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