With the retail industry fast evolving, your business needs to keep up with the latest technology to provide your customers with a seamless, consistent shopping experience. This is where the cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) solutions come into the picture.
Before the cloud-based POS system, retailers relied on traditional cash registers, complex software installations and costly server maintenance. Today, cloud-based POS systems for retail are among the leading trends in the payment industry, providing business owners with a new world of possibilities.
What Is a Cloud-Based POS System?
Modern point-of-sale systems in Toronto do more than just accept payments from customers. They provide various solutions for different aspects of your business’s day-to-day operations. Cloud POS software makes transactions easier, enabling you to streamline payment processing, inventory control, and other essential functions. With so many cloud POS solutions you can find on the market, it can be challenging to choose the best cloud-based POS system for your retail business.
In this post, we have rounded up the key features and functionality that you should look for when purchasing a cloud-based POS system. Also, we will discuss the significance of each feature and its direct impact on the success of your retail business.
Must-Have Features in a Cloud-Based POS System
When you decide to purchase a cloud-based POS system, it must have the right features and functionality that suit your specific needs. While your business needs are unique, your investment should have key features that allow you to effectively accommodate the ever-changing customer expectations and address new business challenges.
Here are some of the key features to keep in mind:
- Offline Functionality
A strong and constant Internet connection is essential for cloud-based POS systems. You need to be connected to the Internet to reach information stored on your device. But what if there is a sudden Internet disruption?
A cloud-based POS system should have an Offline Mode feature during an outage. An offline mode feature ensures fewer interruptions when the Internet suddenly goes down and prevents any future problems. Also, it enables your device to safely save data and automatically update them once the Internet is restored. This feature gives you peace of mind knowing that all your transactions are not lost during the Internet downtime, giving you better control of your activities.
- Tools for Quick Checkout and Simple Transactions
No customer wants to stand waiting in line. In a world where everything is at our fingertips, getting through quickly in line is a crucial part of great customer service. While you can invest in multiple registers to speed up the transaction process, you also need to optimize the checkout process.
Contactless payment allows you to ensure a speedy checkout experience. Your cloud POS should come with several contactless payment options, such as debit cards, credit cards, EBT, and mobile payment.
There is nothing worse when the barcode scanner fails to bring up the item. To avoid this problem, make sure that your cloud POS has customizable hotkeys with photos to save valuable time. You only need to bring up the item with just one touch, instead of keying the PLU codes. Also, scanning stock-keeping units (SKUs) barcodes enable you to quickly search for items and automatically track inventory movement.
- Data Security
While the Internet helps streamline the transaction process, it is also crucial to protect your data. Data security is an important feature in cloud-based POS systems. Data protection features can be in the form of security protocols and PCI-compliant networks. This feature is extremely important, especially when assigning permissions to different staff positions to ensure that not every employee can access sensitive data.
- Reporting and AI Analysis
When running a business, you should know and understand numbers.
Daily sales reports can help you effectively monitor any shifts and trends in customer preferences. They serve as your guide as to their preferred products—what to have in stock to meet their demands. Having bestselling products ready ensures that you keep the cash flow going.
Your cloud-based POS system should have prebuilt reports for every aspect of your business. It should also allow you to customize your accounting processes to ensure continuous income and on-time customer payments.
- Support from Developers
From time to time, you may encounter technical issues with your cloud-based POS, and you have to fix them fast to avoid any delay. While POS companies provide an online user manual, some POS problems and solutions are not mentioned in the manual. This is where you need 24/7 support from developers.
Many retailers and merchants overlook this feature when choosing a cloud-based POS system. Unfortunately, not all POS providers come with round-the-clock customer support features. Make sure to check if the POS company offers free 24/7 support to provide you with the necessary solutions as soon as possible.
- Employee Management Functions
An effective cloud-based POS should have a feature that centralizes everything, from scheduling work hours to user roles and payroll, to help you manage your retail workforce more efficiently.
Tablets, smartphones, and handheld devices can help simplify the job of your staff and minimize errors. Make sure these devices have access to POS. Develop user profiles to match your employee’s job responsibilities and prevent them from accessing certain parts of the system.
Employee management features help save time by automatically tracking work hours, setting schedules, and managing the time in and out of employees, which in turn enables the management to focus on more critical tasks.
- Customizable Options
When it comes to choosing the best features for cloud-based POS, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That is why it is important to choose a POS system that offers customizable options to allow you to modify your system based on your needs. For instance, it should have unique receipt templates for different customers. In this case, it allows you to personalize your receipt, such as moving the logo or adding several design elements. Other must-have customizations include languages, number of terminals, and custom sales.
If you are looking to purchase a quality cloud-based POS system for your retail business, count on Point of Sale Remarketing Group.
Give us a call today at +1905 332 8809 or fill out our contact form and let us know how we can help you.
