Point of sale automation. Retail automation is an option for a small store. Solution for a small store where the goods are brought in during sales

Trade automation tools are being implemented in seven stores out of ten. This implementation is not always deliberate. Is automating a clothing store different from automating a beer store? How to organize automated accounting in a grocery store? In the article we answer questions and give ready-made solutions.

Store automation

More and more representatives retail decides to automate trading operations. But few retail outlet owners realize how much easier in-store retail automation can make life if you approach it wisely.

If the store is automated simply because “the neighbor” has already set up this process, the work will not be effective.

There are two rules:

it is necessary to approach the process of automation, being aware of the tasks to be solved (and not because “all the stores in the district have abandoned the counter trade, we need to do this too”);

equipment and software package are selected for specific requests.

choose that software, which has flexible settings. The solution from "Business.Ru" suits any type of retail trade precisely because of its extended functionality.

We list the tasks that automation of trade in the store can solve:

theft by staff;

reducing queues at the checkout;

inventory errors and arrears issues;

saving money on a commodity manager (when an individual entrepreneur cannot cope with the purchase of goods on his own);

forecast of demand for goods (based on previous purchase volumes);

increasing the number of goods offered, by opening access to products for customers by organizing boxes with cash desks at the exit from the hall.

Can automation fail to solve some of the problems? Yes, if the difficulties in the store are related to systemic market problems.

For example, in the city where the store is located, a large factory closed and more than 1,000 people were laid off. The store will have a demand problem that analytics and inventory cannot solve. After all, demand will gradually fall for all positions, since some people will not be able to find a job and will move to another city.

Will automation solve the problem if next to a small grocery store open "Pyaterochka"? Partly yes, because a special cash program connected to the commodity accounting system will help:

• identify the most popular categories to focus on;
• launch a loyalty program and introduce bonus cards (with accumulation of points).

Store automation equipment

How much an entrepreneur will spend on equipment for store automation is one of the main questions of an individual entrepreneur who decided to introduce a barcode reading system at the checkout.

Equipment required for store automation:

personal computer or laptop (from 15 thousand rubles - used);

fiscal registrar (online cash desk) with a fiscal drive (from 15 thousand rubles);

barcode scanner (from 4-7 thousand rubles).

You will also need software (not necessarily all of the following):

software that will keep inventory;

CRM for managing the client base and setting tasks for managers;

cash register program for quick counting of goods at the checkout and management of promotions and bonus programs.

Software costs vary. Free programs do not provide all the necessary functionality. A program for automation “out of the box” with a license can cost from 3.5 thousand rubles (truncated functionality) one-time.

The cost of cloud solutions starts from 300-390 rubles per month. Cloud programs are usually easier and more convenient to use.

Additional equipment for store automation:

scales with label printing (from 40 thousand rubles);

a data collection terminal with a built-in barcode scanner (from 25-35 thousand rubles).

Ready-made store automation solutions

Let's present ready-made solutions for automating retail stores and approximate prices for hardware and software for each of the options.

For convenience, we will divide the store into several zones and tell you what automation solutions are available:

at the checkout;

in a warehouse;

in the trading floor.

In our review, we will show what solution we have for automation:

grocery store;

beer shop;

small outlet or an island in a shopping center;

butcher shop;

clothing store;

online sales, etc.

Grocery store automation

Checkout area

Using a computer, laptop in conjunction with an online cash register and cash register program, a barcode scanner is the first step towards automating trade in a store.

For simple store automation, it is better to choose a fiscal registrar as an online cash register. It is easier to connect it to a PC or laptop (compared to a standalone online cash register)

If a retail store sells alcohol, then it is necessary to install a scanner that can recognize EGAIS codes (2-D scanner). It is also necessary to configure the exchange of EGAIS data with computer program. For example, "Business.Ru" has a special solution for EGAIS and commodity accounting.

The second option is to install an expensive POS system protected from moisture and dust, which is able to work without failures 7 days a week for 24 hours, instead of a computer and a cash register. The POS system already includes a computer, an online cash register, and has ports for connecting additional equipment (a keyboard that can be programmed for the needs of a particular store and a scanner).

The only downside of a POS system is the price. The lower limit of the cost (a system with a small screen) is 60 thousand rubles.

Whatever type of online cash desk is, using the cash program () you can manage promotions and print the number of bonus points in each check (when implementing the cash program).

In the room

If you want to reduce the number of staff in the hall thanks to the automation of trade in the store, you can install:

electronic scales that can print barcode labels;

price checker (cost from 35 thousand rubles).

The buyer will not contact the sellers to weigh the goods and clarify the price if the price tag has gone astray.

In the warehouse

Working in a grocery store means receiving goods daily. For prompt acceptance, you can hand over the data collection terminal to the merchandiser or manager.

With the help of a manual terminal, not only acceptance, but also inventory is carried out.

In the warehouse, scales with barcode printing for those goods that are sold by weight will be useful. You can also use the scales in the warehouse to check the weight of the goods brought from the supplier. For example, if a grocery store sells vegetables.

Flower shop automation

There are several reasons for automating the trade of a flower shop:

this is a chain of flower shops, and the owner wants to control the work of sellers;

keep track of how many flowers (the goods quickly deteriorate) are left in order to place an order to the supplier with an accuracy of one piece;

According to Federal Law 54, any flower shop must have an online checkout. We recommend choosing a fiscal registrar that can be connected to a laptop. The second option is Evotor, a smart terminal that is already being sold with a tablet.

Simply print barcodes on a piece of paper so that the seller simply scans the required code with a scanner when buying. This makes it easier to work, especially during peak hours or March 8th.

Whichever checkout option you choose, you need a cash register program that not only transmits sales data, but also analyzes how much product is left in the store. Moreover, access to Personal Area the owner of the flower shop should have the program, regardless of where he is located - in the office or replaces the seller in another store.

The solution from Business.Ru is suitable for flower shops, as it is a cloud service that includes the ability to account for goods and software for online cash registers.

Clothing store automation

Checkout area

The main thing for a clothing store is to have a program that could check the availability of all sizes of a model in a warehouse and in other stores (if it is a network). This should be able to do the accounting program. For example, the size check function is implemented in .

Also a useful “chip” for increasing customer loyalty is a bonus card for a regular customer with the accrual of discount points or the accumulation of discount percentages. Promotions are registered in the program for the cash register. This functionality is in the service.

In addition, the Business.Ru solution will automatically calculate the “contribution” of each seller to the common cause: which of the consultants should be awarded a bonus, and which should not.

clothing store sales floor

A large clothing store has to reprint price tags before sales. Therefore, it is desirable to have a small label printer right on the sales floor.

If there are few consultants on the trading floor, you can install one price checker in a conspicuous place, which will display not only the price of a dress or T-shirt, but also the availability of sizes.

Warehouse or utility room

A printer for the manufacture of price tags and labels will be required in a warehouse or in a company office.

You can automate the acceptance of clothes if you implement a data collection terminal. But it costs from 35 thousand rubles.

Another option is to install another laptop with a barcode scanner connected to it in order to keep inventory records and implement it in the store.

The head of a clothing store will be able to monitor the work of one or several stores through the Business.Ru Retail program, upload purchase figures or give instructions to marketers about promotions and price reductions (if necessary).

CRM, access to which is available for all subscribers, helps to maintain a database regular customers and contractors to congratulate them on the holidays, send out newsletters and remind them of themselves.

Butcher Shop Automation

Butcher shop checkout

Each butcher shop must operate according to 54-FZ, so the owner of the butcher shop needs to install a cash register. It is better if it is a laptop or a computer with a fiscal registrar. A cash program is installed on the PC, which can:

print checks with information about promotions (this way you can sell goods that are slightly stale on the shelves at a reduced price);

give analytics about the best-selling products;

make discounts for regular customers (incentivizing them to go to this particular store).

Warehouse or utility room

By law, a butcher's shop must have a warehouse or utility room where carcasses are cut. Electronic veterinary certificates are also canceled here (as it is written in the article “How to open a butcher shop”).

Thus, in a warehouse, a computer is a mandatory attribute so that the butcher's shop does not violate the law on electronic veterinary certification.

If this computer is connected to, then you can automate several processes at once:

residue monitoring;

printing of price tags (they quickly get dirty and need to be updated);

document flow with suppliers;

calculation of the performance of each seller.

Beer store automation

Beer shop checkout

It is necessary to install a computer with a fiscal registrar at the checkout to comply with 54-FZ and automated accounting. For a beer store, a 2D barcode scanner is not necessary. According to the law, when selling, it is not required to keep records in the EGAIS of each bottle.

The cash program installed on the computer can:

support discount programs;

automatically disconnect at a time when it is forbidden to trade by regional legislation (so that the store does not violate the law);

give beer sales analytics and related products on separate days or on separate sellers and so on.

In the warehouse

When accepting beer, a mark is made in the EGAIS system, so it is advisable to have a computer with a connected EGAIS in the warehouse. The quantity of beer on the bill of lading must be the same as the actual number of bottles received from the supplier. If the numbers do not match, it is necessary to note the discrepancy in the Unified State Automated Information System directly in the warehouse.

For more efficient operation of the beer store and simplification of work in EGAIS, we recommend that you purchase a barcode scanner for a computer in the warehouse in order to quickly enter all bottles of beer into the program and count them.

Auto Parts Store Automation

Automation at the checkout and when issuing goods

The equipment at the checkout of an auto parts store is similar to what is installed ... in a retail grocery store. This is a computer or laptop, a fiscal registrar and a barcode scanner.

The functionality of the software for an auto parts store is more complex than for a regular store. The computer must have not only a cash register, but also an accounting program (or one that includes both of these functions), integrated with the order processing system in the warehouse.

A barcode scanner is needed not only when working with motor oils (according to the law, their name must be written on the check), but also when working with samples. Typically, only product samples are displayed in the windows of an autogoods store, and a complete order is formed in a warehouse. Therefore, warehouse workers should receive notifications about the assembly of a new order using the program.

In addition, the cash program together with the accounting program can:

show the best-selling goods and those that have already ended (in order to quickly order from the supplier);

print documents for suppliers from a template;

determine the most effective consultants of the month (week, day).

Automation in the trading floor of an auto parts store

On peak days, an auto parts store receives a number of customers that cannot be served by all sales assistants. Therefore, it is ideal if the trading floor has a computer with a database of goods in stock.

Using a computer or terminal, the buyer will be able to view information about the quantity of goods in the warehouse, about its price and, possibly, Additional information about accessories.

This computer can be equipped with a receipt printer to print out the guest bill - in this way, the buyer himself will be able to form an order, which will only be paid at the checkout.

Trade automation: an option for a small store

Do you need to automate the work of a small store? If the store has less than 50 products (for example, it is a fruit and vegetable store or an island in a shopping center), then it will be enough to install a cash register program on a laptop.

Analytics of the cash program (for example, "Business.Ru") will help:

conduct promotions and a bonus system for regular customers;

calculate the best-selling products and those that only occupy the shelves.

The program can also print price tags and generate document templates, for example, for interacting with suppliers.

Store network automation

The solution for automating a chain of stores practically does not differ from programs for a single store. However, there are nuances.

It is important that the program for the store helps:

the owner or manager of the network to control several outlets;

managers to see the remnants of goods in different stores (to solve the problem of a buyer who is looking for an already finished size of clothes or shoes);

conduct promotions or work with discount cards in all stores of the network;

keep uniform prices for goods throughout the network.

The store is too small, the assortment is small, there are few buyers, there are few sales staff, and the budget for automation is quite modest. But it is also important for small retail stores to control and manage business processes. To manage sales, it is important to analyze competitors, pricing, marketing. For inventory management, sales are analyzed, balances are tracked, and an operational order of goods is carried out. Working with clients involves expanding the client base, loyalty programs, feedback. Also, from the point of view of financial management, it is necessary to control mutual settlements with suppliers, to calculate salaries.

The owner of a small store has to carry out operational management on his own, including analytics, planning and performance control. Even a small mistake can result in big losses.

The most popular argument against automating a small store is that it is expensive. However, if we compare the option of trade automation for a small store and the financial losses of a non-automated enterprise due to dishonesty of employees, delays in ordering products, dissatisfied customers, the argument about the high cost is refuted.

On average, automation of a small store pays for itself within 6 months, and the benefits of optimizing business management processes become apparent as soon as you start using accounting system in operational work.

Trade automation options for a small store:

1. Packing bulk goods (cheese, sausage, confectionery) before they arrive on the counter, still in the warehouse. To do this, the warehouse needs to install electronic scales with the function of printing labels with barcodes. After the goods arrive on the counter, lay it out.
2. Weigh the goods at the checkout (vegetables, fruits). Then the cashier, using electronic scales without printing labels, weighs the goods, enters the product code. In this case, the cost is calculated automatically.

Trading networks are actively developing, being represented by various formats. The process is associated with information technology. It is impossible to manually work with a wide range of thousands of items. And the computer can do it. Small businesses acquire electronic equipment depending on a number of factors. But there is general principles, which are expressed by specific indicators.

Retail Features

The concept of retail means the sale of services, goods in a small batch, piece by piece. By the way, our previous article has a very related topic hotel business automation, which also uses information capabilities. Such activities are the function of the respective enterprises, usually needing:

• in squares;
• in the staff;
• in a sufficient number of goods on the trading floor, in the warehouse.

Making a profit, they apply a trade margin on products. Its value is regulated by the state of the market (30, 200%). Prices for some goods, services are set by the state, then the percentage is less. The fact of purchase is usually confirmed by a cash register receipt.

The check contains the following information.

• Business name.
• Price.
• Amount and rate of value added tax.
• The date.
• Location, address.

Important! Retailing has been around since antiquity. First there was an exchange, and then the sale of products and services on the marketplace became a form. In the history of Russia, this process received good development. Merchants were famous for their significant turnover, providing the country with the latest goods.

About Automation

Retail automation covers stores ranging from 70 to 350 square meters. The assortment usually does not exceed 6 thousand items. The over-the-counter format is usually much less effective than self-service. The reasons - better access to the goods, greater speed in the second case.

As you plan to automate, prepare to restructure and streamline your accounting as a first step. The process is not limited to the acquisition of computer equipment. The whole system will change. So, a newly received product is not immediately placed on the trading floor, but is entered into the database information system. After all, the cost should be reflected in the memory of the cash register, without which the goods cannot be sold.

Stages of transition to information technology

The transition process to new technology includes a number of basic steps.

Costs, equipment

AT small shop up to 180 sq. meters will require automation at a cost of up to $17,000. The suggested list is as follows.

• POS-terminals (Point-of-Sale, point of sale) - electronic devices accepting payments through payment cards. Devices will make trade modern. You can take cash registers of domestic production, calculating how many of them you need: per 100 sq. meters - about 2 terminals with a scanner, a thermal printer that prints a receipt tape.
• Up to 2 computers (not counting the needs of accounting), a data storage server is desirable.
• Grocery store automation is usually not complete without scales. For example, from the principle of self-service, the installation of devices at the packaging and in the department follows.
• A label printer that labels a fast-growing item will come in handy.
• Nothing will work in the absence of programs.

Store automation equipment is not the only need. The expenses include:

• laying a local network;
• delivery of computers;
• installation and configuration of software;
• training of merchandisers, cashiers, operators and management that controls the operation of the store.

Point of sale automation should be carried out with the assistance and support of reliable companies, people independent of financial results her work. Otherwise, there is a risk of artificially increasing them.

Note! The final figure of expenses is subject to adjustment with the use of discounts, phased payments.

Reasons for possible failures

Many entrepreneurs make typical and common mistakes that add up to a list. It is entirely possible to avoid them and automate your store in an almost perfect way.

1. When selling clothes, it is not necessary to use POS systems, which is more expensive and leaves the enterprise without benefits. Or you can use a custom version. For example, "1C: Retail. Clothing and footwear store. It is preferable to use a PC or POS computer, "1C" and POS peripherals.
2. Ignoring anti-theft systems. The automation system of any store must provide security. Otherwise, up to 12% of revenue or more is lost. The following methods are applied.
   • Anti-theft systems.
   • CCTV.
   • Security personnel.

   The best solution includes all methods at once. In case of impossibility of complex implementation of the project, it is necessary to analyze the statistics on thefts. For example, alcohol and clothing are the most susceptible to illegal removal. To protect them, retail automation includes an option - anti-theft systems. Food is controlled by video surveillance.

   Attention! Losses with the use of protection are reduced, cost recovery comes in up to 3 months.

3. Work automation retail store does not include verification of banknotes for authenticity. The price of the detector does not exceed 10,000 rubles, so you should not save.
4. Do not update systems with innovations. Stores that do not provide the opportunity to pay for the purchase with a card lose profit. Another case is that the food department is not equipped with devices for cutting cheese and sausages.
5. Failed to automate a store that has a turnkey solution built incorrectly due to incompatible, poorly coupled software. It is difficult to correct such errors in the information system.
6. After automation, they do not delve into the process. It is necessary, together with a team of employees, to monitor the correct execution of tasks and decision-making.

Conclusion

What will the store look like if it is not automated at all? It is impossible to keep records on paper, to exercise proper control over the process in the absence of such modernization. Although the events are by no means free of charge, it is necessary to acquire equipment, software for it and make settings. Retail store automation accepts solutions with a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach. Literacy, planning, choosing a partner with whom to delve into the processes, and timely updating are important.

For any volume of goods sold, trade automation is possible - the option for a small store will cost minimal costs and will greatly increase the convenience of work. There are usually two in the store. functional responsibilities- a merchandiser who receives goods and monitors their spending and timely replenishment, and a cashier who releases goods to customers and accepts payment for them.

Allows you to maintain a database of goods available for sale on a computer, at any time receive a certificate of the availability of goods, analyze the best-selling nomenclature and plan next purchases. This is the job of a merchandiser. The seller, on the other hand, may not keep in mind the prices for all goods, much less look for them in a notebook: it is enough to swipe a scanner in front of the barcode of the goods so that the information, including the price, appears on the computer screen. If you add a simple bank card reader, it becomes possible to carry out non-cash payments, which are increasingly preferred by buyers.

Even the automation of a clothing store with its several dozen products will give its results, and if the trade is stationery or food products, and the nomenclature has hundreds of positions, it is impossible to keep everything in memory, and confusion should not be allowed.

Minimum composition of equipment

Consider what the most simplified trade automation can be - an option for a small store. The smallest store is a kiosk or miniature shopping room, the warehouse is located here, in the back room, and the duties of a merchandiser and a cashier are performed by the same person - often the owner of the store himself. And no supply departments, remote warehouses, structural divisions, branches and other attributes of expanded trade at the supermarket level. Well, time dictates that even the automation of the U Doma store, a minimal trading format, should be carried out.

Accounting automation in a store can be based on a regular computer, not the most powerful PC or laptop. If the store owner has recently replaced his home machine with a more powerful one, the old one will still serve - the store automation system does not require large resources. To the computer without problems (if it works under operating system Windows) connects the simplest set of peripherals:

• , a small portable device connected to a computer with a USB cable;
• fiscal registrar or receipt printer - it depends on what taxation system is adopted in the store;
• , necessary if the store must be ready for payment by customers not in cash, but with cards.

If you need to print barcode labels, you can use the same printer as for receipts (low-cost universal designs are available).

Software

For Windows OS, any complexity store automation program can be chosen, including such minimal trade automation is possible - an option for a small store. The software is simple, you can debug it without special skills, the peripherals controlled by it are minimal. Since everything is concentrated on a single computer, there is no need to organize a network, and the stability of the programs is high.

The only drawback that such retail automation has is that the programs for receiving goods and sales cannot work at the same time. You can work either in the program for the cashier, or in the working environment of the merchandiser. However, if one person works in the store, he is also the owner, merchandiser and cashier, then he will still go about his business in turn. At first, he will calmly accept the goods, stick labels on it, enter information into the database, that is, he will work as a merchandiser, and then he will start working as a cashier, serving customers.

Profitable automation

Not every city requires trade automation to be organized even in small stores: Moscow makes such a requirement. Therefore, most small business owners trading business Those who need a retail automation system try to choose the cheapest office equipment, software, so that they can fulfill the requirements of the authorities without any special costs, and make their work easier. If in the future it is necessary to expand trade, it is easy to separate the functions of a merchandiser and a seller by installing another simple computer and linking it to the network with the existing one.

Retail automation using our program provides reliable registration of sales and receipt printing, as well as constant access to up-to-date statistics in the context of outlets, product groups and specific products. It can work without an Internet connection, which is especially convenient for retail facilities with a small area, where it is not always possible to provide uninterrupted access to the Internet. Our program, similar to 1C, is compatible with various types of commercial and warehouse equipment, in particular:

• with fiscal registrars;
• with barcode scanners;
• with printers that print labels and checks.

Doing business with our program, which is similar to 1C, will help you free up time and resources for new projects without losing control over current activities.

Retail store automation: maximum possibilities

The program with which retail automation is carried out, as well as 1C, solves many problems. The application with which the automation of business processes is carried out provides the ability to perform the following actions:

• receive sales reports online. To obtain up-to-date information in real time, just connect to the internet.
• Control revenue and analyze sales dynamics from anywhere in the world where there is a network connection. In addition, the program, like 1C, provides the manager with all the information about the balance of goods, the number of products sold, as well as about unprofitable or, conversely, profitable positions.
• Equip the store with everything necessary for efficient operation. The seller is able to master the program for retail within 15 minutes - it has an intuitive interface and is a kind of virtual cash register, where everything is thought out and convenient. Full automation of all cash and trade operations will save staff time and labor costs.
• Print receipts and register sales even when you are offline.

The use of the system from the MySklad service, as well as the 1C program, is relevant, not only in retail, but also in wholesale trade. The application, which automates many processes, will provide the user with maximum reliable information about the quantity of goods and their movement in the warehouse. Just like the 1C service, our program helps to print various primary documents, edit prices. In addition, it contains ready-made templates that are enough to fill in the required details of the company.