A great number of businesses all over the world are trading in their old cash drawers and legacy point of sale systems for a smarter solution. The use of iPad POS software has grown in popularity and demand, particularly for smaller retailers who are noticing the multitude of benefits afforded by these newer systems.
Despite being far superior to traditional point of sale methods, they do have their own shortcomings, particularly for business owners that are in need of a complete business management system, which a single-purpose iPad POS software cannot provide.
As a result, integrating multiple software has become standard practice in order to compensate for the lack of key elements needed for a growing business, such as staff management, stock control, or accounting. However, integrating several apps, most of which were not designed to supplement other software and which were written by different programmers for different purposes, is akin to forcing mismatched jigsaw pieces together and hoping for a discernible image.
Integrating multiple software with an iPad POS system can cause a number of issues for the user, particularly relating to speed, reliability and data security. Connections need to be established and maintained so that various apps may communicate with one another and exchange the necessary information, such as sending sales data from the point of sale to the accounting application.
One small software bug from any of these apps can cause the entire integration to break down, leaving business owners without a working system and crippling business operation. Another disadvantage of integrating is the multiple outlay costs, whereby users must pay several monthly subscriptions to use the various applications.
Lack of Accountability
The level of customer support is something every business owner should consider when upgrading their point of sale, for both legacy systems and an iPad POS solution. The legacy systems are generally quite rudimentary in terms of functionality compared with a mobile POS, and usually offer an out-dated method of support, whereby a technician would physically come to your store and manually fix the problem.
This differs with an iPad POS software, where problems can be solved remotely and quickly. However, when you have various apps integrated into your iPad point of sale, and a breakdown occurs, it’s not always clear which software is causing the problem, and the blame can be thrown from one company to another, with none accepting responsibility.
A Solution to the Problem
The next generation of business software, known as Modular Business Management Applications, may provide a solution to the problems associated with integration. An MBMA contains a system of modules, each dedicated to running a different component of business operation – one module for the POS, another to manage customers, and so on. The introduction of the smartphone eliminated the need for people to carry several peripheral devices, such as a camera, maps, as well as a standalone phone. Similarly, an MBMA, such as Tillpoint, has modules that covers the requirements of any business, removing the need to integrate several pieces of business software. This also has the benefit of being highly cost-effective as only one outlay cost is required from the user, instead of several.
Tillpoint is the the cloud-based MBMA that enables retailers, bars and restaurants to manage and run all facets of business operation, with access to powerful data intelligence.
