The technology world is constantly changing and most companies are looking to find simpler, more efficient ways to do business. While there are a lot of choices, one fairly inexpensive way to up your game is to integrate your point of sale system or POS with your accounting software. The extreme popularity of QuickBooks Online equates to many business owners choosing a POS that works with the QBO platform.
Top Reasons
The benefits of integration are greater than the scope of this article so we will commence with 4 of the best reasons to integrate.
1. Accurate Information - One of the most time-consuming problems that arise out of business ownership is correcting mistakes. Manual bookkeeping and data entries leave room for error. A POS integration with QBO means that your sales data is automatically entered into QBO. There is no need for entering invoices or updating end-of-day sales. The accounts should all still be reconciled by a professional accountant to ensure the integration is working properly. This includes all bank accounts, merchant accounts, and balance sheet items.
2. Save Time and Money - The cost of POS and QBO integration could very well save you money. Employees use an all-in-one interface via iPad for invoices, inventory, orders, and payments. It also means that customers can be served even if the system is down, as many POS systems have the ability to work offline. No more long lines and frustrated employees.
3. Convenience for customers, employees, and IT management - QBO and POS integration correspond to a more convenient experience for customers. Staff can take payments from anywhere within the building. Customers feel personally attended to and have an individual relationship with the employee. The blending of QBO and POS also assimilates to a guarantee of no loss of information due to cloud data management and backup.
4. Data Management - The use of the data you get from an integration correlates to better business management. For example, if you notice a trend in expenses during a certain time period, you can gauge how to leverage that information. With everything from customer buying preferences to timing, savvy business owners use data management to make changes that positively influence sales and end results.
Industry Related POS Options
With tons of POS alternatives that integrate with QBO, the problem isn't finding a system but deciding on one that fits your particular industry. Ideas for the most recommended include the following:
- Restaurant - TouchBistro, Lightspeed Restaurant, and Toast POS are the three highest-ranked systems for restaurant owners. Integration means you can measure food costs, menu management, orders, deliveries, online orders, employee scheduling, tips, and more.
- Retail - Square for Retail, Vend, and Shopkeep are great systems for retail vendors. These track such items as the cost of goods sold, inventory, creates SKUs, customer information, compare historical data, send digital receipts via text or email, and more.
- E-commerce - Shopify is the most widely used POS system for online sales. E-commerce companies can keep track of sales, customers, discounts, inventory, shipping, among other options.
- All-purpose - Not every business needs specialty POS so two all-purpose possibilities are Square and Clover. Both are excellent alternatives and allow for sales and payments to be directly integrated into QBO.
In our opinion, the best 3rd party app to integrate these various POS and E-commerce systems is Shogo. Shogo integrates over 30 different POS and E-commerce platforms with QuickBooks Online. There are a few things that Shogo does that make it far superior to any other system that integrates with QuickBooks Online.
First, it integrates the daily sales summary, rather than the details of each individual transaction. While many of the systems listed on Shogo's website claim to have their own integration with QuickBooks Online it doesn't work nearly as well as Shogo's.
The other great feature of Shogo is that if a new item or sales category is added to the POS it will hold back the integration and send an alert out that a new account mapping is needed for QuickBooks Online. Once you fix the mapping the integration automatically starts back up where it left off. For how inexpensive Shogo is it is definitely worth testing to see if it works for you.
SLC Bookkeeping wants to see your business succeed. We can help with determining the best plan of action for your QBO and POS integration. Move your business technology into the present and see the difference it makes. Contact us today to get started: (801) 216-3870.
Trying to choose a POS system for your company?
QuickBooks Online already has many apps that integrate directly with leading POS systems. Try checking out some of these:
Shogo – An integration platform that connects with Micros, ShopKeep, NCR Silver, Lavu, Lightspeed, Square, Cake, Breadcrumb, Toast, and TouchBistro. Imports and posts sales data automatically
Primaseller – A POS app that syncs multiple locations along with their inventory and now allows you to create automated purchase orders. It also imports invoices and customer data and works with multi-currency settings within QBO.
Cohesion for Restaurants – This app creates packets of sales data from your POS to be sent to QBO. The packets can be reviewed for accuracy and approved before being posted to QBO.
POS Link for Aloha and Micros – Aside from the usual upload to QBO, this app includes features such as a daily sales posting, automated emails to team leaders about reports and sales events, and a complete audit trail.
Have more questions? The staff at SLC Bookkeeping are always here to help.
Now it’s your turn to tell us…
What’s the best POS system you’ve used and what have you liked about it?
Photo credit: Canva
