Cloud-based POS integration overtakes the Traditional Point of Sale

When it comes to selecting the right POS (Point of Sale) system for your business, it could be a challenging situation as it is going to be a one-time decision. You would want to make the right decision as investing in a good POS serves to be an essential tool for business owners to manage inventory, increase sales, and build a strong customer base.

While there are several brands or service providers out there to choose from, it is also difficult to make the choice of choosing between cloud-based POS integration or traditional POS for your business. In this post, we will help you unravel the major reasons to go for choosing cloud-based POS over the traditional point of sale.

A traditional POS also goes by the name as legacy POS. It is known to run on closed networks with the data being stored on local servers. The simplest analogy of the same can be regarded as the storage of your personal data only in the computer system at your home –not made accessible from any corner of the world. 

Cloud-based POS also goes by the name as mobile POS integration or even SaaS POS (Software-as-a-Service). It serves to be a web-based POS and is implemented on the cloud. This implies that the data gets stored online. In its simplest form, it is like storing your data in some online place or server like Dropbox or Google Drive. These data files could be shared with others conveniently while being accessed from anywhere on the Internet.

Cloud-based POS Vs. Traditional POS

There are several points of comparisons between cloud-based POS integration and traditional or legacy POS. Here are some points to consider:

Data Accessibility

Traditional POS –The data can only be accessed on-site. This implies that the manager or owner has to be present physically in the respective business facility for making any changes to the items or menus, for checking employee clock-ins, and for observing sales reports, and so more. 

Cloud-based POS –Using this system, the data can be accessed from anywhere and at any time. The manager or owner of data is responsible for monitoring all data reporting in real-time from any location on the Internet with the help of any device –laptop, mobile, desktop, and so more. Moreover, they are also given the right to ensure changes online, provide remote accessibility, and eliminate the need for being there physically for any requirement.

Read also : Cloud-A Redefining Catalyst for the Mobile Landscape

Risk of Data Loss

Traditional POS –As all data is getting stored in the local server while running on a closed internal network, in case the system would crash or encounter some major bug, there is the fear of losing all data at once.

Cloud-based POS –As all data gets stored online on the respective remote servers, the overall risk of facing data loss is minimized. Even in case of some system crash, your vital data would remain safe as these keep getting backed up in the cloud automatically. Moreover, these can be restored easily.

Cost

Traditional POS –Legacy systems usually tend to feature higher upfront costs. These also ask for a proper maintenance fee as the software is required to be updated manually on-site –requiring additional time and labour. Moreover, even when the system would crash, the overall cost of re-installation could be expensive.

Cloud-based POS: Cloud-based POS integration tends to be cheaper because its overall installation is not complicated. It tends to have no to minimal upfront costs while following a subscription-based model for a monthly or annual basis. The software gets updated automatically by the reliable service providers in which costs are already included in the monthly or annual charges. 

Conclusion Ensure effective cloud-based POS integration for maximum business outputs.