Forgotten Point of Sale System Features - Grand Totals

Restaurant point of sale systems have loads of features that POS salespeople love to talk about. Some are glamorous, others are flashy and some are unique to their product. When showing off these new and fancy features too often these salespeople forget about the basics and why cash registers were invented in the first place.

Preventing theft. That is the purpose of a cash register. Ringing up items and safely storing cash if the fundamental philosophy that created a now multi-billion dollar industry known as the Point of Sale Industry.

Why then are so many point of sale companies, software manufacturers and POS salespeople forgetting about the fundamental principles that are still valid in today’s business environment? The answer eludes and frustrates me because valuable profits are being lost by not utilizing these basic and important features.

Reporting Grand Totals

Would you buy a car without an odometer? Then why would you buy a point of sale system without a grand total? The principles are the same. They track how far you go and subtracting yesterdays total from today’s total tells you how far you went today.

Point of sale systems today have gotten away from this extremely important feature that securely reports on the total sales of your business. Cash registers still have this feature as a standard feature. But even with this feature too many people do not know the importance of the feature and how valuable it can be in stopping theft and letting management know when there is something wrong with your business.

Not too many years ago I was helping a fast food franchisee open a new location. We were going over the system, mostly reminding him of the features of the system, which he already had installed in several other locations. I mentioned the grand total and he questioned me on what that was.

I explained that this number was just like a car odometer and tracked every dollar sold and kept incrementing after every sale. Take today’s number and subtract it from yesterday’s number and you knew exactly how many dollars in sales you had.

To add to this number, the point of sale system he had also had a reset counter that showed how many times the system had been closed since first installed. Each day’s report should be incremented by 1, thus they should always be sequentially numbered.

With this knowledge in hand we returned to his office and began a quick audit of one of his problem stores. We quickly found that the daily close count showed missing reports. We also checked the grand totals and found missing sales.

What was happening was the closing store manager was running the end-of-day report between 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm and then running another close at midnight, the time when the store was supposed to close. The closing manager was pocketing the sales rung between the first and last closing reports and turning in the first closing report as the daily sales report.

Had it not been for the grand totals we would never have caught this thief. The closing manager even went as far as to change the time on the register to keep the elusion complete. It was those little used grand totals that eventually caught up with him.

The sad thing is, most point of sale systems have gotten away from the grand totals. Not only are they not even offered, if you ask about them you will probably hear excuses why they aren’t important.

Grand totals are important. Without them the scenario just explained above could be repeated every night on a point of sale system without these totals and you would never know it. When I say never, I mean never. You would eventually go out of business because your closing managers would be taking all the profits and leaving you with all the expenses.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Demand the security that your point of sale system should provide. You wouldn’t buy a car without an odometer. Don’t buy a point of sale system without grand totals.

Jerry D. Wilson has over 25 years of point of sale experience helping business owners stop employee theft and increase profits. Please visit DirecTouch POS and DirectRetail POS for more information on other features that are important to your point of sale needs.

Multi-Platform Point of Sales

I love Microsoft and I love Windows. I hate to admit it but they make the best software you can buy. But when you can get a really awesome Operating System for FREE then as a business you have to look at the bottom line. I?m not saying Linux is an end-all be-all against Microsoft?s offerings, but I do think it can find its place in the world.

Let?s look at specialized computer systems designed for a single task like Point of Sale systems. These are computers that are completely unlike office workstations and home PCs. They serve a single task of recording the sale and movement of inventory and services rendered to your customer. They don?t need to have really good sound systems and be able to show video at ultra-pixel resolution. In the equine world they are the mules that carry the load. So often small and medium sized businesses are spending money they could save. Many large businesses have embraced alternate operating systems for a lone time and I hope the trend will continue.

One of the concerns many businesses have is in installing specialized software and going through complicated setups. There is now an emerging trend in software development that will get rid of many of these fears. Several Point of Sale applications have been released as Web Server based applications. This is not to be confused with an Internet Application although they are very similar which I?ll explain. A Web Server based application can be installed locally and an Internet Application is installed off-site and accessed through your Internet Connection. These applications can be found and used either way depending on the manufacturer?s sales model.

With Software as a Service becoming the motto of many of today?s large software companies it becomes obvious the power Internet Applications hold. Instead of selling a license to install software and risk a bad install software manufacturer?s can charge for access to the software online through a web browser. This provides so many benefits that I don?t think I can list them all. Hosted software is instantly updated to all users, has an install so easy you can just click a shortcut and you?re running and can provide guaranteed off-site data back up that was once only the luxury of super rich mega companies. Those are just the icing on the cake. You can run a Hosted application on almost any platform. Suddenly Linux systems don?t require a specialized software install, just a web browser. The technical support required for a non-Microsoft operating system drops considerably. You also get the added advantage of easy access on handheld devices and mobile phones.

The easiest fastest way to create any tool for multiple platforms and not worry about technical support costs is to look for those companies making the leap to the next level of technology. Software companies that make Internet Based and Web Based applications are going to experience an explosion as the world moves to this advantage. Many of the largest companies have already stated their support and intensions in this area. When looking for a software company to provide a point of sale system I look at how well it integrates into this model. Can the software be hosted on a single server and manage 100 locations? How easy is it to install on different platforms? Can I keep it backed up and updated quickly and easily? Will it lower my bottom line and increase my profits? Evaluate the arguments and you?ll see the advantages Hosted Applications can offer any size business.

Please consider this article for publication in your newsletter or on your website. Permission is granted to reprint for free with author box and byline intact. Please send me a copy of your publication if you choose to include my article. TITLE: AUTHOR: Ed Duval URL: www.AndTechComputers.com

MAILTO: support@andtech2020.com

Author Box - ? Ed Duval (2006) Ed Duval is contract writer and software developer for www.AndTechComputers.com and Creator of the HotPotato Restaurant Point of Sale Software System. With over a decade of experience in software development he shares his unique insight on today's point of sale software systems.

Restaurant Business Plan Software Considerations

Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to start your first restaurant, or you have been working in the service industry for a long time, restaurant business plan software can help you create a streamlined business plan that will improve your chances of funding. Here are few things to keep in mind when comparing various packages.

Your needs - Various business plan software packages are geared toward different sizes of restaurant business and different levels of funding needs. Make sure the software does what you need it to do. Dont go overboard on a program that offers more than you need.

Feedback - Make sure to get in touch with other people who have used the software before and get their feedback. The more reputable restaurant business plan software vendors will provide testimonials and contact information of previous customers. Make sure to compare. Keep an eye out for positive comments about ease of use.

If you have been in the restaurant business already, you probably have a number of contacts you can network with for information. Ask other restaurant owners you trust if there was a software program they used or have heard good things about. Word of mouth recommendations can often provide valuable leads.

Support Make certain your software vendor offers full support for their programs. Many top vendors offer 24/7 online and toll free support for their programs. When weighing benefits, this is an important factor to take into consideration. You want to be assured you can get the software to work.

Cost Once youve narrowed your choices down by the above benefits, it is time to consider costs. Check different vendors, as there can often be a large difference in prices between vendors for the same title. Make certain to factor in shipping and handling costs and delivery time of your restaurant business plan software when comparing prices.

Once youve chosen and installed your software, its time to get to work creating the business plan for your restaurant. If you have any trouble, be sure to get in touch with the vendors support as soon as possible. Good luck with your new business venture!

Angie Noack is a business strategist with a sharp edge for technology. With her unique ability to combine these two skills, she's able to help businesses save time and increase profits. You can find her online at http://www.softwareworkz.com