Scaling POS: The Importance of Integrating Two or More of Your Most Important IT Systems

Growth: it’s every retailer’s goal. Whether it’s a mom-and-pop shop opening a second location across town or a big-box chain with stores numbering in the thousands, retailers of all stripes and sizes want their businesses to grow. When it comes to expanding operations, point of sale (POS) solutions do much of the heavy lifting. But not all POS is created equal.

There are key features and functionalities that particularly equip some POS systems to aid retailers on their path to growth and expansion – and an important feature is the ability for your POS system to integrate with your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

Watch this video to learn more about how POS can improve the customer experiences you deliver.

“Open” for Business
Open-platform POS systems offer many benefits and advantages to growing retailers, but one of the biggest is that an open API allows developers to integrate your POS and your ERP systems. ERP-agnostic POS systems enable data exchanged automatically among all store systems and applications, including accounting, inventory, eCommerce, promotions, and CRM. This integration eliminates having to re-enter data, which is time-consuming and error-prone.

With integrated POS and ERP at the core of retail IT, your store systems will can integrate easily with third-party solutions. After all, no retailer wants to be left behind when competitors are getting ahead by adopting new tech such as people-counting software that offers critical data on store traffic or digital signage that engages shoppers with bright displays on product information, promotions, videos and other content. And you want to be prepared for advances in technology that are around the corner such as augmented reality and virtual reality applications for brand immersion experiences.

In essence, a POS platform with an open API ensures your system is future-proof and can accommodate new directions your business may take. A POS system that is truly scalable POS is designed for whatever your business needs will be tomorrow.

Extensibility
Is your POS solution rigid or flexible? How often do you find yourself saying, “I wish my POS could…”? Unfortunately, some POS platforms were built with a “walled garden” approach.” Truly scalable POS, however, lets retailers get their hands on the code and tweak it to their specifications when needed. Every retailer is different and as much as off-the-shelf POS software tries to accommodate all, many businesses demand a certain level of customization in order to truly manage the nuances of their specific vertical, whether that’s the optical industry or the restaurant world. Truly scalable POS doesn’t hold you back from what you want it to do.

Going Mobile
When you purchased your POS software, it’s entirely possible that mobile POS wasn’t yet a staple in retail. But now that handheld devices are downright commonplace among frontline retail store staff, you’re probably considering adding mobile POS to your operations.  As retail continues to move towards a customer-centric approach, it’s increasingly important for sales-floor staff to have POS functionality at their fingertips. The question is, however, does your entire store IT system support mobility? Truly scalable POS, which integrates with your ERP system, can accommodate new modules and functionality, such as putting the software onto small form-factor devices and enabling sales associates to access customer data, update inventory from mobile POS, and conduct payment transactions that are automatically shared with the accounting program.

Whatever Lies Ahead
Maybe the next step for your business is as simple as incorporating additional POS terminals or onboarding new users. Or perhaps you have big plans to expand into new areas or even grow internationally. Working with a scalable POS system made possible by integrated POS and ERP makes all of this a straightforward, painless process. No matter how big or small your plans are, a purpose-built platform can scale along with you.

When considering an investment in new technology, be sure that the software meets your needs today — and is feature-rich to exceed your demands tomorrow. Insist on an ERP-agnostic, scalable POS system that will enable you to build a unified, powerful retail management system, positioning your business for growth and competitiveness in a fast-changing environment.

For more on this topic, download our e-book 4 Ways Retailers Can Use Technology to Thrive in the Face of Industry Disruption.