From Manual to Modern: Transitioning Sales Teams to POS Systems 

If you’re still handwriting tickets or entering them manually from the back office, this article is for you! An intuitive mobile point of sale system is your opportunity to empower your sales team, collect a wealth of data, and elevate the customer experience. Further, the security of mobile POS solutions alleviates past concerns, such as data accessibility and administrative accuracy, ensuring a seamless transition.  

Transitioning Away from Manual or Back-Office Ticket Writing  

While the legacy practice of hand-writing tickets may have served home furnishings retailers in the past, it feels outdated and cumbersome to guests and your staff today. Further, it is putting your business at risk because of a host of inefficiencies and security vulnerabilities that modern technology can address.  

Transitioning to a mobile POS system addresses the many challenges manual ticket writing poses. Retail Dive implores, “Retailers who invest in the latest technologies and foster a culture of innovation will be well-equipped to meet the demands of the modern consumer.” 

User-friendly POS technology saves time, reduces errors, and streamlines workflows.  Manual processes are prone to high error rates, with miswritten tickets leading to inventory inaccuracies that disrupt stock management and sales forecasting. Transactions completed manually are also significantly slower, frustrating both customers, who expect swift service, and employees, who must navigate time-consuming steps. Sales teams will appreciate reclaiming the time once spent on manual processes, paperwork, and error-checking, allowing them to focus on serving their customers. 

Furthermore, manual methods limit the ability to collect and analyze data, hindering valuable insights into sales performance and customer behavior. A mobile POS system eliminates these pain points by streamlining operations, reducing errors, and providing a robust foundation for actionable analytics.  

Five Benefits of Writing Tickets Digitally 

1. Enhancing the Customer Experience Through Real-Time Information 

One of the standout advantages of mobile POS systems is their ability to enhance the customer experience by equipping salespeople with real-time access to inventory details directly on the sales floor. This capability eliminates the need for associates to step away from the customer to verify stock availability, pricing, or other details, keeping the customer engaged and ensuring they feel prioritized throughout the interaction. For instance, if a customer inquires about delivery options or warranty details, the salesperson can provide immediate, accurate responses, building trust and strengthening the shopping experience.  

Faster transactions are another critical benefit. Mobile POS systems can reduce checkout times by up to 70%, streamlining the shopping experience and leaving customers with a positive impression. With an intuitive POS system, furniture retailers can deliver exceptional service that exceeds modern customer expectations. 

2. Collecting More Guest Data for Strategic Marketing 

With a POS system, every guest interaction becomes an opportunity to enrich your marketing database. Unlike manual ticket writing, which captures only the essentials of a transaction, digital systems can record detailed consumer information, such as: 

• Purchase preferences and patterns. 
• Email addresses for future engagement. 
• Demographics and shopping behaviors. 

Further, manual ticketing fails to capture information about visitors who browse but don’t buy. With a mobile POS system, sales associates can input valuable details about these guests, such as their preferences or the items they showed interest in. This empowers furniture and appliance retailers to build highly targeted marketing campaigns. For instance, a guest who shows interest in a sofa but leaves without purchasing can be added to a remarketing campaign showcasing that sofa or related items. Personalized emails or SMS follow-ups can significantly improve conversion rates. 

This data also allows retailers to analyze why certain customers didn’t make a purchase, offer tailored promotions or discounts to bring them back, and refine in-store strategies to meet customer expectations. 

3. Enabling Personalization Strategies 

Personalization is no longer a luxury—it’s a customer expectation. Mobile POS systems empower salespeople to deliver personalized experiences by: 

• Providing immediate access to customer purchase histories. 
• Suggesting complementary products or services. 
• Allowing sales associates to remember customer preferences on future visits. 

Imagine a returning customer walking into your store. With a tap on a POS device, your salesperson can greet them by name, reference their last purchase, and suggest products tailored to their preferences without leaving their side. 

4. Reducing Secondary Backend Administration 

Manual ticket writing often results in additional administrative work on the backend, such as entering data into systems, reconciling errors, and processing incomplete records. These tasks take time and can lead to delays or inaccuracies. 

Mobile POS systems automate much of this work or enable efficient workflows that occur concurrently with serving the customer. This ensures that: 

• Sales data is accurately captured at the point of transaction. 
• Inventory levels are updated in real time. 
• Reports are generated automatically, reducing the burden on administrative staff. 

This allows your team to focus more on strategic initiatives and less on operational bottlenecks. 

Empowering Salespeople with Intuitive and Secure Technology 

Strengthening Security with Access Controls 

A barrier to allowing sales associates to enter sales into a POS system was concerns about data accessibility. This concern is alleviated as modern POS systems offer robust access controls, ensuring that sensitive company data is protected. Single Sign-On (SSO) for user authentication simplifies access for authorized personnel while maintaining strict security protocols. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access to unnecessary areas of your system. 

Additionally, on the customer side, data encryption ensures payment data is PCI-compliant. This builds trust with customers who expect their personal information to be handled securely. 

Ensuring Accuracy with Automated Data 

Automation is at the core of mobile POS systems. Accurate data streamlines operations and enhances decision-making at every level of the organization. By removing the human error associated with manual processes, retailers can ensure that: 

• Pricing and discounts are applied correctly. 
• Inventory levels are precise, preventing stockouts or overstocking. 
• Customer details are recorded consistently, creating a reliable database for future engagement. 

Choosing the Best Mobile Point of Sale for Sales Team Enablement 

Choosing the right mobile POS system is critical in ensuring a successful transition and long-term benefits for your business. Business News Daily reports, “A robust POS system is more than a tool for processing transactions — it’s vital for driving efficiency and growth. Modern POS systems have evolved significantly to offer features that streamline your operations and provide analytics that can transform how you run your business.” 

STORIS NextGen is the home furnishings industry’s premier Mobile POS. STORIS NextGen’s user-friendly interface minimizes the learning curve for staff, making it easier for them to adapt and feel confident using technology. Its integration with the STORIS ERP enables seamless synchronization with inventory management and analytics to streamline operations and provide actionable insights. STORIS NextGen’s robust security features, including Single Sign-On (SSO), simplify system access while maintaining the highest data protection standards.  

A Successful Launch with Hands-On Training  

Owners may fear that long-standing employees may resist adopting new technology due to fear of the unknown or concerns about its complexity. STORIS Academy complements STORIS NextGen. This comprehensive staff training program builds confidence and eases the transition. Its proven onboarding is web-based and on-demand. Interactive modules in STORIS Academy include videos, quizzes, and scenario-based sessions. This multi-media approach engages employees and ensures they grasp key concepts. Learning exercises allow staff to get comfortable in a hands-on training environment in STORIS Academy before taking STORIS NextGen to the sales floor. Our Fast-Track onboarding course has taken thousands of sales associates live on STORIS NextGen and helped them attain monthly sales metrics never seen before! 

Transforming Your Showroom Experience for Guests and Your Team 

Retailers have an opportunity to create a win-win scenario for both their teams and their customers. From better shopping experiences and user workflows to dynamic data collection and enhanced security, STORIS NextGen Mobile POS empowers home furnishings retailers to meet and exceed customer expectations.  

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Sources: 

“5 Ways Retail Leaders Are Improving the Customer and Associate Experience.” Retail Dive, 16 Sept. 2024, www.retaildive.com/spons/5-ways-retail-leaders-are-improving-the-customer-and-associate-experience/726392. 

Freedman, Max. “Small Business Guide to POS: Point-of-Sale Systems and Software.” Business News Daily, 25 Oct. 2024, www.businessnewsdaily.com/5101-pos-systems.html.