Re: POS Software

["Ray Holtz" <rayholtz@hotmail.com>]

Wow, lots to think about!  Thanks Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael King" <mike808@users.sourceforge.net>
To: <silug-discuss@silug.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 11:33 PM
Subject: Re: SILUG: POS Software


> >  open source POS software/inventory manangement software
>
> "open source" as in when you purchase a license you get a source code
> license?
> "open source" as in "free as in beer"?
>
> There are numerous companies that sell POS and IM (Inventory Management)
> software.
> They tend to be modules added onto a basic accounting package.
> Typically, you start with G/L.
> Then you add A/R and I/'M. POS ties the two together.
>
> You _really_ need to nail down your requirements a bit more. Functional
> requirements. Real business requirements, not "nice to have"
> *attributes* of whatever you pick.
>
> Do you need to integrate with a G/L? Does your current G/L vendor have
> I/M and POS modules?
> Do you need to provide quotes (that can then turn into sales) in the POS?
> Do you need to integrate the POS with contact managers?
> Do you have salespeople that get commissions and SPIFs?
> Do you have tiers of salespeople? i.e. customer+regional rep splits?
> Do you have multiple locations and different tax jurisdictions?
> Does your inventory have different tax rates (i.e. medical devices,
> services, milk)?
> Do you run sale prices?
> Do you have tiered customers?
> Do you have tiered, quantity or lot pricing for your inventory?
> Do you have shipping options?
> Do you need to integrate with payment networks?
> Do you need to integrate a check acceptance service?
> Do you have accrued or cash basis accounting?
> Do you have balance forward accounts?
> Do you apply finance charges or have varying terms (COD, pre-pay
> discounts, Net30, etc.) in your sales?
> Do you accept coupons, gift certificates, multiple and partial payment
> methods?
>
> Having an open source POS system that does none of the above when you
> need some (or all) of the above is going to leave you in a not very
> happy place, since most people are willing to pay money for software
> that does the above than to use "free" software that doesn't. And if it
> does the above for a reasonable amount of money (<$500 or so, usually,
> depending on features), then the CFO and COO usually don't give a rip
> about the  Free as in speech "features" of your solution. All they know
> is they didn't pay for it, but it still doesn't work. And that pain
> makes them willing to pay to get a working system. And they're not
> interested in getting into the software development business or "writing
> it themselves".
>
> If the point is that you want to run Linux, get Win4Lin and run
> QuickBooks or GreatPlains or MAS90 or OracleFinancials or whatever
> POS+I/M system fits your *functional requirements*. Unfortunately, in
> the real world, "open source" is /not/ a functional requirement for most
> small/medium businesses. They want economy of scale and automated core
> business functions, not to go d*cking around in the source code or
> testing nightly builds from CVS until some feature is finally implemented.
>
> I know. I *wrote* I/M and POS systems for eight years. You need better
> requirements gathering. Whatever you wind up with, open source is just a
> gravy feature, not a primary requirement.
>
> That said, have you looked at anything in Freshmeat? Did you Google on
> "GPL point-of-sale"?
>
> http://freshmeat.net/browse/79/?topic_id=79
>
> Mike/
>
>
>
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