How user-interface design of your POS system can stand in the way of your productivity

There is nothing more stressful for a shop assistant than a row of customers who are impatiently waiting to be served. Smooth operation of your POS system is therefore crucial. There are many different factors that influence this and all of them have an impact on your productivity in one way or another.

A POS system is more than an app

Unlike most apps, the ultimate goal of a POS application is not in the app itself, but the intended end result does not take place outside of that, in the physical world. That is an important element to recognize. While in the most traditional apps the ultimate goal is to correctly handle user input and return the resulting data, the end result of a POS application will affect other non-users, namely your customers.

And that is a crucial difference. Because while in the first case compromises can be made in speed and sometimes better data processing is possible, this is excluded with a POS system; speed and ergonomics of the application are crucial because they will have a direct impact on customer satisfaction. That is important for designers to know and realize and to take into account when designing the system.

That this goes beyond pure software and the user interface may be clear. The general performance of the cash register is also influenced by many other factors; the processor speed of your hardware (checkout terminal), the internet connection, the flawless integration with the cash drawer, the ticket printer and the payment terminal, … they all impact the customer experience, the number of transactions you can process per hour and thus ultimately your turnover and profit.

More than just checkout

At a modern POS terminal, you do of course much more than just a purchase checkout. It is the center in which you arrange that you get a full 360 ° view and keep it on your customers. Creating or updating the customer card, easily awarding discounts and promotions, communicating and processing possible credits, earned through the customer loyalty system you have set up, verifying the email address and sending it by the customer more and more desired e-ticket, … these are all things that need to seamlessly support a modern POS system and this as easy as possible for the store clerks.

Omnichannel task list

But every modern retailer is of course not blind to the extra possibilities and the necessity of a webshop. eCommerce can no longer be ignored in the world of contemporary retail. And in order to provide maximum service and to ensure that you can optimally serve your commerce customers, your POS system must be fully integrated with your webshop.

Orders that come in and from the store stock or the underlying warehouse must be delivered or prepared for a ‘store pick-up’, the real-time visualization of your global stock and detail per shop, your loyalty system also online … these are all things that affect the ergonomics of the store clerks but also customer satisfaction. These tasks must, therefore, be automatically generated within the central system. That list must, therefore, be offered for the right employees at the right place and at the right time so that they can execute the full-time in good time.

Wisesmall Omnichannel

At Wisesmall, we are strongly committed to have built an efficient omnichannel system for the modern retailer. A lot of attention is given to the usability for the store staff, we give the retailer all possibilities in terms of integrations and it is transparently linked to your webshop that you manage from 1 central system. You can give a call if you want to get to know more in detail about the constantly increasing number of functions and possibilities because at wisesmallbusiness.com they are constantly growing with new releases every month that add functionality and configuration options.