Epos Systems Software – making the right choice

Many businesses view Epos Systems from the prism of Hardware and Peripherals. This is an anomaly in thought and decision making. Most of the hardware and peripheral manufacturers are reputed brands that have standardized on their offerings. Epos software on the other hand is specific in scale, functions, operations and target market. A decision on choosing the right software package must be taken after careful consideration of various business and environmental factors.

An article on Barepos.com looks at key factors to look into before choosing your software package. This is true for all Epos software and not limited to Bar or Pubs. We have our own set of advice on things to consider before implementing your Epos system software.

Epos software based on industry from Emperium Epos & Epos Direct

System Integration and Scalability: Software with inbuilt capability to keep pace with any scaling up of operations smoothly is a long term winner. As businesses grow they will need their Information Systems to reflect the change in operations and Epos software that is scalable saves time, money and resources on new systems, modifications or even disruptions. Another feature not totally unrelated is the Integration capability of Epos software. Although Epos software has outgrown its initial transaction processing days and now includes a multitude of functions, many businesses still opt for popular third party applications like SagePay accounts and a host of CRM and Marketing automation tools. A flexible or open API in your Epos software makes such integration simple without any impediment to your operations.

Upgrades and Support: Upgrades in software are the norm and reflect the evolving environment of the technology world. No software can expect to be immune from this or from additions in features, licensing and support issues. When choosing your Epos software ensure that you have a commitment and background resource of your solutions provider for upgrades and support. In a busy environment 24/7 technical support can provide not just mental relief but also prevent serious disruption to operations.

Operations and Reports: Epos systems have gone beyond transaction processing and now encompass modules on almost all operational areas. But not all businesses require such features or may find third party tools more beneficial for specific areas.  So the choice of Epos software must reflect the core operations businesses want covered. Business Intelligence tools and reports are another functionality businesses can make use of. Reports that focus on key performance areas can provide businesses with a competitive edge.

Solutions Provider: the choice of solutions provider is particularly important for Epos systems software as industry knowledge, technical competence and training and support are all factors that cannot be ignored.  The profile and background of your solutions provider reflects not just on the software product but also its performance and support during its lifetime.

Price:  Software costs are more complicated that getting what you paid for. A lifecycle of a software product needs to be factored in evaluating the price of the software. What represents a correct price is not overtly visible as several factors need to be assessed before calculating the exact cost. Some of the issues include:

1.       What is the licensing model and charges?

2.       How does the vendor price the support and upgrades?

3.       Is there lifetime validity for product?

4.       What would be the total costs involved over the lifecycle of the product?

5.       How does the solutions provider deal with modifications, customisations and changes?

Clearly businesses have to factor in a lot before they can choose their Epos software. Epos systems can be very rewarding and can provide businesses with a competitive edge but a less well thought out implementation can prove to be a drain in resources and operations.

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