Today’s retail management is a high-volume, product-intensive industry that needs to be very responsive to customer demand. In this context, it is critical that point of sale (POS) solutions are both comprehensive and flexible enough to handle the very competitive market dynamics. This is especially true in the case of large businesses which operate multi-store retail where profitability is not derived from product margins that tend to be very low, but rather from efficient volume sales that encourage greater customer purchases.
We at ITQlick understand that large businesses with several retail operations need a rich POS solution that tightly manages and tracks their transactions, but is also adaptable to meet the changing requirements of the retail industry. With this in mind, we have reviewed solutions against factors such as technology investment and growth effectiveness, the extent of available functionality, integration options, and scalability to meet business growth requirements. After reviewing a number of POS solutions, some of the best recommendations include the following.
1. S2K Retail
S2K Retail is a scalable solution that can also be customized to meet the requirements of large businesses. Its features include POS functions, invoicing and payment processing, support of special pricing and gift orders, and customer loyalty programs. A strong reporting solution offers customizable reports for tracking sales revenue and cash management, and there are also online shopping options and customer portals.
S2K Retail offers integration with additional modules such as warehouse management and sales force automation, as well as integration with third-party software. S2K Retail is a good option for large businesses that are looking for an adaptable solution that can be incorporated into their existing software infrastructure.
2. Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System
Microsoft Dynamics features include support of loyalty programs and gift certificates, multiple payment processing options and special pricing, graphical item selection during the checkout process, POS terminals with a touch screen interface, customer management, and inventory tracking.
There is also a flexible reporting system with analytics that facilitate analysis and decision making and support several POS hardware types. Added benefits for large businesses are solution scalability and integration with both Microsoft’s enterprise applications and third-party software. A free product trial is available for interested companies.
3. Arel Retail POS
Arel Retail POS can be utilized by retail businesses of all sizes. It can handle multiple retail stores and is structured so that each store can operate independently when required, with integration and upload for real-time information based on the business requirements.
Arel Retail POS features include standard POS functionality, support for invoicing and payment processing, multiple pricing options and inventory planning, and real-time reporting options. This solution also allows customization and supports multiple languages. Certified mobile devices are also supported for keeping up-to-date on the go.
4. UTC RETAIL POS-J
UTC Retail POS-J supports multi-store point of sale operations It is developed in Java and provides a web-based solution that is not dependent on platform and database configuration. UTC Retail POS-J features include support for special orders and pricing, invoicing and payment processing, inventory, and customer management, and returns processing.
There is a dedicated back office system for integrating all store POS applications to provide detailed reporting and monitoring information, and the system is also accessible by mobile devices. Large businesses can benefit from this multi-channel POS solution that integrates the full retail cycle with the POS system, to ensure that companies have full control and oversight over their retail operations.
5. Vend
Vend is a cloud-based POS solution that is offered with a free trial, and can be operated as a standalone system even when an internet connection is not available. It is scalable for any size of business and is accessible via the web and any compatible mobile device. Vend can integrate with almost any type of POS hardware due to its open architecture, and includes multiple payment processing options, customer management and loyalty programs, product management, and data analytics for customizable reporting.
In addition, an included API allows integration with third-party software. This solution can benefit large businesses looking for a low technology solution that can adapt to changing business requirements.