Re: POS Software

["Bill Underwood" <mike808@users.sourceforge.net>]

Maybe you could read up on editing messages for context too...

Oh, wait08, that's the other Mike. <g>

Bill-U - Yeah, and that must be true 'cuz you saw it on the internet, right?
/me fixes moz-mail

> 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/
> >
> >
> >
> > -
> > To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@silug.org with
> > "unsubscribe silug-discuss" in the body.
> >
> 
> -
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