Many companies are reluctant to invest in a point of sale, or POS integration because they think it’s too expensive. But, it is one of the most important tools for your store to create a fully integrated shopping experience.
Modern stores that include both retail locations and eCommerce or online stores often utilize two separate inventory and POS systems: one for the retail store and one for the online orders. This is a mistake.
In fact, POS integration – which reconciles information between your retail and eCommerce store sales – is crucial if you want your business to thrive. Let’s take a closer look at what POS integration really is and why it matters for your store.
POS Integration Explained
A POS or point-of-sale can describe either the register of a retail location where people pay for something in your store or the digital page where people pay for something on your eCommerce website. It’s the place where a sale is made.
Many online businesses also have brick-and-mortar storefronts that sell similar or even the same products. However, the POS systems of both retail stores and eCommerce stores are often separate, leading to a number of drawbacks and difficulties.
It’s a much better idea to integrate your POS terminal system with your eCommerce store.
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Why Does POS eCommerce Integration Matter?
Ultimately, any business owner wants their retail and online stores to perform well. But having two separate POS systems or data sets can be time-consuming to handle and difficult to reconcile each week. Ultimately, there are lots of reasons why you should integrate POS with your website. Let’s take a look at some of those reasons now.
You Don’t Have to Do Everything Twice
For starters, integrating your POS with your eCommerce store means you will not need to manually intervene or enter sales data at least twice (or through multiple software systems).
In a traditional, separate retail POS and eCommerce store setup, managers or employees will need to reconcile stock between both systems, enter sales multiple times so that total business numbers add up correctly, and practice good inventory management.
This is intensely time-consuming and can easily lead to errors. For instance, it’s easy to imagine how you might forget to register a single product having been sold at the retail store without entering it into your eCommerce system. Then a customer might order that product on your eCommerce store since your webpage says you have it in stock, leading to an inevitable and embarrassing disappointment.
Better Analysis of Your In-Person and Online Performance
Additionally, integrating your POS with your eCommerce store will lead to a much more accurate analysis of your business’s performance in the retail and online spheres.
Having accurate information will allow you to:
- Know when to order inventory
- Know which stores do better in which arenas or for which products
- Understand whether your online store is outperforming your retail store or vice versa
- And more
Simply put, leveraging POS integration will help you evolve your business smartly in the future.
Easier Training for Employees
One often understated benefit is the extra time your employees will have. With separate retail POS and eCommerce systems, employees must be trained to use both sectors’ software or other tools, as well as spent time entering data or handling other busywork.
Integrating your POS with your eCommerce store means employees can spend more time producing profit for your business and do not need to spend more time training for two sets of tools.
No Inventory Lag
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, integrating your POS successfully means both your eCommerce and retail stores will not have inventory differences or inaccuracies. Reconciling inventory between both storefronts will be quick and easy, leading to fewer customer disappointments and more cost-effective ordering when it comes time to buy more products.
Ultimately, it’s easy to see why POS integration is so important. Be sure to look into integrators like Accumula for your business today.
