A POS software has become an indispensable tool of the retail industry. It has simplified the billing process and reduced the time and efforts previously required in recording transactions, managing stocks, generating bills etc. It has enabled the sector to switch from cash registers and manual entry to automated POS software. POS allows retail stores, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, etc., to plan and organize their sales effectively. From orders and purchases to payments and stock, everything becomes manageable with a POS software.
Today, retail POS software are cloud-based, which gives businesses the advantage to connect the POS system to other systems seamlessly. It facilitates real-time sharing and transfer of data to cloud servers. With this, not just your Point of Sale system at the main counter, but even other systems will be able to send and receive data seamlessly. This establishes a strong network of systems which automates most processes efficiently.
In an organization, integration between POS and other systems is essential as it keeps the processes in line and leads to proper inventory management, enhanced accounting, improved warehouse management, better productivity, and augmented revenues. However, different organizations have different needs depending on their operating niche. So, an organization would want their POS systems to address all their needs. Though POS integrations are robust, the one-size-fits-all philosophy is not applicable in their case. That is why there are different kinds of POS integrations to cater to diverse business needs. The selection of the appropriate POS integration depends on your requirements.
Here we have enlisted the most popular POS integrations so you can make your choice accordingly:
1. eCommerce POS Integration
This integration between a retail website, created using an eCommerce software, and POS software is essential to successfully run an online business as it ensures a seamless workflow. It manages everything right from the stock, purchases and sales to payments and accounts. The major benefit of this integration is sound inventory management.
It is not a good practice for the ecommerce retailer to realize that an order could not be completed because of the shortage of stock. This happens when there is improper inventory management. If inventory is maintained regularly, then the retailer is aware of the total sales and the stocks available. So, the retailer can restock the products in advance for a smooth workflow. In fact, being able to recognize the bestselling items can help him further to speedily restock those items and maintain the sales flow.
Apart from keeping the inventory in sync with the sales, eCommerce POS Integration also saves product-related data including quantity, description, ingredients, SKU number, price discount and other significant details. Additionally, an eCommerce POS Integration facilitates in fetching customers details. Whenever any customer will place an order on your ecommerce site, his/her details would be automatically submitted in your company’s database. So, you can easily send special offers, recommendations and invites to the customers to bring them back.
2. Accounting POS Integration
In this integration, the communication takes place between the sales data of POS and the accounting software. In addition to the basic sale details, the integration might also allow sharing of inventory, customer data, invoices and order details. Accounting integration requires constant scrutiny as it deals with the finances of the store. The accountant may scrutinize the data so you must take his advice or let him know before opting for the integration. You can evaluate the software on various needs. For instance, you may choose to communicate the sales daily, weekly or fortnightly. You might even feel the need to attach the customer’s data to the invoices and then transfer it to your accounting system to keep a track of the accounts.
3. Marketing POS Integration
This is the most popular integration used by almost every company that uses POS. This integration cultivates the relationship between the retailer and the customer. The integration allows fetching of customer’s information (including the contact number, name, email, birthday, etc.) from the POS to the marketing system. This customer data is automatically recorded on the marketing system thereby allowing the companies to send promotional emails or messages to the customers effortlessly. It helps the retailers to get acquainted with their loyal customers. The biggest advantage of this integration is that it saves both time and efforts of the marketing team. The team does not need to manually export the data and then import it into the marketing system. It is updated automatically. Apart from customer data, the integration communicates data like order history, the frequency of purchase, total orders, money spent, preferences and other custom fields that provide valuable insights to the marketing team.
The integration allows the businesses to keep a close eye on the customer’s activity and create effective marketing campaigns. For example, when a customer has been constantly looking for a certain brand’s products, you’ll come to know about it and every time there’s a special offer or a discount on the brand, you can notify the consumer via message or email. You can also create marketing campaigns that target your most extravagant shoppers.
Conclusion
The integration of POS with other systems gives way for enhanced inventory management, improved warehouse management, better accounting, enhanced marketing, optimal productivity and boost in the revenues. However, you must wisely choose the best type of integration depending upon your business needs.
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