Celebrating 26 Years in the Industry

 I'm getting old - just surpassed 26 years of working with POS systems (plus the 14 years that I spent in retail and restaurant management). Contact me if you are in need of some general advice specific to POS systems or if you need a speaker for your next conference or trade show.

As retirement gets closer, I will likely cut back on travel and how often I post to this blog site. The site is close to hitting 2 million unique visitors so I may post less frequently once that 2 million number is surpassed.

 Lord willing, I will still keep the blog site up and running (even if I don't post that often) as I know that a lot of you are here for the older Microsoft RMS content.

 

 

 

 

2025 Travel Schedule

 Well, just when I thought that it was time to wind down on traveling so much, opportunities have come up that changed my mind!

For the first half of 2025, I will be headed to the following states:

• Washington State
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• Colorado

 Minnesota and Arkansas are pending as is Wisconsin.

Of course, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Montana, Utah and Nevada are in the planning stages as well.

 Contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com if you are interested in meeting in person or having me speak at an event or conference.

 

 

 

What POS System Do The Largest Liquor Stores in Minnesota Use?

 

Yup! Cloud Retailer Liquor POS is used at most of the largest municipal liquor stores in Minnesota! info@cloudretailer.com 888-267-7483 https://cloudretailer.com/

Liquor Store POS Pro Tip:

 This really applies to any business that uses, or is search for a point of sale system. 24/7 support and a free online help desk with self help articles and videos is a mandatory vendor requirement.

 

Point of Sale Software Options for Liquor Stores in Oregon

I've spent several weeks in Oregon over the last few months helping retailers find the best point of sale system for their store and found there to be some confusion about which POS software programs are available to liquor store retailers in Oregon.

After meeting with several liquor retailers as well as multiple calls and emails with the OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commission), I was given the impression that KMDS (Kelly Myers Data Systems)  POS was the only approved option for liquor store retailers in Oregon.

This is not true as the Cloud Retailer POS software is also available in Oregon. Here are some comparisons between KMDS and Cloud Retailer:

Similarities

• Both are designed for liquor retailers
• Both are approved by the OLCC
• Both are in use by multiple liquor stores in Oregon
• Both provide OLCC specific reporting

Pro Cloud Retailer

• Integrated processing (no errors due to manual double entry on payment terminals)

Pro KMDS

• Based in Oregon and well established user base

Note about Point of Sale Software Programs:

I did not include Retail Management Hero or NCR CounterPoint in the comparisons as I was focused on just liquor store specific POS software programs that included OLCC reporting integration. I have not come across any liquor stores in Oregon that use RMS, NCR Counterpoint, Vend, Bindo, Clover, etc.

If you are a liquor store retailer in the state of Oregon, I would encourage you to look at both Cloud Retailer and KMDS.

Welcome to some new customers!

I wanted to give a quick shout out to the following retailers who recently signed on with me for point of sale related products and services:

• Terra Casa in Oregon: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• The Caring Place in Texas: POS hardware
• Sticker Planet: POS hardware
• Jordan Taylor in Texas: Card Defender for Microsoft RMS
• Pets West in Texas: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• Martin Bruni Liquor in Washington State: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• La La Liquor in Texas: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• Jackson Hole Buffalo Meat: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer
• Bedrock Comics: Microsoft RMS hardware and software for new store location (congrats!)

Thanks to all of you for your trust when it comes to retail point of sale hardware, software and services!

Retail Terminology Explained: What is "Line Busting"?

A few retailers have recently contacted me asking what "Line Busting" is and how it works within a typical small retail store. Hopefully I can explain this in a way that makes sense!

Many point of sale systems like Microsoft RMS, Retail Management Hero, Cloud Retailer and NCR CounterPoint offer the option to use a mobile device (like a tablet or phone) to start a sales transaction.

This is helpful in multiple ways to both the retailer and the customer:

1. A mobile device used for line busting is generally less expensive that a full point of sale station with a computer, monitor, cash drawer, receipt printer, etc.
2. Line Busting can be used for special events, peak sales periods, etc as needed versus having a additional point of sale station sitting around that is rarely used.
3. This is also helpful with retailers that have a drive through window to keep the line moving or allow for order prep time.
4. You can capture the customers purchases (and initiate the sales process) on the sales floor versus directing the customer to a check out stand.
5. Keeps the check out line/queue moving.

There are a few disadvantages:

1. You generally can not bag product or disable security tags since you are on the floor and not at a checkout stand.
2. You can not fully tender the sale (there are exceptions but we are focused on Line Busting and not mobile check out).
3. There has to be an easy way for the sale to be recalled at the point of sale checkout station that the customer can remember (eg: use their name).
4. The mobile devices used rely on WiFi so you do need to ensure that you have a strong and secure WiFi signal (no publicly accessible WiFi should be used).

Typical Process:

1. Whether in the checkout line or on the sales floor, a store employee would approach the customer and ask if they are ready to checkout.
2. Customers items are rung up as a new sales transaction.
3. Customers name is added to the sales transaction (if you track customer information/customer purchase history)
4. Sales transaction is put on hold and assigned a name or number for recall.
5. Customer then goes to the point of sale checkout and gives the cashier the name or number used to put the sales transaction on hold.
6. Cashier recalls the sales transaction and tenders out the sale.

I've seen this in action at several retailers and it works quite well. Retailers like the lower expense and reduced lost sales due to long lines/queue's. Customers like being helped early and seeing that checkout line is moving quickly.

Here are some videos showing a few of the options available:

CP Mobile for NCR CounterPoint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt8ZFoBYDPk

RMS iPOS/RMH iPOS for Microsoft RMS and Retail Management Hero: https://youtu.be/yPz7KpQNTxU

Mobile Device for Cloud Retailer: https://youtu.be/f6hVPkXipzg

As always, please do contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 with any Line Busting or related retail point of sale questions.

Video Overview of Cloud Retailer Loyalty Program

When showing retailer the Cloud Retailer point of sale software program to retailers, I am often asked about the available customer loyalty module for Cloud Retailer. The video below gives a great overview:

If you have any questions about Cloud Retailer or point of sale systems in general, please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

Welcome to some new Retail Clients!

I wanted to squeeze in one more welcome for 2019 to the following retailers that signed on for products or services recently.

• Little Rock Zoo in AR: Retail Management Hero training and support
• Smart Merchants in WA: General Microsoft RMS support and replacement options
• American Airlines CR Smith Museum (fun place!  Glad that I was able to visit in person): RMS Enhanced Maintenance 
• Seattle Shirt Co in WA: Replacing RMS/HQ with Cloud Retailer in all of their stores
• Wagner Jewelers in WA (great store - enjoyed my time on site with them): RMS Enhanced Maintenance
• Travis Wholesale Florist in TX: RMS Enhanced Maintenance
• Clark's Pet Emporium in NM: Upgraded hardware at both stores for Card Defender

Are you in need of some retail point of sale advice, sales, service or training? Then please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

Retail Point of Sale Software With Rental Capabilities

A quick video showing how the Cloud Retailer point of sale software can handle rentals:

https://www.screencast.com/users/TerryS83/folders/Jing/media/af4517ef-0aae-426a-9b9d-37b1a5d9e915

For more information, please contact RITE at sales@rite.us or 888-267-7483.

Android Stock Take App for the Retail Management Hero POS Software

Many retailers like that the Retail Management Hero (RMH) point of sale software includes a module called "Stock Take" for performing partial or full physical counts. Presently the Stock Take module can only be used on Windows based devices which can be a bit cumbersome when it comes to physical inventory counts.

Well, that will change a bit later on 2019 when an Android version of Stock take will become available. This should open up the door to use hand held devices that are more are rugged and designed for counting inventory.

Release is expected in late 2019. I will be sure to pass along details on pricing and compatible devices as soon as they become available.

In the meantime, if you have questions about RMH or point of sale software, please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

Updates on Retail Management Hero Central (RMH Central)

A quick update from the folks at Retail Management Hero regarding RMH Central for retailers who currently use the Microsoft Dynamics RMS HQ software and/or retailers who have multiple store locations and are searching for point of sale software:

"As it stands today RMH Central is in the Early Adopter stage of release."

I'm not sure what this means time wise but it sounds like the release of RMH Central is getting close but it not quite ready for a general release. The biggest concern for Microsoft Dynamics RMS HQ users is whether RMH Central will be in general release before the RMS discounts for RMS users end. The first phase of RMS to RMH discounts ending is coming up Oct 1st, 2019 with all discounts ending April 1st, 2020. This has prompted RMS HQ users to communicate 3 things to me:

1. We are going to move from RMS HQ to RMH Central so we are buying the RMH licenses now to take advantage of the larger discount and will plan on actually deploying RMH  and RMH Central in 2020 or 2021.
2. We can't wait and have eliminated RMH as a potential RMS replacement.
3. We are going to gamble and wait another 12 to 18 months before deciding on a replacement for RMS HQ.

For response # 2, the replacement programs these retailers have decided on include the following point of sale software programs for retailers with multiple store locations (in no particular order):

1. Cloud Retailer
2. Epicore
3. LightSpeed
4. NCR CounterPoint
5. Catipault

Are you a retailer using Microsoft Dynamics RMS HQ? A retailer who has multiple store locations and searching for point of sale software? Please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 for general advice as well as more in depth on site consulting as needed.

Goodwill POS Meeting Updates

I've had the opportunity to speak with a couple more regional Goodwill's about their POS plans - a summary appears below.

• Generally, all Goodwill's are still dealing with tight technology budgets but realize that outdated technology costs them more money in the long run via break/fix hardware costs, excessive labor costs for manual processes that could be automated, and employee errors due to using older technology.
• When looking for a new POS system, major consideration has to be given specific to whether their new POS system "wish list" includes features like production tracking and donor tracking.
• Consultants are proving to be very helping in identifying areas that a new POS system could increase revenue, reduce labor costs, and reduce employee errors.

Now, since y'all don't like it when I share your location information in too much detail, here are the Goodwill's that I have spoke with recently (or consulted with), what POS system they currently use, and what they plan on doing about their older POS system.

1. Southern US - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - general discussions to replace in 2021 but no formal plan yet.
2. Southeastern US - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - general discussions to replace RMS in 2021 - have looked at Retail Management Hero and Cloud Retailer - no formal plan yet.
3. Midwest - Using custom POS system - no plans to replace
4. Southwestern US - Using PC America - RFP is presently out to narrow down search for a new POS.
5. Rocky Mountain - Using NCR CounterPoint - no plans to switch away
6. Northeastern US - Using NCR CounterPoint - no plans to switch away
7. Southern West Coast - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - starting searching for RMS replacement
8. Pacific Northwest - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - started search for RMS replacement by looking at Retail Management Hero and Cloud Retailer - budget limitations mean using RMS through at least 2020
9. Pacific Northwest - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - have not started looking at RMS replacement options
10. Pacific Northwest - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - have not started looking at RMS replacement options
11. Northern Rock Mountains - Using NCR CounterPoint - no plans to replace CounterPoint at this time.

If you would like more details about the consulting that I have done for Goodwill Industries, or just have general thrift store point of sale questions,  please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632. Thanks!

Welcome!

I really enjoy these types of posts!  A quick shout out to the following retailers that I am helping with new point of sale equipment:

1. Smokin' Willy's in Washington State: Replacing Microsoft RMS with Cloud Retailer at all store locations
2. Asia Grocery in Kansas: Replacing Revel with Cloud Retailer
3. Good Stuff in Louisiana: RMS Maintenance Agreement
4. Mary Janes House of Glass: Replacing Microsoft RMS and HQ with Cloud Retailer at all store locations.
5. Point Liquor in Texas: RMS/HQ Maintenance Agreement for all store locations as well as some new hardware

I enjoy working with all of you! If you would like to learn more about why these retailers are working with me, please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

T Minus Less Than1 (or 2) Years to RMS End of Extended Support

OK retailers, we are just over one year away from the end of extended support for the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software.  Two years if you are current on annual software maintenance.  July 2020 and July 2021 are the key dates to remember.

Many of you have been asking me what will and what won't happen on these days. Here is a summary:

What will happen:

• All support from Microsoft will end
• No new feature packs, updates, hot fixes, etc (although we have not seen anything for a couple of years anyway)
• No ability to add new licenses
• No ability to activate licenses whether new or existing (if you replace a computer, you will not be able to activate the RMS POS module)
• Support will be limited as Dynamics RMS Partners/VAR's/Dealers/Resellers will only have their own internal resources

What will not happen:

• RMS will magically stop working
• You will lose all your data (assuming that you are backing everything up daily)

What we don't know just yet:

• Will support for payment processing cease since the software will likely no longer meet compliance with the payment processing industry?
• Will support for the various RMS plug in's and add on's end?
• Will the license swap program end for Retail Management Hero (yes it will! More information coming soon as this will end in 2020!)
• Will RMS be compatible with newer versions of Windows and SQL Server?
• How many current companies supporting RMS will continue to support RMS past 2020/2021?

Summary of what other retailers who use the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software are doing regarding the end of life/end of support dates for RMS:

http://www.pospondering.com/2018/11/what-microsoft-rms-users-are-doing-for.html

What should you do?

Have a plan to replace RMS before the deadline so you are not scrambling at the last minute. I've worked with many retailers to help them migrate to Retail Management Hero or Cloud Retailer over the last year.  If you truly want to hang on to RMS past 2020/2021, then be sure that you are backing up your data and that you have a contingency plan in place should RMS stop working.

Each retailer is different, and I have worked with well over 2000 of you since the late 1990's. Please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 for some personalized advice.

T Minus 1 (or 2) Years to RMS End of Extended Support

OK retailers, we are just over one year away from the end of extended support for the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software.  Two years if you are current on annual software maintenance.  July 2020 and July 2021 are the key dates to remember.

Many of you have been asking me what will and what won't happen on these days. Here is a summary:

What will happen:

• All support from Microsoft will end
• No new feature packs, updates, hot fixes, etc (although we have not seen anything for a couple of years anyway)
• No ability to add new licenses
• No ability to activate licenses whether new or existing (if you replace a computer, you will not be able to activate the RMS POS module)
• Support will be limited as Dynamics RMS Partners/VAR's/Dealers/Resellers will only have their own internal resources

What will not happen:

• RMS will magically stop working
• You will lose all your data (assuming that you are backing everything up daily)

What we don't know just yet:

• Will support for payment processing cease since the software will likely no longer meet compliance with the payment processing industry?
• Will support for the various RMS plug in's and add on's end?
• Will the license swap program end for Retail Management Hero (yes it will! More information coming soon as this will end in 2020!)
• Will RMS be compatible with newer versions of Windows and SQL Server?
• How many current companies supporting RMS will continue to support RMS past 2020/2021?

Summary of what other retailers who use the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software are doing regarding the end of life/end of support dates for RMS:

http://www.pospondering.com/2018/11/what-microsoft-rms-users-are-doing-for.html

What should you do?

Have a plan to replace RMS before the deadline so you are not scrambling at the last minute. I've worked with many retailers to help them migrate to Retail Management Hero or Cloud Retailer over the last year.  If you truly want to hang on to RMS past 2020/2021, then be sure that you are backing up your data and that you have a contingency plan in place should RMS stop working.

Each retailer is different, and I have worked with well over 2000 of you since the late 1990's. Please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 for some personalized advice.

Retail Management Hero Feedback from Retailers & Resellers

Over the last 2 months I have been involved in the deployment of Retail Management Hero (RMH) to 5 different retailers across the US. These are all specialty retail stores with between 1 and 3 check out lanes. Each store uses name brand computers, receipt printers, cash drawers, etc. None of the stores use any special add-ons for RMH like e-commerce/shopping carts.

Overall the feedback has been positive. Time was spent during the pre-sales process to ensure that the retailers knew some of the limitations within RMH when it comes to reporting and credit card processing.  About the only issues that came up was needing to upgrade SQL server for 2 of the 5 customers and error messages when trying to edit purchase orders (which appears to have been corrected by upgrading to SQL 2014).

However, I was contacted by four retailers who went from RMS to RMH in 2018 and are both searching for a POS system to replace RMH. Main issues are the following:

1. Having to pay for bug fixes (labor for re-installing RMH)
2. General slowness of RMH (RMH is not like RMS speed-wise but is similar to other POS programs)
3. Lack of drill down capabilities in Reports
4. Lack of ability to add a new item at POS screen
5. Poor reseller / VAR / Dealer support (these are Positive Technology and EZB Solutions customers)

I've also had 3 different RMH Partners/Resellers contact me via phone. Combined, they have installed around a dozen RMH systems over the last 4 months. These resellers have also provided positive overall feedback on RMH.

This is making me feel somewhat better about RMH as a solution for new retailers as well as retailers using the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software. I will continue to keep in touch with these retailers and pass along feedback as time allows.

If you would like more information, please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

How Supplier Purchase Planning Works in the Cloud Retailer Software

A quick video overview of how supplier purchase planning works within the Cloud Retailer point of sale software.

A big time saver for most retailers!

Please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 with any questions.

Welcome to Some New Retailers

A quick welcome to some retailers that have chosen to work with myself over the last couple of months:

• Riverside Box in Arkansas: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Retail Management Hero
• Mastex in Texas: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Retail Management Hero
• NovoTex in Texas: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Retail Management Hero
• Alexander Davis Men's Clothing in Idaho: upgrade from Microsoft RMS to Cloud Retailer

Welcome to the family!

As always, you can reach me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 with any retail point of sale questions.

Cloud Retailer: Automatic Cash Discount Demo

A quick 2 minute video showing how the Cloud Retailer point of sale software can automate a sales transaction with a cash discount.

For more information please visit www.cloudretailer.com, email sales@rite.us or call 888-267-7483.