Retail Point of Sale Systems

Point of sale systems are very important commodities to have to successfully run a business in which sales are your specialty. This is especially true for businesses that specialize in retail. The success of this type of business relies heavily on making sure you have an accurate count of your inventory, recording which products are the ones that see the most within your business, and which ones do not sell. Being able to make credit card transactions is also an important part of being able to stay in business as a retail store.

Inventory

Knowing which products in retail stores sells and the products which do not sell is an important knowledge to have when running this type of business. This is important because a business owner will not want to order more of the items that his customers are not buying. At the same time, the items that are really popular with your customers need to be identified so that you will be able to carry more of them in your store.

The point of sale system will help you do this by keeping track of your inventory and recording every sale you make. It will then tell you which products you will need to order and which ones are just taking up shelf space in your store. The key to running a successful business is efficiency. You will be able to accomplish this by implementing a point of sale system.

Credit Card Transactions

Being able to accept credit cards as a way of payment in a retail store is another important part of being able to stay in business. Studies have shown that businesses that do not accept credit cards have about 60 percent less business than those that have the capability of processing credit card transactions. For new and small business owners you cannot afford to lose customers due to your inability to accept credit cards. With a point of sale system you will be able to process those types of transactions, and in the process gain more customers.

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Point Of Sale Marketing

Point of Sale marketing is the economic process by which goods and services are exchanged between the producer and the consumer and their values determined in terms of money prices. Much of marketing is concerned with the problem of profitably disposing of what is produced.

Marketing originates with the recognition of a need on the part of a consumer. Marketing terminates with the satisfaction of that need by the delivery of a usable product at the right time, at the right place, and at an acceptable price. There are five distinct concepts related to Point of Sale marketing. First is the exchange concept, which, as the very name indicates, holds that the exchange of a product between the seller and the buyer is the central idea of marketing.

While exchange does form a significant part of marketing, to view marketing as a mere exchange process would amount to a gross undermining of the essence of marketing. Exchange, at best, covers the distribution aspect and the price mechanism involved in marketing.

Second is the production concept. In organizations that practice this concept, production and technology dominate the thinking process of the key people. The concept holds that consumers would, as a rule, support those products that are produced in great volume at a low unit cost. Thirdly, there is product concept, which seeks to achieve the same result via product excellence – improved products, new products and ideally designed and engineered products. It also places the emphasis on quality assurance.

At this stage, it would be appropriate to explain the phenomenon of ‘marketing myopia’. Excessive attention to product or selling aspects at the cost of the customer and his actual needs creates this myopia. As more and more markets became buyers markets and the entrepreneurial problem became one of solving the shortage of customers rather than that of goods, the sales concept became the dominant idea guiding Point of Sale marketing.

Point Of Sale provides detailed information about point of sale, point of sale displays, point of sale hardware, point of sale marketing and more. Point Of Sale is the sister site of Fulfillment And Distribution

Can Point of Sales Systems Really Enhance My Customer's Visit?

You may assume that your guest's experience at your restaurant may be enhanced by a point of sale system. Maybe you had not even though of it. However, the fact is that a good point of sale system can benefit the experience of your guests.

So often the salesperson tries to focus your attention on the benefits of their product with regard to your interests. But what about your customer's interest? Shouldn't you also be concerned about how installing a point of sale system is going to affect them?

Depending on the type of restaurant or bar you have certain benefits will be more readily apparent than others. On top of that, the method by which a guest's experience is enhanced may also change. But overall you can expect some or all of the following:

Remote Printing or Displaying Or Orders

There are varying degrees of this benefit depending upon your application. In Table Service you have the ability to have the order entered by the server and immediately printed on various printers in the kitchen. With some systems you can have up to 6 remote printers. This reduces steps to the kitchen and eliminates the requirement for the server to even go to the kitchen to deliver the ticket.

In a Quick Service environment you can also use printers to deliver orders to the kitchen but an even better solution is a kitchen video system. The orders get to the kitchen even faster as an item is sent to the monitor as soon as the next item is entered. With printers, the order does not start printing until the order is finalized. With a kitchen video system items can be set to go when the next item is entered, thus speeding up the process of order delivery even more.

Bars can enjoy increased speed of service through the use of remote printers. With some systems we can even use the printer next to the terminal to save on the cost of an additional printer. Drink orders can be printed on this printer and the drinks can be prepared and waiting on the server when they walk up.

For your customers, faster service means happier customers

Reduced Errors In The Kitchen

Printing or displaying the orders for the kitchen is also more accurate than hand written tickets. No longer will you have hastily scribbled notes to the kitchen that are hard to read, time consuming and the birthplace of guessing and eventual errors.

In multi-lingual situations you will be pleasantly surprised how quickly your kitchen staff will learn to read the tickets that come out of the printer.

You will also see how organized the tickets are and how special orders and modified items stand out with either 2-color printing on the tickets or multiple colored items on the displays.

For your customers, reduced errors means happier customers.

Quality of Service

In a Table Service setting, since the server is not required to walk to the kitchen to hand deliver the ticket they are able to use this time to prepare soft beverages and deliver them to the table quicker.

For Quick Service operations once the cashier is through with one order they may start another. The orders are separated and a specific number is assigned to each. This number helps track the entire order and keep items together for presentation to the customer.

In bars with a kitchen it would be ridiculous for a bartender to leave the bar to take an order to the kitchen. This would reduce customer service. Well, so is not serving food to your bar customers. By printing orders on a remote printer you are better able to serve your bar customers.

For your customers, better service means happier customers.

On-Line Credit Authorization

Some point of sale systems are able to process credit card transactions via a high-speed Internet connection. This reduces authorization down to as little as 1 - 2 seconds from up to 30 seconds for a dial-up connection.

On a standard credit card machine provided by most credit card processors each approval can take up to 30 seconds. Each swipe takes time. Each server waiting in line adds up the total time it takes to process a credit card for a customer. If you have 3 servers waiting on the same credit card terminal the 1st server waits 30 seconds, the 2nd server waits 60 seconds and the poor 3rd server waits 90 seconds to get their approval. Add the time it takes the server to walk back to the table and the poor customer has almost had another birthday!

For your customers, faster service means happier customers.

Processing Credit Cards At Multiple Terminals

Take the previous scenario and add multiple terminals. In our industry we recommend 3 servers per point of sale terminal. Therefore, if you have 3 server terminals you could have as many as 9 servers on the floor at one time. If they all try to access the same credit card terminal from the processor the wait could be intolerable for your guests.

Almost every restaurant point of sale system allows for credit card transactions to be swiped at each terminal. With most processing software you can swipe at every terminal at the same time and there is no additional waiting. If you are processing through a high-speed connection each terminal in the network can expect an approval in less than 2 seconds.

For your customers, faster service means happier customers.

Professional Appearance

DirecTouch Restaurant Point of Sale will produce a professional and neat guest check, ticket or receipt for the customer. Items will be detailed with pricing. Modifiers can also be printed to show preparation instructions. The taxes will be shown and broken out by type. The total will be displayed in bold lettering so that there is no confusion.

You will also be able to show the date of the visit, the server, cashier or bartender that served them as well as any marketing information you wish in the header and footer of the receipt.

This will assuradly be better than the receipt we get at our local Mexican restaurant which is simply a calculator tape with no description of the items we were served.

For your customers, a trusting customer is a happier customer.

Customer Reward or Customer Loyalty Programs

With Frequent Diner Modules you are able to reward repeat customers through either discounts on meals, free food or reduced prices on specific items.

These rewards are earned either on a points system or on dollars spent. The rewards are good off of their next visit.

Use these programs to directly market to your customers about specials, new items or even an invitation to come in for a free/discounted meal for their anniversary or birthday.

For your customer, a rewarded customer is a happier customer.

Split Checks

There are many times when the customer will not tell the server that they want split checks until the ticket is presented. Having an easy method of splitting these checks is essential to customer satisfaction. If the task is difficult then the attitudes of the servers will show through to the customer. Then the task itself will take a long time, really impacting the customer's experience.

Some,not all point of sale systems have extremely fast and easy method of splitting checks at any time the ticket is open. In a few simple touches, extra tickets can be added to the table and items moved to the proper seats. When done, the system will immediately print new tickets for each guest.

If the server rang the original order in separate seats then it is even quicker and easier to split the order.

For your customers, faster service means happier customers.

Split Items

Sharing appetizers should be encouraged by your servers even if the guests want to split the costs amongst themselves. This will create additional sales for the restaurant in enhance the guest's experience.

Some,not all point of sale systems can easily split the cost of an item and divides the cost amongst the guests that shared the item. If not all the guests shared the item, then only the guests who want to share the cost will.

For your customers, accurate pricing means happier customers.

Pricing Accuracy

Hand written tickets create errors. Using a calculator to compute tickets creates errors. For years, cash register salespeople have been taught that doing a guest check audit is one of the best ways to sell a cash register of point of sale system. Humans make errors. Point of sale systems don't.

What about multiple prices for the same item? Do you run a happy hour in your bar? How about early bird pricing in the restaurant? How do you know that the servers and bartenders are charging the correct price? Your point of sale system will set the price by the time of day for you. Your early birds will get their discount pricing.

The National Restaurant Association backs this up with surveys and documented evidence that says that the average loss due to human error on hand written tickets and calculator tape is 2% of sales. Do the math for your business with our Return on Investment spreadsheet. I'll bet the loses are huge if you are using hand written checks or calculators to compute guest checks.

For your customers, accurate pricing means happier customers.

86 Item Feature

Almost all restaurants run some kind of daily special or have items with a limited shelf life. Table Service applications sometimes have lunch or dinner specials that are added just for that day. Deli operations sometimes have a limited number of breads available by style. The 86 Item feature will count down these types of items until you are sold out.

Prior to running out of an item the terminal will display a numeric display on the button letting the server, cashier or bartender exactly how many of that item are left. When the item is sold out it will then display a symbol on the item button and prevent the item from being rung.

Customers who want a daily special that is out will be given the opportunity immediately to order something else rather than ordering the item and then being disappointed that it is not available.

For your customers, a satisfied customer is a happier customer.

Faster service, better service, customer rewards, accurate orders, fewer mistakes and satisfied customers are all benefits enjoyed by your customers simply by you investing in a point of sale system.

The fact remains that the investment is yours to make. The financial benefits are yours to enjoy from the return on your investment. But you are going to have the share the satisfaction with your customers and guests.

Jerry D. Wilson has over 25 years of restaurant point of sale experience consulting and helping businesses automate their processes, control their businesses and increase their profits. You may find out more about restaurant systems and how they can help your business by visiting DirecTouch Point of Sale. directouchpos.com

Point of Sale Systems of the Future

Technology has been moving at an amazing avalanche pace. It continues to grow and develop faster than many companies can keep up with. We?ve come back to one of those lulls where companies are tightening their technology belt. It isn?t that these companies don?t appreciate the technology being launched; instead they?re waiting for the next round. Technology really does move in waves and businesses respond to these cycles. Advancements are made quickly, but it can take time to smooth out the problems that always arise with anything new. Businesses tend to watch new operating systems and software solutions closely before investing heavily in it. With the near release of Vista businesses are gearing back their IT budgets and preparing for the next wave.

The next year is going to be an exciting time especially since it?s been so long since Microsoft?s last Operating System Release. Each time I get nervous and remember back in the early days the trouble I got when I upgraded to DOS 4.0. Of course DOS 5.0 was close at hand and everything smoothed out. Still I wonder what new and exciting things that will happen. This power Microsoft yields over the entire Industry is well earned and no one with any respect for their accomplishments can deny Windows XP is all they said it would be (after numerous lawsuits, revisions, patches, updates and a whole lot of headaches). Today?s Windows XP is a lot different from the one they released so many years ago. A wonderful job has been done to make the application solid and secure with a wide range of features I really use. If we?re lucky Vista will only need one major service update to make it really good, but only time will tell.

The unfortunate side affect of Microsoft?s success is that their releases have a direct impact on the bottom line of a lot of IT companies. At certain times we experience this scary lull light the eye of a hurricane. On the bright side Vista is sure to super charge the IT Industry and generate revenue for a lot of companies outside of Microsoft.

So where does this whirlwind of waves hold for the future of retail software? Many companies are going to hold their budgets until Vista can prove itself. A small minority might venture to Linux and a brave few will dive into Vista with blind resolve. There are some software companies and software applications that have found a unique way to avoid the Operating Fears. Instead of developing software to run and be installed on multiple systems they?re finding Internet Technologies are allowing cross platform development people didn?t dream of five years ago. By developing software that runs through a web browser programmers can focus on writing their software to match standards created by the W3C. Instead of tying themselves down to one operating system they open themselves up to almost all of them.

As Internet Technologies continue to advance we?re going to find the spiral of technology spending will no longer rely so heavily on the releases of specific operating systems, but instead on a set of existing standards created by the W3C. Point of Sale Systems are one of the most common types of computer systems used in business. By leveraging the power of Internet Technology companies are finding software applications that are multi-platform, require no installation and provide dedicated back up services in addition to a wide range of other benefits Hosted Applications can provide.

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.

Retail Point Of Sale

There are a number of channels of distribution available to the producer, which may be employed by him to bring his products to the market. Consumer goods may be distributed generally through channels, in each of which the manufacturers may use the sales branch or sales office as the additional alternative. One of the channels used is Producer-Consumer, where no middleman is involved. Sales are made from house to house or by direct mail. A second channel is Producer-Retailer-Consumer, by which goods may be purchased directly from manufacturers. Retail stores may also be opened by manufacturers by this channel. A third channel is Producer-Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer, which is the traditional and most economical channel. Penultimately, there is Producer-Agent-Retailer-Consumer, in which many producers use manufacturing agents, brokers, etc. for reaching the retail market. Finally, there is Producer-Agent-Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer, where the services of agents are utilized by the smaller retailers, who purchase from a wholesaler and sell to small stores.

A large number of channels of distribution are available to the manufacturer for bringing his product to the ultimate consumer. Efficient distribution at the least cost and attaining the desired volume of sale can be secured only after experience, study and analysis. The notice of the product, its unit value, its technical features, and its degree of differentiation from competitive products are the factors which may limit the number of potential channel alternatives.

A retailer, as the name indicates, does retailing, which is to say he sells to ultimate consumers. In the distributional hierarchy, retailers are below the level of stockists, distributors, and wholesalers. Sometimes, retailers are termed dealers or authorized representatives. The retailer often operates in a smaller territory or at his specific location; earns lesser commission compared to higher levels in the channel; he does not carry out stock holding and sub-distribution functions.

A stockist or distributor or wholesaler is also a large sized operator but not on par with the marketer or sole selling agent in level, size and territory of operation. Stock holding and sub-distribution, as per the policies laid down by the manufacturers or the marketers, are the main functions of stockists/distributors.


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POS (Point of Sale ) Cash Register Systems- They May Be The Best Investment You'll Ever Make

The Slope Report read, ?excellent conditions?. It was cold but sunny and the slopes were full of skiers and snowboarders. The powder? Perfect. I could see out the window a group of skiers were headed toward the lodge bar. Inside the bar they waited patiently as the bartender keyed in their seating numbers, drinks and bar tab. It took over four minutes for them to get their drinks; the same amount of time it took for them to decide on dinner at another pub.

Capturing the skiers during a weather-perfect season is simple. Capturing their food and beverage business isn?t always so easy. It requires not only need a customer-friendly environment, but also a user-friendly POS (point of sale) cash register system for efficiency. Today?s technology provides this?and more. POS cash register terminals that continuously synchronize with each other, endless report options, alcohol inventory controlled by bottle weights and computerized tap monitors, staff time and attendance, ski, school, and guest database management, and so much more are available. Let?s face it. It takes more than cooperative weather to run a ski resort.

So, when choosing a POS software system, be certain to explore all the options. Cost is always a factor, but unless the software gives you all the management tools you need and is fully supported, an initially less expensive system can end up costing you much more. There are as many point of sale cash register systems available as there are skis and choosing the right one can be confusing and time-consuming. Aside from meeting technological requirements, your POS system must remain easy to use, with speed and accuracy. Customers, Employees, Managers and Sales Staff are all affected by a point of sale system. So, imagine first what you would like the ideal computer cash register system to do for your resort; make a list of features you hope to find. Chances are you?ll find all of them on today?s market.

One software company that stands out above the rest is a Canadian-based company called Tesoro Technologies, Incorporated. Wired or wireless, Windows or Linux, networked or independent terminals, their Volant? POS System is up for any challenge. Since 1993, Volant? System developers have been designing equipment that is ?cash register tough and computer smart? to serve some of the biggest and best.

Snow Valley Ski Resort, located in Barrie, Ontario, wanted a POS system that could produce ID cards and time passes, manage a client database and ski school, as well as handling all their food and beverage and retail services. The geographical location had Director, Peter Haney, concerned at first. ? Like most ski resorts, we are very remote. We needed a satellite tower and wireless system. We also looked at a lot of providers and found that most of the companies didn?t offer the hospitality end we needed. Volant? is hospitality.?

Tesoro had to install a fail-safe, independently running system for the remote summit area that could also be integrated with the high volume operations below. Using both wired and wireless network topology, their system has operated without software failure despite the unstable power and network issues. Snow Valley Ski Resort also utilizes the database of guests and 5,800 pass holders to generate email broadcasts, which enhances their marketing plan. ?We?re real pleased with Volant?. It?s an entity that grows and evolves along with our business,? says Haney.

In fact, Volant? has revolutionized the wireless POS industry. Their creative approach to wireless mobile computing makes Volant? the perfect POS software choice for not only ski resorts, but for other venues as well, such as stadiums, trade shows, casinos, arenas, race tracks and outdoor sales areas where conventional POS cash register systems aren't practical nor feasible.

Tesoro Technologies, Inc. may be at the forefront of a new generation of guest management technology, but they?re still producing. Recent breakthroughs in point of sale development are allowing a full range of services and back office capabilities never before considered.

So, when you?re looking for a more efficient POS cash register system that can create ?excellent conditions? for your business, spend the extra time researching your options ? it may turn out to be the best investment you?ll ever make.

For more information on how Tesoro and Volante POS systems can help your business, contact them through their website http://www.volantesystems.com/ or email them at sales@volantesystems.com.

Restaurant Management Software - An Overview

There are several types of software that can help your restaurant run more efficiently. Here is an overview:

POS Software

POS stands for Point Of Sale. Point Of Sale software is basically a program that combines many aspect of restaurant management including order taking, order entry, billing, staff supervision and account organization tasks into one program.

Most restaurants will need a Point Of Sale station at several points in the restaurant including the front of the restaurant, the back office area and the kitchen.

POS software can handle complete order and customer management including tracking the number of orders and customers, table information, billing transactions and more.

POS software can also provides excellent organizational abilities to help monitor and report every aspect of order taking and customer interaction and do proper timekeeping, inventory tracking, stock management, security tasks and much more.

Restaurant Inventory Software

Restaurant inventory software is much more of a database style of program that helps to keep track of your food stocks, can alert you to foods that are required or will be required soon and can even assist in replenishing the needed stocks by recommending the correct amounts according to the database history and its forecasts for future usage. Inventory software will also help save money by reducing the spoilage of food by telling you to order only the amounts you should need.

Costing Software

Costing software can be very important to a restaurant. Costing software can help you track and maintain your food inventory, like restaurant inventory software, but it has the added benefit of calculating the costs of your menu items through its analysis tools. This helps the restaurant owner to properly price their food in order to make maximum profits and also provide value to the customer. Costing software can also be invaluable for catering companies, so they can properly price their events.

Suites

There are also suites of software available that combine one or more of the above types of restaurant management software. These suites will be much more optimized to work together properly and to help your restaurant run to the best of its ability or to improve the efficiency of an existing restaurant.

Whatever restaurant software you choose, your restaurant is bound to benefit from the many advantages in ordering, customer management, inventory management and costing services they will provide. Technology is now an important part of restaurant management, and used wisely, reaps great benefits for the savvy restaurant owner.

Lydia Quinn writes for Cost Genie, leading maker of restaurant costing, restaurant inventory and menu costing software. Visit us at: http://www.costgenie.com