EPOS Systems for Arts & Crafts Shops
Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) is the perfect EPOS System if you operate within the Arts and Crafts Retail Vertical. Packed with hundreds of standard features, RMS is ready to go out of the box in many departments.
For Arts and Crafts companies seeking to operate their business in a more effective manner, Dynamics RMS Store Operations and Headquarters coupled with our range of Add-ins as delivered through RMS will give you the freedom to automate your store operations and point of sale processes to achieve this goal. Because it works with and like the Microsoft® Office system programs your people already know and use, it is fast to deploy and easy to understand and adapt to - important if your staff upgrading from other systems and ways of working. You can count on RMS to provide a rich level of partner support and robust maintenance to help you deliver a lower total cost of ownership.
Contact RMS to discuss EPOS for your Arts & Crafts business
Powerful Inventory Management System
Microsoft Dynamics RMS powerful built-in inventory management system allows you to catalogue each and every Art and Craft material (and service) that you offer to your customers. You will be able to code and price each item individually and track supplier information against each item. RMS allows you to have multiple suppliers against a given stock item - so you can track each order number and supplier price individually. When it comes to ordering, if a given supplier is out of stock, the system can flag the next supplier to try!
RMS will also monitor stock levels within your business helping you to maintain the correct amount of stock on the shelf. When you are running low on paints, chalks, HB pencils or whatever the stock item may be, RMS will automatically suggest or flag which items to order in, to keep the stock balance correct - ensuring you do not overstock so you have cash sitting out being unproductive, but have enough stock to satisfy your customers and demand - RMS helps you achieve this balance. Having this tight degree of stock control is vital in today's market place, allowing you to swiftly keep on top of customer demands and changes in the market place.
Coding of colours, ranges, sizes etc.
Setting up your database to suit your business needs is key to the successful implementation of Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System.
At RMS, during EPOS training we will show you how to setup and maintain your database ensuring that every product in your Arts and Crafts store is handled in the correct way.
For instance, multi-coloured paints, pencils, crayons and so on can be handled using the built-in Matrix functionality - allowing you to define one primary item and RMS will automatically generate and track sub-items - one per colour variant - keeping track of stock and other attributes. Having them arranged in this Matrix ensures that re-ordering is simple, product selection is simplified and general housekeeping is more efficient.
Customer Service at Store Level
If you are out of stock of a given item, from you store EPOS Terminal, the cashier can be prompted to suggest alternative item, look up the stock at another store or create a back order for the customer. You can even create special orders to record the items against the customer for catalogue items - that you do not carry as standard. Special orders can be keyed into the system without having to have all items in the customer database.
The customer details can be taken and a printed order receipt handed to the customer - you appear efficient and highly professional - exactly what customers demand today. This also helps you build up a customer database and e-mail list during the course of your business - connecting you with your customers and tracking their arts and crafts purchase.
Custom Fields
Custom fields within Store Operations can be utilised to track many aspects about your customer - for instance age group or whether they prefer water-colour or oils. You can set how much or little information you collect - just enough to be useful without bothering your customers.
Speed at the Checkout
Processing speed at the register is key - RMS works equally well with bar-coded arts and crafts items as well as non-bar coded items such as single sheets of paper.
"More and more purchases are moving over to card transactions and card purchases are generally higher in value."
Using the RMS fully integrated Chip and PIN device ensures that the Chip and PIN transaction is completed reliably and completed securely as fast as possible - on average between 2-5 seconds after the customer has keyed in their PIN.
Having the Chip and PIN device connected in a closed loop also eliminates re-keying of transaction values and hence mistakes - everything balances with RMS.
For further information, review the RMS Chip and PIN Add-in.
Back office and Head-Office Functionality
The Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System Headquarters software provides your Arts and Crafts business with a rich set of tools to allow you to control and monitor your enterprise in real-time. Centralised purchasing, supplier control, customer accounts, price changes and inventory transfers and management are all available to you in an easy to use framework. Security plays a big part so that only certain employees have access to making the changes they are authorised to make. RMS HQ is flexible, adaptable and customisable - and is a tried and tested platform installed in thousands of stores worldwide.
Reporting
RMS comes equipped with a wealth of back office "Active" reports as standard that are flexible and allow you to customise them to drop in information / columns as required. Information maybe reported, customised and emailed or expored to CSV / Microsoft Excel and interchanged with other systems and platforms. Through the Microsoft Office connectivity, information may be pulled directly into Microsoft Office, e.g. Excel where it can be manipulated and customised and formatted for charts and graphs or used in Pivot tables. Where bespoke built-in "Active" reports are required, these can be customised by us, your partner.
Our tailored EPOS training & workshop enables you run all the reports required to run a successful retail business, for instance to track slow moving items, popular items, items about to go out of stock, overstocked items, your best customers and so on - as well as all important profit margins per item, per department, per category, supplier etc. Sales per cashier / operator are also monitored and stored as can many other metrics.
Selling on the web?
More and more traditional Arts and Crafts stores are moving to selling on-line. Having setup your store or stores using Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System, putting your store on-line becomes very easy and compelling indeed.
You have done the hard work - defined and coded your inventory, pricing and other structures. Connecting RMS to the web using NitroSell - our e-Commerce partner and software piece instantly exposes your store on the web - just like adding another store or register in RMS!
Art supplies items such as oil paints that have been coded with different colours or brushes that are different sizes are automatically presented correctly on the web ensuring you are up and running as quickly as possible - and most importantly - no re-keying or exporting / importing of data - one button gets your store on-line. Of course, you can tweak your on-line channel so it is differentiated from your store, pricing, products offered. All this functionality comes as standard.
Are you frustrated not having your existing web inventory linked to your store inventory? We can handle this out of the box. Because our web store is integrated to the RMS store - each time an item is sold in store, the on-line quantity or availability can be altered, or not as the case may be - and vice-versa.
New products added in-store, at store level or at Headquarters can be automatically added on-line.
Having one database to centrally manage your entire multi-channel operation ensures you spend more time with customers and suppliers and less administering the IT system.
Check List
- Handle a wide variety of arts and crafts items - in the way that suits you
- Built in inventory management - tracking stock value and quantities
- Built in powerful purchase ordering - by min / max levels keeping key items in stock
- Improve your customer service - offer ordering of bespoke or special catalogue items or back ordered items
- Multi-store capable - with powerful features to look-up stock at other stores and handle inventory movements and centralised ordering
- Fast processing at checkout - deal with bar coded items, matrix and items such as paper, card and raw materials, as well as services
- Mobile devices can be added to speed up stock take, or use the built-in capabilities of RMS
- Maintain an accurate customer database, collect e-mail addresses, arts and crafts preferences and spending history
- Build seasonal promotions, discounts and other devices to boost sales and shift older stock / materials
- Powerful on-line store ensures you do the hard work of setting up your database, customer and supplier list and other retail entities ONCE and stock sold on line is deducted from the store or warehouse / other nominated enterprise.
- Backed by Microsoft - used by tens of thousands of users each day - responsible for millions of transactions per month world wide - delivered by a partner that will treat you as if you were their first customer - with the care and dedication that you deserve.
Follow up
Want to know more how RMS and the Retail Management System can help you and your Arts and Crafts store business? Want to arrange a demonstration, obtain pricing and availability or just need further information, we are here to help.
