1. Product/Service & Distribution P.O.S. System Nick Mercuro, Evan Klipple, Austin Moore

2. P.O.S. Systems  P.O.S stands for “point of sale”.  At the core of these systems are a standard- issue computers running specialized POS software, usually with a cash draw (cash registers).

3. P.O.S. Systems  Newer inventory software programs let you track usage, monitor changes in the unit dollar cost, calculate when you need to re-order, and analyze inventory levels on an item- by-item basis.  P.O.S. software records each sale when it happens, so your inventory records are always up-to-date.

4. What can P.O.S. Software Systems Do?  You can analyze sales data, figure out how well all the items on your shelves sell, and adjust purchasing levels accordingly.  You can maintain a sales history to help adjust your buying decisions for seasonal purchasing trends.  You can improve pricing accuracy by integrating bar- code scanners and credit card authorization ability with the POS system.

5. P.O.S. System Features To Consider Ease of Use Entry Of Sales Information Pricing Update Production Information Sale Tracking Options Security Taxes Tracking Systems

6. Ease of Use  Look for software with a user-friendly graphical interface

7. Entry Of Sales Information  Most systems allow you to enter inventory codes either manually or automatically via a bar-code scanner. Once the inventory code is entered, the systems call up the standard or sales price, compute the price at multiple quantities and provide a running total. Many systems make it easy to enter sales manually when needed by letting you search for inventory codes based on a partial merchandise number, description, manufacturing code or vendor.

8. Pricing  POS systems generally offer a variety of ways to keep track of pricing, including add-on amounts, percentage of cost, margin percentage and custom formulas. For example, if you provide volume discounts, you can set up multiple prices for each item.

9. Updating Product Information  Once a sale is entered, these systems automatically update inventory and accounts receivable records.

10. Sales Tacking Options  Different businesses get paid in different ways.  There are tracking programs which have loan calculators that tabulate monthly payments.  There are other systems which follow where your money and items go so that you know if they arrived safely.

11. Security  In retail, it's important to keep tight control over cash receipts to prevent theft. Most of these systems provide audit trails so you can trace any problems.

12. Taxes  Many POS systems can support numerous tax rates-useful if you run a mail order business and need to deal with taxes for more than one state.

13. Tracking Shrinkage  A P.O.S. system reduces theft, shrinkage, and waste.  You can track the sales of all your merchandise with a P.O.S. system so it is easy to see where your merchandise is going.  You can see if there have been unauthorized discounts or sales.  You can also see if items are being stolen by employees or customers.