In straightforward words, when software or service works over the internet, it is called cloud computing. So, a cloud-based possoftware is one that operates on cloud servers through the internet and can be accessed via a web browser. It performs the same functions as a regular management system with one additional feature – the ability to access it anywhere and at any time. A server-based software needs no software installation on a device, and it updates itself automatically.The flexibility of use makes cloud POS system one of the most outstanding improvements in the retail sector. In the coming years, every retailer worth their salt will be switching from conventional software to a cloud-based one. Here, two fields, in particular, are discussed – supermarkets and medical and how they can leverage the services of this innovation.What is a Supermarket?Before diving into the reasons why a supermarket needs robust billing software, a basic understanding of the term is necessary. Any grocery store that is massive in size and offers a complete range of household goods and foods is a supermarket. It generally has the following features:• Products are organised efficiently into aisles and shelves for easier shopping.• A precise inventory of all items is maintained so that over-stocking or understocking doesn’t occur.It is the second feature that makes it essential for big grocery stores to install a software that tracks their inventory. Without an inventory system, two scenarios can arise. The first is a loss of sales because a fast-moving good was not stocked to the required level. The second is a loss of earnings because units of a slow-moving commodity are lying on the shelves. A third scenario is also possible where products that have a very small shelf-life expire before they are purchased.The end line is that supermarket businesses require accurate stock data to prevent loss of sales and increase profit. The amalgamation of extensive inventory, which includes perishable merchandise, and high-volume sales need proper stock keeping. It is why even the smallest grocery store have put to use a basic point of sales software. For bigger stores, payroll, POS and inventory software that also has customer relationship management application is indispensable.The value of sales software is apparent by now. POS terminals are virtually mandatory for supermarkets, but when they are cloud-based, they become even more beneficial. Let’s look into why grocers should capitalize on cloud-hosted systems.The Many Conveniences of Super Market SoftwareA supermarket software that runs on a cloud offers 3 benefits to a manager which make them worth every penny.• A Software as a Service (SaaS) applications makes the store more efficient. It allows the manager to schedule employee shifts, vendor drops and stocking processes from anywhere. The owner of a supermarket need not be in the store to create these agendas because the system can be accessed from anywhere.• Another plus of SaaS-based inventory software is tracking freshness of goods. Instead of going on to the floor and checking each item manually, an employee can access the system from anywhere and track the date of delivery. This information can help pinpoint all merchandise that needs to be discounted so that they sell before going bad and which foods to be removed from the shelf.• The last leverage that POS systems offer is organisation. The software can be employed in innumerable ways to transform supermarket operations into efficient and seamless ones. Some examples are accounts payable, CRM, scheduling and billing.Need of Management Software in Medical SectorThe one field that sees constant innovation is medicine. As the era changes, medical equipment, drugs, and other paraphernalia are evolving. This continuous alteration means that pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics need to keep up with technology. It also implies investing in brand-new systems that aid the field is crucial.For example, a medical shop starts stocking a new pain-killer. Since it is a new stock, chances are employees are not going to remember all details of the drug. So, how do they inform the customer of it? It is here retail POS software for pharmacies step in. The software can be used to access all information on the drug with a click of the button. Ultimately, the application supports in providing better service to the patron.The Advantages of Medical Shop SoftwareA more in-depth look into the benefits of retail pharmacy software will assist how medical stores can leverage it.• Be it a cloud-based software or a terminal-installed application; both offer a better experience. Let’s say a patient arrives for a prescription refill to a pharmacy. On arrival, the patient realises that the actual prescription paper has been left at home. A cloud-based medical software can be used, at this point, to access all patient information including the prescription. As a result, the patient leaves the store with a refilled medicine instead of empty-handed.• The other advantage of medical software is billing. Instead of using pen and paper to tally the total, the customised system does it automatically. As a consequence, the transaction is faster which leaves the customer happy and the floor space of the pharmacies free for new patrons.The Take AwayA POS management system is a must have for any retail store. For supermarkets and medical shops, it is even more vital. Picking either a traditional software or a cloud-based software will ensure that the business is running ahead of the competition.

What are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime? So asked my 9 year old grandson.

As I thought of the question the local Green Grocer came to mind. Because that is what the greatest change in shopping in my lifetime is.

That was the first place to start with the question of what are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime.

Our local green grocer was the most important change in shopping in my lifetime. Beside him was our butcher, a hairdresser and a chemist.

Looking back, we were well catered for as we had quite a few in our suburb. And yes, the greatest changes in shopping in my lifetime were with the small family owned businesses.

Entertainment While Shopping Has Changed
Buying butter was an entertainment in itself.
My sister and I often had to go to a favourite family grocer close by. We were always polite as we asked for a pound or two of butter and other small items.

Out came a big block of wet butter wrapped in grease-proof paper. Brought from the back of the shop, placed on a huge counter top and included two grooved pates.

That was a big change in our shopping in my lifetime… you don’t come across butter bashing nowadays.

Our old friendly Mr. Mahon with the moustache, would cut a square of butter. Lift it to another piece of greaseproof paper with his pates. On it went to the weighing scales, a bit sliced off or added here and there.

Our old grocer would then bash it with gusto, turning it over and over. Upside down and sideways it went, so that it had grooves from the pates, splashes going everywhere, including our faces.

My sister and I thought this was great fun and it always cracked us up. We loved it, as we loved Mahon’s, on the corner, our very favourite grocery shop.

Grocery Shopping
Further afield, we often had to go to another of my mother’s favourite, not so local, green grocer’s. Mr. McKessie, ( spelt phonetically) would take our list, gather the groceries and put them all in a big cardboard box.

And because we were good customers he always delivered them to our house free of charge. But he wasn’t nearly as much fun as old Mr. Mahon. Even so, he was a nice man.

All Things Fresh
So there were very many common services such as home deliveries like:

• Farm eggs

• Fresh vegetables

• Cow’s milk

• Freshly baked bread

• Coal for our open fires

Delivery Services
A man used to come to our house a couple of times a week with farm fresh eggs.

Another used to come every day with fresh vegetables, although my father loved growing his own.

Our milk, topped with beautiful cream, was delivered to our doorstep every single morning.

Unbelievably, come think of it now, our bread came to us in a huge van driven by our “bread-man” named Jerry who became a family friend.

My parents always invited Jerry and his wife to their parties, and there were many during the summer months. Kids and adults all thoroughly enjoyed these times. Alcohol was never included, my parents were teetotallers. Lemonade was a treat, with home made sandwiches and cakes.

The coal-man was another who delivered bags of coal for our open fires. I can still see his sooty face under his tweed cap but I can’t remember his name. We knew them all by name but most of them escape me now.

Mr. Higgins, a service man from the Hoover Company always came to our house to replace our old vacuum cleaner with an updated model.

Our insurance company even sent a man to collect the weekly premium.

People then only paid for their shopping with cash. This in itself has been a huge change in shopping in my lifetime.

In some department stores there was a system whereby the money from the cash registers was transported in a small cylinder on a moving wire track to the central office.

Some Of The Bigger Changes
Some of the bigger changes in shopping were the opening of supermarkets.

• Supermarkets replaced many individual smaller grocery shops. Cash and bank cheques have given way to credit and key cards.

• Internet shopping… the latest trend, but in many minds, doing more harm, to book shops.

• Not many written shopping lists, because mobile phones have taken over.

On a more optimistic note, I hear that book shops are popular again after a decline.

Personal Service Has Most Definitely Changed
So, no one really has to leave home, to purchase almost anything, technology makes it so easy to do online.
And we have a much bigger range of products now, to choose from, and credit cards have given us the greatest ease of payment.

We have longer shopping hours, and weekend shopping. But we have lost the personal service that we oldies had taken for granted and also appreciated.

Because of their frenetic lifestyles, I have heard people say they find shopping very stressful, that is grocery shopping. I’m sure it is when you have to dash home and cook dinner after a days work. I often think there has to be a better, less stressful way.

My mother had the best of both worlds, in the services she had at her disposal. With a full time job looking after 9 people, 7 children plus her and my dad, she was very lucky. Lucky too that she did not have 2 jobs.