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POS Systems for Inventory Management

What’s in this article?

The point of sales (POS) systems is a checkout located ions in business operations where transactions occur. The POS terminal is a computer used as a cash register, and it is also what makes perpetual inventory control systems possible.

Advantages of Point of Sale Systems

A point of sale inventory management system is a step up from the use of a cash register. Small, start-up businesses who sell services and not products may be able to survive with just a cash register and a simple accounting system. If your business is product-based, chances are you will eventually have to switch to at least a basic point of the sale inventory system. With a point of sale system, you don’t have to worry how much inventory you have on hand. The point of sale system keeps track of that, and you have the information at a glance.

A point of sale inventory management system allows a business owner to have more than one business location and adequately keep track of inventory at each without being present — no more worries about employee theft or pricing inconsistency between one location and another. The boss can be away and not worry about employee theft. Employee efficiency can be maintained. Point of sale systems takes care of those problems that result when management isn’t present.

Another issue with more than one business location and inventory management is that point of sale systems help keep prices of inventory stable from one location to the next.

Other Services

Point of sale systems make marking down prices and recording the markdowns easy. Instead of going through a mountain of receipts at the end of the day, the point of sale system calculates the markdowns automatically as sales occur.

Like markdowns, if you want to promote your products, point of sales systems make it easy. Promotions, discounts, and coupons can be tracked, and the effect of these promotions are recorded daily. Tracking the effect of promotions of products is almost impossible without a point of sales inventory management systems.

Which Businesses Use POS Systems?

Retail businesses are the primary user of point of sale inventory management as tracking small units of inventory are particularly important in retail. Some POS systems feed right into a retailers accounting program for even more efficient use of the data. Not only do they feed in inventory numbers, but also sales, accounts receivable, and returns and exchanges, along with many other variables.

The restaurant business, especially the fast-food industry, uses the point of sale system very effectively. These POS systems can handle customer-owners, processing payments, as well as drive-through windows. Wireless POS is used extensively in restaurants to call customers to tables, for example. Hotels and the hospitality industry are also heavy users.

Required POS Hardware

Depending on the type of business, the hardware requirements will vary. The POS terminal includes a computer tower and monitor of some configuration, a display for the customer to read, a card reader if the business takes debit and/or credit cards, some type of keyboard system, scanner, receipt printer, and cash drawer. There may be other elements added to the system based on the type of company and the complexity of the point of sale system the company has set up.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the point of sale inventory management system is that employees and management can focus more on the customer service aspect of the business and less on counting receipts and inventory. Point of sales system also allows management to gather customer purchase data to develop forecast models and create detailed reports.

Source: POS Systems for Inventory Management

Figment

The Figment Editorial Team is dedicated to telling stories of business, for business owners. Our team comes from a variety of backgrounds and share a passion for providing information that helps businesses to start, run, and grow. The team is based in San Francisco, but has collaborators all over the country.

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