The New World of Point-Of-Sale (POS)
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Intel®-Based Point-of-Sale Solutions The New World of Point-of-Sale (POS) The New World of Point-of-Sale (POS) Intel®-based POS solutions do much more than just ring up sales. They can simplify managing a business—enhancing marketing, pricing, inventory control, customer service and much more. Small businesses have long relied on In short, today’s new POS solutions electronic cash registers to process are smarter, more connected and more payments and generate receipts. But versatile than ever—opening up a new now many are turning to point-of-sale world opportunity for small businesses. (POS) systems: intelligent, connected, versatile solutions that provide a full range of sales and payment processing capabilities—and much more. POS systems are a critical “touchpoint” for today’s retailers—a location where the opportunity exists not simply to complete a transaction, enhance the customer relationship and streamline the business. POS systems today can play a role in marketing, pricing, and inventory control. Increasingly, today’s POS systems are mobile. POS systems enjoy a broad Putting POS capabilities on range of form factors, little to large, tablets and other mobile devices Today’s POS solutions are a fixed to mobile. Sales associates can use these devices anywhere in the is creating a wide range of critical retail “touchpoint”—a store to answer questions, provide opportunities for retailers, location to complete transactions information and process a sale. Waiters restaurants, health clinics and in a restaurant can record selections others to streamline operations and deepen customer electronically at tableside. Customers and deliver a faster, friendlier engagement. Mobile and fixed can even use their own mobile devices customer experience. POS solutions deliver a wide as POS solutions. Touch screen capabilities and enhanced software range of options. interfaces designed for specific markets all add to the functionality. Intel®-Based Point-of-Sale Solutions The New World of Point-of-Sale (POS) The Omni-channel Experience A POS Option for Every Business Today, people shop and buy things online, In the past, cash registers performed a on their smart phone and, of course, when single function: supporting the checkout. Use POS Solutions to Enhance they are out and about visiting stores and Today’s POS systems are multi-function, Customer Interactions restaurants—every retail channel gets a able to scan and weigh items, handle credit Taking advantage of information workout in today’s “omni-channel” world. cards, checks and cash, keep track of managed by the POS system to: Restaurants need to be able to handle loyalty points and many other tasks. POS • Personalize interactions with the orders that come in over the phone, the software is available that is specifically customer Internet (including social media, such as designed for vertical markets: specialty • Enhance revenue by offering a restaurant booking via Facebook*) and retailers, restaurants, hotels, services cross-selling and upselling from people walking through the door. businesses and more. These POS software recommendations Stores must be able to handle online packages typically come with scores of orders, returns, exchanges and more features to capture the widest range of • Create more effective marketing regardless of where or how the purchase transactions possible. campaigns based on past history was made. and known preferences POS systems come in a range of shapes Today’s POS systems are designed for this and sizes. The improved resolution and • Easily track and manage loyalty omni-channel world, providing a full range touch screen capabilities of today’s LCD and gift card capabilities of capabilities to support in-store sales, screens—combined with more powerful e-commerce and more. processors—have made POS systems easier to use, speeding their ability to A Complete View of Customers handle transactions. Accessories can be added to address specific business The right POS solution can take the requirements, such as signature capture or information available from credit card digital signs for added marketing. and mobile payment processing and deliver a 360-degree view of a customer’s activity, including purchases, returns, and The Mobility Revolution in POS participation in promotions and special Putting POS capabilities on tablets and offers. other mobile devices is creating a wide range of opportunities for retailers, A POS solution designed for delivering a restaurants, health clinics and others to holistic view of customer purchases makes streamline operations and deliver a faster, it possible to share information without friendlier customer experience. barriers, including with legacy systems. Without requiring IT expertise, marketing Here are three typical-use case scenarios personnel can tailor promotional programs for mPOS: and implement and fine-tune new offers. Today’s POS systems are multi- Streamlining Operations function, able to scan and weigh Enhancing the Business Putting POS on a mobile device and making items, handle credit cards, checks it possible for customers to be checked Today’s POS solutions integrate with and cash, keep track of loyalty out anywhere in the store streamlines the systems for accounting, inventory in-store experience. Customers love the points and many other tasks. management, pricing, property speed, and retailers get real efficiency as management, purchasing and more, well. A traditional POS solution takes up helping to streamline a wide array of a huge amount of floor space; now that business functions, such as: space can be reallocated, e.g., to display • Keeping track of inventory more products. A well-designed mobile POS solution is going to be far more cost- • Issuing reorder alerts effective than the traditional fixed retail • Tracking what was sold and paid to help unit, creating savings that lead to more drive better deals with suppliers POS systems per store. 2 Intel®-Based Point-of-Sale Solutions The New World of Point-of-Sale (POS) Saving Sales • Providing a 360-degree view of the • Use graphical customer displays for point of purchase promotions When a customer is in the store, but customer across all selling channels, wavering on making a purchase, a sales including past purchases as well as • Sell advertising spots to vendors for an associate equipped with a mobile POS customer style and brand preferences additional revenue stream solution can intervene and “save the sale.” • After the customer leaves with a newly Lowering Costs and Increasing This is a key way to enable the one- purchased product, sending a relevant Efficiency on-one interactions that help counter follow-up • Reduce or eliminate order inaccuracies showrooming and also address common causes of lost sales, such as product not Delivering Value to Your Business • Eliminate double entry of orders being in stock. POS systems have grown in popularity • Automatically calculate and create primarily because of the value they can Building Relationships restocking orders to e-mail to vendors deliver: Success in retail has always been about • Get audit trails that let you know what’s Increasing Revenue relationships. The merchant knew his happening in your business even when customers and anticipated their needs. • See sales patterns—by day, by hour, you’re away A mobile POS solution can help businesses by season—and adjust inventory to Improving Customer Relationships build these relationships again by: maximize sales • Allow your employees to spend more • Empowering sales associates to provide • Identify items that frequently sell in time on the floor helping customers and an exceptional and uninterrupted in- pairs (e.g., flashlights and batteries) and less time behind the counter store customer experience rearrange for upsells • Take advantage of rechargeable gift • Delivering the power of e-commerce to • Identify peak selling hours and increase cards, and charge accounts store associates, including deep product staff during those times content, cross-selling suggestions and • Know who your customers are and • Implement a loyalty program to enterprise inventory visibility what they’re buying so you can create encourage repeat business and bigger meaningful marketing campaigns that transactions target the right customers with the right incentives 3 Intel®-Based Point-of-Sale Solutions The New World of Point-of-Sale (POS) Why Rely on Intel® Technology TCO Manageability identify the characteristics of each shopper and dynamically adapt marketing Intel is a leader in supporting a wide Small businesses rely on their POS for day- messages accordingly. selection of innovative POS solutions and in and day-out performance and typically addressing the critical requirements for are not in a position to dedicate resources Security user experience, Total Cost of Ownership to management. Being able to easily The addition of new consumer-facing (TCO) manageability, content management handle software upgrades and diagnose systems—mobile POS, kiosks, interactive and performance measurement: and repair malfunctioning systems signs—to today’s retail environment is is critical. Intel® Active Management Wide Selection of Solutions expanding the “footprint” for customer Technology (Intel® AMT), a feature of engagement, but also increasing the There’s an Intel® processor for every kind Intel® Core™ processors, makes it possible vulnerability to individuals that have of POS solution—from the most basic to fix a wide range of systems issues, criminal or malicious intentions.