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The fashion merchandise retailer store, Nordstrom, has joined the venture of equipping employees with mobile POS devices in order to increase customer satisfaction, in a focus toward convenient efficient checkout. The fundamental incentive is to minimize the customer's inclination to over analyze their potential purchase by waiting in the line for a lengthy period, thus, maintaining the impose of the customers to purchase the item. The mobile POS devices are equipped with a scanner and credit card slider in order to complete the transaction for the customer, the same type of technology is visible in Apple and Home Depot stores. According to the company's sale report, a visible increase in sales has occurred for the Nordstrom Company, an estimated 15.3 percent from $1.5 Billion to $1.73 Billion in the same fiscal year of 2011. As well, the creation of a Nordstrom app allows salespersons to check inventory and availability, in a further aim to increase customer satisfaction and their business. Without a doubt POS system are branching into different spectrum of business in order to increase efficiency and customer satisfaction.

This article does a great job of showing the history of the point of sales system and looking at the future of the POS System. Point of sales, or retail transactions, have been around since humans were created. Cash transactions took place between consumers and merchants, and the cash was kept in a box. The cash register, a mechanical cash box, was the first real POS System that kept track of revenues. It wasn't until businesses started using barcodes that the POS really started to change. Merchants could process sales more quickly and accurately. Restaurants were among the first to use mobile POS systems. Staff could process credit cards at the table, and place orders without ever having to write an order down. Apple, for example, eliminates the cash register altogether and handles all transactions from hand-held devices. These new systems of POS reduce labor costs and increase productivity. The elimination of written orders increases the accuracy of servers and gives customers a better quality of service. The future of the POS System is bright. Restaurants have created iPhone apps that allow customers to place their orders before they even reach the restaurant, while others let servers carry around a small computer that allows them to process transactions from wherever they are. Even more advancements are beginning to take place. Encrypted card readers and contact less payment methods will increase the security of mobile POS systems. Eventually a person's cell phone will be able to be passed over a terminal and act as a credit card. These advancements are ultimately to create more time for the guest and the business as well as make shopping more automatic. In today's society where people are controlled by the need to shop, a more automatic type of transaction is the best invention.

Revel Systems is an iPad point of sale company that is backed by $3.7 million in funding. The Revel Router is an Apple certified made for iPad technology that allows shops to run their POS through an Apple iPad. The company is selling the device as a package deal which includes an iPad, the routerm peripherals and the POS software. Currently there are 300 locations installed. Revel CEO Lisa Falzone says that a restaurant owner or retail owner doesnt even know when the internet goes out and with the iPad being on either 3G or 4G connectivity this problem will not exist. Also the need for intenret is eliminated due to the iPad. The system isnt really designed for mobility but rather it aims to replace the existing, stationary setups at the point of sale. The starting package is $3,330 and includes an iPad, cash box, printer, credit card swiper, the router, and the software license. The company offers two support pacakges and meail and online ticketing support for $100/month or per terminal fee thats available 24/7. The use of the iPad will make it easier for an establishment that is just starting out. Rather than running wires and installing internet, the use of the iPad will give the same functionality that a regualr touchscreen POS can bring. The amount of downtime due to internet failure is virtually non existent and the cost is at a very affordable price for any restaurant..

This article describes accounting software functions within the Hotel industry. The article states that "Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry". It is said that when selecting accounting software, you must identify what results you are looking for from the software; and also the functions that you are able to receive. You must also understand the needs of your property, and industry. The article also discusses various decision criteria, which is a part of the selection process. Some of these criteria's that you must look out for are: annual revenue, budget, location, multiple sites, national or international locations, in-house verses outsource operations. I love the fact that this article also discusses the functions of hotel accounting software. Some of those functions that were stated are: account payable, account receivable, and payroll. The article also brought up some trends about hotel and lodging accounting software. One of the trends that stand out to me was the fact that some companies hand over their entire accounting responsibilities to major accounting companies or, accounting firms; this is referred to as outsource. Having a accounting software is a very beneficial asset for a company.

The hospitality industry has had steady growth, with increasing demands for internal controls and financial accountability. Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking the hotel's profitability. Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry. So it's important for hotel manager to choose the suitable accounting software. This article tells how to select hotel accounting system properly. Including the decision criteria used in selection process, areas of functionality in hotel accounting software and standards used for accounting and auditing in hotel industry, etc.

Hotel managers are often faced a lot of problem to deal with the accounting system. Now hotel manager can manage all of the accounting responsibilities by use hotel accounting technology. Using Web-based hotel accounting software can save your business money . The functions covered in all of the accounting systems.

The right property management system plays a key roles in the success of any hotel. Property management systems store guests' information which helps make for a pleasurable stay at the hotel. On the back end having the proper property management system can be key tool in making a successful stay at the hotel. The front end has software that handles the point of sale, account receivable, banquets, conferences, restaurant, housekeeping, inventory, payroll, among other apps and modules that connect to make the hotel run successful smooth. The information that is stored in these systems generate reports that the hotel can review for decision making. Much like other software, technology can be exhausting at times when it doesn't do what we want it to do. The hotel software market is full of many different option management can choose do off with. A few things a hotel should consider when choosing software should be: How many modules will your new hotel software offer? Does your new property management system have third party products merged into it? Is your hotel software compatible with third party software? Does your property management system help you enhance revenue? Considering all these questions while choosing a new property management system can help management choose the best system that will be most beneficial for the hotel. As someone who has been part of choosing a PMS it is very important to consider everything. Every vendor tells you why theirs is the best. It takes a lot of time to review everything and determine what system will work best for the company. I think where companies go wrong when getting a new system is training. The companies I've worked for often do very little training. I think lack of training for employees contributes to employees not using systems correctly and to full capacity which causes errors in reports. As a sales director, I often read reports and knew the information wasn't correct and it was due to input error. This

This article was very interesting and it gives advice to any person thinking about opening a hotel in what software you can use. A hotel software is extremely important because that has all the guest information and store there experience that they had at the hotel. You have to see what software you want to implement when changing the hotel management system or property management system you need to know who is selling it to you and what is included in the software. If you are just getting a new system, you have to make sure that everything you already have is included and more. You also have to make sure that the software you get is compatible with a third party hardware. A hotel software system can make you or break you in a hotel. You really have to know the vendor that is selling you the software and make sure that they have experience with the software. The better the software that you have in the hotel, the smoother the hotel will run.

The article talks about the importance of using a PMS or Property Management System. The use of a property management system is very important to the success of a property. The article is also able to aid those who looking to implement a property management system by helping them narrow down what they will need. The article poses questions toward the reader to see what they are looking for in a PMS.

This article is related to IT security in hotels. Around six months back a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators met at the LodgeNet's Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago to discuss on how protecting customer data is becoming their top priority. This type of situation was brought to a head earlier this year when marketing services giant Epsilon experienced a massive breach to its email systems. According to a SecurityWeek report, among those impacted by the breach were several hotel operators, including Hilton, Ritz-Carlton and Marriott. According to a 2010 Wall Street Journal report, the most common security vulnerability in hotels is point-of-sale software. Often, hotels do not require employees to change the default names and passwords of these programs, making it easier for hackers to break in and steal customer information. To overcome some of these and other concerns, McBeth said hotel operators are applying the best practices detailed by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which aims to address data security for businesses that handle payment cards. However, he admitted that the task of ensuring protection throughout an organization is difficult, given the number of channels where vulnerabilities could be uncovered. This being the case, it is encouraging to see some hotels are making moves to lock down their data security practices. There is clearly a great deal of work that needs to be done, but if a hotel can demonstrate it is capable of protecting customer information, it may be more likely to inspire confidence in consumers, which, in turn, could afford the hotel a competitive edge.

Its a tough task to monitor this, because at the end of the day, the responsibility is at the property level to ensure that data is secure across the board. So training employees on the importance of data security and what a breach means could go along way.

When you think of where point of sales systems are typically used you think of a restaurant, hotel, stadium, retail store, etc. A medicinal marijuana store is the last place that would come to mind, at least for me personally. I think this article really shows how common and wide spread POS systems have become. MJ Freeway software tracks the sales and inventory of medical cannabis dispensaries. Their tagline is encouraging better business practices because their software is "guaranteed to always be state compliant." I love the literal naming of their software. GrowTracker and GramTracker are the inventory tracking tools that address discrepancies due to issues such as spillage or even evaporation. The incorporation of WeedTracker, WeedMaps, and Quickbooks also makes life a little easier for their clients and patients. Having a product specific point of sales which tracks patients names, status and transactions is very important in the medicinal cannabis industry and MJ Freeway delivers. The one thing I don't quite understand is how the POS allows for flexibility at POS for "buds that weigh heavy." However if that is an issue it is good that this advance system already has a solution. I found it refreshing to read about a POS in a completely different environment then a hotel yet with very similar capabilities.

This article reveals that Revel Systems is expanding its point-of-sale products with Beautiful Brand International. Revel Systems is well-known for creating the mobile point-of-sale system for Apple used by numerous restaurants and retails. Other popular restaurants currently partnered with Revel Systems are Camille's Sidewalk Café, Dixie Cream, FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt Cafe and Rex's Chicken. This POS system provides a quicker checkout option for customers and offers hotel/restaurant managers the option of powering the software using the cloud or an iPad application. This provides the company a cost efficient, easy to use program that has the ability to customize payroll, track inventory, email receipts and allow customers to make orders online. Most managers who invest in this program make it a requirement for all their companies to utilize in order to provide a systematic approach to maintaining their database and ensuring all locations are managed the same. This is such a popular and competitive tool that Revel is already making $80 million since its origin in August 2010. A major advantage of this system is that it provides the ease of accessing documents with its reliance on servers hosted in the cloud. These systems are quickly being adopted by restaurants mainly because customers are impressed with the style, speed and reliability. Revel Systems forces busineses to upgrade their POS systems in order to meet security standards. This will result in a $34 billion POS market by the end of 2012. Companies selling these systems make businesses believe they need POS systems in order to run their business efficiently. They explain that with servers hosted in the cloud, management is enabe to see data in real time from any location.

The article talk about a POS company that has developed a complete system for retail or restaurant stores that runs on the IPAD and the Cloud. It lowers the entry barrier by more than 75% compared to a regular MICROS POS system, they do this by not having a in house server and using standard hardware.  One of the advantages of using this system is that you can monitor your sales real time on any location that might be using the system.

Starbucks invested $25 million to develop movie payment system with partnership with Square. The mobile payment integration with the point of sale solution will be available in November. The point of sale solution mobile app will make customers purchase using their phones through a digital Starbucks card and square will processing all of the Starbuck's credit card - based payments. Meanwhile, Starbucks also revealed its IOS app's integration with Passbook. When you approach a Starbucks location, a Passbook notification will appear on the screen of iPhone and you can then select the starbucks card and swipe your phone to make the purchase. Later Starbucks will integrate Squar's GPS- based point of sale system which should make purchases a breeze and speed up the lines during coffee rush hours. This allow you to select the item with Square app and simply say you name to the cashier to confirm the payment.  An image of your face will present from the profile photo to prevent theft or misuse. Since January 2011 starbucks first mobile payment app has host over 70 million transactions and the partnership with Square has been a mutually beneficial on for both sides. Starbucks will significantly expand Square's scale and accelerate the benefits to business on the platform in the future.

The article I read was called "Accounting Software for Restaurants" in the article it said that many restaurants owners opened their business for their desire of food or their love for friendly surroundings. Most restaurant owners highly ever talk about their finances or accounting systems, yet they all should know how much money they are making and what percent of that money is profit. Every accounting system has a general list of assets and liabilities for the restaurant, which in other words means what the restaurant owns and what it owes. "These bookkeeping functions can be performed with a checkbook and a ledger pad (not recommended), a general-purpose accounting package like QuickBooks or Sage 50, or with special-purpose financial systems designed specifically for restaurants. High-end packages include point-of-sale terminals, menu planning, cost accounting, inventory, payables, receivables and other food service-specific features." Accounting software's allow you to see the general ledger, profit and loss, cash flow, and basic inventory. These software's are not only easy to use but they also save you a lot of time in the long run. When choosing software for your restaurant, start by looking at the business plans and see what your business can afford. It's best to talk with an accountant to find out what will be needed for tax reporting and license renewals, they will help you find out how much to spent up front and each month.

The articles talks about the many advantages of using POS systems over traditional cash registers.

This article is about the disadvantages of the point of sales system, which is including the cost of web access, system updates, and the security risks. Firstly, the POS that allows the user to connect a single register to a larger network of information that would otherwise be unavailable or inconvenient to access, thus, some companies decide to go with a web-based system rather than a software-based system, which direct bring additional cost. What is more, if the companies decided to undertake the software-based point of sale system, they need to continue updating the system with new versions from the manufacturer or software company, which means addition cost/fee. Moreover, customers who use the debit cards with POS system, that will face the security risks problem, If the companies use the web-based system, the customer will under the security and privacy risks that come with doing business on the Internet.

This article describes trends in technology in the hotel industry and the applications of them in the Russian economy. The article discusses what the trends in IT are and how they may apply to the hotel sector of the hospitality industry, providing real-world examples and hypothetical scenarios. The information in this article is insightful to the relationship between hospitality and information technology and provides a perspective on this relationship from the viewpoint of the Russian hotel economy specifically.

this article talks about cash, cards, inventory and customer data intersect at the point of sale and introduce the security procedures for how to keep your defenses up to date.

This article explains what a POS system is and it goes into details about what to expect and what you can use a POS for when at work. POS systems ultimately make our jobs far easier both from an employee and a managerial position because all data can be stored and processed through the same system. Different POS systems can be used for different properties as well as for different styles of businesses, you select the system that fits best for what your business consists of.

In this Article it talks about the POS Systems, to help you understand the point of sales software in a small business.

This article is a guide for business beginners to choose a POS. It firstly explains the basic definitions of a POS system and made explanations for its usage. A top-tier point of sale system can do everything from inventory management to providing detailed reports and analytics. It can even help with online sales with eCommerce integrations - and many come with built-in card processor services as well. Different kinds of POS includes cloud-based ones and locally-installed ones. Also, there are POS that are compatible with Android. iOS, or both. POS can sync with many hardware such as scale, card reader, and code scanner. This article also explains on how to select a POS system. It finally encouraged the readers to get a POS for their own businesses.

Firstly, Guest Centric PMS Focus. Guests are the reason why hotels are in this business and also the resource of the hotels' revenue. Guests prefer to get experience and personalized attention from the hotels. Secondly, Integrated Revenue Management. A property must have a PMS with an effective and integrated revenue management system, which include the potential daily revenue. The revenue management module and a great deal of data must be fully integrated. Thirdly, the Ability to Connect to Online Sales Channels. There is a PMS drive sales through two-way communication with a wide variety of Internet channels. This article points out online channels are the fastest growing source of reservations, and getting your property's optimized rates and accurate available to the most effective of those channels.

This article explains the top three features to look at when in the process of picking out a PMS to use at a property. The first feature is that it should be guest centric PMS focus. This industry is run by guests. They are the reason hotels and restaurants exist. Having an easy to use CRM allows to employees be a bit more personal with the guest. Next, is integrated revenue management.Revenue management to be at the top of its game needs a fast system. When updating information if it takes too long it gets frustrating and can lose some opportunities to increase your daily revenue. Lastly, it should have the ability to connect to online sales channels. The article says that having a two way communication system is a crucial point to maximizing your company's point of sales.

This article discusses about 3 main features you should consider when you chose a PMS. First and most important feature is that whether it is guest centric or not. The hospitality business is all about guest, they are the source of your profits. So it is very important that your PMS has easy access to customer database or CRM system database. The second thing you should consider is Integrated Revenue Management. Hospitality market changes rapidly due to all not sure factors: holidays, events, festivals. So if you can forecast the changes of market rate and you update your rate in time, you are ahead of the game. Last, a excellent PMS should also has the ability to connect to Online Sales Channels. As the Internet is developed, lots of people make on-line reservations. Because the most accurate and updated information, your PMS should connect to on-line sales channels.

This article highlights three hardware trends that is shaping the modern hospitality industry globally by focusing on the advances experienced in POS technology. The writer emphasizes that since the hospitality industry has been more focused on services than on retail, restaurant, bars, hotel and pub owners should pay keen interest on the technological developments. This technology is beneficial to the hospitality industry, as it will help the operators improve on customer experience. Hardware plays a critical role in improving the services offered in the hospitality industry. The three emerging trends in hospitality mentioned in the article relate to the trends in EPOS hardware in the industry. The first trend mentioned in the article is mobile EPOS (M-POS), which helps in taking orders, inputting them into the EPOS system, have the order forwarded to the kitchen and processing for the order payment by using wireless broadband. The second trend is kiosks that are self-service points in the hospitality industry. Kiosks have several uses like checking availability, making reservations when the patrons arrive in restaurants and allowing guests to order room service in hotel rooms. The last trend is the use of scanners, which is modern EPOS software for setting up a loyalty scheme for businesses. Scanners have not been a necessary part of the hospitality EPOS but their demand has grown due to the increase in popularity for loyalty schemes among businesses.

This article talks about the three hardware systems that are trending now in the hospitality industry. The Mobile EPOS, Kioks, and Scanners are all meant to make the job of the company run smoother and more efficiently. The EPOS makes it easier to get everything done in one place, for example placing an order, paying and receiving a receipt. Kiosks allow customers to place their own order and have the food delivered to them. Lastly, scanners are a great help when it come tp updating records.

Retail operators are now understanding that point of sale systems can also be used to not only assist in processing the final phase of the checkout but also throughout the entire process to increase the service aspect. The advancement in POS technology is the driving force behind this initiative. Operators of restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels, etc., are using POS technology to improve the customer service experience. The main focus of this is placed on modern specialised EPOS software and hardware systems and how they can help to integrate operations across an entire business. There are three emerging trends in hospitality EPOS hardware that are used to run the software. They are mobile Epos (M-Pos), Kiosks and Scanners. Mobile EPOS (M-POS) use single devices at the table to take orders, input into the EPOS system, forwarded to the kitchen and process the order for payment. Kiosks, on the other hand are self-service points that allow users to process orders and payments separate from collection they can also allow users to check availability and making reservations, allowing them to perform tasks like choosing tables and dining times themselves. Kiosks could play a similar role in hotel rooms, allowing guests to order room service or offering a smart concierge option. The final hardware option mentioned was the use of scanners. Scanners are used in conjunction with the loyalty schemes which are growing in popularity as a way to incentivise repeat business and for updating records.

The article by Shiji Group (2020) focuses on how companies can utilize technology in responding to post-crisis operations, increasing their competitiveness in their respective industries. In itself, the Shiji group is a software solutions company that provides its services in the Food, hospitality, entertainment, and retail industry. The company was founded in 1998 and currently employs approximately 5,000 individuals in its over 80 subsidiaries. As of 2020, Shiji Group serves approximately 200,000 restaurants, 74,000 hotels, and 600,00 retail businesses (Shiji Group, 2020. To this effect, the Shiji Group (2020) provides that the utilization of point-of-sale software and technologies is the best suit technological alternative for foods and beverages companies in the post-crisis period. In this line, the article indicates that the best alternative in implementing such technology is ensuring that the company's systems can communicate effectively. In this line, Shiji Group (2020) notes that approximately 65% of all purchasing decisions are affected by the availability of point-of-sale features, modules, and functionalities. Shiji Group (2020) further provides one of the transitioning alternatives: the utilization of cloud-based technologies that provide secure, convenient, flexible, and open application programming interfaces (APIs). Some of the accrued benefits include better customer experiences due to software ease of use, multi-function applications and reports building, and capacity to alter the software and hardware accessibility. Having noted these advantages, Shiji Group (2020) provides an example of its software business partnership with Barstock Exchange. They focused on helping Food and beverage businesses extend their capacity through the upgrading of its technological base. This was achieved through the upgrading and integration of the point-of-sale software and their cloud-based software functionality, hence increasing their operational capacity and effi

Yum Brands, which runs restaurants KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger, is integrating technology-centric solutions across its four brands around the world, which could result in an acceleration of disruptive technologies on a large scale. This Digital Innovation Lab then adds information from thousands of Yum Brand restaurants into a cloud facility. The information includes closed-circuit tv from a restaurant's drive-thru and point-of-sale or drive-thru audio. Hundreds of startups then get access to the data to compare their technologies in the lab. They're able to use that information to create more automated services like artificial intelligence, computer vision and the Internet of Things. Yum's idea is by improving automation back of house, employees can focus more time on customer-facing tasks, resulting in more speed and accuracy.

Today we will discuss the 6 ways that a cloud based system could change the impact of retail forever. This update will make specific information available in real time, and make the experience better for the guests and the staff members. 1. The system will be able to track the live data from the actual floor of the store. For example, it would be able to tell the items that are actually being tried on, and the ones that are bought. This will be a great advancement in marketing, because it helps the business to figure out what it is that their demographic is attracted to. Second, the employees will have access to this data while they are working. This will make it easier to market items to guests, instead of wasting time trying to figure out what it is that they might be looking for. Third, have a track record of their inventory. Employees will have in depth information of their inventory and the inventory of other stores, all real time. This will allow for custom orders and greater guest satisfaction. Four, the system will be able to track the sales associates who are creating the best sales. The store can use this to create contests and provide rewards to the winners. This increases employee motivation and will to work. Five, mobile point of sales system. We had discussed the convenience of a mobile system with the cloud PMS, and now we can see it with a POS. This will have associates engaging more with guests on the floor, and the guests might not even have to wait a line to receive their products anymore. Lastly, it works for any sized company or store. Pricing and accessibility adapt to the size of the location, and is indeed less expensive than bulky software and hardware.