There are a number of reputable Point-of-sale systems
available in the market, so why would a company look for alternate
software? The answer is because a lot of the software that is
available is just not good enough or sensitive enough to the
requirements of the customer. Bearings & Brake City (Johannesburg)
had tried out a few popular point-of-sales packages and were
frustrated with the problematic result they provided. These
software packages were ineffective and they had to contend with
the widespread book keeping hassles created. The rigid structure
of the packages were unsuitable for the environment in which
they were being used. RapidSoft was approached in January 2003
to create a custom system. The previous experience of the client
helped him create detailed specifications for the system. The
nature of the business required the system to be more than just
a point-of-sale system. We take a brief look at a few of these
customizations.
Bearings & Brake City deals with many foreign
suppliers and thus foreign currencies. The constant flux of
the exchange rate affects the purchase price and freight charges.
So when creating a purchase order or GRV the system has to be
sensitive to these factors. The module created allows for changes
to be made to the exchange rate and then automatically calculates
the final cost in Rands, also adding the required freight charge
to it.
Products are sold at different rates depending
on the nature of the sale. Due to this extensive pricing structure,
mistakes were easily made. To eliminate this problem each price
e.g. Wholesale, retail or export price, was colour coded, making
identification much easier.
Any part available could have been purchased
from a number of manufacturers. So the purchase price of a certain
product is variable. The different brands would also perform
differently in the market. RapidSoft’s system incorporates
a mechanism for comparing (purchase price, units sold etc) products
manufactured by different companies and monitoring their performance.
Hence at anytime different alternatives to a product could be
viewed and the best option selected.
The menus also have ‘hot’ keys. These
automatically bring up other menus or screens.
When conducting price changes, stock take or
sales analysis a very versatile selection criterion is made
available.
Any invoice issued is allocated to a specific
sales person. Hence sales analysis reports could be generated
for each sales person.
The system has been live since May 2003 and is
a resounding success. There is no greater pleasure than having
satisfied clients. RapidSoft is dedicated to providing only
the highest quality in service.
