Not sure where this goes, but since I’m asking for opinions I thought I’d start here.
I’ve trying to do a kind of favor for a friend of the family.
I’m in the computer software business (custom and package software for small businesses and particularly the aggregate hauling and service industry verticals), but I have had only a small exposure to Point of Sale software, which is her main need.
She currently has a small retail store, and has no automation at all, not even a computer with Quickbooks. Her business is growing, and she’s looking for POS and Inventory Control.
Software to run on a standard PC is probably cheaper than a dedicated touch screen POS terminal, but depending on the price, she could go either way I suppose.
I don’t think her needs are great. Some things I know she wants:
Barcode scanner input
Handle cash and billed customers
Take credit cards
Print receipts
Track sales and inventory levels
Ideally the software would integrate with the back end office accounting system, which will probably be Quickbooks. I think $1000 to $1500 is her budget. She would need just a single system.
Anybody have any experience with Point of Sale software and can recommend something?
She’s not currently using anything. She has asked about simple accounting software and I will probably recommend Quickbooks.
Given that, however, using Quickbooks POS makes sense and is at the top of my list currently. But since I haven’t laid eyes or hands on it, I wasn’t sure if it’s good, bad, or indifferent.
Have you used it at all? And if so, what do you think?
No, I’ve never used it (although I have used Quicken for years to manage my personal finances). I just thought it was the obvious solution when you’re already looking at Quickbooks. From looking at the website, I think it will fit the budget, even if you add some hardware.
Ok I have done a retail setup with Quickbooks POS, its actually pretty straightforward. The biggest pain in the ass was that the pole display that came with the Dell quickbooks POS package was a complete piece of shit with piss poor drivers that were erroring like Herman Long. If you go this route I would highly advise you to research another display.
Quickbooks does have a bit of a learning curve to it, you may want to help her seek out a quickbooks consultant to help with her onsite store setup if her accountant does not already do so.
It also bundles in decent basic inventory management and barcode label generation. Its easy once you get the hang of it. It can be setup to interface directly with a copy of standard quickbooks.
Warning: quickbooks POS is not an accounting system, just a POS front end that meshes seamlessly with a QB accounting software package.
You are looking at $1200-$1500 just in software, hardware can be had for any machine for about another $400-$500 (receipt printer, barcode scanner, pole display(grumble) if desired.
At the hospital we used Artisan POS in the gift shop. It’s easy enough that the elderly volunteers know how to use it. If you look at screen shots, it seems pretty lame up front. But i must admit it, it is some damn solid software. Better than the enterprise crap we use from McKesson.
drachillix and SlickRoenick thank you very much. This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.
drachillix, do you have any idea about the differences are between the Basic and Pro versions? Looking at the bullet list it looks like the only thing that might apply to my friend is the “Advanced Inventory Tools”, but I don’t see any detail on what is included.
SlickRoenick, I’m looking at their website now, thanks for the link.
The ones I have done were all pro, the basic probably does not include the inventory/purchase order generation functionality. It will do things like create suggested ordering based on sales.
Forvive my bias when I said “basic” inventory in my initial post. I was a supply chain analyst for several years, QB’s idea of “advanced” could be replicated by most heavy inventory folks in a few hours with a copy of MS Access. Its is still very useful and I would lean towards more functionality rather than save $100 on a one shot purchase and pine for better reporting later.