Point of Sale Buying Tip: Developing a Wish List

Based on the calls and emails that I have been receiving via this blog site, it appears that many of you are searching for either a new point of sale system or want to upgrade what you are currently using. One thing that I always recommend before starting your point of sale search is to develop a "wish list" of the functions that your point of sale software program must do.  Here are some of the common examples to get you started:

• Inventory
• Tracking
• Min/Max & Reorder Points
• Put items/categories/departments on sale
• Ability to discount (percentage and/or other method)
• Generate Purchase Orders and Recievers
• Transfers between locations 
• Return to Vendor/Return to Manufacture
• Track cost of goods sold and profit margin
• How many levels of departments and categories needed
• Specific needs like "mix and max", sizes, styles, colors, bulk packaging, etc.
• Physical Inventory
• Gift Cards
• Loyalty Program
• Accounting Interface
• Online Shopping cart interface
• Tablet/Smart phone "app"
• Credit and debit card processing
• Signature Capture Pad interface
• Email marketing interface
• Customer history tracking
• Barcode/shelf tag label printing interface
• Type of Reports 
• Interface to your accounting software
• Timeclock function
• Levels of security
• Vendor information to track
• Remote access for when you are not in the store
• Multi-location capabilities

These are just the basics - I'm sure that you have specific things that come to mind when developing your own point of sale wish list.  If you are in need of help developing a more detailed wish list, be sure to contact me via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time).  I have some common questions that we can go over to help you fine tune a point of sale wish list.

As a reminder, I am not currently affiliated with any point of sale companies or manufactures but have 14 years of experience working with retail, restaurant, and museum point of sale solutions. You can reach me at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time) or kevinantosh@gmail.com if you have any point of sale related questions.

Point of Sale Hardware and Software Compatability

Since this blog site is now generating several phone calls and emails every week, I thought that I should pass along a basic tip when searching for a point of sale solution for your retail business:

Please remember that point of sale hardware (especially the peripherals like receipt printers, customer price/pole displays, and signature capture pads) are not "plug and play".  Point of sale systems (whether computer, tablet, or smartphone based) are all written to support specific hardware items.

What may seem like a great deal on eBay or Craigslist may turn out to be a waste of money if your point of sale software doesn't support the software you select.

However, do factor in hardware costs when choosing a point of sale system as prices can vary greatly. For example, new cash drawers can run from $79. to nearly $500.  Just make sure that all your point of sale hardware is fully supported by your point of sale software.  The companies providing your point of sale system can usually provide a list of supported point of sale hardware (although it makes sense to purchase everything from one source to make technical support easier and ensure that your whole system runs smoothly).

As a reminder, I am not currently affiliated with any point of sale companies or manufactures but have 14 years of experience working with retail, restaurant, and museum point of sale solutions. You can reach me at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time) or kevinantosh@gmail.com if you have any point of sale related questions.

Minor Updates

Some minor updates to pass along:

• I'm still waiting on two companies that might be stepping in to help point of sale customers in the states if ID, WA, OR, MT, WY, AZ, CA and UT.  This would also including helping support former DirectPOS customers due to negative customer feedback from One Step Retail Solutions.
• No word from Microsoft yet on the future or RMS and HQ - still looks like it will be April until I have any news to pass along.
• A reminder that you should start planning now for how you plan to comply with the upcoming MasterCard unique terminal ID requirement.
• There are some rumors going around that NCR is losing interest in further development of NCR CounterPoint - I will pass along valid news as it becomes available.
• I've been speaking with an established point of sale company in CA that is looking for beta test sites for a new point of sale software program.  Email or call me if you are interested - I'll post more information on the solution after I get a chance to learn more about it.

 As a reminder, I am not currently affiliated with any point of sale companies or manufactures but have 14 years of experience working with retail, restaurant, and museum point of sale solutions. You can reach me at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time) or kevinantosh@gmail.com if you have any point of sale related questions.