A guide to what computer equipment you can use to make your point of sale effective, fast and customer friendly.
Just as it is important for a business selling apples, to actually stock said apples; it is just as important for a retail business to use the correct point of sale system for their business. For that matter it is also vitally important for a restaurant or hotel to utilize the correct POS for their environment. Each POS system has its own advantages and disadvantages, and it is up to the individual responsible for that particular POS to choose the one he/she thinks can operate most effectively within their environment.
The LAN station is possibly the best option for the POS system of today. It is small and can be used in limited spaces (an advantage in our increasing compact world), as well as being as powerful as a standard PC. It also has the advantage of being upgradeable, whereas many all-in-one units are limited in upgradeability. Generally about the size of a rectangular Tupperware box, the size belies the strength and versatility of this machine. It is ideal because it can sit under a small monitor, possibly a nine-inch mono-VGA screen, which is utilized by most retail shops, with color being an unnecessary expense. It can also fit on top of most cash draws, cutting your use of space even further. Your cash draws all come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the make and your own preference. There are many different options with regard to the number of coin slots, as well as the number of bill clips and front slots (for checks, credit card slips as well as gift vouchers).
Pole displays are still popular though generally only in the retail environment, and there specifications differ as well. The number of lines as well as characters will vary from one make to the next. Generally they have serial connections.
Your receipt printer will generally be a forty column, and will either be dot matrix, or a thermal unit. This is a personal preference in most cases, for example the thermal unit is faster and will be quieter than the dot matrix, however it can't be used in restaurant kitchens or environments where they may come into contact with chemicals as the paper will fall apart and go transparent.
It is often a good idea to use a programmable keyboard in a store with limited stock, or with a low literacy level among the staff. They are easy to use and having already got the stock prices programmed into them they cut down on the time spent at the point of sale. Again the set out of the keyboards vary from one manufacturer to another. Some have fifty-five keys, some have one hundred and twelve and others have standard hundred and four keys with a further number of programmable ones on the same board. Some even has a magnetic card reader (for smart cards) that is built into the unit.
Touch Screens are the best option in busy restaurants, where the waitrons may not have time to type in the tables orders, as well as having their hands full. They can just use one hand to push the order onto the screen, which is then transmitted via the network to the kitchen. They are also ideal as information kiosks, for example in a hotel. The guests can themselves access the information using the easy layout of touch screen software thereby eliminating the use of a general information person.
Retail establishments should also have bar code scanners, which can cut down time spent at the till considerably. The type of scanner can vary from a fixed unit to a hand held one with a trigger (like the Symbol LS-2100 HotShot Scanner), or a flatter hand held unit with a button (like the POSiFLEX CD-2800K scanner). Scanners can also vary from the CCD (close contact diode), with limited range and scanning capabilities, to the Laser scanners with long range capabilities, as well as ADF (Advanced data format), for the better ranges. This ADF allows the scanner to read bar codes that have been scratched or slightly damaged in some way. It is also a good idea to have your own bar code printer if you are going to be using bar codes. These come in many ranges and types. Some can print labels that will be used in a chemical environment (specific labels would have to be utilized), others can print the standard labels we find in clothing shops, while still others print out shelf-talkers (the labels on the shelves of supermarkets world wide). A reputable bar code printer company is Eltron, but there are many similar companies selling excellent quality printers. When you call a sales agent always know how many labels you will be wanting to print per day, as well as the size of the labels and the type of label you will be using (e.g.: polyprop vs. cotton).
Security is a world wide problem and internal theft is rife. Thumb pads (a means of placing your thumb on the unit to identify your level of access to the software), magnetic card readers, and retina readers are all being used with more frequency in different environments. This allows management to do credits, access to print out totals and whatever else the software is configured to allow.
Ideally a restaurant should have a Touchscreen waiter station, linked via network to a kitchen printer (to print out food orders), as well as to the server machine.
The till point should have a thermal printer (quick, quiet and neat), a monitor, a LAN station linked to the server, a programmable keyboard, a pole display and a cash draw. The bar should have a tillpoint, linked to the main server, a monitor, pole display, thermal printer, LAN station as well as a programmable keyboard.
A retail shop, should have a LAN Station, thermal printer, pole display, nine inch monitor, a programmable keyboard (or a standard keyboard depending on the amount of stock), a bar code scanner and a cash draw. A bar code printer in the back office is also advisable.
Ultimately your hardware is only as good as the software you run on it, so always make sure your software is thoroughly tested before you throw out the old cash register!
