BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
It’s an inescapable fact that retail is a different animal to that of ten years ago. Far from the days of stock checking in tattered notepads, the front line now has a plethora of digital tools to keep tabs on everything from supplier stock to staff days off.
Evopos has been working within the electronic point of sale business for near 30 years, focusing largely on the motorcycle and cycle retail businesses – two markets with similar needs when it comes to managing sales and repairs.
MD at Evopos Denis Bullen explains that technology advances in the past few years have signalled some of the most drastic and exciting changes to managing a business at point of sale for many years, as well as heralding a new age of online retail.
“There’s never been a better time to get your business online, if you aren’t already. The real benefit with our web store module is that it’s really easy to edit and maintain yourself, key for newcomers to web sales,” said Bullen. “This means no expensive technical support costs every time you need to update the site. The whole process can be learned extremely fast due to the systems great ease of use. It’s brilliant for increasing sales with no real cost.”
Workshop logs are managed by the firm’s ‘Organiser’ module, effectively a workshop diary that allows the user to view all bookings, prior completed jobs, creating a service history profile for each and every customer.
With mobile technology now providing most of the luxuries associated with a desktop computer, Evopos has developed a platform which allows a store owner to use their smart phone or tablet device to create sales orders, find and contact anyone on their database, or view detailed sales reports from anywhere on the planet.
Among the fans of Evopos software for use in cycling retail is Compton Cycles owner Chris Compton. He told BikeBiz of his experiences using the software to date.
“When we were given the opportunity to upgrade our Epos to the new Windows operating system three years ago I felt confident that the team at Evopos would make the transition as smooth as possible. It was installed and we were back up and running on the same day. We now have the facility to identify our most profitable sales lines our best customers, our workshop profitability, our fastest and slowest moving lines in moments.”
As a guideline cost, dealers can be set up with management software from £35 per month, or £100 if a web store is included in the package. Prices do vary from store to store, however, so for a quote, contact Evopos on 01202 875996.
EVOPOS IN 60 SECONDS
What module additions or upgrades are in the pipeline?
Currently we can offer a free e-commerce site with every Evopos system. We also offer a low cost alternative for £75.00.
Many companies have web sites and e-commerce sites that do not link to their POS systems. We have an E-Link module that allows most sites to integrate seamlessly with the Evopos stock systems, which we intend to expand so anyone with any bespoke or off the shelf web site can link with the main Evopos system.
What aspects of the Evopos program are particularly well suited to cycle retail?
The workshop module is particularly useful, especially being able to log individual engineers on and off jobs as necessary – It makes the whole process more efficient and managed.
How can Evopos accommodate the workshop and hire businesses out there?
Evopos has specialist modules designed for both jobs.
What are the costs associated with taking on Evopos and what hardware or software is included?
Specific costs will vary depending on the often unique needs of the dealer. A single system can cost as little as £35 month, complete with the service contract, though.
There is no extra charge for annual support, which is normally quite expensive.
What back up is in place should a dealer experience technical problems?
We offer a full service contract with every system a dealer subscribes to at no extra cost. This includes telephone and remote log in as necessary. This service sorts out 99 per cent of all problems.
Will you be present at any trade exhibitions this year?
We will be present at the Core Bike show next year.
