How to purchase the right retail management system

A good POS should be easy to use, secure, and convenient. Still more, a good POS should make your company efficient and productive. So, if you haven't brought a POS into your business, you are missing a lot. It's time to ditch those old cash registers. Bring in a POS and boost the brand image of your business. However, there are several POS online. This makes it challenging to select the right one. Luckily, this guide contains the key features to look for when shopping around for a secure POS.

User Accounts, Authorizations

Your registers may require several employees. Remember, one person cannot work on your register all day, week, month, etc. They should work in shifts. Plus, having more than one attendant boosts the productivity of your business. Thus, choose a POS system that lets you track each employees' sales. This feature can be very instrumental when it comes to setting goals for your employees. Still more, you can easily flag a dishonest employee.

Quick Keys

A good POS system should have quick keys. Also, known as POS shortcuts, quick keys allow customers to use a single key bottom when accessing items. However, this doesn't mean that other product catalogs won't be accessible. This feature still leaves them accessible. Thus, be sure to choose a POS system that allows customers or your team to make a quick search. Such a system will allow your cashier to lookup for products without jumping into another screen when looking up other items.

Mobile Registers

Stores are increasingly investing in digital devices. In particular, bringing in mobile registers can hugely benefit your business. Having a cloud-based POS system will make your brand stand out from the rest. With mobile registers, you can ring somebody in the store. This prevents queues. Still more, mobile registers can be taken to the road and used in pop-up shops.

Split Payments

Don't limit your customers when it comes to payment methods. Give them options. Allow them to use their preferred payment methods. Choose a POS system that allows for both traditional and modern payment methods. Think in terms of a system that provides payment options like credit cards, cash, gift cards, PayPal, etc. Allowing customers to use their preferred payment method will boost your brand. Plus, you will attract more customers. Thus, conduct your research first to make sure that you are bringing in a versatile POS.

Returns And Refunds

Of course, returns are not so encouraging. Refunds can be demoralizing. However, did you know that these features can uplift your business? According to research, having clear return and refund policies can boost your brand's recognition. It means that you care about your customers. It means that you are willing to make customers happy. Thus, choose a POS that comes with these features. These shop-friendly based policies will attract more customers. Choosing a POS system that can create a good return policy will boost your business's brand. It should create flexible options when it comes to refunds.

Display

The good thing with POS systems is that they allow the customer to watch the transaction in real-time. You can use the POS to ring a customer, watch how the transaction is being executed, and collect the receipt. This makes the transactions more transparent. Still more, these displays allow both parties to spot any mistakes and correct them in real-time.

However, if you cannot afford a system with this feature, don't go for it. Ensure that you can afford it first. POS systems with these features are considered high-end. They cost more money. Thus, have a budget in mind.

Stocking, Auto Filling of Orders

Choose a system that can stock and out fill orders. The system should allow you to create stock orders. Still more, it should be able to automatically send out these orders to suppliers. Automatic order generation can hugely benefit your business, especially if it deals with perennial items. This is because this feature is time-saving.

Bulk Product Handling Capability

Can that POS system handle several products? Of course, if you are dealing with few products, you can go for a smaller system. However, you will need to scale up in the future. Your business will grow. Thus, ensure that the system you are bringing into your business is scalable. In particular, it should handle bulk products. The system should support bulk product uploads.

Product Variations, Composites

You will be dealing with several product variants, right? Well, think about having a system that can support this feature. The system should explicitly allow you to handle different product variants. Think in terms of creating variants of items or products. For instance, consider a shoe selling store. If you are dealing with shoes of different colors, the POS should be able to handle these different shoe variants.

Still more, the system should support composite products. Here, variant products represent products designed from preexisting products. For instance, if you are selling mattresses, you will want to sell beds. People who purchase a mattress and a bed will qualify for a 10 percent discount. Thus, instead of having a discount for each of these products, your inventory system will calculate a joint discount.

Barcodes

Choose an inventory that can expediently print barcodes. Alternatively, it should come with a good labeling method. With a barcode, your POS will easily determine the location of your inventory. The barcode will be used for scanning and tracking your products. This gives you complete control over the shipment process.

Other Features

Here are additional features you should look for in a good POS system:
Inventory counts
Stock transfers
Help run promotions
Should support loyalty program
The Bottom-Line

Don't bring in any POS. Purchase the right one. Look for features like returns and mobile registers. If you are running a restaurant, choose a POS that can support bulk product inputs. Select a restaurant POS software that can be scaled in the future. Thus, when shopping around for a secure and reliable POS, be sure to look for the above features.