Despite being no newcomer to the scene, Mobile POS (mPOS) is still a rapidly growing trend in the point of sale market. According to Future Markets Insights, sales of mPOS equipment are set to grow by a staggering 20.9% CAGR over the next decade.
One thing that could drive such rapid growth is businesses coming to the conclusion that they could swap their traditional fixed point POS terminals for a mobile alternative. It’s the equivalent of deciding you no longer need a PC (or even a laptop) as you can do everything you need on a tablet, with the benefit that a tablet is much more portable.
In fact, that’s literally what mPOS is – a POS terminal in tablet form.
It’s not a transition that will suit everyone. Just as gamers will choose the superior processing power of a PC over a tablet any time, high-capacity POS terminals are a safer bet for large stores with high transaction volumes. Businesses may also take the view that smaller screens are harder for their staff to use, while larger fixed position touchscreens provide a more user-friendly interface.
But for small businesses in particular, there are good reasons why opting for a mobile-first POS approach might make sense. Here are three of them.
Better access to information
POS offers more than transaction processing these days. Increasingly, POS also acts as a data hub for your entire business, connecting sales to inventory to CRM and finance and more.
But when all that valuable information is accessible only at a fixed point in a store or restaurant or hotel, it creates a barrier. The classic example is waiting staff in a restaurant being asked about ingredients in a dish, and having to leave the table to check. Or sales assistants in a clothes shop being asked about the availability of alternative sizes. In both cases, having to leave the customer interrupts service and creates a delay.
With mPOS, that’s no longer an issue. Staff can look up information there and then on their tablet, answer customer questions more quickly and efficiently, and provide a better level of service as a result.
Flexible deployment options
Choosing mPOS over a fixed terminal option doesn’t have to mean the end of the checkout counter. The beauty of mPOS is that you can have both. Tablets are obviously designed to carry around. But with an appropriate stand, they can also be deployed on a desk or counter, just like a standard POS terminal. The benefit is that you can move seamlessly from one to the other.
Counter space is at a premium
Over the years, the trend in POS terminal design has been towards increasingly compact units. Retail and hospitality businesses alike prefer POS equipment to have as small a footprint as possible, so it blends in with the visual design of their spaces.
In small premises, there are added practical considerations. Even the most compact till unit can risk ‘getting in the way’ and being exposed to knocks and spills, or else taking up room that could be put to a more productive use.
Tablet-sized mPOS has the advantage of being ultra compact, whether you choose to mount it in a fixed position, use it as a mobile option only, or combine the two.
There’s a lot to consider before deciding to switch fixed POS terminals for mPOS. It may be that a mix of standard POS units and mPOS terminals offers a better solution to your business. Whatever the nature of your business, we’re here to help make the best decision for your needs. Get in touch with us today to find out more.