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Common
Questions About Microsoft Retail Management System
Q. I
only have one retail store. I'd like to use a computer and
software, but don't know if Microsoft Business Solutions
Retail Management System is a good fit. Also, can I use my
laptop computer?
Q. I
have a growing retail business with six stores, 20
employees, and about $10 million US in sales. Can I use
Microsoft Retail Management System in more than one store?
Q. I
currently use a cash register to track my sales and store
cash. Does Microsoft Retail Management System work with my
cash register, or do I need to replace it?
Q.
Other than the software, what other equipment will I need to
purchase?
Q. I
have a PC that runs Microsoft Office and my accounting
software. Can I use this computer, and does Microsoft Retail
Management System work with my other software?
Q.
Can I buy and install Microsoft Retail Management System
myself?
Q.
How much will it cost to hire a Microsoft partner to install
and train me on Microsoft Retail Management System? Is there
an ongoing cost to running this software solution?
Q.
How long will it take me to learn to use Microsoft Retail
Management System and to teach my employees to use it?
Q.
Can I customize the application?
Q.
What types of reports are available within the application?
Q. What
types of transactions can I perform at the POS?
Q. Can I use my current credit card processing system with
Microsoft Retail Management System?
Q. Can the system automatically create purchase orders?
Q. Is there a limit to the number of items, customers,
suppliers, and other data that I can input?
Q. How is the software licensed?
Q. What type of security is offered in Microsoft Retail
Management System?
Q. How soon will Microsoft Retail Management System pay for
itself, and what is the ongoing value to my business?
Q. What kind of inventory tracking does Microsoft Retail
Management System feature?
Q. Will my customers notice anything different at the
register?
Q. I want to improve our store's marketing campaigns. Can
Microsoft Retail Management System help?
Q: I
only have one retail store. I'd like to use a computer and
software, but don't know if Microsoft Business Solutions
Retail Management System is a good fit. Also, can I use my
laptop computer?
A: Microsoft Retail Management System Store
Operations can run at just one store or at multiple stores.
There's no requirement to have multiple retail stores before
purchasing Microsoft Retail Management System Store
Operations. The software, however, is designed to scale
should your retail operation begin to grow into multiple
locations. And, Microsoft Retail Management System can run
on any Microsoft Windows-based computer—laptop or
desktop—provided it meets the minimum requirements for
installation and operation. Learn more about minimum
requirements and see a listing of capable hardware
providers.
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Q: I have a growing retail business with six stores, 20
employees, and about $10 million US in sales. Can I use
Microsoft Retail Management System in more than one store?
A: Yes. Microsoft Retail Management System offers an
application called Headquarters that allows retailers with a
small chain of stores to centralize control of their Store
Operations databases and reporting. For instance, if you had
six stores and a head office, you would have six licenses
for Store Operations (each store with its own database) and
one license for Headquarters at the head office.
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Q: I currently use a cash register to track my sales
and store cash. Does Microsoft Retail Management System work
with my cash register, or do I need to replace it?
A: Microsoft Retail Management System does not run on
traditional cash registers. Instead, this easy-to-use
software application is installed on a Windows-based
computer with point-of-sale peripherals attached via the
available ports on the computer. (It does not run on Apple
computers.) You'll need to replace your cash register with
computers, which are easy to use and reliable. When used
with our software, they allow you to do more than you could
with a cash register. You can manage time-consuming tasks
efficiently and help increase profits as a result. Like an
electronic cash register, Microsoft Retail Management System
is used by cashiers or sales associates to ring up orders
and tender sales, but it also provides more.
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Q: Other than the software, what other equipment will I need
to purchase?
A: At a very minimum, you'll need a computer with a standard
keyboard, mouse, and monitor. (Remember, Microsoft Retail
Management System runs on a Windows platform.) Most
point-of-sale (POS) registers using Microsoft Retail
Management System also have a standard 40-column receipt
printer, a scanner to read barcodes, a cash drawer to store
cash and various tenders, and a pole display to let the
customers view and verify the item prices and transaction
total. Other hardware available for use with Microsoft
Retail Management System includes full-page printers,
scales, magnetic stripe readers, magnetic ink character
recognition readers, signature capture device, PIN pads for
accepting debit cards, touch screen monitors, and dual
display monitors. To determine what hardware you will need,
check the hardware compatibility list, which specifies
manufacturers and models of each type of device that is
known to work with Microsoft Retail Management System Store
Operations. Most of these POS devices require an Object
Linking and Embedding for Retail POS (OPOS) driver to
properly communicate with the software solution. Contact the
hardware manufacturer to inquire about the availability of
OPOS drivers for a specific type of peripheral.
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Q: I have a PC that runs Microsoft Office and my accounting
software. Can I use this computer, and does Microsoft Retail
Management System work with my other software?
A: Yes. Microsoft Retail Management System integrates with
Microsoft Office and with various accounting applications at
the summary general ledger level, including Microsoft
Business Solutions accounting products (Microsoft Business
Solutions–Great Plains, Microsoft Business Solutions Small
Business Manager), QuickBooks, Peachtree, Blackbaud, and
MYOB. For example, you will have the ability to export
working reports into Microsoft Excel for further data
analysis, or use Microsoft Word to do a mail merge of
customer information stored in your new Microsoft Retail
Management System database for targeted marketing campaigns.
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Q: Can I buy and install Microsoft Retail Management System
myself?
A: No. Microsoft Retail Management System is not sold in
retail stores, but is available from a wide network of
Microsoft partners. Experienced Microsoft Certified Partners
are retail and software experts who evaluate your business
requirements, sell you the system, install it, and provide
training and support.
The POS Solution ensure you get the system most suited to
your business and that you maximize the return on your
technology investment.
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Q: How much will it cost to hire a Microsoft partner to
install and train me on Microsoft Retail Management System?
Is there an ongoing cost to running this software solution?
A: Software and installation costs vary from customer to
customer. The price for the Store Operations software is
based on the number of checkout lanes within a store:
: 1 checkout lane: $1,290
: 3 checkouts lanes: $2,330
: 9 checkouts lanes: $3,890
: 19 checkouts lanes: $5,390
These prices do not include hardware, or services. Prices
listed are in U.S. dollars and are estimated retail prices
only.
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Q: How long will it take me to learn to use Microsoft Retail
Management System and to teach my employees to use it?
A: Based on reports from customers and Microsoft partners,
it generally takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to train
cashiers and employees. If they need to learn all the
features of the POS, it could take a day or two of working
with the system to get a good feel for it. How quickly you
and your employees learn Microsoft Retail Management System
may also depend on what kind of POS system you previously
had been using. For example, if you were using a manual cash
register and paper ledgers, then it may take a little
longer. Microsoft Certified Partners can walk you through
the training, make it easy to understand, and be available
for follow-up questions. Overall, managers and store owners
will want to take advantage of the many rich features
Microsoft Retail Management System provides. Partners say
that a store can be up and running in a day.
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Q: Can I customize the application?
A: Yes. Microsoft Retail Management System has various
integration options that allow third-party developers to
enhance the provided features. It also allows for totally
new, customized features to meet your unique needs. Many
third-party applications exist that extend Microsoft Retail
Management System to fit specific vertical markets.
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Q: What types of reports are available within the
application?
A: Microsoft Retail Management System offers customizable
reports, called Active Reports, that give users insight into
their sales, customers, taxes, orders, and more. Active
Reports can be filtered, grouped, and sorted by any field in
the report window. Also, columns can be hidden or displayed
to let users see only the data that matters to them. Reports
can be exported to Excel, e-mail messages, HTML, XML, and
other formats, too.
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Q: What types of transactions can I perform at the POS?
A: The POS application supports the following types of
transactions: layaways, quotes, work orders, back orders,
returns/voids, and regular sales.
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Q: Can I use my current credit card processing system with
Microsoft Retail Management System?
A: Potentially. Microsoft Retail Management System offers
integrated credit card processing imbedded directly into the
application through an arrangement with Citi Merchant
Services. The system also offers integration with other
third parties, including PC Charge, IC Verify, and more.
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Q: Can the system automatically create purchase orders?
A: Microsoft Retail Management System can automatically
create purchase orders at a user's request based on reorder
information or sales history. Users can also build their own
purchase orders for specific departments, categories,
suppliers, and other purposes.
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Q: Is there a limit to the number of items, customers,
suppliers, and other data that I can input?
A: Microsoft Retail Management System does not impose any
limits on the number of items, customers, and other data
entries. Provided there is enough disk space on the server,
Microsoft Retail Management System can support an unlimited
number of data entries.
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Q: How is the software licensed?
A: Microsoft Retail Management System is licensed by active
POS registers. The back office application, Manager, is used
to enter items, purchase orders, and other data, as well as
run reports and view inventory. Therefore, if a client has
five computers in a store, with only three being used as
active POS registers, only three licenses are required.
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Q: What type of security is offered in Microsoft Retail
Management System?
A: Microsoft Retail Management System offers extremely
tight, flexible security within each product. Users have the
ability to grant or deny access to any given menu option,
window, button, or field within the applications. There are
as many as 31 different levels of security that allow you to
customize the security settings of your store. You have
complete control over who has access to each kind of
information.
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Q: How soon will Microsoft Retail Management System pay for
itself, and what is the ongoing value to my business?
A: Many people who incorporate Microsoft Retail Management
System into their business report a quick return on their
initial investment. To find out what your return on
investment could be, contact a Microsoft partner in the
United States. If you're located outside the United States,
go to our worldwide page for more information.
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Q: What kind of inventory tracking does Microsoft Retail
Management System feature?
A: Among many other powerful features, Microsoft Retail
Management System uses automated inventory tracking. You can
simplify manual stock counts with automated inventory
tracking across one or multiple locations, using any stock
or sales method. You can support most compatible inventory
types, including standard, serialized, kit, assembly,
matrix, lot matrix, voucher, non-inventory, and weighed. You
can also quickly and accurately calculate how much inventory
you need to replenish, and you can track storage of offline
inventory, such as non-sellable or broken items.
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Q: Will my customers notice anything different at the
register?
A: Yes. Your customers will be impressed with the level of
detail you'll now be able to provide them through Microsoft
Retail Management System. They'll get immediate access to
detailed product information, personalized information about
their previous purchases and payments, and account
information. With quick information about customers' buying
histories at your fingertips, you'll be able to generate
copies of old receipts and suggest relevant up-sells, sale
items, and volume discounts. Plus, by providing all of your
employees with standardized POS tools that offer the
immediate access to detailed product information, you give
your customers consistent and personalized information.
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Q: I want to improve our store's marketing campaigns. Can
Microsoft Retail Management System help?
A: Yes. You can use Microsoft Retail Management System to
create special promotions such as "Buy one, get one free" or
"Buy two at the regular price and receive the next two at
half off. "Also, schedule store sales in advance for entire
departments, categories, or supplier catalogs for a
specified date or time. At the point of sale, you can track
each discount given to customers through reason codes to
gain insight into which sales and promotions are most
successful. Use the data in the Microsoft Retail Management
System SQL database to build a mail merge in Word or Excel
for customer mailings and advertisements. Track your
customers' purchase histories to learn their buying habits
and to deliver personalized service that will keep them
coming back for more.
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