Questions to Ask for Determining the Right POS System
These days, there is now a wide range of point-of-sale (POS) systems available for different kinds of businesses and fields. Indeed, it’s possible to install a POS for retail that takes the form of a terminal or desktop, a mobile app, a tablet, or even a self-service kiosk. What’s more, they can also be helpful with other tasks like keeping up with inventory management, sales reporting, and many other processes. Due to the number of choices possible, you might rush into getting a bloated or otherwise inappropriate system that will just lose you money in the long term. That’s why it’s best to pause and ask yourself some quick questions to help you decide on the right system for you.
What’s the Nature of My Business?
Different businesses in different niches won’t always have the same needs. Correspondingly, the right POS system should have the right features to lessen the load on you and your employees.
If your business sells clothing, for example, it might be pertinent to get a system that allows for easy real-time inventory checking. Depending on your location and clientele, you might also want to get a system that accommodates EMV or NFC mobile payments. However, don’t confuse getting the right features with getting as many features as you can. After all, you don’t want a bloated system with useless and confusing features. Aside from that, it could also present a needless additional cost, which brings us to our next question.
These days, there is now a wide range of point-of-sale (POS) systems available for different kinds of businesses and fields. Indeed, it’s possible to install a POS for retail that takes the form of a terminal or desktop, a mobile app, a tablet, or even a self-service kiosk. What’s more, they can also be helpful with other tasks like keeping up with inventory management, sales reporting, and many other processes. Due to the number of choices possible, you might rush into getting a bloated or otherwise inappropriate system that will just lose you money in the long term. That’s why it’s best to pause and ask yourself some quick questions to help you decide on the right system for you.
What’s the Nature of My Business?
Different businesses in different niches won’t always have the same needs. Correspondingly, the right POS system should have the right features to lessen the load on you and your employees.
If your business sells clothing, for example, it might be pertinent to get a system that allows for easy real-time inventory checking. Depending on your location and clientele, you might also want to get a system that accommodates EMV or NFC mobile payments. However, don’t confuse getting the right features with getting as many features as you can. After all, you don’t want a bloated system with useless and confusing features. Aside from that, it could also present a needless additional cost, which brings us to our next question.
How Much Is My Budget?
As just mentioned, additional features that won’t prove useful can also be needlessly costly. And you want to minimize costs to your business whenever you can, especially when you’re just starting out. But the considerations go beyond simply making sure you get the best value for your initial investment.
After all, more complex POS systems can even include additional hardware like separate scanners, printers, and custom applications that require recurring maintenance or extra fees. When you add networking capabilities to the mix, you might find yourself spending more than you imagined. That’s why it’s best to have a reasonable budget, do your research on possible extra costs, and avoid overspending.
Is It User-Friendly?
Having a POS system that you can use with minimal confusion should be a no-brainer. After all, having a system that’s both intuitive and easy to use is good for you, your employees, and even for the customer. This is because efficient and free-flowing systems will inevitably keep queues short and customer satisfaction high.
However, having a user-friendly system does more than minimize the risk of committing expensive mistakes and keeping customers happy. Efficient user interface design also makes the training and onboarding process easier and shorter. Always remember that time is money so you can’t go wrong with reducing the time it takes to teach sales staff on using your new POS system.
How Good Is the Customer Service?
Malfunctions, bugs, and glitches are inevitable parts of dealing with any app or computer systems. Unfortunately, this is still true with even today’s modern POS systems. Sometimes, they can be simple mistakes in the programming or design. Other times, they can be oversights or just simple things the system’s creators hadn’t envisioned would cause problems. And this applies to both specialized and even more affordable systems.
Due to the ubiquity of systems malfunctions and other possible issues, using a reliable POS system that also has great technical support is vital. Depending on the service provider, they might even offer back-ups for when you encounter failures to make sure you don’t lose your data. But in the end, having tech support that’s just as dependable as your POS system can go a long way.
Over the years, POS systems have gone a long way from being supporting cogs to now becoming main pillars of the modern retail landscape. But technological developments have also helped muddle the waters when it comes to determining the right one for you. So keep these questions in mind to avoid getting confused and to make sure you end up making the right decision for you and your business.
As just mentioned, additional features that won’t prove useful can also be needlessly costly. And you want to minimize costs to your business whenever you can, especially when you’re just starting out. But the considerations go beyond simply making sure you get the best value for your initial investment.
After all, more complex POS systems can even include additional hardware like separate scanners, printers, and custom applications that require recurring maintenance or extra fees. When you add networking capabilities to the mix, you might find yourself spending more than you imagined. That’s why it’s best to have a reasonable budget, do your research on possible extra costs, and avoid overspending.
Is It User-Friendly?
Having a POS system that you can use with minimal confusion should be a no-brainer. After all, having a system that’s both intuitive and easy to use is good for you, your employees, and even for the customer. This is because efficient and free-flowing systems will inevitably keep queues short and customer satisfaction high.
However, having a user-friendly system does more than minimize the risk of committing expensive mistakes and keeping customers happy. Efficient user interface design also makes the training and onboarding process easier and shorter. Always remember that time is money so you can’t go wrong with reducing the time it takes to teach sales staff on using your new POS system.
How Good Is the Customer Service?
Malfunctions, bugs, and glitches are inevitable parts of dealing with any app or computer systems. Unfortunately, this is still true with even today’s modern POS systems. Sometimes, they can be simple mistakes in the programming or design. Other times, they can be oversights or just simple things the system’s creators hadn’t envisioned would cause problems. And this applies to both specialized and even more affordable systems.
Due to the ubiquity of systems malfunctions and other possible issues, using a reliable POS system that also has great technical support is vital. Depending on the service provider, they might even offer back-ups for when you encounter failures to make sure you don’t lose your data. But in the end, having tech support that’s just as dependable as your POS system can go a long way
Over the years, POS systems have gone a long way from being supporting cogs to now becoming main pillars of the modern retail landscape. But technological developments have also helped muddle the waters when it comes to determining the right one for you. So keep these questions in mind to avoid getting confused and to make sure you end up making the right decision for you and your business.
