First Time Point Of Sale System
First Time Point Of Sale System Buyer's Guide
If you are looking to set up or expand your retail business, there are a few
questions you need to ask yourself:
What do you want the POS system to be able to do?
How many terminals do you need?
What type of software are you considering and how much is it going to cost
you? If you need something that is designed specifically for your
business, how much more is it going to cost? Will you need an inventory
system included in your software?
Do you want touch screens or keypads?
Do you need barcode scanners?
Do you need a cash drawer, a receipt printer, or a check reader?
No matter what your business, consider the following:
The system should be able to be upgraded for future expansion.
The software should be easy to use and easy to train others to use.
Some type of setup service or technical support should be available.
A warranty on the components should also be available.
Where to start looking:
Ebay lists hundreds of systems for sale, many of them priced affordably for
the small business owner.
You can purchase the components a piece at a time, or as a complete system.
Usually a complete system will be less expensive.
Point of Sale Systems Basics
Computer
The central component of a
POS terminal is the
computer that runs the application. Most resellers prefer to sell
you a computer with the rest of the POS system, rather than having you
supply your own. The reason is that setup and ongoing support is much
easier when the reseller is familiar with the hardware involved. Getting
all the
hardware from one source lets the reseller take responsibility for
the entire system.
If you do want to
buy the computers separately, make sure you coordinate the purchase with
your reseller. If you get exact specifications from your
POS reseller and follow them closely, you should be able to avoid
most compatibility problems.
POS applications
are not that demanding on the computer, so an average to low-end
computer will usually get the job done. - a $500 to $800 computer should
be enough to run a POS terminal. The computer does need to be
upgradeable - some POS software requires newer operating systems, such
as Windows XP - so do not try to re-use the old DOS-based machines you
have lying around.
Power
Having "clean" electrical power is a
POS system necessity that many businesses underestimate. When you
set up multiple POS terminals, they are networked together the same way
computer systems in offices are. Fluctuations in the electrical supply
due to blenders, meat slicers, microwaves, and other mechanical devices
plugged into the same electrical circuit can easily cause enough noise
in the power supply to wreak havoc with POS computer systems.
There are two
common solutions to the problem. Power filtering can eliminate
troublesome spikes and noise before they get to your computer terminals.
The more robust solution is to install a dedicated circuit with an
isolated ground and use it only for your POS systems.
Power problems are
one of the single biggest causes of problems in POS systems. Make sure
your vendor analyzes your power situation and suggests appropriate
safeguards.
Architecture choices
When choosing your POS system, you may want to look for a system whose
software can run on any type of PC so you are not tied down to a
particular vendor or platform. Some manufacturers use proprietary
hardware, which gives you less flexibility to purchase upgrades and
additional equipment from other sources. The primary advantage of
proprietary systems is that the
software is written specifically to work with one piece of hardware,
ensuring seamless compatibility.
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