8 Important Questions to Ask When Choosing an EPoS System

A retail business must always have a system in place for it to run smoothly and efficiently. In retail, this comes in the form of the Electronic Form of Sale (EPoS) system. The EPoS system is a combination of hardware and software designed to provide any business relevant information such as sales records, sales reports, transaction information, and so on.

In EPoS systems, the hardware device takes the form of either a countertop or handheld unit. The handheld device is often used by businesses where it’s impossible to have a fixed point of sale devices, such as the mobile ice cream van or a mobile catering unit. EPoS software can be installed on many different types of devices. These include tablets, desktop computers, laptops, and mobile phones. Choosing an EPoS system is a huge deal, and it’s not as easy as going to a store and buying one.

There are different questions that a business owner must ask first to ensure that the EPoS system will serve their business well, which we will be discussing in this article. Read on below to learn more.

It’s always good to think about the future, especially if you’re running a business. However, you also don’t want to write a business plan that will outlive its usefulness. You’re going to want an EPoS system that will help you to grow – but, just as importantly, you need a system that’s flexible enough to cope with change. If you choose the wrong EPoS system, you may be forced to suddenly change it, which can cost your business if you don’t account for it early on.

The right EPoS system will support the management of stock – and will also help to avoid stock-outs. It’s easy to see how this would be an excellent tool you can use to reduce the amount of stock you need to hold “just in case”, i.e. stock that sits there taking up space and not making you any money. The ability to plan and manage exactly how much stock is needed and when to follow the stock flow and replenishment is a powerful and efficient tool.

To understand this better, here are some things to consider when Choosing an EPoS System:

Whenever you buy a new piece of technology, the last thing you want is to be left hanging, especially if you have a busy retail business to run. For this reason, you should get an EPoS system that provides training and support.

There’s nothing worse than having an issue with your new system and having to deal with it yourself or taking time out of your day to find out how to use it properly. An excellent EPoS system will support you when you need it, no matter how small or large your question is. With this in mind, there should also be a way for you to contact the support department.

Today, the number of consumers that rely on online shopping continues to increase. To meet this demand, it’s recommended that you get an EPoS system that an eCommerce platform can integrate seamlessly. If you don’t, your operations will take a hit, and you may lose out on potential sales.

The needs of consumers have changed over the years, which is noticeable by the demand for personalised in-store experiences and fast transactions. This is evident on mobile devices, from which Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) has emerged. Based on existing mobile phone technology and systems, it will allow businesses to receive payments at the point of sale. For this reason, it’s becoming an excellent prospect for retailers due to its many benefits, such as:

Retailers are extending the point of sale to an end of services, a place where sales assistants can help customers. The extended point of sale should include information about products, such as descriptions or images, allowing sales assistants to answer customer queries. In addition, up-selling tools should be included to help increase sales for retailers. All of these can be achieved as long as retailers have all of this information at the point of purchase.

If you’re running an online shop, you’ll probably be okay with cloud-based software, but it’s usually better to keep the server local if you’re running a physical store. After all, you don’t want customers to think your shop is down if it’s your POS provider’s server that’s actually struggling. For this reason, you need to ask your provider about their data storage policies. If they are cloud-based, you should also ensure that they store information up to current security standards.

Running your own business typically does not involve a typical schedule. After hours, you might have to count stock, place a stock order from home, or meet several suppliers in a day. When you have a minute, you can work on your business by accessing the EPoS system through a smartphone or tablet, making things easier because you can do it anytime, anywhere.

If you are thinking about starting a business, you need to consider whether an EPoS system can handle your needs. No matter how small it may be, you still need to calculate how much your system will cost and how much it will be able to handle before you buy one.

Easitill offers quality EPoS for retail shops in the UK. We understand the demand for comprehensive business practice to meet consumer demands, and we can guarantee that our EPoS is up to the task. We also offer different EPoS for various fields aside from retail. Contact us today to learn more and with help in choosing an EPoS system!