The POS Software Blog

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

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Pet shop software insights from retail tour in New York

January 22, 2015

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As part of a tour of pet shops and pet shop suppliers during a retail study tour of the US over the last two weeks, the team from Pet Shop Software company Tower Systems made new connections and tapped into market leading insights in ways that will help the company better serve pet retailers in Australia and New Zealand.

The insights are being shared with pet retailers in Australia and New Zealand to help them grow their local businesses.

Talking with retailers in their shops and suppliers at two different trade shows has provided Tower Systems with market leadership insights that help us better advise pet retailers not only on retail trends but also on new ways our software can serve and help them unlock more revenue for their businesses.

Beyond the pet shop software, Tower Systems helps pet retailers to build more valuable and successful businesses by sharing business building insights.

For commercial reasons we will not share any comprehensive outcomes here as these are best deployed to our customers for their and our commercial advantage.

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The POS software PayPal relationship on show in New York

January 21, 2015

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Tower Systems representatives met with PayPal representative sin New York last week at the National Retail Federation annual conference to talk about retail and, in particular, insights gained by PayPal through their US based innovation with POS software companies which is only now starting to reach Australian shores.

The connection with the folks at PayPal in the US is another benefit for Tower from sending a delegation to the NRF conference and tapping into the latest trends with our development and deployment partners.

For commercial reasons we will not share any comprehensive outcomes here as these are best deployed to our customers for their and our commercial advantage.

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Bike shop software users to benefit from Tower Systems US retail tour insights

January 20, 2015

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Learning from US bike retailers and how they engage with bike fans is one of the takeaways from Two weeks in the US for two Tower Systems executives. The trip culminated in almost a week in New York including attending the National retail Federation annual conference. While in New York at the conference and on the streets meeting with bike retailers, insights were shared that will help position tower Systems to further improve on its already popular and widely-used bike retail management software.

Using the Tower Bike Shop Software, retailers are able to manage warranties, track serial numbers, manage repairs and provide a whole of customer life experience and thereby drive (ride) more value for the business. Our intuitive bike shop software is world class as we have seen in this most recent overseas marketplace study.

For commercial reasons we will not share any comprehensive outcomes here as these are best deployed to our customers for their and our commercial advantage.

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Tower Systems strengthens HP POS hardware relationship

January 19, 2015

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Thanks to participation at the National Retail Federation annual conference in New York last week, the Tower Systems and HP POS hardware relationship is stronger than ever.

During the conference our representatives were briefed by HP on new developments that will enhance the POS software / POS hardware marriage and through this provide a more meaningful and valuable retail employee and business owner experience. The real winner, however, will be the shopper.

Tapping into insights through partnerships with companies like HP are one way tower Systems is able to innovate in valuable ways for its vertical market retailers in the pet shop, garden centre, bike shop, newsagency, gift shop, firearms retailer and other spaces in which we specialise.

Knowing insights before they reach Australia positions us to achieve more for our customers through our software.

For commercial reasons we will not share any comprehensive outcomes here as these are best deployed to our customers for their and our commercial advantage.

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Sunday retail business management advice: use your POS software to cut keystrokes, cut mistakes & save time

January 18, 2015

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Speed is vital at the retail sales counter. Once they have made their product selections, shoppers want fast and accurate service. This is best achieved by using as few keystrokes as possible.

Tower Systems specialises in helping retailers cut keystrokes at the counter.

Every keystroke you cut is a potential mistake eliminated. This is good news for retailers and shoppers.

Following our personal training and engaging with our advice certainly helps retailers streamline the counter, serve more customers in less time and maintain accurate quality data. This helps feed more accurate business decisions offering wins all round.

Good POS software helps retailers cut keystrokes. Excellent training for good software goes further – making it easier for retailers to tap into these terrific benefits.

We urge retailers to take note of keystrokes used in transacting sales and to work hard with their software provider on cutting keystrokes.

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Mixing with retail leaders at #NRF15 helps Tower Systems refine its POS software leadership

January 17, 2015

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Australian POS software company Tower Systems was well represented at the NRF annual concern in New York this past week with active attendance at conference sessions and plenty of time and connections on the floors of the Expo. There is no doubt that active networking is a real benefit of getting away from the office and exploring how others do things today and talking with them what we are planning for the future. Discussions were very much two-way.

From hearing former head of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, speak through to hearing how independent retailers use social media to playing with retail product of the future prototypes, our representatives soaked u a tremendous experience and made any new connections which will serve the company well into 2015 and beyond.

Sharing experiences with colleague specialist software companies in another market has been valuable for Tower Systems as it has lead retailers in a number of vertical market channels in Australia. This latest trip to the US continues these experiences.

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Cloud services help Tower Systems POS software customers save time

January 16, 2015

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Cloud based services released by POS software company Tower systems are helping small business retailers to save time in running their businesses. One such service loved by customers using it is the cloud based backup service – which backs up data on the go through the trading day, thereby eliminating the need for an end of shift backup.

One retail business using the service recently needed to restore from a backup and was thrilled that this could be done easily and efficiently compared to having to access a USB stick or disk.

The most important aspect of the cloud based service is that it takes away the need for human intervention to get the backup done. This saves time and heartache in retail.

This is another Tower Advantage^TM.

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Free POS software training for retail business employees

January 15, 2015

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The Tower Systems Training Academy offers retail business owners and employes the ability to learn our POS software at their own pace and in their own location.

Business owners and employees using the Tower software can learn how to use the software when and where they want without having to pay extra for the privilege.

The training helps ensure new employees learn the software properly and it provides existing employees the ability to refresh knowledge and learn more.

With retail changing and demands on business owners and their employees growing, good knowledge is vital to efficient and profitable newsagency management.

Professionally produced in-house by Tower Systems and peer-reviewed, this training program is accessed through curriculum platform just released on the Tower website.

This wonderful online training resource is another Tower Advantage^TM.

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Stunning POS software receipt design shows off the pet shop business

January 14, 2015

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Tower Systems has the best installation and training people!

Look at how one of our retail partners is using their Pet Shop Software to offer receipts that look stunning.

This receipt was created by a member of our installation and training team while onsite installing our software.

The receipt has all the detail you could want for an accurate record of the sale.

Plus it has a unique barcode for easily finding the sale in the future.

And then there is the ad for the dog wash service – attracting shoppers back into the business.

The receipt is capped with the business logo.

Flexibility in receipt design is a hallmark of the Tower Systems POS software – all our retail partners have access to this so they can make their own beautiful receipts.

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A day in the life of our POS software company

January 13, 2015

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Here’s a candid look at a day in the life of our POS software company. The video was shot just before Christmas. It shows real people working passionately for our small business customers.

We’re a diverse, engaged and professional bunch of people who love small business retail and the technology we make to serve businesses in this sector.

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Tower Systems POS software on the Microsoft Surface takes POS mobile

January 12, 2015

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As retail businesses adopt to opportunities in 2015, Tower Systems is well placed to take the POS software from behind the counter thanks to support for mobile devices including the Microsoft Surface.

While we have offered mobile access to our POS software for years, the Surface is exciting to retailers as they look for opportunities for more engaged competition in 2015.

The Surface is versatile and fast in running our software. Having reference sites helps as we can show the software running in a live situation.

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Sunday retail management advice: make Lay-Bys work for you & your customers

January 11, 2015

3 Min read

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Tower Systems has helped many retailers get into offering Lay-By services when installing our Point of Sale software. Over many years we have developed extensive experience in Lay-Bys and through this we have refined suggestions on how to make the most of the opportunity.

Here is a summary of more extensive Lay-By advice we provide to retailers, based on our years of experience.

WHAT TO LAY-BY. Set a minimum item and or purchase value. We’d suggest $80.00 in a small retail business.
DATA REQUIRED. Always ensure you are satisfied you know who your customer is. Require proof of ID from a driver’s licence or similar legal ID document.
20% of the total GST inclusive purchase price.
Only Lay-by to people 18 and over.
Lay-bys should run for between eight and twelve weeks. You could run for longer pre Christmas to get early sales.
PAYMENT CYCLE. Require payments to be made weekly or fortnightly.
PAYMENT METHOD. Accept any payment form you choose.
Do not allow someone to take home a single item from a group of items on Lay-by together in one purchase. It’s all or nothing.
Have a policy you are comfortable with. We suggest a 20% cancellation fee applies. Note that you could equally choose to have no cancellation given that Lay-by product may not be able to easily re-sold.
Decide what you would consider a breach. This has to be something you stand by. We suggest two missed payments without reasonable excuse or rectification. On breach, cancel and charge the cancellation fee.
We suggest a no-exchange policy.
When a customer Lay-bys, print two dockets – one for them to take immediately and one to be placed with the goods. Have your customer sign both copies, accepting your terms and conditions.
Set aside a clean and secure storage location for Lay-bys in your business where locations are coded for easy finding. Place Lay-by goods into a single clear plastic bag per transaction for clean and safekeeping. Staple to this a copy of the Lay-by docket. Let your customers see you do this so there is no doubt when it comes time to collect the products.
Have one person responsible for Lay-bys to ensure product care, track payments and contact customers.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Enter these into your software so they are included on every Lay-by docket. Points 2 through 11 above are a good example of what to include in your terms and conditions.
COMPLETE PAPERWORK. To not over complicate things, rely on your software’s Lay-by docket as your complete paperwork / contract. Get that right and Lay-by management will be easier.

We are grateful to our retail partners who have worked with us on developing this experience and advice. Their help has enabled us to provide this help.

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Helping nervous computer users to fall in love with POS software

January 10, 2015

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Outside of our help desk and separated from our POS software installation team, we have a unique role that exists to help small business retailers settle our software into their business.

We created this role some years back to help people nervous about installing a computer into their retail business to learn the system at their own pace and through this to build a confidence in and love for the software.

Offering a service like this helps Tower Systems provide a more enjoyable customer service experience. We are able to settle new users in away from the help desk, through a service where there is little time pressure.

This is another Tower Systems Advantage^TM of which we are very proud.

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Comparing specialist bike shop software to Retail Manager from MYOB

January 9, 2015

3 Min read

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The Tower Systems specialist bike shop software plays in a completely different field to MYOB’s Retail Manager software. While both software packages offer Point of Sale facilities, only our software offers facilities which serve the needs of today’s specialist bike retailer.

MYOB’s Retail Manager is a successful mass market package and therefore remains generic in the services it provides. This is how they keep their price down, by not offering specialist facilities. It is a business model which has served them well.

We have gone the other way and created specialist bike shop software because we understand that this will help bike retailers make more money from their businesses. Bike retailers can leverage our specialist facilities to drive revenue and build businesses of greater value for when they decide to sell.

Specialist bike retailers see themselves and quite different to mass merchant bike retailers. One way of leveraging their specialist focus and services is through specialist bike shop software. Those who don’t see their business as different opt for mass merchant software and miss an opportunity to drive their unique selling proposition at every opportunity.

Here are some of the bike shop specialist areas where our software is quite different to the generic MYOB and other software:

Loyalty marketing. Bike customers are more valuable than the first tracking. By tracking purchases through a robust loyalty management and marketing system, bike retailers using our Tower Systems software are able to extract greater value from each customer.
Text message customer communication. Letting customers know when repairs are ready to be collected, special orders have arrived in-store and special offers are available helps better connect specialist bike retailers and their customers. MYOB does not have these facilities.
Multi store facilities. Centralised internet based multi store facilities. What we offer beats the current MYOB offer hands down.
Supplier connection. By connecting with key bike shop suppliers, processing electronic invoices and creating electronic orders, we are helping bike retailers cut labour costs. This makes our software considerably more valuable than generic software when it comes to managing business payroll.
Theft management. By connecting the bike shop software with a sophisticated security camera system, bike shop owners are able to leverage better management of the employee and customer theft risks. This is another difference between generic POS software and our specialist bike shop software.
Serial number tracking. A full service bike shop wants to provide a more professional and complete service to the mass merchants. Serial number tracking is one such example. This can help with insurance claims. It can also ease the registering of the purchase with the manufacturer.
Repairs management. Tracking a repair from when it is presented to when it is collected can be a real time saver for a bike shop. Doing this work manually costs time and leads to mistakes. MYOB offers no such facility.
Managing custom built products. Being able to track the assembling of a number of items and labour into a saleable product is important for a specialist bike retailer. MYOB cannot handle this.

Bike retailers who see their business as different to that of a mass merchant selling bikes prefer software which respects and supports their difference. This is the Tower Systems Advantage^TM.

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Beautiful software helps jewellers enjoy their businesses

January 8, 2015

2 Min read

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Jewellers who choose software designed specifically for a jewellery shop have more benefits to gain for their businesses than those who choose a generic everyday POS product for their business.

Whereas there everyday POS software is designed to serve the needs of any retail business, good POS software designed for a jewellery shop has facilities specific to that type of business.

Jeweller specific facilities are important if your jeweller shop is to more effectively compete in a robust retail online and high street retail environment.

Jeweller specific facilities in good jeweller software that can benefit a jeweller retail business include:

Customer LayBy or Lay Away facilities.
Employee sales tracking.
Shopper loyalty – in various forms and to a range of standards.
Electronic invoice support from jeweller suppliers.
Printing specialist jeweller labels.
Handling diamond and other stone details.
Serving the need to make up and item such as a ring from metals, stones, clasps and labour.
Supporting bundling items into gift packs.
Seasonal catalogues such as for Christmas.

Plus much more.

Good software designed specifically for jewellery businesses can help a jeweller make far more from their software investment than they would make from an everyday retail POS software package even if the everyday POS software package is much cheaper.

Tower Systems specialises in providing jewellers with beautiful software.www.towersystems.com.au.

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Tower Systems at CES in Las Vegas

January 8, 2015

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From in-home innovation to retail innovation to tech trendy to geekery, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year is proving to be an exciting playground for the Tower Systems representatives we have there.

While CES is an opportunity to meet with hardware suppliers, it is more about spotting trends and considering these in the context of what we do with small and independent retailers and specific marketplaces in which we serve.

The trip is proving to be a good opportunity to network with some Australians attending this year.

Taking time out of the day to day to consider future possibilities is useful, especially at the start of the year.

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Australian magazine publishers encouraged to improve barcode placement consistency

January 7, 2015

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The Australian Newsagency Blog has called on Australian magazine publishers to locate barcodes in a consistent place on magazine covers.

We support this push. It would improve sales efficiency and cut returns processing time for our 1,850+ newsagency business customers.

The current placement of barcodes costs newsagents and other retailers time and money. The proposed change would benefit all stakeholders. This is why Tower Systems supports it.

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Tower Systems the industry standard garden centre software

January 6, 2015

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Now serving close to 100 garden centres and nursery businesses nationally, Tower Systems is established as the industry standard garden centre software.

Garden centres use the software in a range of areas from inside the shop to outside where plant stock are managed.

Regularly enhanced in close consultation with garden centre business owners and managers, the Tower Systems garden centre software is used in many areas in a business including (but not limited to):

Track retail sales.
Manage and encourage employees.
Market to customers.
Manage stock.
Link to multiple loyalty systems / programs.
Reorder from suppliers.
Receive electronic invoices from suppliers.
Provide plant care information for customers.
Manage LayBys.
manage and track services provided.
Manage bundling of products for single package sale.

This is specialist software developed specifically for garden centres in Australia and New Zealand. In 2015 new releases will further extend the reach of the software, making it even more useful.

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New POS software training opportunities

January 5, 2015

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We have been developing new content for our weekly online training workshops for retailers using our POS software.

In the next round of training opportunities to be released in the coming weeks you will see many new topics including these four:

How employees steal from retailers. Secrets from our top investigator and expert witness. Hosted by our COO Gavin Williams and for business owners only.
Basic hardware troubleshooting tips. Tips on how to fix basic hardware issues from our expert technical Services Manager Simon May.
Learning our POS software for Mandarin speaking users. Hosted by Jeremy To, our Mandarin speaking help desk expert.
Retailer software settings you will be shocked you have access to. Hold desk expert Colin Harris will show you settings you most likely don;t know exist that can help your enjoyment of the software

These sessions and the others yet to be announced will provide fresh training opportunities for our retail business partners in 2015. We are excited to be offering fresh practical training for small business retailers and through this to demonstrate our commitment to driving business performance as well as business efficiency.

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Another good weekend of POS software support

January 5, 2015

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I can’t thank you enough. I know I made a mistake not having virus protection and your people helped me anyway.

One of our POS software customers this weekend was hit with a virus and we helped them overcome the resulting challenges. Their appreciation was terrific. Kudos for a job well done by one of our team members.

We are proud here at Tower Systems of the dedicated team of professionals who care for our customers.

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Sunday retail management advice: professional management of the sales counter

January 4, 2015

2 Min read

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In our work with small business retailers we have been fortunate to see many different sales counter situations. The best retail sales counters are the ones run in a structured and professional way.

We are often asked for advice on management of the counter. Here are nine points of advice for counter management (outside of direct sales) which our customers have found useful. This list is our retail management advice today.

No food or drink to be visible to customers unless it is packaged and for sale.
No personal staff items like bags, purses, wallets or mobile phones to be visible at the counter.
Clean the counter at least every day.
From the customer side, remove all products from the counter once a week, clean and rebuild.
Keep counter messages, signs and notes that shoppers see to a minimum. Every note, sign or message must have a purpose that speaks to the mission of your business.
When employees purchase from the business have them purchase from the customer side of the counter.
Have a rule on how many people you have behind the counter at any time. Too often retail employees use the counter as a refuge. More impulse purchases are achieved by working the shop floor than at the counter.
Dramatically change your counter at least once every three months – as much for your team as for your customers.
When assessing the counter for product placement, cleanliness and being on-topic, do so from the customer side. How it looks from behind the counter is far less relevant than from the customer side.

In helping retailers use our Point of Sale software we often find ourselves helping beyond the technology. Developing and sharing this list is one example of our broader help of small business retailers.

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No vacation here

January 3, 2015

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Tower Systems is not one person or even a few people. Tower Systems is a team of IT and customer services professionals working together to deliver to small and independent retailers excellent POS software backed by excellent service.

Through the year when people take a break to refresh and recharge other team members step in to ensure continuity of service. Our services continue right through, even this blog and our other public facing contact points.

Being available regardless of individual leave situations is essential in any business serving small business retailers as these businesses themselves never close.

Customer service is as much about easy contact access as it is about the knowledge shared. Often we find contact is about talking through questions and processes more so than problems as such.

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POS software support kudos: thanks for being human

January 2, 2015

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Thanks for being human.

This is what one happy customer calling our after hours POS software help desk line said. Earlier on Jan. 1, 2015 they had called their bank and their internet service provider and got lost in the maze of automated phone systems. With us, the phone was answered by a human and the question was quickly answered.

We loved their response to our service.

Thanks for being human.

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Pet shop software helps pet retailers connect with suppliers

January 2, 2015

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Pet shops using the pet shop software from Tower Systems are enjoying access to electronic invoices for easy and accurate arrival of new stock.

Eliminating the need to manually type in invoice details certainly saves time in pet shops. More important than the time saving though is the certainty of data accuracy. Accurate data feeds into better quality business decisions for the pet shop businesses and with their suppliers.

Tower Systems has a program of consistency for connecting pet retailers and their suppliers through electronic stock files and invoices. The company has a structured approach through which it brings on new suppliers – to ensure their data meets appropriate standards for serving the needs of pet retailers.

2015 will see more pet shop suppliers join the Tower EDI community.

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Newsagency sales benchmark study announced

January 1, 2015

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Tower Systems has announced details of its next newsagency sales benchmark study – covering trade from October through december 2014 and compared to trade in 2014.

The Tower newsagency sales benchmark is the most comprehensive study of newsagency shopping basket data. It is also the longest running benchmark study.

All Tower newsagents have been invited to participate in the latest benchmark study. the results will be published later this month.

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