MapPOS is a map-oriented point-of-sale system. It's purpose is to reflect what is going on in store and present a more intuitive interface. Everything in store is visualized as a virtual object on-screen.
After being in retail for 10+ years, several features of point-of-sale systems bother me, one of which is design over function. Most of the Windows-based POS systems market to consumers via graphics. Though I have no qualms about this, it ties up development time from other features.
- Map-oriented. Reflect a stores floorplan without having to create a full 3D environment.
- Stable. POS systems should work like calculators with added rules. Crashing should be impossible.
- Helpful. Let employees do what they do best.
- Modular hardware and software.
- Can be expanded.
- Technicians can add or remove pieces freely.
- Can still run at base level.
There are certain features that I would love in a retail system.
- Stable core.
- Transactions lost on software crashes.
- Experimental features added as stable, main features.
- No alternative methods.
- UI forces user to adapt, instead of the UI adapting.
- Tough
- Able to handle heavy-duty use.
- Able to function without restarts.
- Able to function with missing equipment.
- Equipment management
- Detection.
- Notification about problems.
- Hotplugging.
- No restart update.
- User customizable.
- Per user.
- Customizations transfer to any POS.
- Predictive text.
- Reduce typing.
- Product knowledgebase.
- Product knowledgebase, including employee submitted information.
- Floormap/Planogram viewer/editor.
- Unknown UPC handling.
- Damaged barcode/UPC recovery.
- Fill in missing digit.
- Check digit calculator.
- Weight/price based UPC creator.
- Creates UPC from base and weight.
- 0-12345-00000 and 1.00 lb -> 0-12345-01000-5
- DevOps development.
- Add features operators want.
- Standardization.
- Customers are confused by Self-Serve Checkouts.
