In a previous blog, we discussed traditional and Cloud-based POS software, and their pros and cons. Although Cloud POS offers mobility unlike traditional POS, it is still dependent on the internet which everyone might not have access to. This led to the development of the internet-independent hybrid POS.
Hybrid POS software, as its name suggests, is a combination of traditional and Cloud POS software and offers the best of both their benefits at a lower price than both. It can be useful to retail businesses that have a physical storefront along with an online store and can help them to monitor both stores from anywhere. If you are one such business, here we have listed some of the benefits of using a hybrid POS for you:
No Downtime
POS systems encounter downtimes for various reasons. Traditional POS systems won’t work if there is an issue with one of their features or their servers. Cloud software won’t work without an internet connection. Even a momentary outage in these systems can result in huge monetary losses for your business. If you are unable to process orders using these systems due to the aforementioned issues, it will leave your customers dissatisfied and force them to turn to your competitor. Hybrid POS eliminates the risk of downtimes by switching between the local server and the Cloud to store the transaction data which you can process once the server/internet connection is back up.
Centralised Customer Data Accessibility
Inventory is the backbone of every retail business, and your hybrid POS data helps you to manage it. It is data that your system gathers automatically at checkouts. It helps you to know customer shopping preferences and which of your products is selling the most and the least. You can use this data to send your customers product recommendations, create marketing campaigns for the least selling products, order enough inventory, avoid deadstock, and save on warehouse space and staff.
Regular Data Backups
As mentioned before, your hybrid POS data plays an important role in the success of your business. It is important that you have measures in place to protect this data, as breaches can expose sensitive personal and financial information of your customers. This can affect your customers’ trust in you and can cost you customers, revenue, and reputation.
Many businesses don’t have their data backed up, and the data of businesses that use a traditional POS with hard drives is susceptible to theft. A hybrid POS stores your data in the Cloud as well as in the background on a local hard drive. When you are working at your store, you can use the system to carry out transactions using an internet connection. When you are away or facing a power/internet outage during a transaction, the system stores the data on local servers and processes the transaction once the internet connection gets restored. This helps you to ensure business continuity and customer satisfaction.
Quick And Easy Upgrades
Updating a traditional POS requires you to hire a professional to physically replace your old system with the upgraded one. The process can be expensive and time-consuming and can disrupt your daily business operations. On the other hand, a hybrid POS’s updates can be downloaded automatically using an internet connection without having to interrupt or shut down your business till the download is completed.
