Features & Capabilities in POSI
This list may not be fully
updated as we constantly add more and more functions into the system.

USB licence key
- A reliable branded USB licence key enables user to use POSI on a new computer should current one fails
- Enables use of POSI on another computer after business hours
Upgradeability of versions
- POSI comes in Standalone, Local Network and Remote Network versions.
- The Standalone version can be upgraded to Local Network and Remote Network versions.
Security
Admin access is required for the following :
- Admin Level 1:
Control Panel. Some settings to make include:
- Set administrators' and cashiers' usernames and passwords
- Set GST, rounding adjustment, membership system
- Set Outlet Name
- Set Terminal Name
- Set Season Discount
- Purge old database records
- View record of Clock In/Out of staff members
- Set base amount in cash drawer
- Set the file path to the MsAccess database
- Backup MsAccess database or
- Schedule auto backup of MsAccess database
- Select a monospaced font and font size for mini sale receipt printout
- Hide Discount functions from cashier on pos window
- Deny access to various windows for a terminal
- Admin Level 1 & 2
- Refund a sale on pos window
- Inventory - edit stock e.g. change quantity, description ...
- Reports - sales reports and staff performance reports
Add Stock
- Allow straightforward barcode submission or controlled barcode using Vendor Code + Item Code = barcode
- Set promotional & quantity discounts - percentage or absolute value
- Set GST charged by vendor
- Link item to an image file
- Use Get button to pull out the description, dept, selling price, quantity and promotional discounts associated with a previously entered barcode
- Expedite submission by correlated drop-down lists of previous item & vendor info
- If using controlled barcode mode, preserve integrity of your inventory data such as preventing using same vendor code for more than 1 vendor
- Set "Base Quantity" (re-order level) during submission of an item. During sale, pos window will inform with a popup message or via a text file saved on desktop when stock level of an item falls below this base quantity.
- If the Purchase Order module is included, double-clicking the index cell of a row transfers that row's information to the Add Stock window. After that, only quantity and cost need to be supplied for submission
- Auto-display previously linked image to a barcode
- Option to auto-set retail price based on margin % entered
- Use Add Stock to submit a negative "quantity received" for : goods returned, transferred to another outlet or as a correction to previous entry
Point of Sale
- Secure login with cashier password
- Quick barcode scan or manual entry
- Manual entry has drop list & panel of buttons showing department names to use as quick description
- Manual entry function together with 'Deduct' mode can be used as a one-time discount for an item
- Barcode lookup via description search with item image displayed
- Quick check item price & balance without selling
- Display popular items on a multi-panel of clickable configurable buttons with linked barcodes and images.
- Display a number pad on the right of the receipt screen
- DISCOUNTS:
- Season - specified period in % or absolute value
- Promotional - ditto
- Quantity - ditto
- Mix N Match discount for 2 or more items:
- If a sold item belongs to a Mix N Match discount, the cashier will know via a non-disruptive popup window. The customer can then be encouraged by the cashier to purchase the other item/items bundled with that first item in order to enjoy that Mix N Match discount.
- Membership
- set standard discount for all members
- set for a member a non-standard (DiscountPlus) discount in addition to standard discount
- Automated 2-period discounts
- Item-based discount on an adhoc receipt basis
- Manual extra discount
- Enter a member ID and a textbox on pos window shows the name, subscription expiry and bonus available (if bonus system is activated)
- Bring up Members window showing a member's particulars based on the ID entered in the Member ID box
- Configurable tender type - e.g. AMEX, VISA - buttons with function keys like F5, F6, so forth
- Split payment - popup window auto-calculate balance either by cash or card before tender
- Cancel a sale
- Deduct item
- Allow no company heading on receipt
- Allow no inclusion of sale tax
- Allow no receipt printout
- Authorize refund with Admin password
- Retrieve and Reprint receipt
- Open up to 3 open POS windows for holding sales in progress
- For F&B use
- hold unlimited receipts
- print to kitchen's printer in larger font size
- View today's or a past sale summary, showing payment types & amounts, subtotals up to each hour of the day and the total for the day
- View current month's sale summary similar to aforesaid
- Mini receipt printout or A4 / A5 receipt printout
- Print quantity of items scanned and print this at end of receipt to check if you have short-scanned items
- Set to auto-launch a slideshow window that can be dragged over and displayed in an extra LCD monitor facing the customer
- It will show the ongoing sale transactions and also enable you to present a slideshow of your products and display your promotional messages.
- Slideshow window can be set to show the receipt in process during sale and back to products advertisement when sale is completed
- Prompt low stock of an item during sale or choose just to report in a text file
- Allows entry of a short or extended comment (through popup selectable checkboxes) at the end of sale receipt
- Option to force entry of transaction no. of a non-cash payment
- Pre-set base amount of cash in the cash drawer. Base amount will be shown in sale summary at close of the day.
- Option for fast no decimal needed for money value entries
- Set full instead of partial description of item to show and print on mini receipt
- Option to select a salesman name for a sale so as to report on his performance in Staff Performance window (one of the Reports windows)
Inventory
- Page-by-page view of datagrid based on page size of your choice
- Navigate to any page by selecting page no.
- Navigate from page to page using Next, Previous, Start or Last button
- Using Search, drill down to an item row - based on barcode, description, dept, invoice no etc - for editing
- Order rows by clicking on the headers
- Show linked image in popup window of a selected item row
- Add or change image linked to an item
- Modify editable fields e.g. the description, retail price, dept, quantity received, promotional discount
- Auto update other rows with same barcode if a modified field value like description or dept. applies
- Editing instances (audit trail) by Admin persons are captured and can be retrieved in html format
- Option to allow or disallow cost to be higher than selling price during editing
- Generate paged inventory data in html format
- Set batch discount based on department, vendor or outlet
- Set Mix N Match (bundled items) discounts
- Display rows within a target period. This can be executed even within search results
Vendors
- If vendor code is used to create barcode when adding stock, a new vendor name and code is captured in the vendor window.
- You can also add new vendor name and code directly in the vendor window.
- Emails of all vendors can be displayed in a popup window for one-click emailing
- Names and addresses of all vendors can be displayed in a popup window for copying as a mailing list
Members
- Retrieve the purchase data of members - individually or all
- View their buying patterns based on items bought
- View the total value of their purchases
- Emails of all members can be displayed in a popup window for one-click sending of email
- Automated discount for members can be set at Main > Required Settings > Membership System active?
- Set additional discount - on top of automated discount - based on a member's class
- Names and addresses of all members can be displayed in a popup window for one-click emailing
- Set more discount for a member in addition to Membership discount already set in Main (Control Panel) > Required Settings
- A Referrer field enables extraction of total purchases by members under that referrer's name for working out referrer's fee
- Set Subscribe and Expiry Dates
- Set Never Expire Membership
Sale Reports
- Performance of Vendors, Barcode, Description, Dept
- Sale performances - sale vs. stock based either on vendor, barcode, description or department
- Show the value of balance stock of distinct items and all items
- Show balance stock of items based on barcode, description and dept
- Hide/unhide items with zero stock
- Hide/unhide manually entered sales
- Report items with balance below a certain specified quantity
- Hide/unhide manually entered sales
- Show the value of balance stock of all items & their total
- Sale Summary
- Single sale summary with a list of each sale - total paid and whether completed, cancelled or refunded
- Sale summary of vendors - average margin, discounts, quantity sold, sale amount, quantity sold
- Return single outlet sale summary + sale summary of individual terminals + individual receipts information
- Generate a month's sale summary: single or multiple outlets + sale summary of individual terminals
- Sale details for a selected period - show rows of sold items, description, quantity sold, retail price and the sum of various discounts given out and total collection. There is also a column of the 'Cost amount' of these sold items, useful for working out the profits. Cost is based on average cost if there are more 1 row of record of an item with different costing
- Sale details report with option to show the totals for various departments
- Sale details report based on customer number of the day
- Generate quickly day-to-day detailed reports
- Generate report of the average margins of vendors & the performance of their goods
- If not using a common database for multiple outlets, reports from multiple outlets that can be consolidated and presented in a comparative fashion
- If database is a unified one, comparative reports of multiple outlets are available straightaway without need for consolidation
- Reports are terminal, individual outlet and all outlets based
- Generate reports in html format
- Search balance stock of a item for a particular outlet
- Check single barcode balance without displaying all barcodes
- Fast check quantity sold for all items sorted by quantity sold, barcode or description in ascending or descending order
- Retrieve past sale instances of a barcode
- The generated table of barcodes performance will show Vendor, Description & Dept columns - all as usual are sortable in ascending and descending orders. You can generate this report for a single vendor for use in re-ordering of goods from that vendor
- Wildcard search for balance stock e.g. CNY* pulls out barcodes starting with CNY showing their balance stock
Staff Performance Reports
- Aggregate sales by individual cashiers
- All items sold by individual cashiers
- All items sold by individual cashiers sorted by department - needed when commission for staff based on department
- Date-based aggregate sales by individual cashier and salesman
Export Data
- Enables you to export data from the tables in POSI database in:
- CSV format
- Excel format
Local Network
- Network terminals at same outlet to a single database via LAN
- Admin has access to sale reports of all terminals via Reports window
including detailed Day Summary with payment type details
Easy Usage
- A graphical help file with search capability
- Numerous help buttons on the various windows facilitate training & usage
Add-On Capabilities
A4-size Receipt
- Print A4-size receipt on POS window. A checkbox on POS window will be available for switching between such A4-size and mini receipt printouts.
Purchase Order
- Generate P/O using data in dropbox - supplier, address, barcode, description, cost - taken from existing records
- Auto-calculate amount to pay the supplier
- Generate P/O in html for printout
- A P/O calls up the either Add Stock or Inventory windows when leftmost "Item" cell of a row is clicked. If you choose Add Stock window then you can add the item & quantity into the Inventory with ease.
Quotation
- Generate quotation using data in dropbox - supplier, address, barcode, description, cost - taken from existing records
- Auto-calculate amount to charge
- Generate quotation in html for printout
- A Quotation calls up either the Add Stock or Inventory windows when leftmost "Item" cell of a row is clicked. Select which latter window to show as appropriate.
Stock Transfer**
- Generate html Stock Transfer document using data in dropbox - supplier, address, barcode, description, cost - taken from existing records
- Use Stock Transfer to create document to transfer goods from one outlet to another or for returned goods to a supplier
- Easily update the Inventory records of an item being transferred by clicking on item row
- Stock Transfer window serves as platform when requesting & transfering stocks between outlets
- A Stock Transfer document calls up the Add Stock and Inventory windows when leftmost "Item" cell of a row is clicked. Which latter window opens up depends on the status of the Stock Transfer document.
- Bonus System
- Enable members to earn bonus points in monetary value & to use them for purchases
Delivery Order
- Enter delivery information on POS window based on sale receipt
- Generate html Invoice/D.O. based on sale receipt with an outstanding amount to be paid later
- Suitable for managing layaways - goods partly paid for and reserved by a customer
- Suitable for generating and keeping records of Invoice/D.O. on credit terms to customers such as in wholesaling business
- Update sale receipt when payment fully made. Amounts in the sale summaries/details on POS & Report windows are correspondingly updated.
- Quickly generate in text format a complete list of all outstanding receipts for the year sorted either in date, Member ID or Customer Name order.
Appointment Scheduler
- The Appointment Scheduler can be used by leisure/lifestyle businesses like spas, beauty salons and fitness clubs.
- This Appointment Scheduler is fully integrated with the pos window where a sale receipt is used in the Scheduler as a "Ticket" for booking appointments.
- Sessions of a service package are then scheduled on selected date, time and with particular service staff members. These booked appointments can be easily re-scheduled.
- A datagrid in the Scheduler displays the appointments based on a selected month or a day.
- Appointments can be listed out on the datagrid based either on service staff names or customers' names.
- An appointment can be set by the counter staff as 'Checked In','Awaiting' or 'No Show'
- An appointment can be printed out. Alternatively a whole list of appointments based on the same sale receipt no. can be printed out
Food & Beverage System - Typical Restaurant
- This module is for restaurants which need to hold and split items in a bill among patrons at the same table. It is also capable of merging table bills and changing table number at ease.
All these are accomplished through a popup frame on the pos window allowing you to easily change the table and guest numbers.
Aside from such a capability, there is floor plan that can be easily customized. Occupied tables are shown in a different colour from unoccupied ones in the floor plan.
Food & Beverage System - Marche Restaurant
- This system uses an ID card given to the customer at check-in point. The customer orders dishes from the food stalls inside the restaurant. Receipts are printed for the customer for collection of her orders when ready. No payment is made.
After meal, at the check-out point, the cashier collects back the ID card, enters the ID on the POS window and automatically prints out a consolidated receipt of all the purchases of that customer for payment.
This requires that all POSI stations are locally networked.
Another possible application of the Marche system is a self-service POS window for busy retail outlets like supermarkets. Presented with a very simplified POS interface, goods are scanned by the customer and her ID such as represented by the shopping card number is then entered.
At the checkout station, by entering the ID the consolidated receipt is retrieved by the cashier for settlement. This architecture eases the flow of customers even as it does not place expectation on the customer to process payment.
To prevent theft, service staff stationed at the scanning area can act as deterrence. Weight verification at the check-out station can also add to the security.
Database
- System - software & database - can be upgraded from MsAccess database to MsSQL database
Remote Network Decentralised
- Uses secured fixed IP from ISP or normal Internet connection.
- Shops use their own databases located at the remote HQ.
- Alternatively, a shop's databases can be local and still accessible by the HQ and other outlets. There are some limitations compared to the centralised version
- To generate multiple-outlet comparative reports, Consolidate* module above is needed.
- Auto Synchronisation between HQ's & shop's databases
- Auto synchronisation of sale, inventory & membership data at HQ and shop during the launch of POSI thus not affecting run-time performance.
- If there is nothing to synchronise, no lag will be experienced.
- Synchronisation as such ensures that in the event of Internet failure sales can still be processed at the outlet using the local database as the local database has similar inventory & membership records plus sale receipt sequence.
- Upon restoration of Internet connection any temporary sale records in the local database will be transferred to HQ.
- Sale receipt sequence will be maintained.
- The aforesaid processes are automated and transparent, requiring no intervention on the part of the user.
Note that in the Decentralised system if the company has a membership system, members' data are not shared across outlets because that would require the use of a central database available only in Remote Network Centralised below.
Remote Network Centralised
- Uses secured fixed IP from ISP or normal Internet connection.
- Network POS stations at remote outlets to a single central database located at HQ via Internet
- HQ can choose to reserve access to an outlet's 'Control Panel' in POSI to itself.
- HQ can also reserve access to the Inventory, Add Stock, Members & Vendors windows to itself.
- This and other specs will need to be specially customized.
- Shops are restricted to onlyuse and manage its own data through pos, add stock and inventory windows
- Shops are able to check through the Report window what kind of items are available at other outlets for the purpose of requesting goods
- There is no need for HQ to consolidate data in order to generate multiple-outlet comparative reports
- Member data are available to all outlets
- Outlets will be able to check for availability of an item at other outlets and request for stock transfer. If the Stock Transfer** window is available, it serves as platform for requesting & transfering stocks between outlets.
- Auto Synchronisation between HQ's & shop's databases
- Auto synchronisation of sale, inventory & membership data at HQ and shop during the launch of POSI thus not affecting run-time performance.
- If there is nothing to synchronise, no lag will be experienced.
- Synchronisation as such ensures that in the event of Internet failure sales can still be processed at the outlet using the local database as the local database has similar inventory & membership records plus sale receipt sequence.
- Upon restoration of Internet connection any temporary sale records in the local database will be transferred to HQ.
- Sale receipt sequence will be maintained.
- The aforesaid processes are automated and transparent, requiring no intervention on the part of the user.
Work Orders
- Create on pos window an on-hold partial receipt in which goods or services need to be indented, reserved, prepared or scheduled for completion
- Sometimes goods are sent in by a customer for repair, re-design or overhaul. Such goods can be entered into the receipt on pos window using manual entry with zero price, hence not compromising the logic of a receipt.
- The Word Orders window enables items in these partial receipts to be easily accessed and updated in terms of status - 50%, 80% or 100% completed
- If needed, a work order can be printed for the customer
- When a status of a partial receipt is 100% complete, it can be easily moved to the current date for closing on pos window
- Items in closed receipts with outstanding amounts can also be similarly accessed and updated. When such a receipt has been fully paid, it is no longer available on the Work Order window.
Credit Notes
- Issue a credit note for either cash or a good deposited by customer
- Credit note can then be used for purchase of goods by the customer
- System always keeps and generates a record of credit balance and usage