May 2009

This is the first edition of our new look newsletter for 2009. We thought it was time for an update and hope you enjoy this more colourful version of our newsletter. In creating this new look we are also changing the content to be more focused towards providing you with useful information about your industry, point of sale systems in general and general news about the company.

If you have anything of particular interest you would like to see in our newsletter please email: marketing@neotechnology.com.au

First though, a little bit about what we have been up to this year. Recently, the Neotechnology Business Systems Sales and Marketing team spent a week in Sydney at CeBIT. CeBIT is the biggest ICT conference in Australia and was the perfect place to showcase Amicus, our premier point of sale and business management system.

We had a great response from all visitors to the stand, especially to the Amicus Fuel module demonstration.

Read more

Point of sale (POS) systems have now been around for a long time, with many businesses utilising them to better manage their business, sales, staff and stock. There are however many legacy systems out there which could be replaced with one of the many next generation POS systems available - with more functionality, higher reliability and better integration capabilities than before. So how do you know when it’s time to upgrade? If you can say yes to more than half of the points below it might be time to consider upgrading!

• You are spending too much time ‘fixing’ issues with your current system
• Your current system is the cause of frustration and inefficiency among your employees
• Your competitors have  already moved to a new system giving them an advantage such as being able to spend more time with their customers and/or offering special promotions
• You have upgraded other software/perifferals and they no longer integrate with your current POS system
• You haven’t reviewed your business procedure in quite awhile and think it might be time - upgrade your POS at the same time to a system which suits your processes
• Your internal processes are affecting your customer relationships such as taking too long to full fill orders, process sales or difficulty in answering customer questions
• You have outgrown the software you currently use – eg your business is expanding or transaction numbers are growing and/or you are adding more sites/business units
• You are using multiple applications across the business and think might be useful to evaluate these and see if there are better integration possibilities

The main benefits of upgrading your point of sale are saving time and money through improved customer service, more efficient operations and costs savings such as a reduction in errors and frauds.

Next newsletter – Understanding your business needs to help you choose the right POS system

The remainder of 2009 looks like it is going to be a tough where consumers will become more conscientious spenders and considerably lower their discretionary spending. There will be some retail areas that will do better than others, especially if they focus on some of the opportunities outlined below. Consumers still need to feed, clothe and groom themselves, repair their houses and keep their cars running etc. Money spent will be on cheaper options such as eating at home or takeaways (rather than expensive restaurants), shopping at discount stores, DIY home repairs and renovations, holidaying at home and basically substituting higher end purchase for lower end spending.

Opportunities for retail businesses:

• Improve sales and after sales support; focusing on customer service is especially important when consumer numbers are down
• Sell via the web for those budget-conscious customers who will look for discounted or alternative products online
• Buy via the web effectively cutting out the middle man by going straight to the manufacturer/producer
• Buy via the web using a cooperative to bulk buy
• Use the current situation to reach new customers and increase your market share as some businesses will be reducing their advertising spend and/or not focusing on getting new customers just keeping the current ones satisfied

Note: This is editorial content  and suggestions only and do not constitute expert advice in anyway.

Are you currently an Amicus user? Have you been raving to other businesses about how good the system is for your business?

Well how about turning this into some money for you!!

If you refer a business to us and this turns into a sale you will receive a percentage of the software licence sales. We are there to provide any support you need to refer Amicus to your business colleagues, be it promotional material, assistance answering technical questions or general sales advice.

Contact us for the full details of the Amicus referral program