Back in 2013,
Forbes
suggested that the iPad might be “the future of retail”. Has that turned out to be the case? For retailers trying to keep up with the breakneck pace of technological change, and especially larger businesses, it’s an important question to ask. Is a mobile POS option something that will help stave off the retail apocalypse? It certainly has created clear opportunities for smaller retail businesses hoping to find an edge. But is an
iPad POS

the right choice across the board for an enterprise retail business?
 In truth, part of surviving comes down to effectively answering those questions. For a larger business, it can be difficult to react quickly. Major decision making can seem like steering a supertanker. You need to think carefully about which way to turn, because you’ll be going that way for a while. If you choose poorly, changing your mind isn’t as easy as CTRL-Z.
 At Erply, we think that point of sale on a tablet is a great
enhancement
to a retail enterprise, but not necessarily a
replacement
. There are some good reasons to consider adopting it, and some very good reasons not to throw out your existing infrastructure just yet.

Traditional Windows-Based POS System

While some businesses, like Apple, are doing away with the traditional point of sale and with it the dedicated “cash wrap” location at the front of the store, there are a number of benefits to keeping that setup in play, at least for the time being. The most obvious of which is that it’s still a familiar idea to your customers. When you’re ready to buy, you go to the front of the store and look for the counter where an employee is standing, with the big screen, the cash drawer, the receipt printer, bags, and all the other familiar things that signal to the customer, “this is where I need to go.” A crowded store without a dedicated checkout and no clear process for who goes next? Think for a bit about how that’s going to work out.
 In addition to that, there are some other areas where the traditional setup can be an advantage:
You could also argue that a traditional setup has some maintenance advantages. If the display on your Windows POS malfunctions, you can swap in a new display pretty easily. If your tablet breaks, you’ve effectively lost the whole register.

iPad POS System

The advantages of an iPad POS -- or really anything based on a mobile device -- may seem like they’re focused on small businesses, but it’s not necessarily the case.
 Ipad Pos For Enterprise What You Need To Know blog post image
 
Erply’s POS works great on an iPad.

Ipad Pos For Enterprise What You Need To Know blog post image
 
Erply’s inventory management functions allow for easy stocktaking on an iPad.

The Enterprise Solution

The smart move for enterprise retail businesses seems to be something of a hybrid. Is an iPad POS a smart choice to provide a flexible response to the constantly changing retail landscape? Absolutely. Should you move away from all your existing POS infrastructure and double down on the mobile approach? No. Not yet, anyway.
 As it has always been, the real differentiator for an enterprise retail business is going to be “under the hood”, so to speak. All the cool gadgets and approaches won’t matter if you can’t effectively track the impact. Can the company in question integrate fully with your ERP software? Do they know how to roll out their software across your enterprise without major disruptions in service? Do they offer hosting at the level of security you require?
 Because if they can’t do all that, an iPad isn’t going to matter one way or another.