For years now, we have offered a free business analysis service.  Retailers using our Point of Sale software send us a current backup of their system and we thoroughly analyse the data.  We look at how the system is being used as well as how the business is performing.  The result is a frank report for the business owner(s) to consider.  We often discuss this further with them and use data as a guide to talk through changes which could be considered.

At our end, a review of a business can take up to four hours of working through data and reports.  It often involves two of us comparing what we have found and challenging our views of what steps the business could take.  We take the opportunity very seriously because we understand the value for us of helping our retailers achieve more from their Tower Systems software.

The free business analysis is part of the Tower Advantage ^TM suite of services which help our retail partners get more from our Point of Sale software.

Any customer can request this by sending a current backup with a note seeking a Business Review to our Head Office: Suite 10, 22 Horne Street, Elsternwick VIC 3185.

Retailers get swamped this time of the year with people returning gifts and pre Christmas purchases. We help our retail partners cope with the challenge of checking returns thanks to some cool facilities in our software.

It is easy to find a sale based on the item – this can be useful if the customer does not have the receipt.

We can also provide a fence around refunds – enabling retail employees to say that they do not have the authority to process the refund.

Our software can create a credit to be held in the system for future use – rather than giving a cash refund.

Our retailers can also very quickly find the sale by scanning the receipt – this immediately takes them to the sale and from there they have a range of options.

While it is up to retailers to decide how they want to handle refund requests, our point of sale software stands ready to help through the process and to provide certainty for front line retail staff.

Floor space efficiency is the best measure a retailer can have in judging the performance of any part of the business.

Retailers pay rent per square metre of floor space yet few measure the performance of their business based on space allocated by department or category.

By ignoring this metric in favour of overall product category performance can hide performance problems within a business.  By focusing only on margin and not floor space efficiency can also hide business growth opportunities.

Consider, for example, a product category which generates exceptional sales, uses little floor space but which delivers only a slim margin.  A total margin contribution report will show the product as inefficient.  However, a margin per square metre of floor space will most likely show the category as a hero of the business.

Smart retailers need to look at the performance of their business from multiple views, including return on floor space.  Tower Systems retail management software provides tools which enable such multiple views.  In addition to floor space performance reporting, we also offer shelf space reporting - taking the analysis of the performance of the business to an even deeper level.

By using our software to undertake such deep analysis, smart retailers unlock greater value from their technology investment.

We will gladly help any of our retailer partners to create and assess these and other reports in our software.

We published new advice in the support area of our website last week covering the setup and proper use of the Opticon PDA device we recommend for stock take and other portable data management services.  Using our proprietary Retailer Mobile software with the Opticon PDA, our customers can perform an intelligent and efficient stock take, create stock orders, process product returns and look up sales data.  Stock take is the key function though.  We use this device ourselves in our own retail business and it is fast, accurate and genuinely portable.

The new advice sheet at our website is free for all Tower Advantage ^TM customers to access.

Speed at the counter is crucial for retailers. Good POS software developers understand this and ensure that their software transacts sales quickly with a focus on efficient workflow. When comparing our software with another package for a prospect earlier this week we completed the sale in 25% of the time they took. This was a simple sale – a couple of items, one scanned and another selected from the stock file. Using the other system required considerable mouse selections – they offered too many options at the counter, most of which will not be used. We offer the options too but with our software it is easy to ignore them whereas with our competitor you have to navigate an obstacle course.

As retailers ourselves we understand the importance of efficient processing at the counter. We continue to look for ways to refine how we process sales – to improve consistency and speed.

The screen shot is from the point of sale screen for our newsagency software. We have different screens for each marketplace in which we trade.

We are running online training this week for suppliers who interact with our software as through store visits and other contacts with our customers. We have found that by training suppliers and their representatives they are able to develop more mutually beneficial relationships with retailers using our software.

It may sound twee but this really is a win win. Our customers win because suppliers are able to deal with them in a way which suits our software and thereby saves time. The suppliers benefit because business decisions are based on data the retailers control and not just supplier data.

Using our WebEx online training facilities we are able to deliver the training to supplier representatives spread across the country with little disruption to their schedules and for no travel cost.  The WebEx facilities have been getting a real workover this year - they are a great company and their facilities are excellent for a business like us.

Our smart POS software cuts keystrokes at the retail sales counter.  This is a key goal of any retailer as reduced keystrokes mean reduced mistakes. time saved and more accurate sales processing.

Our users have complete control over the product and department touch buttons on the touchscreen - enabling them to include buttons for top selling products in their store.  The buttons can be changed as the needs of the business change - very easily.

While we supply our software with a libabry of icons for buttons, our users can easily upload icons of their own choosing - facilitating local customisation as appropriate to the needs of the business.

We recently compared our touchscreen to that of a major retailer.  Buying the same items using our software took half the keystrokes, leaving the sales clerk to have more time to focus on the customer.

We are adding a portable wireless-enabled credit card pin pad to that which we support following comprehensive testing with our software. This new pin pad helps our retailers better serve their customers by being able to process credit and eftpos card payments anywhere in the shop.

As retailers ourselves we understand the importance of flexibility at the counter in delivering exceptional customer service. It is frustrating for the customer and for the staff to have a hard wired credit card machine. This new device is part of several enhancements which will help our retail partners provide even better customer service.

Our refreshed Eftpos link, launched earlier this year, continues to gain popularity.  More of our users are switching from stand along bank terminals to the integrated units – connecting to banks or Tyro. 

Speaking from personal experience with the Fftpos link in my own retail businesses, this integrated solution is better for several reasons.

• Fewer mistakes.  Less keystrokes = fewer mistakes.
• Faster.  No leaving the register to go to a separate terminal.
• Easier balancing. Duplication is eliminated.
• Less theft.  By eliminating a separate device there is less opportunity for employee fraud.

Part of our mission is to improve efficiency for our users.  The Eftpos link drives significantly greater efficiency – easily providing a good return on the small investment.