The POS Software Blog

News from Tower Systems about locally made POS software for specialty local retailers.

CategoryPOS Software

POS SOFTWARE KNOWLEDGE BASE MAKES ACCESSING HELP EASY

April 16, 2016

1 Min read

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The ever-evolving knowledge based helping users of the Tower Systems POS software is easily accessible, using natural English searches.

While the Tower Systems team enhanced knowledge base content, users themselves can provide feedback within knowledge base articles, adding value to the information seeking experience. It is accessible 24/7. It is also referred to in help desk calls as part of the training process and to provide customers with step by step advice on how to do something – if that is appropriate to a specific call.

Knowledge base resources include videos as well as text based articles. Indeed, there are more than 100 knowledge base accessible videos.

The knowledge base approach by Tower Systems is a good example of the open and interactive approach taken by the company to serving its small business retailer customers.

Here is one example one knowledge base article of several on the end of shift process accessible through the Tower Systems POS software knowledge base.

The Tower Systems knowledge base can be accessed from any internet connected device including desktop computers, tablets and smartphones. Yes, it is iPhone ready.

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EXTRA POS SOFTWARE TRAINING SESSIONS DUE TO DEMAND

April 14, 2016

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Tower Systems is thrilled to announce the addition of the following training sessions due to demand for the original sessions:

Meeting Name: How to handle non EDI invoices to keep stock accurate. Date: Thursday 12^th of May Time: 2pm Description: See how easy it is to process invoice’s manually for suppliers that do not send electronic invoices to help keep your stock figures accurate.
Meeting Name: Getting Ready for EOFY Date: Tuesday 17^th of May Time: 2pm Description: Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.
Meeting Name: Retailer software settings you will be shocked you have access to. Date: Thursday 19^th of May Time: 2pm Description: Help desk expert Colin Harris will show you settings you most likely don’t know exist that can help your enjoyment of the software
Meeting Name: Stocktaking for EOFY Date: Thursday 26^th of May Time: 2pm Description: Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.

We are grateful to our customers for embracing our free training program. We know those attending training make better users of the software and better retailers.

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LOCALLY DEVELOPED POS SOFTWARE FOR AUSTRALIAN LOCAL RETAIL BUSINESSES

April 14, 2016

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As overseas online businesses compete with local retailers for sales of almost anything, so too do overseas based POS software companies compete with Australian software companies.

Here at Tower Systems, we understand local. We understand our local retail business customers. we understand their shoppers. We understand what being local is all about and why it matters to our customers and the communities in which they serve.

This is what being local is really about, it is about being knowledgable of and engaged with your local community.

Through our POS software and through our customer service we live and breathe the local message. Our actions speak for us through locally focussed software changes and how we serve and connect with our customers.

here is a short video explaining our local pitch. This video serves multiple purposes: it speaks to our in-house video production facilities, it has our owner speaking up for us and what we stand for, it shows our commitment to plain speaking anyone can understand and it speaks to our professionalism that you can trust.

This is the Tower Advantage, our Tower Advantage, offered to you.

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SUNDAY SMALL BUSINESS RETAIL MANAGEMENT ADVICE: HOW TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS MORE SECURE

April 10, 2016

3 Min read

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Security is important in any business but especially in a small independent retail business. Here is a list of actions we recommend you consider to ensure your business is secure.

Know how many keys there are to your premises and who has them.
Keep a spare key in a safe place away from the business.
Keep a current data backup off site. Regularly check that you can restore the data from your backup and that the data is current.
Regularly check the use of your business software for the deletion or alternation of sales as this could indicate employee fraud.
Have current reputable virus protection on all your computers.
Have current reputable firewall installed on your network.
Never open a zip file sent by email.
Never open an email from a bank, the ATO or the police.
Change the most powerful / valuable password for your computer software monthly and share it sparingly. Passwords should be complex. Check the strength of your password here: https://howsecureismypassword.net
Be discrete when talking about the business and its performance.
Do not do the banking at the same time every day or every few days. Do not follow the same route. Do not carry the same bag.
Have a camera system installed to get a good shot of the faces of everyone entering and leaving the business.
Consider registering your CCTV with the local police – this is an option in some jurisdictions.
Ensure customers can see they are being filmed.
Train employees to make eye contact with customers.
Train employees on emergency procedures for handling: theft, aggressive people, shoplifters.
Use the full stock control facilities of your software to understand the financial cost of shoplifting.
When doing magazine returns, check discrepancies weekly to understand magazine theft.
Ensure your windows are not cluttered. The police advise cluttered windows are a security risk because of what they can hide.
Ensure there is good lighting outside if the store is locked up when it is dark.
Ensure you have the best possible sight lines of the shop from the counter.
Have a no personal items at the counter policy.
If you catch someone in the act of shoplifting ask them to wait in the store, and call the Police. Also (advice from NSW govt. Crime prevention):
1. Tell them who you are.
2. Tell them why they have been asked to stay in the store. o Advise them that Police have been called
3. Ask the person to surrender any property that doesn’t belong to them. Remember, retailers and other citizens have no legal right to search a person.
4. Most importantly, do not put yourself at risk.
Have a clear refund processing policy and ensure all employees are trained on this.
Track all sales by employee code.
When hiring: ask if applicants agree to a police check, check their references, do not hire friends of employees, explain your commitment to zero tolerance re employee theft.
Have an employee theft policy in full view.

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SOFTWARE COMPANIES THAT LOCK USERS OUT FROM THEIR DATA DESERVE TO LOSE CUSTOMERS

April 7, 2016

1 Min read

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We are helping another retailer switch to our software and in the process the retailer has discovered their old software company is blocking their access to their own business data.

This is unethical in our view. Legal advice suggests it could be challenged in the courts.

Here we have a small business retailer who has cultivated business data for twenty years and now, when they want to change software, they are locked out.

We have seen this before and are sure we will see it again. It is appalling action by the software company reflecting badly on them in this instance and into the future.

UPDATE: 5:36PM APRIL 7, 2016.

Bernard Zimmermann, director of competitor POS Solutions Australia Pty Ltd has copied text from this post and posted it on their blog this afternoon. The post appears to be a response to what I have written. This following of Tower is not the first time he has done this:

For the record, Tower Systems does not lock users out, never has and never will. The claims by Zimmermann are false and he knows that.

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FREE TRAINING FOR POS SOFTWARE USERS THIS WEEK

April 4, 2016

1 Min read

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Tower Systems is proud to offer free and live training opportunities for users of its POS software this week. We have two local user meetings, in Geelong and the Gold Coast and online. The two user meetings are the latest in our series of capital city and major regional centre meetings – face to face with our customers, providing free training and business development strategy.

The online session on End of Shift Reports is fully booked. We are running this session again in the coming weeks.

In addition to the live training opportunities, our customers continue to have access to an extraordinary library of video based training and text based training – making POS software training easy to access from anywhere and at any time.

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BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS ATTRACTING KUDOS

April 1, 2016

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The Retailer Visual Deck released by Tower Systems to its small business retailer customers earlier this year is generating terrific responses as retailers see the power of the visual compared to the traditional POS software reports.

This cloud-based platform is accessible from anywhere. It provides live access to retail business performance KPIs, helping small business retailers better understand what is happening in their businesses.

The Visual Deck is a new product from Tower Systems. Accessible from any internet connected device, this platform provides you with a fresh view of your business performance data. Visually reporting on revenue, gross profit, transaction count, items per sale, units sold, average transaction value, by month, week, day and day of week – easily allowing you to compare trading periods.

Cloud based, this new business intelligence platform is available on a month to month or annual basis. Called the Visual Deck, It is visual because, well, your business data is presented in a visual way. It is a deck because it is a platform off of which you can see far and wide.

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TAGS CHANGE THE WAY SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS TRACK INVENTORY

March 31, 2016

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The introduction of tags in the Tower Systems POS software last year added to an already powerful reporting suite for our retail customers.

Using tags our retailers can take a horizontal slice through their business data across departments, categories and suppliers, linking items based on a licence or sole other connection relevant to the business.

Tagging is smart easy and powerful, providing small business retailers a fresh view of their businesses, one unique to Tower Systems.

We have been demonstrating the value of tags in our user meetings, [providing our customers with ah ha moments when they see it, get it and realise the power for their businesses through the unique view of business performance available to them.

Tagging inventory items is another point of difference we have been able to leverage for growth among our small business retail user community.

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SUNDAY SMALL BUSINESS RETAIL MANAGEMENT ADVICE: 6 WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR POINT OF DIFFERENCE THIS WINTER

March 27, 2016

2 Min read

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Winter can be tough for some people. It can be tough for retail too as traffic is often down. Independent retailers have an opportunity to leverage the season, to make it more enjoyable for you and your customers.

Here are six suggestions to get you thinking abut winter differently:

Reach out to retirement villages and nursing homes. Pack up key items from your shop and tele it on the road – go to those customers who can’t come to you because of the cold.
Offer free delivery. If option one does not work for you promote a delivery service so people shut in can still get their fix. Be the retailer who goes the extra mile.
Add to your customer service. have somewhere people can place their umbrellas and raincoats when they enter.
Keep your shop warm. Offer hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Maybe have a slow cooker with some delicious home cooked vegetable soup using a recipe from a magazine you have in-store.
Have a summer sale. In the middle of winter, at the coldest, have a blow-out sale and call it something like a SIZZLING SALE. Get people warm with great prices.
Change your music playlist. If you’re using an online music service, select brighter, warmer music.

If your shop is in a really cold area consider an outer door to keep the warmth in. They do this a lot in Europe and the US in Winter.

Winter is a seasoning which you can show off your point of difference and get people seeing your retail business differently.

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EASTER POS SOFTWARE HELP DESK COVERAGE

March 24, 2016

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While our main offices will be closed over the Easter break, our after hours and emergency numbers will be accessible to our customers to ensure support for any time-sensitive issues encountered through the period.

We take the provision of support through extended public holiday periods seriously and have ensured all of our customers have contact details for after hours coverage. We have mailed and emailed details.

To all our customers – we hope you have good trading the Easter days you are open. We are here if you need us.

Through the Easter break we will publish our customer weekly comms as usual and maintain easy access to our knowledge base and other online resources.

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ALL POS SOFTWARE HAS BUGS, IT IS HOW YOU HANDLE THEM THAT MATTERS

March 22, 2016

1 Min read

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The Tower Systems POS software has bugs, not deliberate bugs, not bugs left in the software forever to frustrate customers.

What matters most about any software bug is how the software company reacts.

Tower Systems has a structured process to deal with with a report of a bug.

We check that the bug is real, that we can recreate it at will.
We research the bug to understand the cause.
We unpack the programming code to track down a cause.
We discuss resolution.
We code resolution.
We test the resolution in house.
We test the resolution in the field.
We advise those reporting the bug of correction.

This whole process is undertaken in partnership with our customers. This transparency builds confidence and demonstrates our commitment to engaged service of the businesses we serve.

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THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLOUD BACKUP SERVCIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS

March 21, 2016

1 Min read

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The cloud backup service offered by Tower Systems to its small business retailer customers is best practice, offering the ultimate in protection for our customers.

The features of the service include:

Whole of PC backup. This is crucial.
Local copy storage.
Cloud based storage in a secure independent server farm location.
Speedy recovery back to a selected data.
Certainty over the management of the processes.
No user triggered backup activity required.

While there are free cloud based backup services, when it comes to protecting your business data a free service is most likely not the best.

Your business data needs to be treated with the respect it deserves.

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SUNDAY RETAIL MANAGEMENT ADVICE: HOW TO CHOOSE POS SOFTWARE FOR YOUR RETAIL BUSINESS

March 20, 2016

1 Min read

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TOWER SYSTEMS EMPOWERS SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS WHEN IT COMES TO POS SOFTWARE CHANGES

March 17, 2016

1 Min read

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Retailers using our small business POS software are voting on changes to the software. We launched this initiative, Software Ideas, years ago and remain as committed today as we were at launch. We appreciate the active engagement of our customers in suggesting enhancements and those in voting for enhancements.

Software Idease is unique, transparent and engaging for our customers. Every idea is responded to in a transparent way. We are thrilled to be able to do this for our customers and are grateful for the opportunity for this dialogue. The result is better, user driven, software.

This engagement focuses our attention.

It is hard work to create and manage a public facing portal for customer change suggestion. That we are still doing this years on and that it is appreciated by so many of our customers is a delight.

This is another example of Tower Systems living up to its promises. We appreciate the point of difference we are able to demonstrate.

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CANBERRA AREA RETAILERS POS SOFTWARE USER MEETING

March 16, 2016

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Plenty of retailers using our Tower Systems POS software got together with us today at the Mercure Hotel for a POS software user meeting and networking session. In addition to covering new facilities and delivering appreciated training, we also connected with prospective users keen for a new solution.

From our side at the Canberra session we had our software development manager, COO, national sales manager and CEO all present and engaged in the session.

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POS SOFTWARE SYDNEY USER MEETING A HIT

March 15, 2016

1 Min read

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We had a terrific POS software user meeting in Sydney today, at the Novotel in Homebush. There was an excellent business building discussion around loyalty options – selecting what is right for your specific circumstances. This discussion was in addition to training on the latest release.

Having the leadership team of the company at these sessions is proving to be appreciated by our customers. It demonstrates our commitment to excellent customer service.

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HOW TOWER SYSTEMS IS HELPING NEW ZEALAND SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS PREPARE FOR THE END OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR

March 14, 2016

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With the end of the financial year approaching in New Zealand, Tower Systems has schedule a series of EOFY training specific for our NZ customers. The idea was suggested by a customer a few weeks ago and we loved it so we put together content for a live online workshop and have now announced dates to our NZ customers. Click here to access these are other free online training sessions by Tower Systems.

This is another example of listening to customers and working with them to help them get more value from their IT investment in our POS software.

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WHY WE THINK XERO IS THE BEST ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS

March 12, 2016

2 Min read

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We have used MYOB, Quick Books and xero in retail businesses we operate. It is this experience with all three from a bookkeeping through to a finalized accounts perspective that has helped us reach a view that xero is the best solution.

Each professional position in our company agrees from bookkeeper to management to our in-house CPA. xero is the best accounting solution for small business retailers.

There is an ease of use backed by excellent support as well as an easy and direct integration between our POS software and xero that helps us save time and money.

Retailers using xero can see this for themselves.

So this is how we came to our preference, our recommendation, through our own experience on a range of levels.

While our software supports MYOB, Quick Books and xero, our experience with xero is roe complete and our integration more direct. It is an integration tested and endorsed by xero, something the company gives out only after it is satisfied.

The above commentary from us aside, xero don’t just connect with any POS software company. They check out the business and their software. They research whether they want to partner with a business. I am aware they say no, that they reject proposals of integration. That we are integrated is a valuable point of difference for us.

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BRISBANE POS SOFTWARE USER MEETING HELPS SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS

March 10, 2016

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Wow! We had a terrific meeting with Brisbane area customers using our POS software today. There were plenty of questions that drove some terrific business discussions. The networking between small business retailers is certainly a valuable part of these sessions.

Free for all our customers, these sessions are wonderfully educational for customers and for us. Out of today we have picked up some terrific ideas for further enhancing the software.

Tower Systems is proud to be connecting with customers in this way. We are grateful to our customers for their support.

Today’s Brisbane sessions one of several for Queensland users this round as well as a range of online sessions for those in remote locations.

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SET YOUR POS SOFTWARE SECURITY BASED ON EMPLOYEE ROLE IN THE RETAIL BUSINESS

March 10, 2016

1 Min read

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For many years the Tower Systems POS software has permitted security settings based on the role of an employee in the business. This approach gives the retail business owners complete control over who has access to what function or report in the software. It allows retail business owners to be as open or as locked-down as they wish.

While we provide advice and guidance on appropriate security settings, what retailers establish and the passwords they use are ultimately their choice.

When it comes to password advice, for security, we only provide this to business owners.

Our software is like any tool: capable of being used well or poorly depending on the choices made by those using it.

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BIGGER SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TEAM HELPS TOWER SYSTEMS DELIVER MORE

February 19, 2016

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Early in 2016 Tower Systems added two new developers to its software development team. This has enhanced our capacity and our skill base and this is being reflected in what we are delivering for our customers.

This weekend at the Reed Gift Fair in Sydney we will be showing off new software, outside of the traditional POS software space, software that dramatically enhances the value small business retailers can harvest from their businesses.

This new software is a game changer. If you are attending the Reed Gift Fair, ask to see the new software we are launching.

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POS SOFTWARE UPDATE OFFERS MAGENTO LINK FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAIL

February 16, 2016

2 Min read

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While POS software co Tower Systems has offered web store access through its smart POS software, the new direct Magento link takes the web store facilities to a new level.

The Tower link with Magento is direct, through a partnership link between the Tower software and Magento.

Prior to releasing the POS software / magento link on the market, Tower Systems created several-commerce sites using the Magento link and these have been running for more than six months. Today the company and has supports live direct link e-commerce sites in a range of retail channels covering a range of products and services. These sites are live commerce sites the company can take prospective clients to, to show the link live in action, so people can see this smart software working for themselves.

The link is powerful yet easy to setup and maintain. The Tower development team has ensured this as the focus user is the typical small business retailer with little resource or appetite to become an IT expert.

Retailers including garden centres, jewellers, bike shops, newsagents, gift shops, homewares shops, book shops, toy shops and produce stores can use this link to help their businesses transact accurately and professionally online. Tower Systems helps with terrific software for the brick and mortar retail business as well as the link to the website. The company can facilitate the whole of business service, as far as the retail customer may want.

It is our contact with Magento in the US well over a year ago that set the path for what we offer small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand today. By going our and undertaking research into best practice overseas, Tower Systems made itself aware of what retailers liked and what they wanted from website links from their POS software, the company then set about developing, testing and delivering this into the marketplace.

With plenty of reference sites now for the Magento link and even more for our mature web store facilities, Tower Systems is well positioned to help small business retailers establish professional and commercially valuable links with one or more inline presences.

Magento is owned by eBay, it is a worldwide popular webstore platform.

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MULTI-STORE POS SOFTWARE IDEAL FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS WITH MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

February 11, 2016

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For years, retailers using the Tower Systems POS software have had access to multi-store POS software – the ability to run POS software across multiple locations of the same business.

This cloud based POS software solution allows retailers to open and close businesses faster and with greater flexibility. It also enabled group wide performance reporting and data tracking.

Based in the cloud, on a central server, the software is accessible from stores connected via the internet. Multi-store operation facilitates:

A common inventory file.
Common or local pricing as the case may be.
Easy transferring of stock between stores in the group.
less software update overhead.
easier enforcing of business rules.
Lower technology requirement at the store level.
Easy group wide performance reporting.
Centralised support.
Centralised data management.
Centralised backup.
Easier overall management.
But local tuning as required.

Good multi store POS software is important for groups and this is what Tower Systems delivers. Used by a variety of groups in different specialty retail niches, the Tower Systems software has a strong customer base in this multi store environment.

We have a group of 14 stores in Queensland using the software in shopping centre situations. Nationally, we have a group of 16 stores using the software for products and services – leveraging consistency across the full needs of the group.

In a variation to the multi store software option, we have a group of seventy stores linked with a common stock file, common pricing, common shopper terms. Again, cloud based, delivering an excellent flexible solution for small independent stores with a common banner or commercial objective.

Through the Tower Systems multi store POS software, retailers are able to evolve their businesses without the need to duplicate IT setup work. The time and capital savings and improved consistency help these retailers to achieve better business outcomes.

This really is an approach to retail IT infrastructure made for our times of pop up shops and other emerging and evolving retail situations we are seeing on the high street and in shopping malls. Tower Systems is well positioned to continue to evolve its multi store POS software solution to serve emerging needs in retail.

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HELPING SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS LEVERAGE TYRO BROADBAND EFTPOS

February 8, 2016

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Small business POS software company helps small and independent retailers leverage the opportunity of the Tyro broadband EFTPOS solutions. We do this through a direct integration with our smart POS software as well as through the friendly small business focussed help desk service.

Serving retailers across a range of retail niches, we have experience from many channels and situations from which to draw when helping retailers save time, cut mistakes and benefit from a best-practice EFTPOS integration. This is an integration supported by tower for many years.

While the Tower Systems POS software works with a range of platforms, Tyro is featured by the company thanks to the relationship with the folks at Tyro, a relationship that benefits the Tower Systems small business retailer user community.

We use Tyro ourselves in our own retail businesses. This enables us to support from a basis of personal experience. It sets us apart.

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SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS BENEFIT FROM POS SOFTWARE UPDATE

February 8, 2016

2 Min read

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POS software company Tower Systems is thrilled with the reaction to the leaves update to its POS software released on a rolling basis in recent weeks.

What a terrific start to 2016 – new software with new facilities and backed y a professional suite of training for the small business users of this software.

We are proud to kick off 2016 is such a strong way that is 100% focussed on the outcomes achievable by our customers.

Included in the update is facilities fresh for small business retailers including additional e-commerce platforms supported, offering retailers more flexibility in how they transact online compared to their high street business operation. This flexibility is a hallmark of what Tower Systems beings to the marketplace for its customers.

In addition to new facilities created by the company through its commitment to leadership based on best practice, the latest update also delivers enhancements requested by users and voted on by many publicly at the Tower Systems Software Ideas site.

With more than one hundred enhancements, this update is chunky in scope and therefore valuable to users keen to see the software continue to evolve. It reflects solid commitment from Tower Systems to continue to evolve the software and deliver good outcomes to customers committed to the company.

REPORTS

One of the most important part of any software, especially small business retail management software, is business performance reporting. the Tower software update provides access to new reports that enhance the value of the software to any user business. These new reports extend the reach of what the software delivers, they make using the POS software more valuable, they provide greater flexibility. That this is being done extends the scope of the software itself, making using it more rewarding to the small business customers.

In addition to new reports, this update delivers enhancements to some existing reports, making them more valuable. We understand the importance of professional and elegant representation of business data. good reports feed good business decisions. We are proud of what we do in this way.

RETAILER HELP

To help retailers get the most from the software the company provides access to video, text and other training resources, allowing retailers and their employees to learn at their own pace. These facilities are backed with personal one on one service.

This is the Tower Advantage^TM.

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