Electronic Point of Sale devices are becoming more and more widespread. Going to the Apple store is usually an occasion where one can see EPoS being put to good use; in a busy store you don’t have to queue at the till, a member of staff can complete your purchase anywhere in the store for you, and off you go.
For larger operations the advantages of EPoS are easy to see, especially as the cost factor would be a drop in ocean for someone like Apple!
However smaller businesses take note, there are still savings and advantages to be had. One can say, “I don’t need these silly new fangled contraptions, my pen and paper cost me nought, has worked for years and won’t run out of battery”. These statements may be true, but what may not be immediately obvious, is that using an EPoS system can actually save your business money, even at the smaller end of the scale.
IBM commissioned a survey in which it found that 1% of revenue was lost due to keying errors on manual cash registers. Even for the smallest of retail businesses, 1% of revenue over a year would not be a small amount of money. Easily perhaps swallowing up the initial cost of the EPoS system.
EPoS system benefits go beyond that of countering human errors in pricing. Total electronic stock control and accountability means that any issues with theft or loss of stock flag up far quicker.
The advantages don’t stop there, whilst the aforementioned fail safes against human errors provide a financial argument for the system’s use, it is the benefits of the data it provides that can truly help businesses. One can see patterns in people’s purchasing habits, which would help focus marketing and business strategy in the long run. Stock control means that business don’t run out of stock unknowingly and lose out on sales, and the wireless and instantaneous nature of EPoS systems means that everything is up to date at all times, requiring little to no man hours spent fiddling with spreadsheets or collating data.
If you are a corner shop or a conglomerate, there are benefits to be had at all levels with EPoS. There are solutions for varying levels of involvement needed by an EPoS supplier. You could set up your own system by purchasing some peripherals, acquiring readily available software and doing it yourself; or you can have someone run the supply the entire system from the hardware to the electronic systems and software.
Whatever your prerogative or business size, it would be foolish to write off EPoS as an unnecessary expense or fad, you’d be surprised at the advantages it can bring. You don’t even need to be some sort of tech wonderkid to operate or manage these systems. Not only are they very intuitive to operate but the companies that supply them like SPA Epos set up and install the system onsite for you (see http://www.epos-spa.co.uk/epos-solutions/epos-services/) so that you don’t make any rudimentary mistakes – and you are good to go! As with the majority of processes in the world, you can utilise technology to your benefit, so don’t get left behind.