There is a lot that goes into getting a new business up and running smoothly, no matter what product or service you plan to provide. It’s an equally heavy lift pivoting to new operational procedures in an established company that’s done things the same way for years. One of the advantages of having a point of sale system in place is that both of these scenarios become easier to manage. And, anything that eases your to-do list even just a little can help you be a better business owner—and keep you excited about your company’s future.
But, to get to where handling the day-to-day is painless (for you and all of your employees), you’ll need a POS system implementation plan that’s easy to put into action. We’ve laid out several steps to help you start planning below. Whether you want a POS system for a brewery business, clothing store, restaurant, or salon, these ideas should help set you up for success.
The Beauty of Having a Simple, Yet Comprehensive, Operation
The beauty of making a POS system a part of your service, restaurant, or retail business model is that several aspects of running your business can be simplified and streamlined. Everything from scheduling appointments to printing barcodes becomes intuitive, even easy. Getting insight into employee performance and top-selling items is immediate and accurate, too. And, because everything is stored in the cloud, it can all be done from anywhere—including your home.
Additionally, the hardware itself helps to maximize space—which is critical if your storefront is small or if you’ve got a lot of product to display. The days of a clunky register with a large cash drawer are gone. Since almost all operations are accessible from an iPad or phone, you don’t even have to install a traditional counter for customers to go to and check out.
Reap the Benefits of Your POS System With These Simple Steps
To take full advantage of these benefits (and others) that POS software offers, getting the system set up quickly—and correctly—is extremely important. So, when developing your POS system implementation plan, include the following steps:
- Determine network and hardware requirements. To avoid connectivity or other issues, verify the network and hardware requirements—including the right wiring—with your POS vendor prior to installation. That way, you can make necessary adjustments before you start having problems.
- Confirm that the system has the functionality you need. To ensure your POS system is worth the price, at minimum it should provide you with a few basic tools. Inventory, employee, and customer management are a must. Easy checkout for your customers and reporting capabilities are as well.
- Decide where your system will live. To get the most out of your space, decide where you want the POS system to be used. Very little real estate is needed for iPads (and even less for smartphones). But, you may still prefer a designated counter where customers can check out.
- Enter details about your products, services, and prices. To make managing your inventory easier and more accurate, enter everything from stock counts and SKU numbers to supplier information. Once these items are in, the process of ordering can be automated. This helps reduce human error and keep costs under control.
- Input employee information. To streamline scheduling staff, track work hours, and hand payroll on time, you must first input all employee information—including their preferred names. Staffing up during busy times will be easier, as will reviewing who did what throughout the day when you can access all employee-related data from one location.
- Establish security measures, including employee permissions. To reduce fraud and theft, even by employees, establish security protocols, and set staff permissions. Cloud-based POS systems already excel at keeping your company and customer’s information safe. You can also audit transactions and immediately give, or remove, employee access to certain functions.
- Set milestones. To accurately assess how your company is doing, set milestones you’d like your product or service—and your employees—to reach. A feature-rich POS system will include sales reporting and analytics, helping you track the company’s progress (and its profits) and change course with your inventory or staffing as needed.
The Right POS System Implementation Plan and Provider Gets You Closer to Achieving Your Goals
Also, keep in mind that you’ll probably need answers to questions about your point of sale software that you don’t yet know to ask. That’s why it’s good to choose a vendor that can help with your POS system implementation plan and continue providing support as your company evolves. A comprehensive system that helps you streamline your business operations is great. Reliable customer service that treats the setup, implementation, and future pivots as a joint effort is even better.
Developing the right POS system implementation plan is just one step towards helping your company reach important milestones—but it’s a critical one. That’s why, at talech, we aim to help our merchants run their businesses better by providing POS solutions that come with great customer service. To see first hand how we can help you plan for success, sign up for a free demo today and get that much closer to achieving your goals.
