0870 495 2792 Image Retail Solutions, 19 Chiswell Road, Poole, Dorset BH17 9FB. Tel. 0870 495 2792. sales@imagesoft.co.uk. Wholesaler names are not an indication of endorsement or recommendation. E&OE. New to EPOS? Let us answer some questions and dispell some myths... What is EPOS? EPOS (or “Electronic Point of Sale” to give it its full title) refers to a computerised till and stock control system. Not long ago, retailers (especially smaller retailers) were limited to a manually operated cash register and best-judgement based stock control practices. On the face of it this is clearly not practical for the larger retailer but many smaller retailers are still under the mistaken impression that EPOS is “overkill” for their business and of no advantage that could outweigh the cost or upheaval. Can any size business benefit from the advantages of EPOS? Most certainly, yes. And there are a number of reasons why.... An accurate picture -  It is very easy for a retailer to have a “skewed” or inaccurate impression of their business. With little in the way of real reporting to go on, it is very hard to obtain an accurate and true representation of actual margins down to the department, supplier and/or product level. Without EPOS, you are effectively running your business “blind”. Managing loss - loss due to staff and customer theft and fraud accounts for the majority of stock loss for most retailers. An EPOS system not also helps you to identify stock loss due to theft and to differentiate it from spoilages and breakages, but also helps to prevent and deter staff theft. Take for example the CCTV overlay functionality - this immediately identifies fraudulent VOIDs and mis-scans performed at the point of sale. A dishonest staff member working only 3 shifts a week and de-frauding the store of only £20 a shift, costs the business over £3,000 a year - more than the cost of an EPOS system in many cases! Increasing gross margin - many retailers on implementing EPOS will identify their top best selling lines. A small increase on the selling price of these items results in a significant overnight increase in gross profits. Improved stock management - by analysing sales trends and helping to introduce just-in-time (JIT) stock ordering through suggested order quantities, stock loss due to out-of- date and spoilage is significantly reduced. Margin lost due to out-of-stock lines is also reduced. Better stock management also frees up capital which would otherwise be tied up in overstocked product. Reducing errors - with an EPOS system you no longer need to manually enter prices as you do with a cash register - take for example a 96p item entered as 69p or a £9.99 item entered as 99p. Isn’t an EPOS system expensive? Put in context, no, and it must always be seen as an investment rather than an expense. Few things that you buy these days give you a return on investment and pay for themselves. Take for example our typical single lane setup at only £1,964 - not a major investment by any means. Identifying and preventing staff theft, eliminating mistakes by avoiding keying errors and improving stock management  alone is often enough for the EPOS system to pay for itself within the first 18-24 months, if not sooner. How do I choose which EPOS solution provider to go with? Avoid cheap “bargain bucket” EPOS systems like the plague - they are not a serious investment and will offer little if any return. Choose a supplier that can offer quality hardware, in-house software and a comprehensive after-sales care package. Follow the links for more detailed advice.