Consider This When Building a Custom POS System

A POS system is vital in today’s world if you want to keep up with your business’s competition and, not to mention, it will save you plenty of time and money. If you are aiming to gain an edge on your competition, a custom POS system may be the solution for you. POS systems simplify accounting procedures, track your inventory and manage your sales. Imagine what you could achieve with a POS system specifically built for your company’s unique business needs. However, there are a few things that you should consider before jumping head-first into your custom POS purchase.

1. Select your software first, hardware will follow

There is a common misconception that you need to purchase your hardware first and that finding your software will follow naturally. This is the most common mistake made by businesses looking to purchase a new POS system. However, if you purchase your hardware first, chances are that you will find you have severely limited your software choices. You may not even be able to purchase the software that might be best for your business because it isn’t compatible with the hardware you’ve already purchased.

The safest way to approach buying hardware and software is to select your custom POS software first. Do your research. Make sure that the software you select naturally suits your business and will make your POS process more efficient. Once you have found the correct software, you can determine your custom POS hardware needs.

2. Determine which add-ons you need

There are a multitude of hardware choices when considering custom POS add-ons. From rear LCD displays to magnetic stripe and barcode readers, you have plenty of options to choose from. In fact, the sheer amount of options available to you can be completely overwhelming.

Imagine for a moment that you could purchase your custom POS system – software, hardware, and add-ons – in one fell swoop. That would make your POS system selection process a lot more efficient and a lot less time consuming, wouldn’t it? The good news is that all-in-one POS systems are available on the market. These all-in-one custom POS systems provide all of the software and hardware needed to track inventory and sales and manage customers and accounting procedures. As your business grows, so will your business needs. Even if you start with a basic system, you will still have the option to upgrade and purchase additional add-ons in the future.

3. What else can you do to customize your POS system?

Make sure that you take the time to understand other customizable options that your chosen POS system vendor may offer. For example, many vendors offer customizable inventory import, menu programming, and personalized POS interface layouts. Sometimes these are included in the price of your custom POS system and sometimes they are additional charges, so you’ll want to make sure that you clarify charges with your chosen vendor before purchase.

Additionally, before signing paperwork and closing the deal with your vendor, make sure that they offer an adequate IT support plan for your custom POS system. You won’t want to find yourself in need of some technical problem solving and realize that your vendor didn’t include any IT support solutions in your contract.

If you keep these three key things in mind as you move through your custom POS purchasing process, you will purchase the best custom POS solution for your company.