5 Factors when choosing a
POS (point of sale) System
By Bay Paul, Course Logix,
Marketing & IT Consultant,
CourseLogix,
mgcoa.course-logix.com
Every year more and more golf courses are abandoning the
pencil and paper, and adopting technology to run their day
to day golf operation. There are many advantages for implementing
a POS System to handle daily transactions, inventory, golfer
processing, member management, accounting and more…
There are many components to a POS system, thus making
it very difficult to select the right POS System for your
course.
I have put together 5 main factors to consider when deciding
on system that best fits your club's needs.
1. Functionality
Will this system do what I need it to do?
Every club does business differently, that being said, there
is not one software provider that has the best solution
to fit every club. When you are compiling a short list of
software providers, make sure that their system will do
what you want it to do.
Tech Tip - Many smaller software
providers are more likely to make modifications to their
system to fit your needs.
2. Architecture “The Software Backbone”
Software Architecture is the combination of the type of
programming code, type of database, and the type of machine
that the software sits on. The type of architecture used
by the provider can determine scalability, initial costs,
and future costs.
Some types of software architecture require you to have
a server onsite, and some just allow you to install on any
old computer. If the software requires a full blown server,
the costs associated with purchasing and maintaining a server
can be very costly. On the other side of the coin, there
are many benefits of having an onsite server, such as file
sharing, data protection, and typically the POS system is
more advanced.
Tech Tip - If you are a 5 person
operation, keep it simple and stay away from the systems
that require a server.
3. Overall Cost
Usually when I help golf courses with selecting the right
POS system, the first question the owner asks is “How
Much”. I recommend building a short list of software
providers that meet your needs first, and then you can narrow
down by price. Below is a typical cost break down for purchasing,
implementing, and on-going support for a POS system.
Cost Break Down:
• Initial Software License Fee (ranges from $1,000
- $60,000)
• Hardware
- Dell Computer ($500)
- Touch Screen ($450)
- Bar Code Reader ($220)
- Receipt Printer ($350)
- Dell Server if required ($3,500)
• Training (usually $800 a day, and typically 4 days
training)
• Annual Support Fee (typically 20% of the initial
software license fee)
• Ongoing Hardware Maintenance Fee - This fee will
vary, and depends on the size of your club, and if you have
someone onsite who is IT savvy. The more complex your IT
infrastructure is, the more expensive it is to manage. I
would recommend a local IT network company that has worked
within the Hospitality Industry. The average hourly fee
is $125 an hour.
Tech Tip - If you like Dell, go
through the Small Business Center, rather than the Home/Office
Center. You can normally save about 25%.
4. Support / Company Culture
Most clubs overlook support when selecting a software provider.
Software support should not be overlooked, and is probably
the most important factor to consider, when purchasing a
POS system. I don't view POS companies as vendors, but more
as an IT partner. A good POS System provider should value
your business, and allocate a majority of their budget to
supporting their customers. We all know that it's less expensive
to retain existing customers, than to market new ones. Company
Culture plays a big part. I've dealt with some of the largest
POS system providers in the POS market space, and sometimes
you just feel like another number. Read their mission statement,
and talk to other clubs that are using their system. Purchasing
a POS system is a big investment, and you want to make sure
you acquire a long term partner and solution.
Tech Tip - Call the POS company's
1-800 number, and see if you get a live person. Better yet,
make sure that live person is a tech person and not a person
who logs a support call.
5. Look-n-Feel
Look is more based on the cosmetics of the system, and Feel
is the user friendliness of the program. That being said
most courses base their decision on Look rather than the
4 factors stated above. Look-n-Feel is more of a subjective
factor and every owner/operator tastes are different. I
would put more emphasis on Feel over Look. If a system is
not user friendly, your staff will spend more time on phone
with support, than focusing on the day to day. Your staff
will also be less likely to explore what the system has
to offer, and your club will not fully utilize the systems
capabilities.
Tech Tip - When you demo a POS
system, invite your staff to sit in on the demo. Their feedback
is very important, especially since they are the end user.
All of the factors above that I have discussed can be weighted
differently in your search for the perfect POS system, but
I strongly recommend you to take in consideration all them,
when selecting a POS system that fits your needs. There
is no perfect system out there, but at least you now have
a way to quantify the differences between POS providers.
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