Garner Technology

Recently I was on the hunt for a point-of-sale solution (POS) for a small marine supply retailer. I was most interested in finding a SaaS solution that would integrate with Shopify.com, a hosted e-commerce solution. SaaS, or software-as-a-service, has been around for a number of years and continues to grow in popularity as a viable method of software delivery. Perhaps the most famous SaaS solution would be Google’s Gmail and Google Apps. Key aspects of SaaS are that software is usually delivered via the Internet and is centrally managed by the service provider.

What I was Looking For

For the store, I wanted something that was easy to use and that would take away any burden of managing the software or backups. It had to work with pretty much any type of hardware and it needed to be well supported. My goal was to provide a solution that did not need any in-house expertise to run and in the event something disasterous happened to the bricks-and-mortar store, we could be back up and running in no time. SaaS solutions are great for this type of situation.

The Candidates

I considered three potential POS solutions all of which promote their ability to integrate with Shopify.com. These were MerchantOS based in San Jose, California, ShopKeep.com based in New York and Vend based in New Zealand. All are SaaS POS providers and can support multiple devices including touch screens, scanners and cash drawers.

First Impressions

Before I get into the specifics of my impressions of each solution, some general comments. I found all three companies to be very accessible and they were quick to answer any of my questions. This would be of key importance for a service like this because if something goes wrong you need to be able to get in touch with someone as if they were part of your own store. All solutions were easy to use and almost anything you needed to know was available on their respective websites. Another important note as you read through my comments, this is very much a snap-shot in time. One of the advantages of SaaS solutions is the on-going development that goes on and is continually pushed out to the users of the applications. A feature might be missing today but likely will be added in the future. With that said, here is a synopsis of the three offerings:

ShopKeep.com

ShopKeep.com offers a web and iPad-based solution for a POS. Of the three SaaS POS solutions I considered ShopKeep.com was the only one that required downloading of client software to run the register. All other parts of the system are accessible through a website control panel. The iPad application looks very impressive and well suited to situations where a POS has to move around such as fairs or markets. You can simply walk around with your POS in your hands! I tried out the web version and installed the application on my notebook. I found the installation process surprisingly slow but once it was up and running the application itself ran perfectly. ShopKeep is elegant in its look and feel and ease of operation. It’s one of those applications you just love to use. I found the inventory module lacking a bit in ShopKeep as the process of restocking seemed overly simplified for my needs. Reports were also limited although they note that they can tailor reports to whatever you need. Best suited to coffee shops, bakeries or similar single-product vendors.

PROS: Simple clean interface and support for iPad, works offline, nice workflow.

CONS: Over-simplified stock maintenance, not many canned reports.

MerchantOS

With its origins in the bike retail market, MerchantOS provides a very robust solution for online POS. In addition to register, customer and inventory tracking, MerchantOS also provides a service tracking module. Where ShopKeep.com might have limited functionality for stock management, MerchantOS looks like it could handle almost anything. In some respects, however, I find this might be one of its downfalls. If you are planning on running a simple retail operation MerchantOS is almost over-kill. Although I found the application easy to use and functional the screens are very cluttered. I found myself wanting to turn fields off on some of the forms as I would likely never use them. MerchantOS does not offer offline functionality which may or may not be an issue for you. Best suited to service supply stores that also offer parts such as bike or auto shops.

PROS: Can probably handle any type of retail and service operation, supports stacked tax arrangement (such as PST/GST), great support.

CONS: Cluttered design, almost too much functionality for certain retail operations, no offline functionality

Vend

I found Vend to offer something that falls in the middle of ShopKeep and MerchantOS. It has more functionality than ShopKeep but has a better look and feel than MerchantOS. I found Vend’s inventory control functions to be easier to use and they have great canned reports. Vend will work offline and does not require a client to be loaded like ShopKeep. I liked the straight forward workflow that Vend uses to process re-orders and track inventory. However, one aspect that I really liked about ShopKeep and MerchantOS is that they had a good grasp of cash handling when opening a registers. Vend does not do this well in my opinion opting for a work-around to account for cash. The developers assured me that this functionality was coming soon. Vend also does not yet integrate with payment systems but this too is on the way.  Apart from the flaws, I thought Vend provided a good balance between functionality, clean interface and workflow. Good for all types of retail but particularly one’s with multiple product lines such as clothing or hardware.

PROS: Functional and clean interface, great reports and support

CONS: Lack of cash-in/out functionality (although there is a workaround), no payment system support (yet)

Conclusion

I’m a real fan of SaaS solutions as they are cost effective and often well designed and supported. When it comes down to a POS solution, like any other software choice, you need to have a full understanding of your needs. Each of the solutions here would serve well in the right setting.

As a side note, if you really want to get a sense of how well a company is doing servicing its clients, check out the support sites of each of the vendors. It gives you a good sense of the issues users are having and whether these will end up being an issue for you.

Links:

www.shopkeep.com
www.merchantos.com
www.vendhq.com