach me. I can also put you in touch with a trusted NCR CounterPoint SQL partner.

The license swap options mentioned below refer to Retail Realm Essentials and Retail Management Hero point of sale software programs.

My thoughts on the Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems Store Operations (RMS) point of sale software and a quick look at the manager/back office part of the software.

RMS has been one of my favorite point of sale solutions over the years and currently is in use at over 40,000 stores, museums, and government entities. Even though sales to new users for RMS will end July 2016, there will be license swap/migration options for RMS users who stay current on their annual maintenance agreement.

Here is the video:






The Highlights:
  • Great solution for retail stores, museums, and government entities of all sizes
  • Lots of third part add-ons for special functions like online shopping carts and loyalty programs
  • Very popular solution for government entities
  • User interface is outdated looking
  • Takes some training to get a handle on the correct way to run reports
  • Sales of RMS will end in July 2016 but their will be a migration path to other point of sale solutions from Microsoft
Bottom Line:

A great solution but sales of RMS and HQ to new users ends July 2016 and the options for complying with the October 1st, 2015 EMV Liability Shift Date are somewhat cumbersome. Flat out, it just doesn't make sense to look at RMS or HQ as a potential point of sale system.

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 24, 2014

Review and Demo Of Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems Store Operations (RMS)

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

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 (not a wise investment at this point).

In this video I share my personal experience working with the Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Store Operations (RMS) point of sale solution. I also very quickly show the main parts of the RMS point of sale module.




The key highlights are:
  • Very flexible - can be user in nearly any retail store or museum
  • Quick when it comes to running transactions
  • Sized to work with nearly any sized retail business or museum
  • Popular with government entities as well
  • Lots of add-ons via third parties
  • Big cost advantage over other PC-based point of sale solutions
  • Dated interface 
  • Sales will end in July 2016 
  • There are license swap options that will be available to other point of sale solutions offered by Microsoft
  • Must be current on your annual maintenance agreement to qualify for the license swap options
Summary:
 Great solution but getting dated and we need more details from Microsoft related to what Dynamics Retail Essentials will offer compared to RMS plus sales of RMS and HQ to new users will end on July, 2016.

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.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Video Review and Demo of Bindo Point of Sale

As Bindo Point of Sale has quickly become the most popular retail and museum point of sale solution on my blog site, I figured that it was time to make a quick video showing what Bindo looks like. My AirPlay software was running unusually slow so any slowness in screen changes is not related to Bindo but to my AirPlay software linking my iPad Air to my Win 7 laptop.



The feedback that I have been getting about Bindo is very positive. What one retailer mentioned kind of sums it all up: if Bindo can do more than what other mobile point of sale solutions can do for the same or a lower price, why wouldn't I choose Bindo over NCR Silver or Clover?

I do have a fully functioning copy of Bindo if you want to take a more in depth look. More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Friday, June 20, 2014

NCR Silver Review and Back Office Demo

I've worked a bit over the last couple of years with the NCR Silver mobile point of sale solution. The video below covers what I like and don't like about NCR Silver as well as a brief overview of teh back office part of NCR Silver.




The highlights are:
  • Very simple to setup, learn, and use
  • Flexible for both retail and food service businesses
  • Can be turned off and on for seasonal businesses
  • Monthly price includes support and updates
  • Some limited loyalty and email marketing functions
  • Must buy the hardware and peripherals while other solutions like Bindo offer free hardware and peripherals
  • Not a true point of sale system
  • If solutions like Bindo can offer more of a true point of sale solution for the same monthly price then why choose NCR Silver?
Summary:
Affordable mobile solution for retail, museum and food service businesses who want more than what a cash register can do but more advanced solutions like Bindo POS are making the original mobile solutions like Clover and NCR Silver look a bit too basic.
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 19, 2014

New NCR Silver Review

One of the things that I try to stay on top of are user reviews of different point of sale solutions.  The reviews have been the most popular posts on this site and have also generated the most phone calls and emails from folks searching for free point of sale help and advice.

While it is easy to link to a review, I prefer to paraphrase the review for the following reasons:

  1. Over the years I have figured out how to 'read between the lines' to find the key points of each review
  2. I'm also able to easily spot reviews that may have been written from someone attempting to increase or decrease a products reputation (not truly a fake review but a review written with an intent that goes beyond just sharing personal experiences)
  3. The biggest reason is that a popular point of sale software review website exists only to sell your information to multiple point of sale companies - that's right, they make money by selling your information
Overall the review of NCR Silver was very positive. The user has a specialty retail store and mentioned how easy NCR Silver is to learn and use and that the support has been very helpful.  Minor issues are mentioned related to some glitches that appear to be worked though via a call to support and some hardware issues related to the credit card swipes not having the right connection for the new iOS devices (this was a common issue since Apple switched to the new 'lightning' connectors but has mostly been resolved).

So, overall a positive review from an NCR Silver user.  Just keep in mind that NCR Silver falls between the functionality of a cash register and point of sale system but meets most of the basic needs of small retail stores, seasonal businesses, small museums, and basic food service businesses like food trucks and concession stands.

Can I help?  Over the last 15 years I have worked with thousands of retail stores, museums, and government entities to help them find the best point of sale solution. You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632 for free point of sale help and advice.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

NCR CounterPoint Review and Demo

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

One of the point of sale programs that I have worked with over the years is the NCR CounterPoint solution. This video covers some of the things that I like and don't like about NCR CounterPoint as well as a brief overview of the software itself.




The highlights are:
  • A great solution for a larger single location retail store or for chains with up to 300 locations
  • Very touch screen friendly for museums and similar organizations that have admissions
  • Specialty hardware is available for tough environments like food service or nursery/garden centers
  • Lots of high level functions related to email marketing behind the scenes, integrated online store,  text alerts, and selling via both a PC's and iOS devices like iPads
  • If your business is not generating at least $800,000+ in annual gross sales, you will never get your purchase price back in terms of ROI via increased sales, reduces theft, better reporting, etc
  • Complex - takes a good 15-20 hours of formalized training to learn how to use NCR CounterPoint - this is not a "do it yourself program". The end result is that you have a very robust point of sale system that can do just about anything you ask of it, no matter what type of retail store you have or how many locations you have
  • Ticket entry mode for stores that need to quickly process transactions like liquor stores and convenience stores
Summary:
 Great solution for larger single and multi-location retail store and museums whole sales volume and technology needs justify the investment.

Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me for unbiased point of sale advice.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Korona POS from Combase Expands in to the US

German company COMBASE has announced that they are expanding their point of sale app into the US market under the name KORONA.pos.

The website information and pricing indicates that this solution appears to be similar to other mobile point of sale systems but with a few unique features:


  • Age Verification
  • Best Price (ensures that your customer is getting the lowest price possible)
  • Rapid Cashier Change
  • Bind and Split Items
I'm not able to find any customer reviews on this solution and there is only a long distance phone number so I am a little lost as to how active the US expansion actually is. Hopefully I will get a chance to take a look at KORONA POS from COMBASE USA and offer more in depth information.

In the meantime, you can visit https://www.combase-usa.com/products/cloud/terminal/ for more information.
Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Demo Videos and Downloads

A quick reminder that several companies offer 30 day free trial periods and/or demo versions of the software.  If you are interested here are the various solutions that I have access to for demo purposes:


  • NCR CounterPoint
  • Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems Store Operations (RMS)
  • QuickBooks Point of Sale
  • Aldelo 
  • NCR Silver (back office only - POS pending)
  • Bindo POS

I am also working on some demo videos that show some of the high level aspects of each point of sale solution. that should be ready yet this week. Since there isn't a lot of point of sale news (normally) during the summer, I figured that now would be a great time to upload some video demos of point of sale solutions.  Note that a video can only cover the general highlights unless you really want a 45 minute long video (have some popcorn ready).

Same goes for my workshop presentation videos - the actual workshop scales from 45 minutes to three hours depending on the audience. I doubt that any of you want to watch that long of a video!  Let me know if I am wrong tho!

Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Video Review and Demo of QuickBooks Point of Sale

One of the point of sale software solutions that I have worked with over the years is the QuickBooks Point of Sale solution. This video covers some of the basic highlights as well as what is good and not so good about QuickBooks point of sale.




The highlights:
  • Very easy to learn and use
  • Great interface to QuickBooks Accounting
  • Affordable for small boutique style retail stores or museums
  • Limited Hardware/Peripheral Options
  • Not the quickest program on the market
  • Extra costs (easily $1000/year) related to having to use Intuit for merchant services (credit and debit card processing)
Summary:
 One of the easiest to use point of sale systems that I have every worked with but the forced use of Intuit for merchant services means QuickBooks Point of Sale should be crossed off your list of potential point of sale solution.
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.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Point of Sale Buying Tip Video - Merchant Services

Over the last 15 years I have conducted point of sale workshop presentations at retail and museum conferences, expos, and trade shows as well as at small business development/success centers.  I thought that it would be helpful to create some point of sale buying tip videos related to excerpts from the point of sale workshop presentations.

This excerpt deals with merchant services (credit and debit card processing) and things to watch out for when choosing a merchant services company, I also touch on EMV as well as how merchant services and point of sale systems should interact.





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.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Point of Sale Buying Tip: Purchase Options and Vendor Selection

I've started recording some excerpts from the point of sale workshop presentations that I conduct at retail and museum trade shows, conferences, and expos as well at small business development/success centers across the US.

This excerpt covers some of the payment options available as well as what to look for when selecting the company the you will purchase your point of sale systems from (including several "gotchas" or things to avoid).






Can I help?  Over the last 15 years I have worked with thousands of retail stores, museums, and government entities to help them find the best point of sale solution. You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Feedback on Bindo POS - A New 90/10 Rule

In my follow-ups with folks that have contacted me for free advice, I try and follow-up to see what they ended up purchasing and then again to see how well the solution is working for them and their business.  I've already established that Bindo has emerged the clear winner for Q2 of 2014 with about a 5-1 margin over other solutions like NCR CounterPoint, Microsoft Dynamics RMS, QuickBooks POS, NCR Silver, Retail Pro, and Clover.

Do keep in mind these are only the folks that have contacted me via my humble blog site but they do represent a good cross section of specialty retail stores in the US when it comes to number of locations and size.

I normally refer to the 90/10 or 80/20 rule as meaning that 80 or 90 percent of your sales revenue comes from 10 to 20 percent of your customers. This is why having loyalty marketing, customer purchase history, and detailed reporting are so essential within point of sale solutions.

However, a retailer shared with me his reason for selecting Bindo over NCR Counterpoint:  "Bindo can do 90% of what NCR Counterpoint can do at only 10% of the price - why wouldn't I choose Bindo over Counterpoint?".

I completely agree.  Thus the 90/10 rule has a new meaning! More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

Can I help?  Over the last 15 years I have worked with thousands of retail stores, museums, and government entities to help them find the best point of sale solution. You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632 for free point of sale help and advice.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Point of Sale Buying Tip Video

I've started recording some excerpts from the point of sale workshop presentations that I conduct at retail and museum trade shows, conferences, and expos as well at small business development/success centers across the US.

This excerpt covers some of the differences between computer and mobile point of sale systems, costs related to each system, and very new differences between mobile 1.0 and 2.0 point of sale solutions.






Can I help?  Over the last 15 years I have helped thousands of retail stores and museums find the perfect point of sale system. My advice is free!  You can reach me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com - there is also a contact form on the right hand side of my blog.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

The Size of the Company Doesn't Matter

I had the opportunity to travel to the Upper Midwest recently to talk with some point of sale resellers and dealers to get a better idea of "whats happening" related to trends in the point of sale world as we come up on Q3 of 2014. Here are some thoughts and insights that I felt should be passed along:


  • POS sales are up - some dealers are reporting sales increases of over 40% when compared to sales for the same period in 2013.
  • For every one retail store that closes, two open (I can't verify that as fact but have seen a similar statistic reported in the media).
  • Mobile POS solutions are hot right now but there are way too many mobile POS solutions currently on the market
  • 90% of the mobile solutions on the market today will be gone in the next 1-2 years.
  • Some stores still need the advanced functionality that a computer-based POS system offers like work orders, quotes, and layaways.
  • Mobile 2.0 solutions will leave Mobile 1.0 solutions in the dust
I was having a conversation with one of the largest Microsoft Dynamics partners in the US about how  many POS solutions will disappear over the next 1-2 years and he made a good point: company size doesn't matter.

The point is, NCR could just as likely decide to drop CuunterPoint POS as a 2 person company with a basic mobile POS solution could decide to stop selling their solution.  While I would argue that a small business has a more likelyhood of going out of business, the truth is that any company could decide to pull out of the point of sale business.

What does this mean to you? The advice that I always pass along is to make sure that you always have full access to your data like your inventory and customer lists. Any contracts should clearly state what happens to the equipment if one party terminates the agreement.  Basically, just protect yourself, your data, and your business should something happen.  It may not be easy to have to switch point of sale solutions (I've helped many places in various situations accomplish it) but, having an "action plan" and being able to transfer all of your information from one system to the next will make life much easier.

Can I help?  Over the last 15 years I have worked with thousands of retail stores, museums, and government entities to help them find the best point of sale solution. You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632 for free point of sale help and advice.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

More updates for users of Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Systems Store Operations (RMS) Point of Sale Software

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

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 (not a wise investment at this point).

Update 28.June.2015 - special discount and incentive from a national NCR CounterPoint Partner for RMS and HQ users: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/big-discount-and-incentive-for.html

As I have been asked to assist multiple retail stores using RMS to help determine their best course of action (which I am doing for free, by the way), I took some time recently to travel to Minnesota to meet with one of the largest Microsoft Dynamics Partners in the United States.  Basically, here are the most recent updates related to Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ:
  • Sales and mainstream support will continue to be available until July 2016
  • Support for customers who maintain an annual software maintenance agreement will be available until July 2021
  • RMS users who are current on their maintenance agreement will have a license swap option in the near future if Microsoft Dynamics AX POS or Dynamics Retail Essentials might be a better fit for your business
  • Dynamics Retail Essentials was announced in May of 2014 but does not yet appear to be market ready for actual deployment (stay tuned)
  • Microsoft is also working on a new point of sale solution designed for smaller single location retailers
The options basically boil down to what I have mentioned multiple times before:
  1. If you are current on your annual software maintenance and RMS is doing what you want, then stay current on your annual maintenance. You will have multiple options available over the next 1-2 years.
  2. If you are not current on your annual maintenance, you need to look at renewing your annual maintenance (contact your Microsoft Partner or myself for help) OR you need to start looking at other point of sale options (again, feel free to contact me for free advice)
  3. If you are not happy with RMS for whatever reason then you are likely already searching for other options
At this point, everyone using RMS has time to chart the best course of action unless you are not current on your annual maintenance and/or feel RMS is no longer the best solution for your business.

Can I help?  Over the last 15 years I have worked with thousands of retail stores, museums, and government entities to help them find the best point of sale solution. You can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632