What should you consider when choosing a cloud EPOS Platform?
Have you thought about which third party systems you may want to connect to?
No one wants to spend time copying sales figures from their EPOS system to their accounting package. A modern EPOS system should be able to feed this data out automatically. You will want an EPOS partner with experience of connecting to these external systems. Some development may be required to make these integrations work.
Will you need to import data from existing systems, such as products and pricing or loyalty scheme members?
Will your cloud application provider manage this and what is the cost? Have you the capability and available in-house resources to manage this? It’s important that you leave sufficient time between purchase decision and launch to achieve all of this.
Think about who your stakeholders are and what information they need?
Your EPOS systems reporting package is where you take the pulse of your business, running reports days or weeks after trading is of limited value, a cloud EPOS system should be able to give you live and accurate reports at any time of day from anywhere in the world.
Will this Cloud application provide new business intelligence?
This new information should be available in any format and you will want to be able to slice it and dice however you wish.
Can your cloud provider support the hardware required to run your business?
If you need to provide and maintain their own hardware this will negate some of the benefits of moving to the cloud in the first place.
Loyalty. What is the scope?
Loyalty systems can be as simple as “Buy nine coffees, get the tenth one free”, they can also be as complex as a clubcard system where customers can earn points on certain products and spend them on certain other products. Think about what you may want to offer here and pick a solution that can meet your requirements.
Contactless Payments
Contactless payments are a must, make sure your provider works with reputable chip and pin terminals.
What are the hardware considerations when choosing a Cloud EPOS system?
Even Cloud EPOS still needs hardware at the point of sale.
Can your provider supply suitable POS hardware and stand over it?
POS applications often need to run in hot, dusty and damp locations. They will run best on retail hardened equipment, designed to repel dust and moisture. This equipment should also be attractive enough to justify its position at front of house.
Who will install your new hardware?
Choosing a partner with a physical presence in Ireland means they can go to your site before launch and install your new EPOS on location.
If something breaks will someone be available to fix it at your retail location?
Will they carry spare parts or replacement tills? Your local retail staff may not be willing or able to fix hardware issues themselves if you take on responsibility for sourcing and maintaining your own choice of hardware.
If your partner does provide support in Ireland, where are they based and how many technicians do they have in Ireland?
You need to be sure that they can support your business in a timely manner.
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