Imagine clicking a release button in SAP for a Bonus Buy condition, and seconds later the POS system reacts, automatically calculating a 3 for 2 for the fondue mix or 3 out of 10 types of jam at half price.
Much More Than a Checkout System
Extensive POS functions for checkout are standard today in all professional POS systems. The POS system is optimally located on the sales floor and allows staff to perform any tasks without losing sight of the shelves.
Mix & Match promotions and limited-time price campaigns, best-price determination when combining customer discounts and time-controlled price advantages are automatically implemented correctly by the POS system—without the staff having to worry about it.
In-store customer services can significantly strengthen customer loyalty. These include, for example, the automated processing of repair or refinment orders such as “knife sharpening”, “device cleaning”, “photo development” or “shoe services”.
Another service is the drop shift service: the customer buys the goods in the store, but the goods are shipped to them directly from the central warehouse. The branch processes the sale without having to reorder goods itself, and the customer can leave the store light-footed and satisfied.
Integration into SAP ERP Systems without Bottlenecks
Branch-specific article master data with all variants can amount to a large volume of data that needs to be available at the front end in seconds at any time. This is where the POS4retail concept comes in:
The article master data can either be sourced already branch-specific from the central ERP system or be branch-specific within POS4retail according to predefined rules.
The data is distributed to the branches in highly compressed form, taking into account only changed data.
A full load of 100,000 items per branch takes just a few minutes before the POS systems can start ringing up sales.
Loyalty and CRM for True Customer Retention
Collecting bonus points not only satisfies customers’ collecting instincts but also allows for diverse communication with the customer, by informing them of their point balance or offering a reward or conversion into a non-cash or monetary benefit upon reaching a certain level.
Vouchers are an expression of friendship and generosity. They serve as an ideal advertising medium for new customer acquisition, whether they are gift vouchers, merchandise vouchers, discount vouchers, or cashback vouchers. The central voucher management of POS4retail#Storemanager generates coded vouchers, prints them on paper, cards, or other media, and manages them, their validity, and all receipts related to the vouchers. POS4retail#ADEGAPOS issues the vouchers, finances them, or accepts them as a means of payment.
Customer cards and customer accounts can be centrally maintained and managed in POS4retail#Storemanager. They can be imported from any CRM system or transmitted in the opposite direction to the CRM system. POS4retail#ADEGAPOS accesses these customer master data and allows any business processes to be linked with the respective addresses to provide the information required for professional interaction with customers in the CRM.
All in Real-Time and Still Offline Capable
POS systems with a local database have the huge advantage that they still work very efficiently even when the network is weak or partially fails. The POS software must continuously measure network performance and automatically switch to offline mode if it is insufficient. This way, the POS prevents waiting times caused by online queries. Often, network dropouts are short and barely noticeable to a user via the internet browser, as the browser caches a lot.
It goes without saying that POS systems with local databases are just as up to speed online as pure online systems.
What Advantages Does POS4retail Offer
POS4retail by ADEGA is a complete solution for chain retail: from the interface to the central ERP/CRM system to the POS workstation with all peripheral devices in the branches, everything is from a single source.
No additional interfaces need to be programmed, there are no bottlenecks in the processing chain from distributing master data to feeding transactions back, there are no reconciliation issues and faulty mapping of data between the systems.
In short, POS4retail is the worry-free package that enables the shortest project times on advantageous terms.
Where Checkout Systems Can Fail
In ideal operation, everything looks good. All systems are connected and each system works as it should.
Unfortunately, normal operation is different:
POS systems in brick-and-mortar retail or hospitality are under heavy load—so even small weaknesses have a direct impact on revenue and the customer experience.
System failures: If the POS crashes during operation or stops responding, queues form, customers get annoyed, and revenue is lost—especially at peak times.
Internet dependency: Many POS systems require a stable connection for card payments or cloud synchronization. If the network goes down, often no sales are possible at all.
Hardware problems: Faulty card readers, jammed receipt printers, or failing scanners slow down the process significantly.
Faulty software updates: A poorly tested update can cripple functions or cause posting errors—right in the middle of day-to-day business.
Operating errors due to complex interfaces: Confusing menus or too many steps per posting lead to incorrect entries and slow transactions, especially with new staff.
Lack of redundancy: Without a backup POS or offline mode, a failure brings all sales to a standstill.
Security vulnerabilities: Outdated software or unsecured interfaces can provide attack surfaces for data theft or manipulation.
Incompatible interfaces: Poor integration with inventory management or accounting leads to stock errors and extra effort.
The simpler the system architecture, the fewer suppliers involved in providing and operating the systems, and the more balanced the quality standard of the individual systems as a whole, the less checkout systems can fail.
Conclusion: The Hybrid Does It Best
Take the advantages of all possible solutions and combine them. This hybrid solution is usually more complex than simpler solutions that rely on just one technology, but it creates redundancies and higher overall system availability and thus enables more reliable operation.
POS4retail is a hybrid solution that combines all the advantages of the various approaches and technologies and is still easy to handle and maintain. POS4retail shows how—like the Swiss Army knife.