Tower Blog

We are hosting a FREE user meeting for newsagents using the NewsPOS newsagency management software in Brisbane on May 28.

• WHEN: Monday May 28 @ 1pm (for 2 hours)
• WHERE: Brisbane Riverview Hotel. Cnr Kingsford-Smith Drive & Hunt St, Hamilton QLD
• FOOD & PARKING: Refreshments provided and free parking.

At the meeting we will have one of our NewsPOS trained experts there to answer questions.  We will also take the opportunity to show off the Tower software. We will update you on industry IT standards and offer some insights into newsagency growth opportunities we see in our work with newsagents.

We want to ensure that you can see our commitment to the NewsPOS user community and answer any questions you may have.

To book, please click here. You can bring as many people as you would like.

Thanks to smart management tools in our homewares business software, proactive homewares retailers are able to leverage opportunities and thereby drive sales. They can do this by using valuable business data with is at their fingertips from wherever they want, whenever they want. From sales data to supplier performance data to customer engagement data to sales person performance data, the performance of the business is there for them to see, analyse and leverage.

Take sales person performance data, we know from our work with homewares retailers that sales people play vital role in the success or otherwise of any homewares business. A good sales person can turn an average permroning product into a runaway success for the business.

Our homewares business management software provides homewares business owners and their managers with vital performance data by sales person, data which can be used to motivate and reward employees to achieve even more for the business. Some of our clients use these facilities for rewarding employees with a bonus based on sales achieved above a target, others use the data at employment review time and others use the data to guide roster decisions.

Having easy access to employee performance can significantly improve the sales and overall financial returns achieved by the homewares business and this is just one of many ways our homewares management software helps homewares businesses to drive sales, cut costs and improve the overall value of the business.

Beyond providing good software, Tower Systems provides access to training and business advice to help retail partners to leverage the technology investment for the business both in operational as well as financial terms. This is another way we help homewares business owners.  beyond selling and supporting our software, we provide many free opportunities for making the most from the investment – long after the system is installed and paid for.

As part of our small business software support assistance we dig deep into business performance data, assessing retail business operations, looking for sales and other growth opportunities. Sometimes, like today, this brings up valuable opportunity for one of our retail partners.

An hour of our time was all it took to get the data together to show a retailer some changes they could make which will certainly add more than $50,000 to their turnover over the next twelve months. This will deliver at least $25,000 in gross profit. Not a bad day’s work for a Point of sale software company for just one of our customers.

This is what we do, add value beyond traditional software support. Unlock opportunities, beyond the usual help desk call. Make a business more profitable, beyond what retailers expect from a software partner.

We love retail in part because many of us come from retail and some of us own retail businesses today. It’s this affinity which makes a different, and more valuable, Point of Sale software company.

Jewellers like to win customers for more than a single sale. Ideally, they win customers for life or certainly many years. Through innovative design of their products, excellent customer service, attention to detail and value product offerings, jewellers win shoppers for many years, sometimes even beyond a generation.

Jewellers using the Jewellery business software from Tower Systems are able to leverage their own innovation with business management tools and practices which reinforce their good work. Our jeweller specific retail business management software helps jewellers win customers for life. Our software offers a range of tools for nurturing customer relationships. Here are some of them…

1. Loyalty marketing including rewards points.
2. Customer history tracking and reporting.
3. Customer database cultivation – email, txt and other.
4. Cross and up selling during sale.
5. Product adjacency guidance.
6. Coupons on receipts.
7. Receipt flexibility including high-end attractive receipts designed for premium luxury businesses.
8. Sales person management and tracking – rewarding the sales people who reward the business.

There are many ways our Jeweller management software serves businesses, helping them focus on their customer relationships and thereby encouraging the shoppers to return again and again to the business. While product is important, so are back office and sales counter processes – they help give the shoppers experiences which they come to trust and respect.

We are grateful to the jewellers who share their ideas and thoughts with us, ideas and thoughts which help us continue to evolve our jeweller software.

We have entered a time of consolidation of Point of Sale software development and sales companies in Australia. We are in the middle of this at Tower Systems having completed one acquisition last months and getting close to announcing another this week.

Software companies with fewer than 500 customers in a niche marketplace will struggle to keep up with developments in the marketplace. This will impact negatively on the benefits they can deliver to their existing customers. It will also make it hard for them to lift customer numbers to a sustainable level.

Software development is expensive yet vital for software companies that want to grow market share and efficiency.

Serving in excess of 2,500 retailers and leading in several marketplaces, Tower Systems is pleased to have the customer base, technical leadership and market share necessary to deliver leadership outcomes to our customers and to place us well through this consolidation.

Two new advice sheets just published are set to help retailers drive more value from their Tower Systems Point of Sale software. G73 – Monthly Sales Comparison report and G74 Ranked Sales Report provide practical how to advice on running these retail management reports as well as business insights into how the reports can be used by retailers and their employees.

A point of difference for Tower Systems is the practical assistance it provides its POS software users in extracting genuine value for their businesses through more complete and proper use of the software. This practical assistance is in the form of the ever expanding advice sheet suite as well as through our training videos, help desk as well as management assistance in reviewing business performance.

While running the Monthly Sales Comparison Report and the Ranked Sales Report is simple, each has options which when used can take the reports to a higher level. This is where step by step advice can be of genuine assistance.

We want retailers using our Point of Sale software to be above average. To achieve this goal we, as a software company, need to be above average. This is a reason why we continue to enhance the range box advice sheets we provide to our customers.

There is a considerable difference between software companies in any marketplace. One way to compare is the post sale customer service advice and assistance they provide and the regularity of enhancement of this advice. We welcome such comparison.

Tower Systems is set to commence providing technology related business advice for a new blog established by the Australian Gift & Homewares Association.

Thanks to the work we do with gift and homewares retailers and suppliers across Australia we are well resourced to provide advice across a broad range of areas.

We are looking forward to dialogue with more retailers in the gift and homewares retail channels.

Our first blog post will be ready for publishing later this week. It will focus on an issue of vital importance to gift and homewares retailers, an issue which goes to the bottom line of every business.

Thanks to easy to arrange finance through the respected Flexirent organisation, retailers are able to organise various forms of finance for business equipment to host our Point of Sale software.

The latest offer from Flexirent offering two months rent free is proving to be popular as it delays the start of payments in addition to respecting retail business cash-flow challenges.

While we are agnostic about how our customers fund their Point of sale systems, we do like the Flexirent offer because pod the speed with which they get approvals and the simple process of formalising the financing agreement. They make it easy for everyone.

One way bricks and mortar retailers can demonstrate value of the physical shop over an online business is through customer service around handling customer special orders.

Face to face contact offers easier exploration of special interests which can lead to a one-off order being placed. This is challenging with online businesses. While some online businesses offer live customer service, many do not. Many do not accept special orders.

Using our the various vertical market versions of our Point of Sale software, jewellers, bike retailers, homewares shops, gift shops and garden centres are able to easily handle customer special orders. We offer a range of flexibility in handling these. Indeed, our handling of customer special orders has just been further enhanced thanks to insights provided by some of our customers.

The latest customer special orders software enhancements will be in the next update to our software. Our work in this and other areas is proof of our commitment to continual improvement of our software and the continual enhancement of the value our customers can extract from using our software.

Customer special orders are often for higher end, more valuable products. This is another reason to ensure that the process of managing the orders is tight and streamlined and focused on the customer outcome. Having software which is attuned to these business goals can help a retailer focused on special customer service to leverage the opportunity for commercial benefit and for customer satisfaction.

This is an area of our software where the needs of jewellers, bike retailers, homewares shops, gift shops and garden centres aligns, where we are able to have a common software facility for each of these vertical markets. What we have learnt from each of the marketplaces applies to the others.

Helping bricks and mortar retailers redefine their value proposition is something we have been focused on here at Tower Systems for some time. By leveraging the points of difference of live face to face service, retailers can grow in the face of increased competition from online businesses. Our retail management software helps with this. The extent of help will continue to evolve as opportunities become available to us.

Tower Systems is proud to be offering more free online training workshops for users of our Point of Sale software this week:

• Best practice for Magazine Management 15 May 2012, 11:00AM
• Getting started with Repairs 15 May 2012, 02:00PM
• How to Stocktake 17 May 2012, 11:00AM
• General Q&A session 17 May 2012, 02:00PM

Each training workshop will be live and interactive. The sessions are designed for people using our software. This is why we make them accessible from any PC so that employees can access the training from home and in their own time.

Australian retailers are in the middle to a sales boost today serving last-minute shoppers for Mother’s Day cards and gifts. Retailers using the Tower Systems Point of Sale software across multiple retail channels are making the most of the opportunity.

Thanks to the smart retail business reporting tools, our retail customers have been able to target growth opportunities by unlocking sales trends. This helps drive shopper basket depth.

Our up-sell tools also help drive basket depth.

Using our gift card facilities retailers are able to sell today something which the gift recipient can choose tomorrow or at a later time … gift card balances are easily managed by the software.

Promoting other products and services to the Mother’s Day shoppers using our smart marketing tools can help attract people back to the business another day.

Handling a considerable increase in shopper traffic without needing to increase labour costs helps a retail business make the most of seasons like Mother’s Day. Our retail management software helps retailers do this with efficiency tools.

We know from retailer feedback already that Mother’s Day 2012 is trending well … some very good numbers have come in already!

We are thrilled to have installed our thirtieth garden centre software system. For a marketplace we have been in for less the  two years and to which we have sent minimal marketing this is an extraordinary achievement.

We are loving garden centres, the people we are meeting, the business processes we are learning and the business development knowledge we are gaining, especially the knowledge which applies to all businesses.

Our garden centre software continues to evolve as does our software for other specialist marketplaces as we reflect on the learnings from proactive and evolving garden centre businesses.

Tower Systems is the only newsagency software company supporting Victorian newsagents tonight at their annual awards dinner by being a financial sponsor.

In addition to supporting newsagents in many practical ways, Tower is also a financial sponsor of VANA and the awards function.

Tower Systems Managing Director Mark Fletcher was a guest speaker at the GNS National sales Conference in the Hunter Valley in NSW earlier this week. GNS is the largest supplier of stationery to newsagents.

The presentation provided an opportunity to share insights and opportunities relating to newsagency businesses and to explore how some newsagencies are evolving from the traditional model.

Being the only software company representative at the conference presented Tower with another example to demonstrate its leadership in the newsagency channel and with newsagent suppliers.

The National Sales Conference provided the GNS team with time out of the business to reflect on trends, connect with suppliers, network internals and discuss plans for the future. It’s an excellent investment in their business.

Tower Systems is the leading supplier of newsagency software in Australia. Serving in excess of 1,800 newsagents, the company has a proud reputation of leadership in technology, business practices and business strategy.

Thanks to the generosity of the Coca Cola company our kitchen now boasts a spanking new Coke fridge. This will hold Coke and other products from the company which are available to team members for quenching thirst through the day.

We work with Coke on a number of levels and in a variety of channels so stocking their products in-house was a natural extension.

Like our top of the line Nespresso coffee machine, having Coke, a good range of food (including healthy options) and a range of teas and other beverages is important in a busy software company.

We have been successful in hiring another programmer to join our in-house Point of Sale software development team.

This is a welcome expansion to our software development group which will result in a further expansion of an already robust software enhancement and extension process.

We are working on some very cool additional functionality for the software and being able to expand the team with the right skills has come at a good time for this work.

Software is our key asset and the value of the asset will grow with the growth of our development team.

Gift shops using our gift shop software are making the most of sales opportunities this Mother’s Day and with every sale, gift shop retailers are building their database of who is buying what and what is selling. This seasonal sales data is then used to better inform the retail businesses about opportunities for the further development of the business.

History has shown that gift shops using software to manage operations and guide business decisions are better positioned for a brighter future. Tower Systems helps drive this by providing gift shop customers with assistance beyond what is traditional for a software company, assistance in the form of business insights, supplier links and other benefits tailored for gift shop owners to help then drive the value they achieve from their businesses.

Mother’s Day is in the top three gift buying seasons of the year. Good software is helping gift shop owners to make the most of the seasonal opportunity.

For years Tower Systems has provided a business health check service to retailers using our Point of Sale software. This free service involved our experts in analysing business performance data and providing insights and suggestions around business performance.

The service has unlocked theft, presented business growth opportunities and proved successes to some who were not so sure about their success.

The honest advice provided as part of the service is unique in terms of Point of Sale software company service. It goes way beyond the traditional help desk service. It draws on our practical experience in operating retail businesses and the broad range of retail businesses in which we serve.

A key benefit of the service is the review it provides over how the business is using the computer system. Often our feedback can advise ways retailers can get more from their technology investment. This adds value of the retail businesses.

We are honoured by the opportunities retailers engaging with this service provide us. We are grateful for the opportunity to help and the learnings we achieve.

Point of Sale software company Tower Systems has published a new Advice Sheet for users of its POS software. Advice sheet G75 provides fresh peer-reviewed advice on reprinting labels using the software.

This advice is useful for any retailer using the Tower software in any retail channel.

Tower Systems has more than 200 Advice Sheets available at its website offering users access to professional quality easy to follow documentation.

Tower Systems is receiving kudos for its approach to webstore Point of Sale software integration following the launch of the latest version of this software recently.

By working with retailers in a range of circumstances and connecting to different webstore e-commerce solutions, the company has delivered a genuinely flexible offering, helping bricks and mortar retailers to better connect these businesses with web based businesses.

Backed with comprehensive documentation and support, the POS software webstore integration is proving to be a sales winner with retailers keen to tap into a best-practice solution to an important goal for growth focussed retailers.

As part of what we are now delivering from our switch to the Sugar Professional CRM solution, emails sent to customers following the resolution of a help desk call include the text recorded by our help desk team members in our system on the actual resolution.

Sharing this information with our customers provides transparency. It also presents them with an opportunity to challenge the resolution, in case there is a disconnect between our position and their take away from the call.

Further, by emailing the resolution advice our customer is able to share the information with others in the business using the software. With more than 50% of calls really being about accessing training over the phone, having a record of the advice can be particularly useful.

The feedback from customers so far on the new service is terrific.

In association with ePay, the following updates are now available for the retailers using our eziPass electronic voucher vending platform and our Point of Sale software:

Prepaid Mobile

• Amaysim

o    Voucher Update: Title update for Amaysim $39.90.

• Vodafone

o    Voucher Update: Title update for Vodafone $10.

Gift Cards

• iTunes Gift Card

o    Barcode Update: Barcode change for iTunes Gift Card $20, $30, $50, $70, iTunes Gift Card (Thank You) $30, iTunes Gift Card (Happy Birthday) $30.

Internet & Content

• Microsoft Xbox

o    New Products: Xbox360 Live Gold 12 Months ESD AUS $79.95, Xbox360 Live Gold 3 Months ESD AUS $39.95, Xbox LIVE Prepaid 3+1 Months ESD $39.95, Xbox360 LIVE 800 Points ESD AUS $13.50, Xbox360 Live 1500 Points ESD AUS $25, Xbox360 Live 2400 Points ESD AUS $40, Xbox360 Live 3000 Points ESD AUS $50, Xbox360 Live 4000 Points ESD AUS $67.

• BigPond Games (Swipe)

o    New Products: BigPond Games $10 (Swipe), BigPond Games $20 (Swipe), BigPond Games $50 (Swipe), BigPond Games $100 (Swipe).

• BigPond Movies (Swipe)

o    New Products: BigPond Movies $10 (Swipe), BigPond Movies $20 (Swipe), BigPond Movies $50 (Swipe), BigPond Movies $100 (Swipe).

• BigPond Sport (Swipe)

o    New Products: AFL Year Pass $49.95 (Swipe), NRL Year Pass $49.95 (Swipe), AFL Mobile Season Pass $50 (Swipe).

• BigPond Tones n Pics (Swipe)

o    New Products: Bigpond Tones n Pics $10 (Swipe), Bigpond Tones n Pics $20 (Swipe), Bigpond Tones n Pics $50 (Swipe).

Music

• BigPond Music (Swipe)

o    New Products: BigPond Music $10 (Swipe), BigPond Music $20 (Swipe), BigPond Music $50 (Swipe), BigPond Music $100 (Swipe).

Retailers love the loyalty facilities in our Point of Sale software. We have retailers from all sorts of businesses using our software including jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, gift shops, homewares businesses and newsagents. Right across these retail channels retailer safe using our software to track customer purchases, reward loyalty and more successfully market their businesses to existing shoppers.

We help drive loyalty through a range of mechanisms which are managed by our software. These can be driven in a card based way – such as the card shown with a unique customer barcode on the rear – to other mechanisms to serve different business needs.

We have offered loyalty facilities in one form or another for well over twenty years, refining the offer based on feedback from our customers.

Today, the loyalty facilities in our Point of Sale software are robust at the single store level as well as across multiple stores. we back the software facilities with a service of designing and producing professional cards for customer use.

Homewares retailers using our Point of Sale software are reporting strong year on year retail sales growth. While the media reports retail doom and gloom, we are hearing of retail sales growth from many small business retailers.

Homewares retailers are reporting particularly good numbers. This has been put down to continued strong interest in home cooking and entertaining as a result of a slew of popular television programs.

From the businesses we speak with and the data we see, success in homewares retailing is a result of good business management decisions based on accurate business data.

Businesses which struggle are more likely to be businesses where stock is ordered manually, customers are not rewarded and employee performance is not tracked.  Our homewares software does these things and plenty more as it helps homewares businesses drive business growth on a range of fronts.

We have organised free work health checks for the team working out of our head office today. The state government in Victoria offers the service and we are providing the private room as well as time off for team members to engage.

We encourage all employers to consider offering this work health focused service.