There are over 300 Point of Sale systems on the market today. The accounting software industry has consolidated over the last 10 years - you can expect a similar consolidation in the Point of Sale industry. Look for an industry leader. Some of the preparation and details in finding Point of Sale software are as follows:
· Create a Needs Analysis List: we suggest starting with creating a needs analysis list. Sort your requirements by the different parts of your operation such as Inventory, Purchasing and Receiving, Point of Sale, and Reporting. Create a rating system for each requirement, for example, 1 for high priority or must have, 2 for a medium priority or would like to have and 3 for low priority. Create a timeline of when you would like to purchase and go live with a Point of Sale system. The following criteria should be considered when creating a needs analysis:
General Feature Requirements
·
Choose Software first not hardware:
one of the common
mistakes business owners make is to base their decision on the current
hardware or hardware platform that they are currently using. You need to
consider your business requirements based on your needs analysis and
determine how well the Point of Software fits these requirements. The next
step is to consider what hardware you already own and if it can be used with
the proposed Point of Sale system.
·
Choose the company behind the Point of Sale software:
you need to carefully
consider the following criteria when evaluating a Point of Sale vendor: o
Years in
business
·
Operating system:
Point of Sale systems run
on a variety of different operating systems. The most popular operating
system for a Point of Sale system is the Microsoft Windows platform. If you
select a product that uses the Microsoft Windows platform, it is strongly
recommended that you purchase a computer with Windows XP Professional
Edition or the newest operating system from Microsoft, Window Vista for
Small Business. We do not recommend the Windows Home Edition for a Point of
Sale system.
·
Database:
a database is a
structured collection of records of data which is stored on the computer so
that, in this case, a Point of Sale program can retrieve information. A
relational database is recommended such as Microsoft SQL that provides an
open and easy user interface to extract data from the Point of sale program.
·
Your Future Growth Plans:
when selecting Point of
Sale software you need to carefully consider your future growth plans. Some
areas of consideration are multi store needs, integration to accounting,
plans for E-commerce, CRM needs, Customer Loyalty programs and integration
to business applications that you currently run or plan to run in the
future.
Single Store or Multi Store requirements
Training and Support
requirements
Accounting and integration
requirements
E-commerce – today and
future needs
Credit Cards, Check
Verification, Debit Cards, Gift Cards
Specific Industry needs
Identify gaps or customizations that may be required
Make a list of the hardware you currently own that you would
like to use
o
Financial
stability
o
Updates per
year
o
Number of
users
o
Reputation in
the industry
o
References
