| Point of sale (POS) is just another name for the cash | | | | fully standardized computer systems that keep track |
| counters where you pay for your purchases. This | | | | of the customer records, stores, and product |
| could be a supermarket or a highway establishment or | | | | information in a sales or service outlet. What first |
| any other physical location where money is | | | | served as an advanced calculator has now emerged |
| exchanged across the counter for consumer goods. | | | | as a means of foolproof remote management of |
| But gone are the days when one used gingers and | | | | business procedures across the globe. With the |
| mental arithmetic for cash transactions. POS | | | | advent of wireless technology, POS has taken a step |
| technology has revolutionized consumerism around the | | | | forward with handheld POS systems that bring |
| world. Electronic calculation, automatic billing, credit card | | | | information to your fingertips. |
| processing, and an accurate record of all day-to-day | | | | Many manufacturers and dealers offer ready-to-use |
| activities are all just a click away if you have POS | | | | POS technology, complete with hardware, software, |
| systems at your outlet. POS are designed to | | | | and equipment to suit the specific needs of different |
| streamline sales processes and increase efficiency at | | | | users. They include monitors, computer terminals, |
| the point of sale. The error margin in accounts and | | | | scanners, printers, and cash registers, along with easy |
| staff management is considerably less compared to | | | | installation software CDROMS. Basic computer |
| manual POS management, as information is stored | | | | requirements for a basic POS system are Windows, |
| and accessed electronically. | | | | UNIX, or Linux, depending upon the kind of software |
| POS technology was first developed as barcode | | | | used for point-of-sale activities. Gathering business |
| readers and electronic cash registers for the Universal | | | | intelligence becomes much faster with the aid of a |
| Product Code (UPC) in 1974 for the United States and | | | | POS system, providing for accurate planning of profit |
| Canada; it was aimed at accelerating the payment | | | | margins and increasing sales efficiency. |
| process in a business transaction. But now, they are | | | | |