Keeping up with the latest and greatest technology in the merchant marketplace might seem like a full-time job itself. When it comes to upgrading payment systems or integrating new software, the “to-do” list can seem intimidating.
Innovating at the point-of-sale can enable you to overcome these time-consuming tasks in a way that helps you free up your time and resources on what matters most; your customers. The question on many merchant’s minds, of course, is what features to look for in a payment platform to help them continually stay ahead of the curve.
In today’s digital age, it’s easy to let the physical point-of-sale get overlooked. But delivering your customers a transformative omnichannel experience starts with innovating at the POS. Here are a few ways you can get there.
Innovating at the Point-Of-Sale Through Better Storefront Management
The first step in transforming your POS is to find a solution that goes beyond simply payment processing. An all-in-one storefront management platform, such as 1stPayPOS Pro, fits the bill for many merchants. For business owners looking to innovate, this hi-tech solution may be the right choice due to it’s built-in flexibility and adaptability to your future needs.
Managing your POS transactions is a daily task, but it shouldn’t be a constant headache. Having a comprehensive storefront management platform integrated into your POS can help make your payment processing flow better into the rest of your business’ financial records. This simplifies inventory management and makes transaction reporting easier for your entire team.
Innovating at the Point-Of-Sale Through the Cloud
The next key piece is to rely on a cloud-based system that can consistently provide your POS up-to-date inventory, order history, and transactions details. This provides you a 360-degree view of your business’s transaction landscape and helps you better understand how your customers are engaging with your business.
Not only does a cloud-based system simplify your POS’ interface with easier operability, it delivers the maximum security protocols to keep the data of you and your customers safe. This type of hardware/software combination allows for your information to be backed up so you’ll never be without those vital records. It also provides up-to-the-minute access for your business’s key data and reporting.
Innovating at the Point-Of-Sale with Better Order History
As mentioned above, the right POS system can provide better inventory management. Where this really matters is for your order history and the ability to lookup items across your various commerce channels. Whether it’s connecting your off and online storefronts, or keeping your team up-to-date with what’s selling best, having the best insights into your business’ daily activity helps you stay on top of where your attention is needed most.
Having the flexibility to know what customers are ordering — including how, when and through which of your channels — is crucial in understanding where your resources should be best invested. When thinking about how you can innovate at the point-of-sale you must always consider how the features and functionality can align with your business’ growth needs.
Innovating at the Point-Of-Sale with More Payment Flexibility
Having a more sophisticated POS that allows your business to continually upgrade to integrate the latest technology will transform how you allow customers to pay. For example, with the right POS, your business can be equipped to accept emerging payment methods such as contactless and mobile. Instead of only accepting cash, credit, and debit, true innovation is going to where the market is headed.
In terms of payments methods, this is increasingly mobile. Many merchants haven’t made the leap simply because their old, outdated clunky payment systems never made it easy to accept these types of payments. With the right POS solution, your business won’t fall behind the curve. Innovating at the POS means innovating through more diverse payment methods.
Innovating at the Point-Of-Sale with Better Internal Management
Customers are your number one focus, but this doesn’t mean you can forget about employee management. The right POS solution will also have integrated staff management that allows them to track employee time, clock in/clock out activity, and to delegate this oversight to other leaders in your business by location. This makes a significant difference in your day-to-day operations.
Managing your business has many layers. This includes balancing the needs of customers with what your team members can deliver on a daily basis. The best way to do this is to use your POS system as your anchor for all things related to business activities and transactions. But the benefits don’t stop there. You can also leverage this technology to help your own internal management adapt in order to continually fit the needs of your evolving business.
