It is tempting to jump at the chance to use emerging technology in your business. New tech means new promises of improvements that can yield potential cost savings and revenue jumps. New tech also means adding more layers of sophistication to your business processes to jump-start productivity and to build a more attractive customer experience. This makes an ePOS system for retail shop purposes a natural and seamless fit in many cases.
But before taking the leap into an ePOS solution, it is important to closely examine what ePOS can offer and compare it to other POS platforms. It is likely that the fundamentals you need for your specific retail operations will more closely align with a particular type of POS system. Weighing the pros and cons of each of these will help you add the most suitable POS solution to your business management toolbox.
Simplicity vs. Complexity: The Choice Surrounding ePOS Technology
Just what makes a POS solution too complex or overly simple? This is largely a trick question that does not have a one-size-fits-all answer. However, its primary purpose—making you think about what you need to step up your tech game—can be achieved by examining the features offered by various types of POS systems. Here is an example of some of the questions to ask when determining the most advantageous POS platform for your use:
- Is sales counter space an issue for me?
- Would it be beneficial for my salespersons to assist customers with a device in hand?
- Where does my transaction data go? Where does it need to go?
- What level of data analytics would align with my business plan?
- Will I ever need to expand my business presence to a multichannel approach?
Developing the answers to these questions will provide you with the one, basic insight you really need: do I need a mobile, cloud-based, solution, or are legacy POS features and equipment sufficient? These answers will also show you if the associated costs can be outweighed by its ROI, and if any technical shortcomings can be overcome with a minimal impact on the products and services you deliver to the customer.
Hardware Builds the Customer-Facing Strategy
The type and variety of POS hardware will have an impact on the type of POS technology you choose. This is a place where ePOS typically shines in a small retail environment, as it offers retailers the option to use small, space-saving devices that can serve in more than POS terminal tasks. These abilities are due to the mobility options that ePOS systems offer, giving you the ability to deploy tablets at the checkout counter instead of legacy POS tills.
Deploying ePOS hardware terminals at the checkout counter gives your customers a glimpse into the powerful technology you are using to build their shopping experience. The clean, modern feel of mounted iPad tablets empowers sales staff to personalize every shopping experience. This is made possible by presenting your employees with the ability to detach an iPad from its mount and to browse your products with the customer, accessing inventory and customer history without leaving the customer’s side.
The disadvantages of using ePOS terminals over legacy tills will be in the areas of usability and connectivity. As unlikely as it is given that almost everyone has a smartphone now, some of your staff may face a steeper learning curve during the transition from legacy registers to tablet POS terminals. Also, a loss of connectivity could cause reporting and data synchronization delays, making access to customer records limited for a period of time.
Use Retail-focused Software Tools Through ePOS Solutions
The other big difference between an ePOS solution and other POS systems is the introduction of on-terminal software. For ePOS, this will mean all of the business’s powerful tools being made available through an app provided by the POS solution vendor. This contributes to the freedoms touched on in the section above, as having the app directly connected to customer sales and inventory data presents exciting opportunities for sales staff to greatly improve sales conversion rates.
Legacy POS systems are simplistic in their operation, and will largely not be able to provide access to the same business tools that an ePOS system can provide. Using any non-ePOS system will result in sales staff having to leave the customer to perform inventory lookups, and can cause delays during the checkout process. These are some of the areas that are streamlined by the implementation or ePOS functionalities that in turn can work to develop a better customer experience.
Again, the disadvantage of placing all of your business tools into an app and loading them on your mobile POS terminals is the learning curve. Also, some of your staff may not need to have access to all of your business tools, potentially making these apps counterproductive. However, these potential challenges can be easily addressed with the selection of an ePOS provider that includes in-depth training as well as a familiar, intuitive feel to their ePOS app user interface.
Discover How an ePOS System for Retail Shop Sparks Growth
Making the choice between all of the POS options available today can be time-consuming. The features that an ePOS solution provides to retailers check all of the common boxes in offered power in offered features of available hardware and software options. While this presents you with an expanded selection of options to streamline your business, it also can introduce complications through a potential learning curve or a drastic change in how you operate.
Balancing your budget and the tug of modern POS technology on your margins will force you to be decisive in your decision-making process. Further muddying the waters is that every type of POS system brings with it its own advantages and disadvantages, and you will need to ask yourself: What POS solution fits my retail store like a glove? Making this choice requires the expertise of a valued POS partner.
With talech as your partner, you gain a team of experts that will guide you through a POS technical review. Using these results, our team works with you to determine where an ePOS implementation can fit. This leaves you in a position of power and confidence that will not go unnoticed by your customers.
