Search Through 368 POS / Retail Management Software Systems and Find Your BEST Choices in Minutes (DEMO)

NOTE: This is a DEMO of the search tool included in our buyers guide.

This is a tool that allows you to plug in your needs and see a list of POS systems that match those needs. It literally allows you to search through hundreds of POS systems and logically narrow down your choices to just a handful.

It should save you an enormous amount of time and make it easy to come up with your "short list" of software programs to evaluate.

You also have the option to do a simple side-by-side comparison of the POS systems that fit your needs.

If you have any questions about using this tool or if you have any suggestions, please drop us a message.

To build your "short list", please answer the following questions and you'll instantly see which POS systems best match your needs:

1. What type of business do you have?
We suggest that you start by selecting your specific type of business below and review your matches. Then select the "General Merchandise" category and see if any of those systems match your needs.

2. Which "tier" best matches your situation?
We suggest that you read each "tier" description closely and experiment with different selections to find your best fit. Some retailers need to move up or down, depending on their needs.

	Tier 5 - Shrink Wrap Market: POS software packages in this tier will cost around $200 to $1,500 for 1 to 5 computer users. The training and implementation of the software is generally done in-house - to keep costs down. You can often find these systems bundled with hardware and sold on the internet. Retailers that choose software in this category usually range in size of 1 to 20 employees with annual revenue of $0 to $3 million.
	Tier 4 - Lower Market: POS software packages will cost around $1500 to $75,000 for 1 to 40 computer users. The implementation costs are usually .5 to 2 times the cost of the software. Retailers that choose software in this category usually range in size of 1 to 100 employees with annual revenue of $.5 to $50 million. These are smaller companies that have outgrown the Tier 5 solution.
	Tier 3 - Mid Market: POS software packages will cost around $25,000 to $250,000 for 5 to 200 computer users. The implementation costs are usually .75 to 5 times the cost of the software. Retailers that choose software in this category usually range in size of 50 to 1000 employees with annual revenue of $25 million to $250 million.
	Tier 2 - Upper Market: POS software packages will cost around $250,000 to $1.5 million for 30 to 1000 computer users. The implementation costs are usually 2 to 4 times the cost of the software. Retailers that choose software in this category usually range in size of 1000+ employees with annual revenue of $100 million to $500 million.
	Tier 1 - Enterprise: POS software packages will cost around $750,000 and up. The implementation costs are usually 3 to 10 times the cost of the software. Retailers that choose software in this category usually range in size of 2000+ employees with annual revenue of over $250 million.

If you fall into the Tier 1, 2, or 3 categories, you're solution will be very complex and beyond the scope of this guide. Most businesses of this size utilize consultants to help them define criteria and select software. To learn about the availability of these services go to: http://www.possoftwareguide.com/selectionservices.html

3. Where is your business located?

	United States
	Canada
	Africa
	Asia
	Southeast Asia (including the Far East and Japan)
	Australia / New Zealand
	Europe (east, central, and south)
	Europe (west and north, including the United Kingdom)
	Latin America (Mexico, Central America, and South America)
	Middle East

4. What operating system(s) do you prefer?
* Unless you have specific reasons to choose an operating system, we suggest skipping this question and leaving these unchecked.

	DOS
	Windows
	Unix
	Linux
	MAC
	Java
	Dot NET
	Web-based
	AS400 / IBM iSeries
	Proprietary

5. Which database(s) do you prefer?
* You'll probably want to skip this question too. This question is only important to certain technical individuals with unique requirements. Unless you have specific reasons to choose, we suggest skipping this question and leaving these unchecked.

	4D
	Adabas
	Adaptive Server Enterprise
	Apache Derby
	Corel Paradox
	C-tree
	Dataflex
	Dataphor
	DB2
	FileMaker
	Firebird
	Helix database
	HSQLDB
	Cloudscape
	Information Management System
	Informix
	Ingres
	Interbase
	Intersystem Cache

	Kx
	Microsoft Access
	Microsoft SQL Server
	Microsoft FoxPro
	MySQL
	Netezza
	OpenOffice Base
	Oracle
	OpenLink Virtuoso
	Pervasive SQL
	PostgreSQL
	Progress
	Rel (DBMS)
	SQLite
	Sybase SQL
	Teradata
	VistaDB
	Other Server Based Database
	Other Desktop Based Database

6. What are your required software features?
* We recommend that you start by only selecting features that you must have. You'll find that these selections will quickly shorten your list and sometimes eliminate very good POS systems that perhaps only lack one feature that is important to you.

Point of Sale (POS)

	Bar code scanning at the POS
	Integrated credit card processing/authorization from the POS
	Ability to issue, track, and redeem gift certificates from the POS
	Customer loyalty card support (ability to swipe and authorize loyalty cards at POS)
	Frequent buyer program support (ability to track points for each customer)
	Issue, track, and redeem gift cards at POS
	Create, track, and view quotes from POS
	Integrated gift registry system
	Create work orders (repair/service orders)
	Create and track customers (name, address, email, etc)
	Track and calculate commissions for each sales person
	Marketing promotion & advertising campaign tracking (track promotions at the POS so you can tell which ads pull the best)

Inventory

	Track inventory by category/classification
	Track inventory by department
	Track inventory by matrix or color/size tables (at least 250 tables)
	Track inventory by serial number
	Support kits (allows you to group products together and sell them all at once)
	Handle gasoline pricing (to 3 decimal places)
	Consignment inventory tracking
	Handle special order tracking
	Automatic purchase order generation based on order levels
	Interface to a 3rd party Open to Buy Planning application
	Integrated (built in) Open to Buy Planning module

Accounting & Bookkeeping

	Integrated (built in) accounts receivable module
	Integrated (built in) accounts payable module
	Integrated (built in) bank reconciliation
	Integrated (built in) general ledger module
	Integrated (built in) payroll module
	Interface to QuickBooks Accounting software
	Interface to Peachtree Accounting software
	Interface to MYOB Accounting software
	Interface to MAS 90 Accounting software
	Interface to Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains) Accounting software
	Interface to Simply Accounting software

General

	Report generator / writer (ability to create custom reports)
	Ability to create mailing lists based on customer demographics and sales history
	Customer activity scheduling (ability to schedule phone calls, appointments, and tasks for customers)
	Password protection security for each module
	Touch screen capabilities
	ODBC compliant database (allows you to connect and read the database from other applications like Access, Crystal Reports, etc.)
	Multi user (network) support
	Network fail safe features (ability to keep ringing sales when network is down)
	Multi-store data sharing features (ability to share, view, and update various database information from more than one store location)

Peripherals

	Cash drawer support (pops drawer automatically)
	Signature capture pad support (for credit card approval)
	Stores digital receipt and signature for future retrieval/reprint
	Integrated weighing scale (sends the weight of an item to the POS)
	Pole display (displays purchase information for the customer to see)
	Receipt printer support
	Bar code printer (generates barcodes for scanning at POS)
	Supports portable hand-held terminals for physical inventory counting
	Supports portable hand-held terminals for invoicing/order entry
	Integrated MICR check verification support (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition)

eCommerce / Shopping Cart Interface

	Ability to import eCommerce orders from the website into the POS system
	Ability to export inventory information (product number, description, on-hand quantity, price) from the POS software to the website shopping cart
	Orders and inventory are updated automatically in real-time (updated almost instantly and does not require manual importing/exporting)
	Ablity to integrate with Yahoo Stores

Restaurant Industry Features

	Supports Kitchen Video Display
	Menu Management Module
	Drink Management Module & Reporting
	Reservations and Seating Management Module
	Ability to Split/Combine Bills
	Take-out/Delivery Service Management
	CallerID Integration
	Delivery Dispatch & Routing
	Labor scheduler and Management Module

Additional Modules

	Integrated (built in) work order & service management module (robust work order module that includes ability to track symptoms, requested repairs, work order status, completed repairs, technician, requested service date, delivery date, and so on.)
	Integrated rental & reservations module
	Integrated service scheduling calendar (ability to schedule services like massages, repairs, on-site services, hair cuts, etc.)