Scalability and Flexibility in POS Systems

Scalability and Flexibility

Whether you operate from a fixed location, such as a brick-and-mortar store or a stadium, or temporary location, such as a pop-up shop or festival booth, you should consider choosing a POS system that will scale with your needs.

Whether you need a greater number of POS terminals for a temporary initiative — or you are expanding to new, permanent locations, you need a POS system that is also flexible. A gift shop that opens pop-up shops for the holidays in different locations will need a flexible solution that can work in different venues and, perhaps, manage sales of different types of inventory.

look for POS systems that allow you to keep your options open. Another aspect to consider when choosing a specialty POS system is the user experience you and your employees can expect. Some questions to ask include:

Ease of Use

How easy is the software to use?

The time and cost of training your employees on a new system can be significant, particularly if you have a high number of temporary or seasonal workers or if your business experiences high employee turnover. You want POS software that is intuitive and user-friendly so your employees can learn quickly and spend less time training and more time providing great customer service.

Does the POS system contribute to employees’ productivity and efficiency?

Does it offer all of the features and functions your employees need to do their jobs well? If your business offers repair services, does the POS system allow your employees to accurately and easily manage that part of your business?

Will employees see standard screens whether they use a fixed or mobile terminal? As your business grows, you may find you need the increased mobility of a tablet as well as the stability of a fixed terminal. If both interfaces are consistent, you won’t need to retrain employees to use mobile POS, saving you time and money. You may also want to consider an embedded POS system, which can increase productivity because of what it doesn’t have. Embedded POS systems are designed and built for the singular purpose of POS functions. They aren’t computers that employees can use to access to non-work-related functions such as games, videos, social media, and e-mail, unlike a system that runs on a traditional PC or tablet. Without those distractions, employees can be more ocused on their jobs and productive.

 Does it provide upselling/cross-selling prompts?

Employees don’t always remember to upsell consistently. A good POS system will have suggestions and prompts built in to help ensure you don’t miss any chances to increase ticket sizes and revenue.