How cheese is to pizza and grapes are to wine, that's exactly how inventory management is to a pos system Inseparable and incomplete without each other.

A point of sale is a place or point where an exchange between a buyer and seller takes place. It can occur anywhere at a brick-mortar store or at a website or mobile app.

A pos system can be restricted to a single desktop computer like in earlier days, or it can be an integrated computer network with pos software. Now, with advancements in technology, a laptop , tablet and specialized terminals make best pos systems .

A pos software can be used by all business types -- retail , wholesale and at all scales as well. Small business prefers the POS system as it acts as a one-stop solution to most of the challenges business face on a day-to-day basis. It helps in tracking inventory levels, and sales in real-time. It helps to manage stores across multiple locations.

When integrated with third-party apps, pos systems can help in automated updates in accounts and a better customer relationship management. In general, pos systems consists of a computer or laptop, barcode scanner, credit card machine and receipt printer.

Did you know, a pos software can help you, irrespective of your business type, with a lot more than just issuing receipts and receiving cash! But, not without the right plan!

Different POS systems can provide different features. Some can help you with advanced inventory strategy, sales strategy while other pos software may facilitate with customer retention and marketing. Understand your business types , needs and challenges.

For instance, if you are running a restaurant or dealing in perishable items, you will need an effective marketing and inventory strategy more than anything else. Or if you own a small business dealing in non-perishable products like garments or hardware, your priority might be different.

So, the major strategy is to identify the hard areas of your business and pick your retail pos software accordingly.

Any strategy developed in the boardroom aims to achieve its main goal of profits and expansion and increasing value for shareholders, irrespective of business types. So, there is no fixed structure. It is better if small businesses their own framework that helps them shoot day-to-day issues like tracking inventory counts, employee performance , placing purchase orders on time. Make sure you strategy is not only beneficial for the business , but also for your customers.

1. Time and cost efficiency-

• Pos systems help in a faster check-out process, thus reducing wait time in long queues. Since all the inventory is barcoded, the person handling the retail pos system can easily scan the products and all the details will flash on the terminal screen. It simplifies the process and offers multiple payment options from cash, debit, and credit cards to gift cards and e-wallets. All these features reduce the per customer time during check-out and allow small businesses to attend to more customers in a limited time.

• A pos software boosts the inventory management system of the business.

• The moment the barcode scanner scans the product and the payment is processed, it updates the stock levels in hand at the warehouse. Accurate tracking of stock levels and auto-updating inventory levels in real-time expedites the inventory management process.

• This auto-update feature not only saves time but also minimizes the risk of errors, which would be inevitable in case a staff was updating the stock levels manually after every transaction.

2. Real time tracking , stock alerts and more-

• A pos software facilitating inventory management system not only tracks inventory levels , but keeps track of purchase orders and sales. The best pos systems provide sales and inventory reports of every minute , hour, week, month or even year as requested by the business owner or sales manager. Thus, giving you the power to make most effective decisions.

• A pos software can help small businesses with features that can increase their productivity, strengthening their overall management system . For instance, advanced inventory feature of retail pos system can enable small business to set stock alerts. All you need to do is enter a minimum quantity of the stock, the moment your stock levels reaches that limit or falls below, it will alert the managers.

• As a result, it allows managers to place purchase orders on time, letting you avoid out-of-stock situation. Similarly, pos software allows inventory managers to now track the most sold and the least sold item. Now, managers can track customer demand and can place purchase orders accordingly.

• The pos system boosts the power of inventory management software . A centralized pos system can help you track the inventory counts of multi store or stores across multiple locations .

3. Customer relationship management
The best pos systems store all the information. From hourly sales and due purchase orders , a retail pos system will have it all. In fact, pos software keeps all details of customers, their order history, email address and contact number. All this information helps small businesses to identify their loyal customers, further aiding them in framing their marketing strategy.

A pos system encourages smooth inventory management across business types large, medium, or small businesses. So, there is absolutely no con we can think of as far as the pos system's role is concerned in inventory management.

However, pos systems come with a few cost and maintenance issues that may require your attention from time to time.

1. The software upgrades-- of pos system, inventory system, and other management system, are usually expensive so small businesses might want to revisit their annual budget and overheads before they buy a pos system .

2. A pos system is not a standalone machine most of the time. It is a combination of hardware like terminal, scanners, credit card machines and printer. So, your pos system might require regular maintenance.

Make sure that every software or every management system you use benefits most of the departments than just one. To up your pos game, make sure to integrate your retail store pos . Integration with different third party software like inventory system , accounting software and crm software expand their utility across multiple departments.

Also, the best strategy is to choose a pos software as per your needs, if running a cafe, go for a
restaurant pos software , similarly if operating a super market, you might need different features.

A pos system is a tech's solution to your small business problems. From Inventory Management , Order Management to real time updating, a pos system can make business operations swift. Integrating pos system with third party management software can double its efficiency. Remember, to buy a pos software that supports integrationit can do wonders!