Retail Billing Solution ensures that billing happens correctly and there are no leakages or scope for human errors. Moreover the billing solution is not restricted to billing only but has integrated itself with the routine Retail Operations which includes inventory management, customer management, supplier management, customer loyalty management, store employee performance and is an important source of business intelligence. Hence, it is important to select an appropriate solution that would work for the Retailer in the given environment. Thus decision to implement a solution would just not involve investments but also the time and effort in implementing and brining about change management. Let us evaluate some of the critical points that need to be considered while taking a decision on a Billing Solutions.

Type of Solution -

Central vs Local - The Retailer would need to take a decision on whether the Billing Solution needs to be a desktop based solution which works within the LAN environment or a solution which is connected with central server. Whether the solution could be a cloud based solution or available on the mobile or would it a hybrid solution. In case of a cloud based solution, how would internet connectivity failure would be handled?

Master Management - How is the item or SKU (stock-keeping-unit) defined? How would the variant be handled? How would be free goods associated with the SKU be handled and tracked? How would bulk-break management be done? Who would be responsible for maintaining the masters? What is the flexibility that could be provided to local store managers to overwrite the centrally defined masters? This could be in terms of adding a new product, setting a price books for a SKU, setting local taxes or giving special discounts or making promotion offers to liquate near expiry stocks. Would the pricing be dynamic or would it be defined? Dynamic pricing would allow the price of the SKU to be defined as per the mark-up or mark-down policies set in the system in such a way that margin are protected? The system could also allow for negative margin sale in certain event as may be required?

Security - The data security along with the backup and restoration policy should be considered. Access to the system and menus should be password protected and should be role based? What happens in a situation of a failure of the system? Would the system allow for back-dated entry in event of failure? How does one ensure that the provision is not misused? How would Start-of-Day (SOD) and End-of-Day (EOD) be defined? Who is responsible for initiating the same and what is the process that needs to be followed? What would be allowed and what would not be allowed once the process is completed? When would the masters and data be synchronized? How would failure be identified and how would it be fixed? How are audit trails, transaction history maintained and how is it to be monitored and action to be taken? How is the financial year ending done and what is the process for handling previous year’s settlement in the current year?

Ease of Operations - This is another important consideration to ensure that the billing is done in minimum time and the check-outs are done at ease. This is determined by how is the layout designed? Would the access be keyboard driven, touch-screen? How does the search work? Does the system allow negative inventory SKU to be sold? How does one reconcile the stock in case of such negative inventory sale? Does the system have provision for layaway / keeping the bill on hold? Does the system allow the person at the counter to search for the SKU in event the bar code scanner fails? How does one search for the customer/ enter new customer data? Does the system have a provision to inform the cashier the amount tendered and to be returned? Does the system have provision for multiple tenders and the rules associated with them for their acceptance? Does the system allow for return goods and how it has to be handled? Does the system provide for credit note issue and its adjustment? Does the system allow for credit transaction? If so, how is Sales Outstanding monitored and settled?

Reports - What are the different types of reports available in the system? Can custom report be generated? Do the reports meet the business need of the organization? Can a customized bill be printed?

Inventory Management - Does the system need to be integrated with the inventory system? How does one do the inventory count is it scheduled or a perpetual inventory count? What is the schedule for the inventory count? How does one reconcile the stock? How does one transfer stock from one store to another, one distribution center to the store, from the storage area to the store? When should a SKU be ordered? What is the minimum order quantity? What is the re-order level? How does one ensure that the terms of trade are in line with the actual purchase invoice? How does one account for shrinkages/ damages?

Loyalty Management Program - Customer loyalty management is an important part of store operations. The customer loyalty program is integrated with the billing solution which allows the customer to know the points accumulated and redeem them directly without going through an additional process. The Billing solution should allow the accumulation and redemption of points in any of the network stores thus enhance the customer experience.

Supplier Management – Does the system require to manage supplier? How are supplier outstanding managed? How are good returned managed?

Integration with peripheral – How is the integration with the Mouse, Keyboard, Cash Drawer, MSR (Magnetic Strip Reader), Bar Code Scanner, Weighing Scale, Beacons, Bar Code Label printer, Receipt Printer would be done? How does one ensure integrity and calibration of the system? Is the application agnostic to the hardware peripheral? How is configuration to be done or is it plug-and-play?

Integration with other system - A careful study should be made with regards to the possible integration with ERP, accounting or other third party solution which would need to be integrated into the system and how it would be executed and managed.

Hardware and Software requirement – While considering a billing solution it is important to consider the form factor of the device, screen display, processing and storage space, load balancing along with compatibility with the different peripherals? This could be a desktop, a tablet or a full-fledged POS system which is touch based? This should be considered along with application operating system and other dependencies which would be required. These dependencies could be in form a licensing requirement for the reporting tools, anti-virus or any other such software.

Upgrade and Bug Fixes - How would upgrades and bug-fixes be done? How would data be corrected or managed without losing integrity? Who would be responsible in managing this activity and what would be the roll-back policy?

Credibility of the Vendor and Licensing -

This is an important point in any decision making. The credibility of the vendor, the support available during installation and post installation, the quality standard followed while developing the application? Availability of source-code and system architecture? Right to make modification to the source code to meet ones needs? Is the license based on per user or per location or per organization, perpetual or subscription based? Whether the vendor would provide migration support? What is the SLA (Service Level Agreement) committed the vendor and how it would be enforced? Would the vendor have access to the data and necessary precaution to be taken? Necessary field visit should be made to see personally how the application is working in a similar situation. Based on these factors a comparative scoring needs to be made after due consideration of feature available, customization required, licenses required and over all vendor comfort factor.

Summary -

To sum up the buying decision should involve all stake holders keeping the customer experience in mind. A complex system would be difficult to implement and a basic system would not make sense to business. A time period in which the investment needs to be protected should be considered along with the cost of migration to another system at a later date.

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Receipt Printers form an integral part of any Point-of-Sale (POS) solution. Issuing a receipt is mandated by law. The receipt issued acknowledges the purchase and also can be a good marketing tool in making promoting sales.

There are three types of receipt printers :

  • Dot Matrix Printers –
  • Thermal Printers –
  • Inkjet Printers -

While considering a receipt printer following should be considered :

  • It should be compatible with the POS solution and the operating systems such as iOS, Android and Windows.
  • It should be compatible with the POS hardware. Most PC interface support USB Serial Port, RS-232 Serial Port and Parallel Port. Ensure the required port is available for use.
  • Check if the printer needs to be compatible with the LAN / Wi-fi environment to build in redundancy if required. For Mobile POS solution a blue tooth printer can also be considered which allows the printing within a range of 30 feet on pairing of devices. There are portable printers available which work on LAN/ Wi-Fi and blue tooth environment.
  • The configuration should be simple and can support certain amount of customization. The format of the receipt should be designed in such a way that it is legible and make the optimum use of paper and consumable. Promotion, information on points earned and general messages can be added to connect to the customers better and use it a marketing tool.
  • If a copy of the receipt is to be retained in hard copy format. In such case it is best to opt for a Dot Matrix Printer.
  • Check for size of receipt, speed, cost of paper and ink, printer resolution, colour and font requirement.
  • Ease of use while changing the paper roll or replacing the ink cartridge/ tonner.
  • Need for paper cutter – auto cutter or tear bar.
  • Check for compactness, reliability, ruggedness, space utilization / placement at the counter that would make it less obstructive to operation and avoid the clutter of cables.
  • Support from the vendor should be ensured. Ensure that the printer would be supported by the vendor and is not nearing end-of-life from the manufacturer. If imported then the local support should be available.
  • In addition to printing a receipt on a receipt printer it would also be advisable to email a copy of the receipt to the customer or SMS the receipt. This would go long way in enhancing the customer experience.
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A Barcode scanner is a read-input device which reads the barcode and decodes it.  There are different types of barcode scanners available in the market.  However it is important to consider the following while taking a decision on selecting a barcode scanner.

  • Ease of use, connectivity (plug and play devices) and the placement of the barcode scanners.
  • Speed and Ruggedness of the barcode scanners.
  • Compatibility with the hardware and operating  system including type of interface connectivity.
  • Surface on which the barcode label is fixed which needs to be scanned.
  • Scanning distance – For long range scanning use a laser barcode scanner. For short range scanning, use an image-based barcode scanner such as a CCD barcode scanner.
  • Whether you require a hand-held or hands-free device, the scanning distance and your budget.
  • Barcode label quality and environmental condition that effect the barcode printed on the labels.

Please contact us for identifying a suitable barcode scanner that meets your requirementWe have tried to compile a list of links which would help in better understanding.

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Retailers can no longer restrict themselves to the traditional brick-and-mortar but be open to idea of making their presence felt in reaching to their customer through various channels. These could beUsing one or more of these channels along with the brick-and-mortar is known as multi-channel retail.

Introduction -

The brick-and-mortar retail store allows direct face-to-face interaction with the customer. The overall experience of the customer interaction depends upon the availability of SKU, ambience of the store, layout of the store and most of all the personal skills of the employee interacting with the customer. The discerning customer of today is looking for more than just saving time and cost. The customer now wants more choice and knowledge of product which is easy to understand before taking a decision to buy. Technology has proved to be a great leveler with ecommerce and affordable smart phones and tablets have made it possible for the customer to be more knowledgeable and compare products before taking a decision within the comforts of their homes or office.

  • Own Ecommerce Portal which are compatible with desktop, laptop, tablet and smart-phones
  • Third party market place and ecommerce portals like EBay, Amazon, Flipchart, Snap deal and their like
  • Mobile Apps
  • In-Store Kiosks
  • Digital Signage
  • Call Centers
  • Social media
  • Direct Mailing, Email Marketing and SMS

Factors to Consider -

While considering multi-channel retail it is important we consider various factors associated with it. In addition we should also consider the customers overall experience in converting sales and ensuring a loyal customer.

Usability - The overall navigation and use of the channel should be customer friendly. For example - Use of mobile responsive site along with navigation, search, layout, proper use fonts and colour make the difference in ensuring the customer experience. Use of Short URL, QR code and Bar Code help in making the site more accessible. When physical devices such as Kiosks and Tablets are used it is important that they are responsive, rugged and protected from tampering. Tablet POS can be effectively used for queue bursting and also enable faster check out for the customer.

Relevant Content –The content should be relevant and should have a fresh look to gain the attention of the customer. The information should be correct, regularly updated and free from errors.

Security and Data Integrity –The security of customer data including credit card information, integrity of business transaction data should be ensured and visible. The customer should have the confidence while sharing information. Use of secure Wi-Fi, SSL, data encryption, monitoring of logs, backup of data and data access control provides the necessary confidence in ensuring this.

Ease of Management – The system should be easy to management. It should be possible to manage the content, product information, pricing at ease. This includes updates on multi-devices at multiple locations should be properly synchronized. Alerts and logs should be made available in event of any failure.

Integration of different channel – It is important to integrate the multiple channels consistent with the overall organization policy. There should not be any conflict in communication of information such as product information, pricing, return policy, availability of stock. Any discrimination between channels should be highlighted upfront for eg. Special discount offered to customer purchasing on the customer as compared to customer shopping at the store should be known in advance to avoid any conflict. Further the customer should be able to interact between the channels seamlessly and should be identified as the same person across the channel by accumulation and redemption of loyalty points, tracking the purchases and history at a single point. This would reduce the cost of interaction and enhance the overall experience of the customer.

Proper Review – Planned reviews should be done and improvement been carry forward to ensure relevance of the channels. Each channel should be reviewed independently along with an integrity approach to ensure it meets the organization overall business objective.

Benefits of Multi-Channel -

The multi-channel can help to bring in tangible and intangible benefits to the Retailer in the form of

  • Increasing Up-selling and Affinity products sales.
  • Reduce time with the customers thus freeing costly resources.
  • Reduce time taken for check-outs.
  • Integration of business data from all channels helps in ensuring proper visibility on performance of the channel to take prompt business decisions.
  • An Integrated multi-channel allows an omni-channel experience to customer where a product can be reviewed on the web and the physical delivery can be taken at the store or vice versa.
  • Increase in reach by allowing customer to purchase over the web and deliver it at the doorstep and ensuring the same customer service.
  • Data Collection to understand the customers taste and push relevant products and offers to the customers that help increases the sales.
  • Scaling of operation and management of peak foot falls at the store by providing incentive and free home delivery to the customer to use alternate channels.
  • Manage inventory better as the inventory can be maintained away from the premium store location.
  • Increase customer loyalty by providing easy to manage loyalty programs, referral programs and better delivery management.

Conclusion –

Multi-Channel retail, if implemented properly would bring in required benefits. This involves ensuring proper investment to the respective channels in the overall marketing plan of the organization and involving various stakeholders in making things happens which includes the employees, customers and vendors.

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Smart Phone, Tablets, Hand Held Terminals along with availability of 2G/ 3G / Wi-Fi internet connectivity has redefined the definition of mobility. The mobile phone is no longer just a communication device but is now a preferred device to access social media, email, data, m-commerce and running enterprise class application. Mobile Apps are now available for different purposes and retail can leverage the benefit to not all reach customers but also build enterprise solutions to address business needs.
The use cases for Mobile Application can be categorized as Customer Interface Application and Enterprise Interface Application.

Consumer Interface Application -

Mobile Application are been developed to reach customer and enhance their shopping experience. Some of the applications which are in use today are:

Interactive Shopping List – The interactive shopping list allows the customer to prepare, copy, modify a shopping list, share them with family and friends, allow them to place orders directly to the store and take home delivery. This interactive shopping list provides information of the promotion program run at the store and along with alerts based on history of purchases of the customer. Built in apps for scanning of QR code and Bar Code allow the customer to complete the shopping list faster and get more information of the product. The Retailer can run various engagement programs like contest, recipes, knowledge base etc… to ensure frequent visits by the customer to the application.

Mobile Responsive E-Commerce Site –With the preference to the customer to access internet been shifted from personal computer to the mobile the retailer are ensuring that their website and e-commerce application are mobile responsive.

In-store Mapping Service - Using beacons for mobile tracking the retailer can now identify the customer who visits the store. Based on the customer preference and past history the retailer can now push targeted promotion that work. However, while doing so the retailer should not ensure that the fine line of privacy should not be crossed and the customer feels comfortable with this channel of communication. The offers should be relevant and exiting for the customer.

Loyalty Program and Coupons - Retailer can now provide information on Loyalty Program run by the store through notification and alerts. The Loyalty Apps can allow for redemption. Referral Rewards through sharing of link and Mobile Coupons are increasingly popular.

Store Information - The customer can now reach a store along with the map and direction. Advertising the store location on different mapping application helps the customer reaching the store location.

Enterprise Interface Application -

Mobile Application are been developed to facilitate business activities in an effective manner. Some of the applications which are in use today are:

Inventory Management – Mobile application are increasingly used for maintaining and tracking inventory. The application can now be used to create item master, click and map images of products to the item master with ease, count the inventory. Real time tracking of inventory and bring efficiency to ordering cycle is now possible. The mobile apps can be integrated with the supply chain management system to place order directly.

Mobile Point of Sale –Mobile Point of Sales solution are increasingly used independently or integrated with the Enterprise POS or E-Commerce site. The Mobile POS can be used as a fixed terminal or can be carried by the in-store staff to facilitate the customer. It could have pre-loaded information of the products details so that the customer queries are answered along with placing the order for faster checkout.

In-store Mapping Service - Using beacons for mobile tracking the retailer can now identify the customer who visits the store. Based on the customer preference and past history the retailer can now push targeted promotion that work. However, while doing so the retailer should not ensure that the fine line of privacy should not be crossed and the customer feels comfortable with this channel of communication. The offers should be relevant and exiting for the customer.

Monitoring of Store - The retailer can view the store remotely on mobile device thus allowing them to keep track of the business even while they are away. They can view the store information live while connecting through the POS or through Dashboard Reports. They can also monitor the store or warehouse remotely by connecting to the cameras installed.

Training Application - Employees can be provided small capsules of training content related to customer management, operations management and self-development. This can be tracked, assessed and reviewed.

Factors to be considered while implementing mobile application

Following factors should be considered while implementing mobile application :

Ensure Content and Functionality – The content and functionality of the apps should be current and relevant. An app which is not engaging at the first instance is unlikely to get good customer feedback and would be rejected by them. It is important that proper thought has gone while considering the features of the apps. The roll out should be done only after achieving certain key functionality and engaging and contextual content.

Own vs. White Label vs. Co-branded vs. Outright vs. Subscription –A careful thought should be given in terms of integration with the overall business strategy and system before taking this decision. While taking a decision, the capability of the vendor in understanding the domain functionality, delivery time, integration with other system, implementation, training and support should be considered. Evaluation with regards to references of the vendor and the subscription model along with change request management and upgrade policy need to be done.

Native vs. Web App vs. Hybrid - The native apps makes the best use of the functionality of the mobile devices as they are installed on the mobile device itself. There may be challenges which needs be addressed to ensure proper installation, synchronization, security of data, reinstallation, data backup and updates. These are better handled in web-apps but then there is a heavy dependency on the internet connectivity. Mobile devices are basically personal device and role based security implementation may become a challenge and needs to be addressed on native apps. Further native apps are required to be built for their respective OS support which involves a lot of development cost and time. A hybrid option is now gaining popularity.

Data Access and Security - This need to be ensured especially in Enterprise Mobile Application where employees may download and have access to sensitive information. The access to such information should be terminated in event the employee leaves the organization / transferred to another department / location or in event the employee misplaces or changes the mobile device. Proper access logs should be maintained for tracking.

Proper Permission - Ensure that the customer / supplier / employee and other application users are informed and confirm to the tracking and privacy policy. The application design should ensure adherence to these policy.

Proper Testing – The application should be properly tested for each release. The test case and testing should be done for different devices based on the accepted form factor and OS for which the development has been done.

No fit all solution – A modular approach is a preferred option and each feature should be considered on its merits. Attempt should not be made to create an all in one system which becomes complex to manage.

Review – Regular reviews should be done and corrective taken as required.

 

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