Spedi Retail Software - EPOS for the convenience sector

Computers Grow Old Too, You Know, Just Like Everything Else

Sunday 25th July 2010

Just when does a computer become "Too old", then?

It is generally accepted that one year for a human is roughly equivalent to seven years for a dog. Although a small dog, in particular, will often live to 14 or even 15, for a large dog, such as an Alsatian or a Doberman, much beyond ten years is uncommon. Sadly, some very large breeds, such as an Irish Wolfhound or a Great Dane, have a life expectancy of only 7 or 8 years and will shows signs of senility well before then.

Computing equipment also ages, at roughly the same rate as a very large dog. The consequence is that after five years or so of faithful service, most PC's really should be retired and replaced with an up-to-date model. "Green" issues apart, a new computer will normally be less likely to fail, more responsive, take up less space and make less noise than the one it replaces. To see this effect in action, just power up a ten-year-old PC. Watch how long it takes to load the operating system and listen to the deafening racket it makes. Next, put your hand round the back and feel the blast of hot air blowing out from the fans. Finally, marvel at the antiquated operating system - it is probably running Windows 2000, Windows 98/ME or even Windows 95.

The most obvious advance in the technology is with the monitor. Long gone are the bulky, curved-front CRT screens. Not only are modern TFT screens totally flat, they consume very little power, take up far less desk space and offer a much greater viewing area. A 21" CRT monitor is a massive beast which requires correct posture when lifting it, if personal injury is to be avoided. A 24" TFT monitor, on the other hand, is light enough to be carried comfortably under one arm by most people. It will also boast a higher resolution and a sharper image, allowing more windows to be visible on the desktop at one time.

Financially, therefore, IT equipment should be "written off" over no more than five years, although three years is generally recommended.

The Standard Rate Of VAT Is Being Increased To 20% From Tuesday 4 January Next Year

Sunday 18th July 2010

Make sure that you will be ready for this change

The retail grocery sector is unusual in that, Unlike most other market sectors, Standard Rate VAT is by no means universally applicable. For example, most food items are zero-rated, while certain products attract the concessionary rate which is currently set at 5%. Some transactions, such as PayPoint and National Lottery, are even "outside the scope" of VAT, although their effective VAT rate is zero. Quite a mess, really.

Every EPoS system must be able to apply the correct rate of VAT to every item. This is essential in order to calculate the profit margin correctly. For those retailers who use Scheme "F" for their VAT returns, where the output VAT is taken from the actual sales data obtained from the tills, it is also essential in order for the correct output VAT to be calculated.

It is suprising, then, that amending the VAT rate on some EPoS systems is a major undertaking, possibly even requiring the use of a CD sent out specially by the system's supplier. One of the hallmarks of a good EPoS system is that it is not difficult to make simple changes to such items as VAT rates. With the best systems, it is merely necessary to access the screen displaying the VAT table data and key in the new rates as may be required, then click the "Update now" button. The system will recalculate any changed margins and offer to create price changes where appropriate.

Although there is still plenty of time before 4 January 2011, this is a matter which should be investigated now. Once the busy Christmas period starts, it will be all too easy to forget about the VAT change. The result? You will be liable to lose money hand-over-fist on tobacco products, in particular, until you do remember to deal with it.

Cloud Computing Is All The Rage These Days

Sunday 11th July 2010

However, that does not mean that it must therefore be right for you!

"Cloud Computing" may look like a very attractive option. It undoubtedly offers a number of benefits. No need to purchase, house and maintain your own servers. No need to back them up, either. No need for secure VPN's if off-site staff need to access the corporate systems. Additional processing power and storage can be made available "on demand" - effectively, "Hire what you need, when you need it, then return it afterwards". This is perfect for those occasions when there is a sudden, short-duration peak in demand.

It is not without its drawbacks, of course. The most obvious one is that it is totally dependent on a reliable broadband Internet connection. If the broadband goes down, there is no access to the Cloud. At home, or for emails and general surfing, this is not usually too much of an issue. If the business is dependent on the Cloud, it is a very different matter. It is certainly possible to install multiple broadband lines with each using a different ISP and path into the building. Duplicate routers can provided, with suitably duplicated backup power supplies. These issues can readily be addressed, with suitable expenditure.

There are other, more intractable issues, however. What if the company who is providing the Cloud service were to fail? What would happen to your data and applications? Even worse, there are legal and security issues. Teh Data Protection Act is very strict about the physical location of certain data - with the Cloud, you may not know where you data is being stored. This is hardly likely to impress the Data Protection Registrar! As for security, how can you be sure that your corporate data is being kept safe from prying eyes unless you keep it locally yourself?

"Let the buyer beware" may be a very old aphorism, but it is very bit as true now as it always has been.

They Think It's All Over....

Sunday 4th July 2010

By now, football-haters will surely be hoping it is all over - for ever!

Whilst football is undoubtedly popular with both spectators and participants, there is a sizeable minority for whom it is almost as interesting as a Party Political Broadcast.

Remember that, strange though it may seem, people who dislike football are still people, just like everyone else. Quite rightly, we all condemn the better-known forms of discrimination, based on gender, race, creed or age. However, are you unintentionally discriminating against those who have absolutely no interest in the World Cup? It can be easy to forget that those people for whom wall-to-wall football is the closest thing they can imagine to "Hell on earth" still need to go shopping for groceries as usual. If a store is festooned with flags, bunting, photographs, football-themed promotional posters and the like, they will probably just grab the bare minimum of items as quickly as they can, pay and leave. All the high-profit lines will be ignored in the rush to get out of the door.

Hardly good for business!

It is all very well doing up your store like the ultimate England fan's bedroom, but a more restrained approach is generally far more successful. Football fans will still buy large quantities of lager and crisps, while the football-haters will not desert you in droves - possibly for ever.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Next >