A new EPOS system: Matching it to your business

Once you have finally made a choice and paid a deposit on a new EPOS system, the implementation process starts. Most EPOS software is highly configurable to match various different business needs, however sometimes things aren't quite the way you want them.

A common reason for difficulties in EPOS system implementation in small retail businesses arises when the software works one way, but your business is used to working another way.

Very often the EPOS software contains all the functions that you need to run your business, however, they are not always arranged in a perfect match for your existing business processes. Perhaps you currently like to record the serial numbers when you pick stock, but the new EPOS system wants to do this at a different stage in the workflow, and this does not match your business process.

These situations after create friction between the established process and the new software - leading to bad feeling, and staff finding excuses to dislike the new system (mind you, they probably disliked it from the day decided to replace the existing one!). Retail EPOS solution projects often go bad because of an accumulation of such little things.

It is of vital importance for you, as the owner of the small retail business to work with the EPOS solution provider. This not only means that you have to clearly tell them your requirements, but also, you need to be willing the review your existing business processes and change them to match the way the EPOS software currently works.

Although you can pay for development to have the EPOS software changed, it is often wiser to make changes to your business processes to help fit the EPOS system.

The entire company needs to take this on board, and see the new EPOS system as an opportunity for change. Only by starting with the right attitude from the outset, will you have success. Most EPOS software works a particular way, and you'll often find that this is the best way. Trying to shoe-horn a square peg into a round hole will not work - you'll end up with a mess - unless you remember that both the peg and the hole can be re-shaped!

One word of warning however, if you start to rely on your EPOS software provider to provider business analysis, and you keep changing your mind, you're going to get some nasty bills! Some solution providers are good at this process, whilst others are so bad they don't even realise it is an issue. When talking to reference sites, don't just ask if the software works, ask how good the solution provider was at doing the implementation.

So remember - a new EPOS system is an excuse to review all your business processes and adopt more modern and efficient methods of doing things. But keep a close eye on the costs!