Point-of-Sale or POS systems continue to change the way retailers do business. Increasingly, businesses are realizing the importance of customer data that can be captured during a sale, such as phone numbers, zip codes, gender, and other demographic information. But these point-of-sale retail benefits are not available on first-generation POS technology.
If you want to streamline your retail operations and automate many of the tasks that previously required a back-office employee to complete, then it’s time to update your POS Systems.
Not all point-of-sale systems are the same, and sometimes you really don’t need all the bells-and-whistles to get the job done. However, it is a good idea to know your options when it comes to the mobile and web solutions that can benefit your bottom-line and your customer’s confidence.
1. Increased Functionality
Modern technology allows your cashiers to have the right tools at their fingertips to run operations more smoothly and efficiently. Today’s POS solutions offer both stationary and mobile devices that sync data to keep all your information accurate in real time. From electronic cash drawers to barcode scanners to digital scales and printers, get the features that can decrease customer checkout times, and increase employee productivity.
2. Easier to Use
When compared to analog technology, digital POS technology is easier to navigate – to the point where checkout personnel often find the interface quickly becomes intuitive. Ease of use also means less training before cashiers are up to full speed and 100% productive. And when inventory management or sale tracking is used, these processes run in the background, automatically. No need to worry about human error or tainted data.
3. Better Security
Today’s POS equipment is keen on protecting data and safeguarding your cash. Choose POS technology that prevents unauthorized access to your company’s electronic payment systems. Also, your customers are demanding financial transactions that are completely safe from fraud and systems that are security-hardened. POS data should be encrypted until it reaches the payment processor.
4. Detailed Receipts
Split bills and split payments are now popular with many restaurant customers. But in retail, splitting the tender to pay some in cash and some in credit is increasingly common. If this is important to how you do business, then look for POS equipment that can automate the processing of separate receipts for each type of payment. Other trending receipts functions include instant messaging and email receipts along with the standard paper receipts.
5. Inventory Management
And finally, some POS systems offer both inventory management benefits and payment processing. So, if your business is service-oriented, then you may not need this feature. But for a retail sales, POS with inventory control systems can remove the worry of price inconsistencies between retail locations, while also keep track of your in-stock merchandise.