5 Features the Best Point of Sale Software Solutions Have in Common

What is the best point of sale (POS) software on the market today for retailers and hospitality companies? As stores, restaurants and other leisure destinations continue to be upgraded for millennial shoppers, it’s a common question business owners and IT teams are asking themselves.

The best POS software can be identified because it will typically have core features that make it either operationally useful for the businesses implementing it, or seamless and straightforward for consumers looking to make a transaction.

We’ve highlighted five features to look out for, below, explaining why it’s crucial your POS system ticks all these boxes.

1. Click, Click and Away
   It’s widely recognised that queues are a bugbear for many customers when visiting a store – our recent global research backs up that theory too. So, to keep up with the often one-click transactional speed of online retailing, it’s crucial businesses don’t hold up shoppers or diners at the POS.Payment is the final touchpoint a customer will have with your business – and the last chance to ensure they want to return again sometime soon. The best POS software will process transactions quickly and seamlessly, which is great for the customer and makes life easier for the cashier as well.
2. Comprehensive
   In the 21^st century there are so many ways for consumers to pay, and the best POS software will cater for the majority of them and come with no hardware handcuffs.Whether it’s a case of facilitating transactions using different currencies, aligning with the array of hardware available in today’s market, or supporting multiple fulfilment types – be it walk in, click & collect or returns – the need for a flexible POS has arguably never been greater.
3. Connected
   It goes without saying the best POS software solutions will have limited downtime, so they should offer the option of being hosted on-premise or in the cloud – and to work offline if needed – to ensure smooth running. But there’s another connectivity issue to consider here.In a world consisting of online sales, catalogue retailing, social selling and multiple points of purchase, the software at the POS in store must link up and integrate seamlessly with other central systems. This way, retailers and hospitality companies can maintain a real-time view of sales and inventory, which is great for business – and great for keeping customers in the know.
4.  Customisable
   Business never stands still – especially for customer-facing organisations that must adapt and reshape themselves to match the changing demands of a new generation of consumers every few years. For that reason, the best POS software must not sit still either.A customisable interface at the till or mobile till to reflect brand values, target audiences and new shopping or hospitality behaviours is hugely important for today’s retailers and hospitality organisations, which must slick and professional at all times.
5. Customer-Friendly
   Above everything else, the best POS software will be customer-friendly. By delivering the above four features, an organisation should achieve this over-arching aim – but customer-friendliness must become a built-in mindset.The old mantra that ‘the customer is always right’ has arguably evolved into every retailer and hospitality company needing to be customer-centric – and it’s a way of working rather than simply one business touchpoint. Customer centricity must be considered in terms of what a brand offers online, how it speaks to its consumers, and the product fulfilment options it provides, right the way through to the point of purchase in the store: where long-term customers are won and lost.

iVend Retail’s technology is built in a customer-centric way, so if you’re looking for the best POS software talk to our team today to find out how we can transform your business