Hello, I run a skateboard shop with 2 locations. Currently we are using 'Simply Accounting' to ring people through and keep our inventory. It does not work the way i would like it to and i'm looking for a program that coule make things like inventory management, customer profiles, gift certificates, layaway and even just ringing people through much easier and faster. I have been looking at the Microsoft Retail Management System but since I am in Canada i cannot get the free demo disc they offer on the website.

If anyone has any information on this program or a suggestion as to what else I could use that would be great.

thanks.


(nice board by the way)

I believe the 2005 version comes with a Customer Management system as well. I know there is a Point of Sale system and it's fairly extensive. I also believe they have a Canadian version. I can also tell you that their support used to be very good, but not certain now that they've outsourced to India. I believe it's still 'o.k.' if you can get through the language barrier. But the program itself is fairly extensive and has different addon modules for different tasks that you might otherwise want to do.

Make sure you understand the different versions available from Microsoft.

1) Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS)- This system is suitable for multiple stores and multiple registers. It is a fairly extensive system and costs significantly more than their other offering. You can't purchase it directly so you will need to find a certified reseller. Resellers are required to pass certification tests so this implies that it is more complicated to install and configure than what you may be capable of.

2) Microsoft Point of Sale - This system is aimed at small "mom and pop" stores with a single register. Although it can be used in a multiple register configuration, it really isn't made to be used that way by default. You can purchase and setup this system by yourself. However, if you have more than one store then you are potentially wasting your money. The functionality of this system is nowhere near as extensive as the RMS.

Hope this helps. Just make sure you understand which demo/product you are trying to purchase.