CPA Practice Advisor - 8

REVIEW: POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEMS

By Mary Girsch-Bock

Streamlining the Sales Process

by Mary Girsch-Bock

ACCUPOS
ADDSUM
CELERANT STRATUS
COUGAR MOUNTAIN DENALI
CUMULUS RETAIL
KEYSTROKE
QUICKBOOKS
VEND

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*ANDROID ONLY
**AVAILABLE AS AN ADD-ON

8

JULY 2019 ■

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

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IN T
H A R EGR AT IO
D WA
N
RE WITH
POS
IN T E
G
R
SHIP AT IO
PING N W
V EN IT H
DOR
S
IN T E
G
E-CO R AT IO
MME N W
RC E I T H
EXT
AVA ENDED
IL A B HEL
P
LE

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Mary Girsch-Bock is a freelance writer
specializing in business and technology
issues and is the author of her first book,
several HR handbooks, training manuals,
and other in-house publications. She can
be reached at mary.girschbock@cpapracticeadvisor.com

YA LT

Y CA
RDS
IN V E
N
M A N TO R Y
AG E
MEN
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SAL
REP ES & IN
ORT
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I N G E N TO R
Y

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We also looked at a few
specialty apps that offer basic functions for invoicing and time tracking.
While the retail industry continues its evolution, point of sale applications will likely respond with changes
of their own. Will 2019 be the year you
finally retire your cash register and
move to a point of sale system? You
won't be sorry. ■

& LO

I can't tell you how many stores and
restaurants I've been in, watching,
as staff scramble to access product
support personnel when their POS
system goes down. I've seen customers turned away at the door. I've seen

K ING

SUPPORT

GIF T

effectively to repeat customers, track
customer sales history, and if selling
online, integrate with a shopping cart
platform.
To their credit, point of sale
vendors have responded admirably,
adding numerous features to their
product each year, as the retail industry has continued to shift, particularly
in favor of online sales. But there's
another component that may perhaps
be the most important of all.

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ISTE MUL
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Today's point of sale systems
have evolved immensely from those
original cash registers, with touch
screen monitors, scanning devices,
and the ability to seamlessly accept
debit and credit card anywhere now
the norm. And as retailers continue
to face immense competition, it's
important that they make the sales
process as streamlined as possible.
Whether retailers run a small
shop out of their home or own a
large retail business with multiple
locations, the following features and
functions are necessary:
■ The ability to process sales quickly
■ The availability of a back-up system
■ The ability to manage inventory in
conjunction with a POS system
■ The ability to process refunds and
credits quickly
■ The ability to create accurate sales
and product reports
But that's not all. Many
retailers also want to track their
customers effectively, market

R AC

it a lot harder for employees to steal from the till.

ER T

finally get a literal handle on cash flow, while also making

TO M

sale system, the cash register allowed business owners to

ING

westerns and antiques stores today. As the first point of

A NN

brass-encased cash register, a variety only found in old

CUS

silver and gold plate, though the most elegant was the

E SC

cash register was typically made out of cast-iron, wood,

C OD

for inventing the cash register. Over the next 50 years, the

doors locked at retail establishments during key sales times
because their POS system
is down. I've seen restaurants give away free meals
to customers because they
can't print their tickets. A
retailer has to ensure that
good customer service is
available when needed.
Of course, point of sale
systems vary in features
and functionality, with
some well suited for small
retailers, while others are designed for
large retail businesses with multiple
locations. Online sellers have their
own set of requirements when looking
for a point of sale application. Pricing
is also a factor, with smaller businesses with limited budgets looking
for a more affordable application.
The products reviewed in this
issue vary in size and scope as well.
They include:
■ AccuPOS
■ AddSum Advanced
■ Celerant Stratus
■ Cougar Mountain Denali Point of Sale
■ Cumulus Retail
■ Keystroke Advanced POS
■ QuickBooks POS
■ Vend

BAR

IN 1883, A saloon owner in Dayton, Ohio, received a patent

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