The POS software
market is grossly over populated. For
every buyer, there are 25+ vendors with a
suitable product. Keep these facts &
concepts in mind:
- Dozens of
POS software companies come and go every
year... purchasing a software package and
its source code guarantees your long term
satisfaction.
- Look for
software that is being actively supported
and developed. New features are expensive
to develop... so many companies stop
upgrades to save money.
- Email the
POS company or call them on the phone.
If it takes 24 hours to get a response,
think how you would feel if your system
was down while you waited.
- Software
always has bugs in it... because people
make mistakes. The important thing is
that if you find a bug, the programmer
will fix it for you quickly. Call the POS
company. Can you reach a programmer?
- Training
is vital. Can you get all the
documentation you require? What about a
"smart person" on the phone?
- Support
should be available locally if you need
it.
- Support
should be easy enough to do yourself. Be
careful of POS software packages that
"require" a local reseller for
installation & upgrades.
The truth is,
the level of service and the financial
stability of the software company is very
important. It's critical to evaluate the
software company; otherwise you could run
into some frustrating and expensive
problems.
Take
Responsibility
Many
restaurant owners give the responsibility of
choosing a POS system to an employee or a
computer consultant that is not familiar
with the business. This is very bad
thinking.
Top
management and other key personnel must be
involved in the selection and implementation
process. You should never rely solely on a
consultant's recommendation or input. Many
'consultants' are actually independent reps
for products. They get paid for each
'referral' they supply. Be careful.
The person
that evaluates the software must have
in-depth knowledge about your business.
Multi-user POS software is complicated and
requires an IT and Operations background.
Overlooking Features
Unless you
are a POS expert, it's difficult to sort
through countless POS systems and figure out
what you need. What's more, it's
difficult to understand the "true" potential
of your POS system. As a result,
many people get confused and they overlook
important features that would save them a
lot of time and money.
Most
people don't realize that every POS system
is very different. Some are designed for
large environments while others are for "Mom
'n' Pop" establishments. As a result,
it's common for people to end up with POS
software that isn't really designed for them.
Too
Complicated
Some POS
systems are designed to be complicated and
confusing. This is done to feed a
reseller/dealer network lots of billable
hours. Learn to support and install your
system in house if you want to save money in
the long run.
Customizations
If you like a
POS system but it is missing a vital feature
or two, call the POS developer and see if
they'll add the features you need. Many
products (like FreePOS) encourage end user
development ideas and don't charge for
add-ons that improve the future
marketability of the product.
Summary
FreePOS
should be considered as an inexpensive
solution to restaurant automation. But
please, be sure to evaluate all the options
available to you. Ask plenty of questions
and demo the software packages you are
considering before purchasing them.
|
