The Impact of Technology on Small Business POS System

by Technology Published on: 30 June 2017 Last Updated on: 11 November 2024

Office equipment A point of sale receipt printer printing a receipt

Printer-related technology has come a long way ever since it was incorporated into commercial use. Currently, the technology has surpassed household usage and integrated itself into daily usage.

Businesses of every scale are looking to invest huge chunks of money in printing technology. But why? 

Well, this article would like to discuss the reasons that have compelled businesses to integrate printing into their day-to-day usage.

Understanding The Industry

Most businesses use printers in their offices to print documents critical to their operations. 

Apart from that, one other particular use of printers that is pivotal to businesses is for the POS (Point of Sale) systems. 

POS Printer Paper Rolls and Ink Ribbons systems typically print out receipts that are used as ‘proof of purchase.’

However, the type of printers used at POS counters and the accessories that are used vary significantly in terms of cost efficiency and effectiveness. 

Therefore, choosing the right ‘configuration’ is critical to being cost-effective as POS systems that are ‘configured’ to be optimal have the potential to cause operational disruptions besides being ‘high cost’ business requirements.

How To Choose The Right Printer & Ink?

The printer variants are equally diversified as the businesses that require them. The types of papers, toners, and cartridges are taken as determinants from the conventional dot matrix. 

Subsequently, laserjets, inkjets, bubble jets, or even copiers from Xerox also function as printers to the A4 paper types or foolscap. 

These papers have weights like 60, 70, 80, 90, and 120 GSM. These papers only require ‘light impact printers’ to 2ply or 3ply paper that carbon copies and usually require high impact printers such as the dot matrix.

Expiration Date

Ink should come with a 9-month expiration period. This is the best place to sell ink cartridges. Some brands we accept include Inkjet, Brother, HP, etc.  

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Understanding Dot Matrix

Although the dot-matrix printer is among the few types of printers that have stood the test of time. 

This is because the other format of printing cam with a high cost of ink. This compelled consumers to eventually give up on them. 

Printing technology, such as thermal printer which prints exclusively on thermal paper rolls, has taken on new life and moved into mainstream business use. 

This technology moved from being an exclusive ‘credit card’ accessory to the business forefront.

These printers are easy to maintain and do not create issues with ‘paper jam’ or ‘ribbon tangle’ incidents as they do not require ink or ribbons. 

Plus, they are swift, which makes these printers the preferred choice for issuing receipts at check-out counters of supermarkets and hypermarkets that sell fast-moving consumer goods. 

Nevertheless, the dot matrix is still required in some business environments that require instant 3-ply carbon copy printouts.

Like for example,  kitchens in the hospitality industry that depend on each copy to prepare, serve, and bill customers.

How To Set Up A POS System?

We have already seen the effective means to choose and sift through printing technology and choose the right one for yourself. 

However, we have yet to see practical ways of implementing small business POS system(s). 

In this section, we want to point out some of the steps that can be followed to implement POS systems effectively in small businesses. 

Here we go!

Step 1

The very first step towards the practical setup of a POS system is choosing the right system. 

Choosing the right system would allow businesses to manage the system with ease and minimal effort. 

This can help businesses to grow beyond the determined horizon. 

Therefore, make sure that you have a clear understanding of the system you are going for. 

Step 2

Step two of the whole process involves choosing the proper hardware. 

Hardware is the body, and the POS system is the soul. Therefore, these concepts are co-dependent to a great extent. 

The hardware includes four key components. These include:

  • Cash Register: Modern POS systems replace traditional registers with computers and tablets.
  • Cash Drawer: This is key for storing the cash effectively and securely. Therefore, it is an essential part of the whole system.
  • Receipt Printer: A receipt printer is critical for giving customers proper receipts. Therefore, this is very important as it keeps track of the whole process.

Step 3

The third step is installing and configuring the POS system. This is a crucial step.

 Therefore, you guys must understand that you must ace this step to get the POS system up and running. 

Just follow the installation guide to set up the system effectively.

Try to install all the necessary files you might need. Take advantage of everything, and you will fare well. 

Also, ensure you get the installation file from a trusted source. This will prevent you from getting the corrupted file.

Step 4

Last but not least is the process of payment integration. Several small business POS system(s) come with payment integration from the get-go. 

Getting these applications will help your business to skip a tedious process.

However, integrating payment options into your small business POS system is relatively easy. 

However, it can be a time-consuming process. 

The Closing Thought

In summary, this is everything you should know about the small business POS system and printing. 

However, you must remember that the success of a business module is heavily dependent on the experience of an entrepreneur. 

Therefore, you must develop a plausible solution to make the right decision regarding growing your small business. 

Keep following our page for more such content.

Additional Reading:

Mashum Mollah is the feature writer of Search Engine Magazine and an SEO Analyst at Real Wealth Business. Over the last 3 years, He has successfully developed and implemented online marketing, SEO, and conversion campaigns for 50+ businesses of all sizes. He is the co-founder of Social Media Magazine.

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