Point of sale (POS) software integrates the physical devices in the POS systems with computer language
and thus facilitates automated data processing. POS software not only monitors almost all day-to-day
activities of any business, but also helps to run them systematically, keeping track of income and
expenditures, inventory, stock, and clearance, billing, customer, and transaction records and customer
service through touch screen information kiosks and vending machines. Speedy business transactions and
accurate budgeting helps vendors increase their profits significantly. The software also helps in paging in
hotels and restaurants, taking online food orders and delivery of food items.
The very first POS software was introduced by IBM, which came out with IBM 3650 and 3660 Store Systems in
August 1973; the software was first installed in Pathmark Stores in New Jersey and Dillard’s Department
Stores. Now, POS needs have become so wide and varied that different POS software is tailored to suit the
specific needs of different industries. The most popular of these industries include restaurants and retail
stores. Software for each of these industries has unique features that automate sales and customer
transactions and ensure staff accountability. For example, POS software for a hotel will ensure that a guest’s
personal calls are automatically are automatically billed into his account by the computer and added to other
charges. And a retail outlet’s POS software will require employees to swipe their cards to record their work
hours and will keep stock of all the product details. Some point-of-sale software also includes credit and
debit card swipe facility, fake-check tracing, and report-generating capabilities for day-to-day and monthly
transactions.
Vendors usually take trials of different software before deciding the best software for their industry. Essential
for the installation of basic POS software are computers, printers, cash registers, scanners, and keyboards.
Barcode printing software, cash register express software, and inventory software are essential for any
business that uses a point-of-sale system.
Point of sale (POS) is just another name for the cash counters where you pay for your purchases. This could
be a supermarket or a highway establishment or any other physical location where money is exchanged
across the counter for consumer goods. But gone are the days when one used gingers and mental
arithmetic for cash transactions. POS technology has revolutionized consumerism around the world.
Electronic calculation, automatic billing, credit card processing, and an accurate record of all day-to-day
activities are all just a click away if you have POS systems at your outlet. POS are designed to streamline
sales processes and increase efficiency at the point of sale. The error margin in accounts and staff
management is considerably less compared to manual POS management, as information is stored and
accessed electronically.
POS technology was first developed as barcode readers and electronic cash registers for the Universal
Product Code (UPC) in 1974 for the United States and Canada; it was aimed at accelerating the payment
process in a business transaction. But now, they are fully standardized computer systems that keep track of
the customer records, stores, and product information in a sales or service outlet. What first served as an
advanced calculator has now emerged as a means of foolproof remote management of business
procedures across the globe. With the advent of wireless technology, POS has taken a step forward with
handheld POS systems that bring information to your fingertips.
Many manufacturers and dealers offer ready-to-use POS technology, complete with hardware, software, and
equipment to suit the specific needs of different users. They include monitors, computer terminals, scanners,
printers, and cash registers, along with easy installation software CDROMS. Basic computer requirements
for a basic POS system are Windows, UNIX, or Linux, depending upon the kind of software used for point-of-
sale activities. Gathering business intelligence becomes much faster with the aid of a POS system, providing
for accurate planning of profit margins and increasing sales efficiency.
Choosing your point of sale, or POS, systems could be a disaster if you approach the wrong dealer and go
for the wrong equipment. A new technical product hits the markets every seventeen seconds. A good
percentage of this is POS technology. And, there are a myriad of dealers and manufacturers for POS
equipment, hardware and software. But prospective buyers of POS technology often tend to take
considerable care in choosing the hardware and software for their point-of-sale activities and give only
secondary importance to the dealers. Your point of sale might end in a mess with long queues and angry
customers if you do not get judicious advice and well-timed technical support and maintenance from your
dealer.
A busy retailer may not have time to check out system updates, install them and train employees on the new
features. This is where a credible dealer can help with timely support and training. A neighborhood dealer
with a commendable track record of standardized products and client services would be the ideal choice. It is
also advisable to buy POS systems from direct dealers of big manufacturers like Microsoft, Sun
Microsystems, NCR, Epson, Fujitsu-ICL and IBM, which have reputed dealers and franchisees in all parts of
the country.
Having a good working relationship with a reliable dealer will help in the long run, as a vendor should
continuously check back for updates and maintenance of the POS system. Since hundreds of people open
and close software and hardware dealerships every year, it becomes necessary to approach a dealer who
has been in the business at least for five years, which will assure you of good technical support and
necessary software updates. Additionally, credible dealers can provide information on futuristic technology
and advice on planning for at least a couple of years down the line, which may well decide the profit and loss
for your business.
Technology can be very confusing for a buyer, especially when there a hundreds of products to choose from
and it is necessary to decide which will suit his or her needs. Knowing some basics about point of sale
(POS) requirements will simplify things to a large extent. Here is some basic information about POS
equipment for a beginner!
Every POS system has some hardware requirements and needs physical input and output devices to carry
out the commands of remote system software and to guarantee the smooth functioning of business
transactions in a restaurant or a retail outlet. Some of the mandatory hardware includes computer terminals,
receipt printers, cash drawers, magnetic stripe readers, check readers, monitors or screens, keyboards,
barcode scanners, and customer display screens. These are aimed at time-effective and error-free sales
transactions, where every activity is machine driven and manual input is minimal.
Computer terminals with operating systems like Windows or Linux are essential to map the software into
Windows or Java and to integrate it with the mechanical devices. Receipt printers for retail outlets and hotels
come with cash drawer ports and both the printers and the cash drawers share a single port with the PC,
leaving other PC ports free for other peripherals of the POS system. Barcode scanners read product
information from the price tag of the products and feed the information into the computer, which then
processes it and prints it. Magnetic stripe card readers and check readers are essential for vendors who
accept payment through cards and checks. Apart from drawing money from the customer’s account, these
devices also prevent fake checks and credit card accounts from getting submitted. The scanners and
readers are usually wedges in point-of-sale keyboards, which come with a maximum of 101 keys for industry-
specific functions.
Monitors and touch-screen displays are used as both input and output devices depending on the individual
needs of a vendor. Fourteen-inch monitors are most widely used, but nine- or ten-inch monitors are used in
some cases, especially when they are used as display boards for product or menu information and pricings.
