| If you have a business that takes cash from | | | | daily basis* Does it have the facility to use a bar |
| your customers at the front desk then you must | | | | code scanner and will it open a cash drawer at |
| have a good and robust point of sale software | | | | the appropriate time. It is important that access |
| package, or POS as it is sometimes called.The | | | | to the cash drawer is secure and that it cannot |
| reasons are quite simple.1. Many products today | | | | be opened at any time without the opening being |
| have bar code labels attached to them. This | | | | recorded* Does it record different types of |
| means that the product can be fed into the sales | | | | payment such as cash, various credit cards types, |
| invoice via a bar code scanner. There are several | | | | account customer payments and so on. This is |
| advantages in doing this.As the product is scanned | | | | important so that when you are balancing the |
| into the point of sale software, or p.o.s., the | | | | cash at the end of the day you must now what |
| product is immediately recognised by the | | | | value of sales was paid for by non cash means* |
| software. The sales person is not fumbling around | | | | Is it necessary for your Point of Sale system to |
| trying to find the correct product code, the | | | | be able to process account customer payments. |
| correct product is charged for because the sales | | | | Therefore having extra money of one form or |
| person isn't given the opportunity of picking the | | | | another in the cash drawer without the |
| wrong product from a price list.2. You have a | | | | appropriate saleThere are some other security |
| computerised reporting system that tells you | | | | issues that also need to be considered when |
| exactly what has been sold and for how much | | | | choosing a POS software system one of the |
| and the cash in the money drawer can be easily | | | | main ones being - after a sale has been made and |
| reconciled to this.3. Your stock control is handled | | | | the customer has left the premises is it possible |
| automatically for you. You know at a glance | | | | for the sales person to manipulate the sale to |
| exactly which products you are low on and need | | | | make it look like a lesser value sale and by doing |
| to order as well as which products are not selling | | | | so pocketing some of your moneyThere is |
| very well.4. There is less chance with a point of | | | | always a temptation for some employees to help |
| sale system that your staff can give special | | | | themselves to a little extra cash on the side if it is |
| prices to their friends, or in fact wether they | | | | easy to do with the owners of the business |
| charge at all, thus reducing theft of stock. There | | | | relying on trust and honesty coupled with little |
| are employees that see petty stock theft as a | | | | control over how much has been sold and what |
| perk to increase their take home pay. In fact | | | | goods.I have seen staff members who have |
| there are even those that seem to think it is their | | | | been employed for long periods of time sabotage |
| right.5. With a sales docket that most point of | | | | or resist new point of sale systems when they |
| sale systems will produce your customer has a | | | | are being installed. In some cases they have |
| professional looking receipt for the transaction | | | | become fairly hostile about the whole thing. You |
| and, thereby, improving your business image.6. | | | | can only guess why, and it's not just because |
| Point of Sale software ( P.O.S. ) will keep track of | | | | they are resistant to change.Point of sale |
| any tax implications involved in the sale which will | | | | software should be able to trigger a cash drawer |
| decrease your workload in doing manual | | | | when the sale is made as well as produce a |
| calculations.When choosing a point of sale system | | | | detailed reciept for the customer. In some |
| you need to be very careful of several factors -* | | | | countries it is required by law that these receipts |
| Is the P.O.S. suitable for your industry* Is it easy | | | | also give details of the tax that has been |
| to use or will you have to give new staff | | | | charged.I have been involved in all aspects of the |
| extensive and costly training* Does it track and | | | | accounting software industry for over 20 years. I |
| keep record of all sales history so that you can | | | | run several websites that specialize in various |
| view your daily transactions or is it merely a | | | | subjects including that gives advice on all aspects |
| reciept producing mechanism* Does it have a | | | | of accounting software from choosing, setting up |
| back office accounting system that it links up to | | | | and using it. |
| or will you have to amny post the results on a | | | | |