Johannesburg, 14 Jul 2005
Robot Paints, the industrial hardware retail operation in Booysens which records between 600 and 800 sales transactions a day, has streamlined its cash and credit sales administration and processing with the implementation of an isoPOS point of sale software solution that seamlessly integrates into the company`s ACCPAC Advantage Series back office accounting program, which was implemented simultaneously.
The installation is networked on six computers and two cash tills. Sarie Raison, director at Robot Paints, says cash sales number more than half of the daily total sales transactions and that invoicing was previously conducted manually. There are also some 1 000 different debtor accounts.
"The manual system required considerable administration effort and was problematic in some areas, for example customers and our accounts clerks were sometimes unable to read the handwriting on invoices issued. Now management of the store is far easier. We can see where the business is at any time and the direct controls that have been implemented through isoPOS enable us to quickly pick up any errors."
One of the features of isoPOS that Robot Paints finds exceptionally useful is the facility to set up discount structures on some 25 000 individual stock items. These are visible to the sales staff when the item is entered and discounts on non-discount items have been eradicated.
"The isoPOS system in conjunction with ACCPAC Advantage Series back office program also provides great functionality for tracking critical financial information. If we see that gross profit margin is falling, the system allows us to review all transactions and identify the causes. It also shows up very quickly any irregularities with cash sales and where these are occurring," says Raison. "We have full control and our customers like the new system too. They get clear, legible printed invoices and cash slips that clearly identify all items and prices."
She adds that since implementing the isoPOS solution, the store has been able to take stock on a Saturday and have a full, correct report of counts for follow up and reconciliation available the next morning.
"The isoPOS stock take feature is quick and makes it very easy to capture all of the detail and directly import it into ACCPAC. This, and the fact that quotations are now so easy to make up on the system have been most beneficial to the business. Most of the employees now using isoPOS had never used a computer before but within a week they were competent and comfortable with the system."
Jacques Correia, isoPOS technical director, says sales information from the store is transferred into the accounts department at the head office using an ADSL Internet connection. When another isoPOS system is installed at the Robot Industrial sales outlet at Isando, a similar set-up to transfer sales information to the ACCPAC Advantage Series system at head office will be implemented.
Correia adds that the basic isoPOS software program was developed to meet the specific needs of Robot Paints and so that no changes would need to be made to the company`s existing head office ACCPAC accounting software system. "The isoPOS program is inherently extremely flexible and can be quickly modified to cater for the end-user`s preferred methodology."
Robot Paints` ACCPAC value-added reseller, IS Technology, recommended isoPOS. "The 24 hours a day, seven days a week support offering was critical," says IS Technology MD Mike Schneider. "I knew I could rely on the isoPOS support and the fact that it is an SA-centric program with excellent functionality that can be tuned to meet specific client needs, was also advantageous."
The accounting backgrounds of isoPOS and IS Technology staff proved most useful to Robot Paints. "They were already aware of the problems we were going to encounter in changing from a manual POS system to an electronic one and also had the experience to assist us with management accounting functions," says Raison. "During the implementation and change-over we had support staff present to ensure a smooth transition."
Robot Paints managing director Leon Jackson says it pays for SME businesses to be members of business associations as they are useful vehicles by which to find the right financial software and the right solutions providers. "Too many people come in to fix system and software problems, charge for it and walk away. But isoPOS and IS Technology teach us how to administer the isoPOS and ACCPAC systems and to fix common operational problems. This is cost-effective and improves efficiency through minimal downtime."
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