The best of both worlds
“We want to give our customers the benefits of both worlds when it comes to EPOS. The speed & reliability of our SAP database system along with the flexibility that Cloud systems undoubtedly provide. So, we have produced a “hybrid” system where the customer’s data continues to be stored locally but where they can securely access the data from a standard browser.”
We are often asked why Opus Retail Manager is not completely cloud based. We agree, Cloud systems are ideal for certain markets. For example, a cafe with a relatively small number of products. Their requirements can be met with a simple tablet, receipt printer & drawer in conjunction with a Cloud system – all for a relatively low cost.
However, we believe that the more complex the retailer requirements are, the less suitable Cloud systems become.The basis of any Cloud system is the requirement of a connection to the internet. If the internet connection is lost for any reason, then the system must go into ‘local’ mode to allow the users to trade. Then it must revert to normal mode once the internet connection is available again. From our experience talking to customers who used to rely on cloud technology, these processes were “tedious, cumbersome, time-consuming and lacked a seamless user experience”.
Retail Manager takes the opposite approach; each Retail Manager POS is fully self-sufficient. If the internet connection is lost or even worst-case, a POS goes down for any reason, our sophisticated system can still operate. Although our POS systems work collaboratively without internet, they don’t rely on each other, thus allowing the retailers to continue trading without any issues. This is a vital capability for any retailer looking for the most efficient and effective EPOS system on the market. Sales data will continue to be be stored locally & transferred seamlessly to Back Office & then up to Head Office in a multi-location environment.
SAP Sybase database technology
Speed is also a critical factor in any EPOS system. Using SAP Sybase database technology we can provide an extremely fast database performance which is critical in a large & busy retail environment. From our experiences in dealing with customers who have used Cloud systems, speed has been a major issue in larger environment.. For example, a customer has 10 shops & 100,000 product lines, this means 1 million stock lines with potentially several million lines of sales history – do you want to rely on the internet connection? What if it drops out for just a second? What if the internet connection is slow that day? Are you prepared to provide a slow experience for your customer?
Bespoke software customizations
One of our major selling points is our bespoke software customizations at an affordable price for our customers. In our market we typically find that customers do not have the budget to invest in a bespoke system but nevertheless have their own “unique” requirements. While offer an “off the shelf” system, we also take pride in providing a solution for the customer rather than simply selling them a system. Over the years we have developed many add-ons for customers in the form of additional modules and interfaces. We believe we can provide much more flexibility in this regard than Cloud systems would ever be able to-(as we own all IP on the software). We want to give our customers the benefits of both worlds. The speed & reliability of our SAP database system along with the flexibility that Cloud systems undoubtedly provide. So, we have produced a “hybrid” system where the customer’s data continues to be stored locally but where they can securely access the data from a standard browser.
About Opus Retail Solutions
Opus Retail Solutions specialise in providing Retail, Wholesale, & Integrated e-Commerce Solutions through its Software suite Opus Retail Manager. The entire EPOS operation is managed from Opus’s Headquarters in Belfast, Northern Ireland, along with regional development and support offices in the UK. Opus has been developing software for over 30 years and was one of the first Windows based EPOS systems in 1997. Opus Retail Manager is hardware independent and we offer hardware depending on client requirements, policy or budget.
The key to Opus’s success lies with its ongoing investment in Research and Development and Training to keep our Software products and services and staff world class. Services range from specifying client requirements to providing custom modifications, system implementation, training with a special emphasis on after-sales support so our customers can get the most from their system. The Company invests c £100k pa in R&D to ensure it’s software remains world-class.
The entire Opus operation is managed from Opus’s Headquarters in Belfast, Northern Ireland, along with regional development and support offices in the UK and Russia. Opus has partners all over the world and currently ships the software in five languages. Please contact us if you would like to discuss a partnership.
Although our Retail Manager Software and services procedures have evolved over the years from DOS through Windows enabling us to stay ahead of the curve, our core objective is still to provide innovative, best in breed, easy to use and robust EPoS solutions, no matter what the industry, the size or the individual need.