Retail Business Hardware

There are as many types of point of sale hardware as there are stars in the sky, but believe it or not, they all fall into relatively few categories. Visual Retail Plus has the scalability and flexibility to work with a very wide array of what is available to the average business. On a basic level, we need to mimic the finer points of a cash register. On a deeper level, we also need to be able to provide you, the user, with all the features that made you choose VRP in the first place.

The Computer – Any standard professional computer would form the brain from which the software itself functions. Any computer you buy now has more than enough horsepower to run a store with a few registers. At a minimum, we’d prefer Microsoft Windows XP Professional, with 1 gigabyte of Memory, and a beefy hard drive to hold all your data. The ports the actual computer needs would be defined by its role. Will it be a register? Then one needs to consider what peripherals will be hooked up to it. Is it going to be a server? Then you definitely want more memory and storage space.
Example: Dell Optiplex 210

The Receipt Printer – No transaction is complete without a bill of sale. Visual Retail Plus supports many different types, including but not limited to: standard type, full-page, and half page, ledger, and QuickBooks format. Most prefer the 3x1/8” receipt tape, but the program remains flexible enough to use different formats to suit your needs. Thermal, laser or inkjet, any kind will do.
Example: Star TSP700

The Cash Drawer – (aka, the Till) No matter what form of business you have, someone always prefers cash. Cash drawers are pretty straightforward; they either pop automatically at the end of a sale, or you have to manually open it with a key. For the previous to work, you have to have one that is compatible with the brand of printer you are using for receipts. 
Example: MMF Heritage

The Barcode Scanner – The handheld barcode scanner is probably one of the most useful tools you can have in retail inventory management. Because of this, it is also the most produced. Scanners come in all shapes, sizes, colors and mounts. Any scanner that can transmit codes in a raw format can be used with VRP. 
Example: Metrologic Voyager.

The Touchscreen Monitor – What began as an optional item, is now an indispensable tool. Visual Retail Plus is designed with the touchscreen in mind. This monitor significantly and noticeably speeds up the check out process. Why waste time mousing around the screen, when with a few simple taps, you can be on to the next customer?
Example: Elo 1515L

Debit Pads – As credit card technology progresses, it is important to keep abreast of consumer needs and wants. Personal Credit Security is a major concern of the average customer. A self-service kiosk is just the answer. Having the ability to swipe their own card and enter their PIN, removes the chance of cashier fraud and brings a feeling of security to the end customer. 
Example: Ingenico 6550 

Barcode Printers – When using the manufacturers UPC Barcode is not an option, being able to design, customize and print your own barcodes is an integral part of the retail operation. VRP has the adaptability to print to most Windows based printers with its own integrated tag utility. Whether you go for printing in a single strip or doing a page at a time. Light duty, medium and heavy duty machines can print for the entire enterprise from a warehouse of reprint 1 damaged ticket locally at the store level.
Examples: Light Duty - Datamax E-4203
Med Duty - Datamax M-4208
Heavy Duty - Zebra 105SL 

Customer Displays – In many municipalities, the law insists on the customer being able to see the running additions and then the total sale amount displayed at the end of the sale. Even where not mandated by law, customers prefer to know what is going on. The software has the ability to not only display running descriptions and totals, but also to scroll a message when the register is idle. This can be accomplished by getting just about any generic 2 x 20 character serial interfaced pole or tabletop display.
Example: Logic Controls PD3000

Biometrics – There are times when password protection is just not enough. In order to offer the most secure time clocking, and sale logging information, VRP comes ready to employ biometric security for user login. While someone may not keep their password a secret, or a manager may give their password to a cashier, the thumbprint identification system keeps late employees from having someone else clock in, managers attending their stores properly and the right cashier being attached to the right sale. 
Example: Digital Persona Pro

The Possibilities Are Endless – The above list is just a sprinkling of the hardware you can integrate with the VRP software. There are countless items that can help bring your retail business to a new level of inventory control and ease of checkout.