A point-of-sale (POS) system is a vital element for all retail establishments, the place where a merchant accumulates customers’ money. However, POS systems have more complex functions than simply recording sales. For example, a convenience store POS system includes almost all parameters related to sales like training, inventory management, lottery management, retail management and so on. The POS system is the answer for all of needs relating how we record our business transactions.
Function
A modern POS system is able to record and process all transactions along with doing analysis and recording inventory. The system helps managing database of customers in which the database connected also to some private information such as birthday and purchases.
Components
A POS system includes at least one computer and a monitor, in addition to the keyboard and / or a bar code reader, a credit card reader, printer and the associated software. If a company has technical expertise, they can buy the components individually and configure them. But, many companies buy all the equipment and software with a vendor to have technical support. As a business owner, you need to choose a quality vendor who can recommend the best POS system for the volume of the business and immediately provide support for any problem that may occur.
Costs
A basic POS system for a small business with a single location costs between $ 800 and $ 1,500. The systems can cost more than US $ 30,000 for a complex control system with multi-stations. There are several specific systems for industry tailored to businesses such as hospitals, beauty salons, dry cleaning businesses and auto parts stores.
Integration of e-commerce and online-collection
The options nowadays integrate e-commerce systems and online collection systems. The time to install POS systems in personal computers was left behind as nowadays the idea of having your secure data immediately in the cloud is a plus for your business. Statistics and opportunities to grow are one of the reasons to implement POS systems based on the cloud. Integration of CRMs (Customer Relations Managers) helps to have everything in one place with the opportunity to grow your business. In short, the integration bases itself on the cloud.
What is Point-of-Sales software based on the cloud?
This is the latest trend in Point of Sale software, and its popularity is increasing rapidly. This system can be accessed directly from the Internet and is often compatible with most point-of-sale hardware (cash boxes, printers, etc.). The cloud-based systems are commonly cheaper and more convenient regarding the fact that they allow access to information from anywhere as long as an Internet connection exists. This is great if you have a small business that sells in a traditional store, e-commerce store, and you also occasionally attend trade shows or farmers markets. When you use a point of sale based on the cloud and link it to your Shopify store (for example), your inventory is automatically modified.
We hope the above points can answer your doubts on how the POS system can help you in doing your business.
