Choosing the Right Point of Sale
How to choose the right POS system? Whether you plan to open a new business, expand an existing one or change the system you already have in your business there are a few considerations you should make before choosing the right POS system for your business.
Before selecting a system for your business you should analyse your business and it's needs. Different businesses have different needs and they need different point of sale systems. You should ask yourself how many cash registers you need, how many shops do you have or intend to open, what sort of items are you selling, how many sales a day you will make and what information you should gather from each sale, do you need to collect clients information, do you need remote access to your information, what sort of reports do you need, do you need to collect sales person information etc.
Other than choosing the needed features, another consideration should be the cost of the system – is it a monthly based fee? How much is the setup and installation fee? What sort of hardware do you need for it? Can you use this hardware for other purposes?
After you're finished analysing your business needs and your budget, it’s time to shop around. There are many suppliers of POS systems and you will need to evaluate which one of them can give you a system that meets your needs and budget and which one can give you a good and reliable service.
Some good general advice is to use a local supplier. (It is very easy to find local supplier using the Internet or through recommendations.) Although an international supplier could be a reliable one, it is easier to work, negotiate and deal with a local supplier. A local supplier will also be more aware and tuned into local market needs and will be able to better customise the system to your needs.
When checking different systems you should remember that usually you will never find a system that will cover 100% of your needs. You should decide which features are critical for you and which ones are “nice to have”. Talk to the supplier and you will find that many times if you need some small customization they will be happy to do it for you.
Most suppliers offer some sort of free trial or demo software, it’s highly recommended to download it and try it before making your final decision. The experience you’ll get from this is much more valuable than any advertising or sale’s persons speech.
Once selecting the system and the supplier you need, you should remember to leave enough time for you and for your staff to learn how to use the system, to implement it and to input all the relevant data into the system. Again having a local supplier with local support will make the implementation and training process much easier.