You can find plenty of articles online talking about how important point-of-sale (POS) systems are for businesses. I’m not going to repeat all that or list numerous reasons why you should get one. The benefits of automation are pretty straightforward. But if your business is hitting a rough patch and you’ve got a moment, let me share a story with you.
### My Summer Job
During high school, I spent my summer vacations working at my aunt and uncle’s deli. It was an endearing, old-school family business that I loved being a part of. My main aim was gaining work experience, but making some extra cash without tax deductions was a nice bonus. While the job didn’t pay for my college, it did help me become somewhat financially independent.
While working there, I often heard my aunt worrying aloud to my uncle about managing inventory and suspected employee theft. I noticed that employees were taking long smoke breaks, sometimes over 20 minutes! This bothered me, but whenever I mentioned it to my aunt and uncle, they said they’d look into it. I knew, deep down, that they were afraid of legal repercussions or staff quitting, so nothing ever changed. They were visibly stressed from the daily grind of keeping the business running.
Even at that young age, I could see that their beloved deli, once a dream, was starting to feel like a burden. The outdated cash register system wasn’t cutting it anymore.
### A Change in the Wind
One Saturday, my uncle came into the deli carrying a big box and grinning ear to ear. It turned out a family friend, who ran several hardware stores, had lent them a computer equipped with a POS system. Inside the box was the computer, a receipt printer, and a card terminal.
After spending a week getting the hang of their new POS system, my aunt and uncle were able to organize their inventory, assign stock numbers, and streamline their accounting. Unlike the old manual system, which required an accountant to sift through countless receipts, generating accurate reports became effortless.
### The Deli’s Transformation with the POS System
The new POS system allowed the deli to produce sales reports daily, weekly, and monthly. It also pointed out which products were popular and which were not. This made it easier for my aunt to review past transactions and determine the best-selling items. For instance, Pastrami was a big hit on Wednesdays, while Pancetta sold well on Sundays.
The automatic inventory management feature ensured that everything was accounted for, and order processing became much faster and more accurate. With the new card terminal, there was no need for manual bank authorization for credit card payments.
The POS system could generate purchase orders automatically whenever stock levels dropped below a certain point. I found this fascinating because it could anticipate demand and prevent shortages. Modern systems, I hear, can even place these orders on their own when needed.
### A Happy Ending
After implementing the POS system, I noticed that the long breaks stopped. The system included a time clock and employee management feature, allowing my aunt to track employee productivity and attendance. Identifying and dealing with underperforming staff became much easier with solid evidence.
My aunt and uncle faced multiple challenges, from dealing with dishonest employees to managing disappearing inventory, which almost pushed their deli to the brink of closure. But the borrowed POS system turned out to be their lifesaver. It tackled theft, improved employee management, enhanced inventory control, and boosted overall efficiency. This transformation helped them grow their business and strengthened them as a family. I’m grateful I could be part of this transformative journey, even if it was just for a summer.