Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/66137
TE CHNOL OG Y POS Software Possibilities Pinpoint a point-of-sale system for your winery needs By Kerry Kirkham ith a seeming frenzy of providers and options for point-of-sale software systems (POS), it's easy to get distracted and lose sight of your mis- sion: to secure the most streamlined system that manages your business and falls within budget. As a busy winery manager, your objectives need to be outlined before you even begin the shopping process. Scott Meloney, president and CEO of Microworks Technolo- W gies Inc., Napa, Calif., highlighted the importance of evaluating POS needs departmentally. "You need to know who will be affected by it: tasting room, marketing, accounting, shipping. Typically the decision is made by one or two people; not every- one is consulted." Future expandability was another pre-purchase consideration that Meloney mentioned. "Your needs today are not necessarily your needs tomorrow, so you need to make sure there's room for growth within the system," he said. "Stick with an industry- specific solution that's based on technology that addresses your future needs." Harvey Grant, president of Elypsis, a Napa, Calif.-based win- ery software provider, also mentioned long-term POS needs. "It's like building a house: Think long-term and have a blueprint," he said. "Buy something that will allow you to grow and expand. The system has to grow with your business." When shopping for a POS system, check a provider's referenc- es. It's even better if you can go to one of their customers' winer- ies during peak times to see how the retail process flows in the tasting room. Tasting room consultant Craig Root of craigroot. com, St. Helena, Calif., takes the background check one step fur- ther. "When you call a provider's reference, ask who they know who also uses the system, because usually those clients aren't on the provider's 'golden list'," he said. For wineries reluctant to buy a good POS system to streamline business operations and manage direct-to-consumer sales data, Microworks' touchscreen with color-coded keys assures rapid guest processing at Stryker Sonoma Winery. Highlights • When considering a POS system, think of the expandability of that system. Your business needs today may be different next year. • If you can't understand how the software works within a one- hour demo, you need to move on. • When negotiating price with your POS provider, negotiate up front as many training and support hours as possible. 34 Wines & Vines JULY 2011 Root cautioned that buying a $200 cash register from Office De- pot won't segment and collate the sales data effectively. "If you have a 60- to 70-key cash register you can divide up the data, but you have to enter it by hand into a spreadsheet after you Z out (close out). Computerized cash registers can enter data directly into a spreadsheet so you don't have to. It's better for CRM (customer relationship marketing)," Root said. At the push of a button, "You should be able to know who your top buyers are and what your best-selling wines are." Root also mentioned the value in a POS system's ability to keep track of the sales popularity of non-wine items such as wine accessories, food, apparel and books. He divides them up into three categories: stars, middlers and dogs. Sales data from the cash register allows him to test price resistance on his stars and middlers. In the case of middlers or dogs, it raises a red flag to make sure items are placed and lighted properly in the tasting room. If an item stays a dog, it's set out on the discount table and not reordered.