EPOS (Electronic Point Of Sale)

Implementing EPOS

Before implementing an EPOS system you need to be clear about your aims and targets.

Step 1: Decide your business aims

Do you want to:

• Improve stock control?
• Integrate sales information with your other business processes?
• Aggregate sales from a bricks and mortar store with an online web store?
• Capture and analyse more sales data?
• Work more closely with partners?

Step 2: Quantify the benefits of more efficient transaction processing

Can you:

• Increase turnover?
• Reduce sales personnel?
• Manage stock more efficiently?

Step 3: Consider how EPOS will operate within your organisation

Will it be linked to:

• Stock control? - Accounting package? - EDI? - Your website? - Your supply chain?

Step 4: Do you want EPOS to integrate with your supply chain partners?

• What systems do your suppliers have?
• How do you want to integrate EPOS?

Step 5: Consider the benefits across the supply chain

Are you looking for:

• Suppliers who manage their stocks more efficiently, giving fast turnaround on providing stock?
• Customer profiles that enable you to target customers more accurately and optimise sales?

Step 6: Evaluate the EPOS solutions available

• Are you willing to trust valuable data to a third party such as an ASP, and how will you determine quality of service levels?
• Budget, intended usage and in-house skills will dictate your choice.
• Many EPOS solutions are industry specific. Contact your Trade Association for detailed information. Look for systems that use open standards like XML.

Step 7: Final preparation

• Seek expert advice. Integration across all your and your supply chain partner systems is likely to be expensive. Your UK online for business adviser can help with this.
• Develop a project plan. EPOS systems may need to be implemented gradually and you'll need to train staff to get the best out of it. Include this in your cost and timings projection.