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Date Submitted: 08/14/2013 07:36 AM
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Point of Sale System
By Richard Cuttler
One of the most critical and possibly frightening purchases a retailer will ever have to make is a point of sale system. It is a critical purchase because it will force the retailer to reexamine their business policies, procedures and plans for the future. It is a frightening purchase because few retailers have experience in selecting a point of sale system and with such a large investment required they will have to live with their decision, be it good or bad, for quite some time. This document lists the essential items that retailers should consider in their POS buying decision. Determining Your Needs The first step in picking the right point of sale system for your business is determining your needs. You know best what business processes need to be automated for the greatest return on your investment. Make a list of key business processes and features that you require and prioritize them. For example, are you looking for gift cards, inventory management, integrated credit and debit, accounting integration or customer relationship management (CRM). You should also determine your support requirements. There are almost as many support options as there are POS applications. Again, you know best what your needs are so it is best to make a decision about whether or not you need network support 24 hours a day or just between 9 and 5. Can you wait until the next business day for hardware replacement or do you require someone onsite in four hours or less and lastly do you have your own customer services department to provide level 1 support for your staff or is that a vendor requirement? The more effort you put into the planning stage the better prepared you will be to understand your needs and evaluate your potential options. Understanding the Elements While the very term 'point of sale' evokes an image of a standalone box on a checkout counter, a point ...