The Essential Point-of-Sale
As brick and mortar retailers work on drawing customers back to shopping in stores, one of the most fundamental tools in the shopping experience, the Point-of-Sale (POS) system, needs to support that effort with a robust solution whose strengths must include:
- Rich functionality at the front end and the back end . A commercial off the shelf (COTS) product is generally mature and stable and may offer most, all of the essential functionality that a retailer requires. However, adding new features can also be achieved via integration with other applications. Essential functionality such as cross-channel visibility helps store associates find the right product for their customers and even get it delivered if necessary.
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Cloud and/or c lient -s erver a rchitecture. Client-server architecture is the robust, proven architecture for retailers. However, in an effort to cut costs and reduce the need for networking and server specialists, the entire POS system or parts of it can reside in the cloud.
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Offline capability . Being able to operate with most all functionality when the system is offline and then sync automatically when connectivity is restored is a critical feature for offering reliable service to customers.
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Interface with the right devices . Today’s POS must accommodate a variety of peripherals such as a variety of printer types, payment devices that accept tap and digital wallets and card readers or biometric devices for security access.
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Versatile footprint . An essential POS system should be able to transition from traditional POS hardware (display, cash drawer, scanner) to tablets with peripherals connected via Bluetooth. The tablet format allows for more personalized time with a customer and provides line-busting capabilities to speed up the time to payment which is essential for today’s customers.
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Rapid and reliable payment processing with a variety of tender types. While a number of tender types will need to be processed through the POS, the processing of those payments must be done quickly and in a secure manner. The POS system should adhere to the standards set by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council.
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Easy to learn and use for store associates. An appealing and intuitive appearance that is customizable to meet the retailer’s business processes goes a long way towards ensuring the accurate completion of various types of transactions.
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Integration with the online experience. When best-of-breed systems are desired, the in-store POS may not necessarily be the same application as the one a retailer uses in their online store. However, the brick and mortar POS must be able to integrate with elements of the online store so as to provide a personalized and complete shopping experience for the customer when they do come into the store.
Retailers mustn't underestimate the power of the experience they’re offering the customer when they arrive in a store. While innovative technologies can bring about unique shopping adventures, a retailer must first ensure they can expertly cover off the basics such as having the products these customers want and processing the sale quickly and securely regardless of being online or offline.
