Switching to a new POS system is a big step for any business. Whether you’re talking about a single terminal in a small restaurant or cafe or a major roll out across dozens of sites at a major chain, it’s an investment that will play a critical role in the future of the business for years to come.
Of course, you want to pick a product that will provide strong returns on the investment you make – a POS system that will be easy for your people to use, that will boost efficiency and productivity, and that ultimately will contribute to a better experience for your customers.
You also want to make sure you get the set up right. A good POS can quickly turn sour if the installation goes wrong. That’s why at AURES UK we partner with ARC Services UK to provide our customers with the best installation, service and maintenance available in the country.
We’ve heard the stories countless times – businesses complaining that they pumped a lot of money into a lousy solution, but when you poke around into what really went on, it wasn’t the POS product that was to blame. It was the installation that let them down.
We pride ourselves on delivering best-in-class POS installations to our clients every time because we partner with the best. Here are five key ingredients that help us deliver.
Staging
A good POS installation starts way before the technicians ever arrive on site to run cables and install hardware. Staging is a vitally important part of the process that combines planning with technical problem solving and customisation.
Every POS installation is different, because every business is different. Staging allows us to check the products chosen are right to meet the needs of the client, check compatibility issues between different components in advance, configure and test software and hardware, and plan the implementation so it is as quick and efficient as possible, with no hidden surprises once we get on site.
Cabling
You probably think about a POS installation as being all about the terminals and kiosks and display screens – all the visible assets that are used to deliver and support service in a customer-facing environment. Sure, they all matter – but so does how you connect them all together.
Cabling is the hidden glue that holds a POS system together. Depending on the size of the installation, there can be hundreds of meters of cabling to run. It’s a specialist process that requires expertise and careful planning. All cabling work is carried out to industry approved standards and fully tests and certifies wireline connections before installation is completed.
Wireless Network
As well as cabled networks, it’s increasingly common to run elements of a POS system wirelessly too. Think about mobile POS tablets, for example – to give you that flexibility to take POS to the customer, you have to run it via WiFi or cellular, rather than having it plugged in at a fixed station.
Modern POS solutions, especially those running cloud-based software systems, can create a heavy load on your WiFi router. The last thing you need is your wireless connection buffering or going down part way through a transaction. You need a strong, reliable wireless network that can handle the traffic, and to protect customer data, you need robust security, too.
Technical Expertise
When it comes to getting your POS installation just right, perhaps the most important ingredient is working with experienced professionals who you can trust. A lot of technical know-how goes into staging and then installing a POS system. At AURES UK, all of our technicians and those from ARC Services are fully certified with extensive experience working on projects in all kinds of environments.
Aftercare
Finally, just as a best-in-class installation should start with staging before work even begins on site, neither should it end when the last technician has packed up their tools and gone home. The proof of a successful POS installation is in how the system performs. But even with the best equipment and the best set ups, you sometimes get little glitches and issues along the way.
That’s technology for you.
What matters then is how quickly the issues are resolved. ARC Services offer a comprehensive field service and support package that acts as an extension of our installation offer. Any problems you have with your POS, our friendly team will assist you by troubleshooting in the first instance. Then if required, we offer next business day dispatch to get a qualified technician on site to fix things for you.