Point Of Sale Buyers Guide Select a Store Category
Hardware considerations for efficient Point Of Sale
Touch Screen Point of Sale Systems Versus Non Touch Point Of Sale Systems
Touch screen point of sale systems are usually an all in one system where the computer and touch screen are combined into 1 unit known as an All in One (AIO) this allows for a smaller hardware footprint and less cabling. In certain industries such as hospitality and restaurants touch screen point of sale terminals are a pre-requisite as barcode scanning is not used and a Non Touch Point of Sale is not an option. Touch Screen Point of Sale systems usually consist of an All in One touch screen terminal, receipt printer, cash drawer and barcode scanner if required.
Non Touch Point of Sale Systems usually consists of a computer, LCD monitor customer display, barcode scanner, receipt printer and cash drawer. Keyboard point of sale systems are used in general retailers however their has been a tendency in South Africa where larger retailers are implementing AIO Touch Screen Terminals to reduce the footprint of the point of sale on the counter. For small or medium size retail outlets where barcode scanning is being used a Non Touch Point of Sale is usually more than sufficient and cheaper to purchase and maintain over the ownership period.
Barcode Scanners
Handheld laser barcode scanners are cheap to purchase and replace and work well in low to medium customer and product traffic environments. Handheld barcode scanners are suitable for General retail stores such as hardware stores, clothing stores and liquor stores.
Presentation or omni directional barcode scanners are suitable for medium to high customer traffic environments where small to medium size products being retailed can be presented or passed by the barcode scanner. This allows a faster customer checkout and process time as the barcode scanner does not have to be aimed directly at the barcode label for product registration on the point of sale system. This can save up 2-5 seconds per product being registered compared to a hand held barcode scanner where the operator or cashier must pick up the product aim the barcode scanner at the barcode label, press the trigger on the barcode scanner to register the sale on the point of sale system, put down the product and repeat the process for the next sale. This type of barcode scanner is suitable for supermarkets, butcheries, fruit and vegetable shops and convenience stores at filling stations.
Wireless Barcode Scanners
Wireless barcode scanners are generally hand held and consist of the barcode scanner with a rechargeable battery and a charging and communication dock or cradle in which the barcode scanner is placed for charging when it is not in use. The communication dock provides the communication link between the barcode scanner and point of sale system. The range of the different wireless barcode scanners vary from 10m to 200m depending on the type of wireless technology being used. This type of barcode scanner is used in retailers that sell large products where it is not viable to place the product on the counter to be scanned. This type of barcode scanner is also used in wholesalers where products are scanned in the customer’s trolley or off the floor.
Customer Displays
A customer display is used to show the product being registered on the point of sale as well as the total of the sale and the change that needs to be paid back to the customer. The advantage of using a customer display on a point of sale system is that it can speed up the check out process and the cashier or operator does not have to communicate the amount due to the customer. Customer displays are beneficial in a shop layout where the customer stands in front of the counter. There are 2 types of customer displays namely 2 Line LED and Multi line LCD.
2 Line LED customer displays have become an industry norm as they are cheap to install and replace and are easy to read from a distance using bright large LED Lettering.Multi line LCD customer displays usually mirror the image that the cashier or operator is seeing to the customer.
Point of Sale Systems for General Retail and Small General Retailers
All Fast Moving Consumer products are bar-coded and label printer only becomes necessary if it is a self service type store to print shelf edge labels over the counter type stores do not normally require a barcode label printer. General Retailers sometimes need to print barcodes for products such as loose sweets and cigarettes but this can be done without the need for a barcode label printer. Theses types of retail stores also need to manage sales and stock of bottle returns or empties which are products that are returned to stock and the customer is then refunded.
Hardware Requirements
- Non Touch Point Of Sale
- Barcode Label Printer (For Self Service Stores, printing of shelf edge labels)
- Customer Pole Display (Optional)
Software Requirements
- Barcode Scanning
- Barcode generation and printing for products without barcodes and printing of shelf edge labels
- Bottle return Inventory and Sales management
- Cashier and Manager security module
- Daily cash up for cashiers and general turnover
- Pay Out Function
- Refund and Void Function
- Inventory management with stock re-ordering module
- Sales and inventory reporting (Periodic and Daily)
Point Of Sale For Liquior Stores and Taverns
Liquor retail outlets need to control the sale and manage the stock of same product sold in different pack sizes. An example of this would be beer cans 330ml which is sold as each x1,a 6 pack x 6,Dozen x12 and a Case x24.They also need to manage sales and stock of bottle returns or empties which are products that are returned to stock and the customer is then refunded. All products in the liquor industry are bar-coded and label printer only becomes necessary if it is a self service type store to print shelf edge labels over the counter type stores do not normally require a barcode label printer.
Hardware Requirements
- Non Touch Point Of Sale
- Barcode Label Printer
- Customer Pole Display
Software Requirements
- Barcode Scanning
- Barcode generation and printing for products without barcodes and printing of shelf edge labels
- Cashier and Manager Security module
- Daily cash up for cashiers and general turnover
- Lay Away/Lay Buy Function
- Pay Out Function
- Price Change Function
- Discount Function
- Refund and Void Function
- Inventory management with stock re-ordering module
- Sales and inventory reporting (Periodic and Daily)
Suggested Systems
Point Of Sale For Bars,Pubs,Restaurants and Coffee Shops and Take Aways
Bars Pubs clubs and Take Aways
Hospitality retailers such as Bars, Pubs and Take Aways do not normally use barcode scanning and a Touch Screen Point Of Sale is essential. For bars pubs and clubs table and tab management is essential as well as on account functionality for regular customers who do not pay when they leave and an account is opened for them. Take aways would normally require an additional printer for the kitchen to print preparation orders.
Restaurants and Coffee Shops
For small restaurants and coffee shops with low to medium table turnover a 1 Terminal Point of sale system is sufficient. For larger restaurants where seating capacity is over 100 and a high table turnover expected, a multi terminal system with shared table tracking needs to be implemented.
In restaurants and coffee shops a table is opened and food and beverage orders are registered on the point of sale system when customers are seated and the initial order is placed with the waiter or assistant. To speed up preparation and delivery times remote printers can be used at preparation stations such as kitchen, service bar etc.
These remote printers print the order for the table with pertinent information such as table number, waiter or assistant that placed the order, time of order and precisely how the food or order must be prepared. Remote printers provide speed and accuracy and prevent the waiter or assistant having to communicate the order to the preparation area enabling them to spend more time looking after their customers.
Remote printers also provide a certain amount of security as no order can be prepared unless it has been first registered on the point of sale. Restaurants and coffee shops also require that the point of sale system provide a cash up report per waiter or user as the customers usually pay the waiter or assistant directly. It has also now become necessary for Point Of Sale software to provide a On Account/Delivery function for Take Aways and Fast Food businesses as home and business deliveries become more prevalent.
Hardware Requirements
- All in One Touch Terminal
- Receipt Printers
- Remote Printers for preparation stations if required
Software Requirements
- Table or Bill Tracking and printing
- Individual Waiter Management with security and Cash Ups
- Gratuity Tip Management
- Remote Order Printing for the kitchen, bar or other preparation stations
- Inventory management reporting and recipe costing
- On Account Delivery Management Functionality
- Sales and inventory reporting (Periodic and Daily)
Suggested Systems
Point of Sale Systems for Butcheries, Delis and Fruit & Vegetables Shops
Butcheries and Delis and Fruit & Vegetable retailers sell products by weight using a barcode label printing scale. The Barcode label printing scale is programmed with an item number, product description and price per kilogram. The operator then selects the product number on the scale and then places the product on the scale which weighs the product and calculates the monetary value. The barcode label printing scale then prints a barcode label with the product number and the price imbedded into a barcode on the label. This barcode is then scanned at the point of sale which reads the price of the product as well as the product number from the imbedded barcode and then calculates the weight of the product being registered on the point of sale. The most Common Barcode label printing scale brand is Teroaka, there are however other brands such as Bizerba, Ishida and Adams. Barcode label printing scales can also print the Packed date, Sell by date and Shelf life on the label. It is important to note that the product number and description on the scale and on the point of sale software must be the same. The Barcode Printing Scale can be networked to the point of sale which alleviates the problem of having to program the scale separately.
Hardware Requirement
- Barcode Label Printing Scale (Teroaka Recommended)
- Non Touch Point Of Sale
- Barcode Label Printer(For Self Service Stores)
- Customer Pole Display(Optional)
Software Requirements
- Barcode Scanning
- Barcode generation and printing for products without barcodes and printing of shelf edge labels.
- Price imbedded barcode scanning for products being sold by weight
- Cashier and Manager security module
- Daily cash up for cashiers and general turnover
- Pay Out Function
- Refund and Void Function
- Inventory management with stock re-ordering module
- Sales and inventory reporting (Periodic and Daily)
Suggested Point Of Sale Systems And Video Links
Point Of Sale For Clothing and Textile Stores
Our experience has been that most clothing products imported into South Africa are not barcoded. To implement barcode scanning efficiently a barcode label printer is required. The label printed by the barcode label printer should have a description of the item or product, the sales price of the product and the barcode so that it can be scanned at the point of sale. Clothing retailers also normally require lay buy functionality from the point of sale software. A lay buy is where a customer pays a deposit for a product or service and then pays the balance of the outstanding amount over a period of time. When the product has been paid in full the client is then provided with the product or service. Clothing stores also require a refund functionality from the point of sale software. A refund returns the product back into stock and refunds the amount paid back to the customer.
Hardware Requirements
- Non Touch Point Of Sale
- Barcode Label Printer
- Customer Pole Display
Software Requirements
- Barcode Scanning
- Barcode generation and printing for products without barcodes and printing of shelf edge labels
- Cashier and Manager Security module
- Daily cash up for cashiers and general turnover
- Lay Away/Lay Buy Function
- Pay Out Function
- Price Change Function
- Discount Function
- Refund and Void Function
- Inventory management with stock re-ordering module
- Sales and inventory reporting (Periodic and Daily)
Suggested Systems
Point of Sale System for Hardware and Motor Spares Shops
All Fast Moving Consumer products in South Africa are bar-coded with either Ean 13, Ean 8 or Interleaved 20 of 5 type barcodes. This does not apply to spares and hardware stores as many different types of barcodes can be used depending on the product supplier and country of origin and these can be numeric or alphanumeric. These types of stores also tend to stock numerous products that are not bar-coded such as nuts and bolts, screws etc. The addition of a barcode label printer is recommended but not compulsory as the Easy Pos software has the ability to print barcodes onto the receipt printer which can the then be pasted onto an A4 sheet.
Hardware Requirement
- Non Touch Point Of Sale
- Barcode Label Printer (For Self Service Stores, printing of shelf edge labels)
- Customer Pole Display (Optional)
Software Requirements
- Barcode Scanning
- Barcode generation and printing for products without barcodes and printing of shelf edge labels.
- Alpha numeric barcode processing
- Bin Location allocation for spares stores which facilitates the finding of spares on the shelves
- Cashier and Manager security module
- Daily cash up for cashiers and general turnover
- Pay Out Function
- Refund and Void Function
- Inventory management with stock re-ordering module
- Sales and inventory reporting (Periodic and Daily)