New Features and Functions in NCR Silver

The folks at NCR have been busy adding new features and functions to the NCR Silver POS app for iOS devices. I've actually sold and supported NCR Silver in the past and found it to be a great entry level cloud based POS system.

Here is a link to the details: https://www.ncrsilver.com/email-discounts-offer-meal-plans-and-more-with-ncr-silver-version-4-4/

Retail Point of Sale Vendor Referrals

A quick note that I am happy to provide referrals to businesses selling and supporting different point of sale systems that you may already be using. All I need to know is the following:

1. your location (city and state - US only, please)
2. your business name and contact information
3. which point of sale system you are using
4. why the place you bought your point of sale from can not help you
5. what sort of help you need (tech support/new licenses/upgrade/new hardware/etc)

The reason for # 4 is a safeguard against people who owe a company money attempting to obtain support from someone else.

While I don't know every dealer/partner for every point of sale system, I do maintain a contact list of the partners and dealers that I trust so do visit my contact page for information on how to reach me for this type of information.

Note that this also applies if you are considering a specific point of sale system and want to know who to buy the system from.

Retail Point of Sale System True 7 Year TCO

Whether you are searching for a computer, tablet, or cloud based retail point of sale system, a summary of the true cost of ownership over 7 years for NCR CounterPoint SQL, Microsoft Dynamics RMS, Retail Management Hero, Bindo Point of Sale, and NCR Silver.

All based on real world numbers as I have worked with all four of these systems.

Remember that cost is only one aspect of your purchasing decision as you may find that you have the need and sales volume to justify purchasing the most expensive or the least expensive system. The goal in the video is not to pit one solution against the other but to show that mobile and cloud based POS systems have similar long term costs as traditional point of sale systems that you purchase outright.

Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me for questions, input or paid on-site unbiased point of sale consulting services.

Point of Sale Tips and Tricks Videos

I'm going to try creating a series of tip and tricks videos specific to the following point of sale systems:

• NCR CounterPoint SQL
• Microsoft Dynamics RMS
• Bindo Point of Sale
• QuickBooks Point of Sale
• NCR Silver
• Aldelo

These will all be very brief videos and cover just one tip or trick at a time.  Best advice would be to subscribe to my YouTube Channel or check my YouTube Channel on a weekly basis for uploads if you happen to use any of the above point of sale programs.

My YouTube Channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/kantosh

Information on how to reach me for more information can be found on my contact page.

Press Release from NCR on a New Feature in NCR Silver

NCR SilverTM mobile POS adds loyalty and rewards for small business

 New release of POS system for iPad®, now with rich loyalty program, makes it easy for small merchants including restaurants and retailers to reward customers

DULUTH, Ga., March 5, 2014 – Small businesses can now easily create, run and manage reward programs with the release of NCR Silver iPad® point of sale (POS), with subscriptions starting at only $59 per month. NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), the global leader in consumer transaction technologies, today announced the new loyalty component of its powerful mobile POS for small businesses.

Loyalty complements the existing automated email and social marketing functionality in NCR Silver making it even easier for cafés, shops, restaurants, boutiques, food trucks, and any small business to reward customers for repeat purchases. Loyalty fits seamlessly into the checkout process, automatically tracking rewards with each sale so customers see exactly what they have earned and eliminating the need for paper punch cards. Rewards and customer information reside on the NCR Silver POS system and merchants retain all the data rather than share it through a third-party loyalty application.

“Satisfying your best customers is critical to the success of every small business,” says Justin Hotard, general manager, NCR Silver. “We added loyalty to go along with email marketing, customer history, and reporting to make NCR Silver the perfect fit to grow any small business.”

Technology has changed how small businesses build loyal customer bases with digital alternatives to the old paper punch cards. Recently, MarketingProfs published ‘Surprising Facts about Customer Loyalty Marketing,’ reporting that if you structure your loyalty program effectively, you will see a lift in visits and revenue from your enrolled customers. The report also notes that over their lifetime, loyal customers spend 10 times more than new customers.
NCR Silver with loyalty now does more to help time-starved small business owners like Patrick Harkins.

“I send a personal note after every sale and people really respond to that,” said Harkins, owner of Jackson, MS-based, Fondren Guitars. “When they come back, I look at their order histories to see their preferences and recommend just the right guitar or accessory. Now, my customers know they can trust me and they come back, because at my store they have a better customer experience – which is the foundation of building loyal customers.”

NCR provides live, 7-day support and access to Silver Sidewalk^TM, a customer community portal with information and opportunities to connect with other members. NCR Silver runs in the cloud, uses consumer-friendly technology, and works on Apple® devices running the latest iOS. 

Review of NCR Silver

I've had the opportunity to work with the NCR Silver point of sale app and thought that I should pass along my thoughts on NCR Silver.

The Good:

• Very easy to use
• Set or flexible monthly pricing
• Seasonal pricing for seasonal businesses
• Designed for both retail and food service
• Great for mobile businesses that sell products and/or services
• Backed by NCR
• Monthly price includes updates and technical support
• Manager/Owner part of the app can be accessed through a web browser

The OK:

• Average interface for food service businesses
• Offers more than what a cash register can do
• Basic customer email marketing functions
• Fairly limited hardware compatibility
• Unclear how secure all the data is

 The Not So Good:

• Only very basic customer and inventory tracking
• No purchasing and receiving
• Limited reporting
• Somewhat confusing merchant service options

Summary:

NCR Silver is a great solution for businesses looking for more than what a cash register can offer but do not have the volume to justify investing in a full blown point of sale system.  NCR Silver has also found a niche with seasonal or mobile businesses like concession related businesses, firework stands and Christmas tree sales.

NCR Silver is also a tough product to sell as there is little to no revenue for the dealer/partner to sell it. Most folks end up dealing with NCR Directly unless their local dealer/partner can offer some sort of incentive.

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Retail Point of Sale Software Comparison Chart

One of the handouts that I use at my point of sale technology workshop presentations:

Retail Solution Comparison
Cash Registers – variety of models from $500 to $2000. Optional programming, training and installation services. Designed for retail stores of any gross sales volume.

NCR Silver – iOS Based (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch). $29-$79/month plus hardware costs. Designed
for businesses that need minimal inventory tracking (ie. Kiosks, 2^nd hand stores, thrift stores).

Microsoft RMS Store Operations - $6000+ for a complete point of sale solution (includes software, hardware, computer, hardware, installation, training, and ongoing support). Designed for single to multi-location retailers with only basic technology needs (no built-in email marketing, no integrated online shopping cart, no smart phone/tablet needs). Designed for gross annual sales of $400,000+.

NCR CounterPoint - $9000+ for a complete point of sale solution (includes software, hardware, computer, training, installations, and on-going support). Designed for single to multi-location retail stores with high technology needs (integrated email marketing, integrated online shopping cart, use on a smart phone/tablet computer, automated email or texts on store activity). Best for retail stores generating $750,000+ annually per location.

Function	Cash Register	NCR Silver	MS RMS	CounterPoint
Track Item Sales	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Employee Login	Some Models	Limited	Yes	Yes
Levels of Departments or Categories	Some Models	1 Level	2 Levels	2 Levels
Process Credit Cards	Optional	Integrated	Integrated	Integrated
Process Gift Cards	Optional	Optional	Integrated	Integrated
Customer Loyalty	No	Yes	Optional	Integrated
Track Customer History	No	Basic name & address	Yes	Yes
Scan Barcode Labels	Some models	Yes	Yes	Yes
Print Barcode Labels	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Purchasing and Receiving	No	Limited	Yes	Yes
Choice of Merchant Services Processors	Yes – with optional credit card processing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multi-location Capable	No	No	Yes – full data	Yes – full data
Designed for use on Touch Screen Monitor	Some models have touch screens	Yes (tablet computer)	Yes	Yes
Multiple Price Levels (retail, wholesale, etc.)	No	No	Yes	Yes
Interface to Quickbooks Accounting	Some models	No	Yes	Yes
Quotes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Lay-aways	No	No	Yes	Yes
Work Orders	No	No	Yes	No
Integrated Online Shopping Cart	No	No	Available	Available
Smart phone “app” version Available	No	n/a	No	Available
Integrated Email Marketing	No	Basic	Available	Available
Text/Email Alerts for Store Activities	No	No	No	Available

No – Not Available
Yes – Available and Included
Third Party – Available through third party and additional charges may apply
n/a – Not Applicable
Some Models – Only available in some models
Available – Available and additional charges may apply

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

NCR Silver Updates

Some long overdue updates related to NCR Silver. As a reminder, NCR Silver is a tablet based point of sale system for retail stores and quick serve restaurants. The functionality of NCR Silver falls between what a cash register can do and what a computer-based point of sale system can do.  You pay a monthly subscription fee to use NCR Silver in your iOS device.

Hardware Updates: 

NCR Silver runs on Apple®i; iOS^TM 6.0 & 7.0 devices. When implementing integrated credit, the NCR Credit Card Reader supports the following devices: iPad® 2, iPad with Retina display (3rd generation), iPad Mini & iPad Mini with Retina Display, iPad Air, iPhone® 4 and iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, 5s and 5c, or iPod touch® 4th and 5th generations.

Previously NCR Silver did not work with hardware designed for 3rd generation iPads or 5th generation iPhones and iPod Touches

New Features in Version 3 of NCR Silver:

• NCR Silver now supports multiple locations and can scale to meet the needs of retail shops, cafes, bakeries, restaurants or any small business that is expanding. With easy-to-use tools and reports, owners can manage items across all their sites, see a consolidated view of site sales data, and still easily navigate to individual locations for site-level details.
• Small business owners get more control with the ability to set user roles like Cashier or Manager and to assign permissions so they can grant or limit access to functions such as price override, discounts, returns, voids and tip adjustments.
• A new Time Clock feature makes everyday easier for small business owners and their employees. Employees simply sign in and out through the app, and owners can export timesheets for payroll.

I've talked to a few places using NCR Silver and the response has been positive but with a note that most retail store owners indicated that they plan on upgrading to a more complete point of sale system "down the road" (ie. something that can print barcode labels and create purchase orders).

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Updates on Microsoft RMS Store Operations, One Step Retail Solutions, NCR Silver, Big Hairy Dog, and Spark Systems Solutions

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.

A few updates for previous DirectPOS customers as well as all users of Microsoft RMS Store Operations and Store Operations HQ.

It appears that Spark Systems Solutions has delayed establishing an office presence in the Boise, ID and Spokane, WA area. They do have technicians working from home in each city so there is still full local support for current and future Micro's users (but no showroom to see the different types of systems).  I will pass along address information once I hear that they have established an office presence in Boise and Spokane. In the meantime, you can reach them via phone at (801) 486-2151 (also known as Cowans Restaurant Solutions - Salt Lake City, UT).

Ada Cash Register continues to provide sales, service, and programming for Samsung cash registers as well as supplies for cash registers and computer based point of sale systems. You can reach Ada Cash Register at 208-407-2202.

RITE has started their expansion westward and will be offering multiple retail point of sale systems in the states of ID, OR, WA, UT, MT, NV, and WY with a special focus on the Boise, ID, Spokane, WA and Salt Lake City, UT markets.

I've had a few calls and email about NCR Silver - especially since I was previously able to offer significantly discounted pricing for NCR Silver. As I am no longer able to offer the discounted pricing, you can contact NCR Silver directly at 877-630-9711 or visit http://ncrsilver.com/ for more information.

It appears that One Step Retail Solutions out of Phoenix, AZ is only interested in supporting NCR CounterPoint customers (based on calls and emails received). They will support RMS and RMS HQ customers - but for a fee.  Present Microsoft RMS, RMS HQ, and Microsoft POS 2007/2009 customers can contact Microsoft directly at 888-477-7877 for support (free, if you are current on your software maintenance) or to be referred to a different Microsoft RMS/POS/HQ partner.

Finally, things have been very quiet at Microsoft regarding the future plans for RMS/HQ/POS 2007/2009.  There are rumors that the software is being "abandoned" but no official word has been communicated (one way or the other) from Microsoft.  If you currently use any of the Microsoft point of sale products, then you may want to just start thinking about looking at a different solution like Retail Pro.  I know several single and multi-location retail stores that use Retail Pro. A good source for Retail Pro is Big Hairy Dog.

I've known Big Hairy Dog for 10+ years and they are committed to providing affordable point of sale solutions along with great customer service.  They are located in Sacramento, CA and can be reached at 800-377-7776. You can also go to their website at http://www.bighairydog.com/ (there is a history behind the funny name but they are a true 'survivor' as a retail point of sale solution provider).

Long post - I'll wrap things up by saying that I wish that One Step Retail Solutions and Spark System Solutions/Cowans Restaurant Solutions would have been more honest about their plans which would have made it easier to communicate to my former customer base.

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

NCR Silver Updates

Some information to pass along related to NCR Silver.  Keep in mind that you must sign up for NCR Silver through a NCR Partner (like me) in order to qualify for the discounted pricing.

New Countertop Receipt Printer

As of today, all orders will now be fulfilled with a new Countertop Receipt Printer. The new printer uses Bluetooth technology or an ethernet cable rather than wireless connectivity, and the wifi adapter will no longer be needed for this printer.

NCR Silver Version 2.2

The 2.2 release came out on Monday, July 29th. Included with this release is new, updated back office dashboards, improved reporting and enhanced online help. Click on any of these features to see the details of the updates: daily snapshot, customers tracking, consolidated dashboards, and reporting.

REMINDER: Compatible Apple Products

NCR Silver runs on Apple® iOS 5.0 & 6.0 devices. The NCR Credit Card Reader supports the iPad® 2, iPhone® 4, iPhone 4S, or iPod touch® 4th generation. These devices have the 30-pin connector. At this time, the NCR Silver app will run on the iPhone 5, iPad with Retina display (3rd generation) and iPad mini, but the NCR Credit Card Reader is not compatible with these devices. 

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 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Minor Hardware Delays at NCR

For those of you who may be thinking about NCR Silver or NCR CounterPoint:

A note from NCR related to some hardware shipping delays due to inventory and switching computer systems:

Friday, July 26th thru Wednesday, July 31st – Closed for NCR Systems cutover.

As part of a new system integration, it is necessary to take some key systems offline for a period of time. We apologize for this inconvenience and will work diligently when systems resume on August 1st to process all orders. Orders placed after noon on Thursday, July 25th, will not ship until August 1st. We will process orders in the order received.