Remember, haste makes waste. Don’t be so eager to find a VAR partner that you overlook or discount negative information rather than thinking twice about whether the company is the right fit for your retail store or restaurant. It’s better to be without technology for a short time, than to be stuck in a relationship with the wrong VAR.

Be a ruthless reference checker. It goes without saying that VARs without a proven track record of customer satisfaction should be avoided at all costs. However, “investigations” must go beyond this point. When checking references, don’t just ask contacts whether they liked the VAR in question and if it provided “good” customer service.

Remote log-in program. Once this type of program is installed, you can access your store, restaurant, or home computer from the software provider’s Web site by entering your user name and password. This type of software can be provided by pcAmerica.

It’s no secret that the key to any successful communication is reaching the right audience, at the right time, with the right message. For some retailers and restaurateurs, this means not only deploying “freestanding” digital signage applications, but running digital signage software on kiosks.

When it comes to digital signage, the times, to quote an old Bob Dylan song, are “a-changing.” The scope of digital signage is no longer limited to “way-finding” (directions to a certain department in a store, for example) and the flashing of simple messages (such as the ticket number of a customer currently being served in a deli).

“Support” and “maintenance” are nebulous terms, but when it comes to these two elements, retailers need to be very clear about what they’re getting from their POS systems vendor.

Unlike sources whose roster of services does not include support, ISVs and full-service VARs also employ teams of experts whose experience allows them to get to the heart of customers’ problems immediately.

Pencils down! Put those notebooks away! While retailers have for years used paper-based methods to track inventory, it’s time to consider replacing paper-based methods with a much more functional handheld system.
Unlike manual methods for inventory-counting and receiving, automated handheld systems allow data to be captured by and accessed from retailers’ systems in real time.

“The decision to join the RSPA and attend their annual convention is an important part of our growth strategy as our company actively looks to recruit new reseller partners,” stated David Gosman, CEO of pcAmerica. “The RSPA membership is well known and respected as leaders in the point of sale industry.”

It’s not your father’s cash register. POS solutions from companies like pcAmerica are becoming ever more functional. The following is just a peek into what’s going on in the retail POS systems arena: