4.
Re: Retail gift shop needs POS-Inventory Mgt. System Jun 30, 2008 1:18 PM
mtolleson: I don't sell software so I have no dog in this fight! I have helped companies select the best software for their business and I'll give you some advise based on my experience.
Don't know how robust your business is since the fire so this might be a great opportunity to
assess your total business needs and find a 'business solution' that will successfully work for you today and 5 years or more down the road. This assessment will be the best source of determining what software you really need and which approach to take. It will save you money and time in the long run.
The two approaches you face are:
1) purchase an add-on to your existing system (QB); and 2) purchase a
new system. An advantage to adding on to your existing system is that you are only changing one aspect of your business (inventory management). The disadvantage is that it may not give you the best solution to your overall needs. The advantage of a new system is that it can give you everything you need/want in one clean package that is integrated and designed for your business. The disadvantage is that you must evaluate several packages to make the correct choice. This is time consuming.
Here are some thoughts to keep in mind either way.
1. Utility. What does your business need? Right now you have identified the need for inventory management due to the fire. You probably needed it long before the fire but only realized it now. Are there other needs that will improve your business down the road, POS, payroll, customer management/contact, web-enabled store front, improved accounting, purchasing? It is best to identify all of your needs now since you are really "starting over" with your operations (or so it seems). The last thing you want to be doing is figuring out what new software you need every year.
2. Compatibility. You will make life much easier on yourself if you use the products from the same vendor (like QB). Often vendors who specialize in one particular venue (like QB specializes in accounting) create add-on packages that can be integrated nicely with their main products. They can be very good. They can also miss the mark as far as functionality because they are "second thoughts" to maintain their customer base and they don't always have the expertise to design a robust add-on product. Add-on never work perfectly. Look for that "total package" that meets your business needs today & tomorrow.
3. Ease of use. No matter how great the product, if it is too tough to use no one will like it. It should fit your business style and not require you to do things differently just to meet the needs of the software. Ease of use is critical if you have more than one person operating the software. I wouldn't make this the #1 criterion but it would be in the top 5.
4. Functionality. It doesn't make much sense to use software if it doesn't do what you need done. What ever course you select, make sure that it does what you need. Most business owners later regret taking 75% to 80% of what they really need.
Hope this helps.
