Accountant 911

Shoppers choose stores based on a variety of factors, such as price, quality, location, product range, loyalty programs, reputation and reviews, the ability to pay online, etc. In addition, they pay attention to the availability of goods on the website, the matching of prices in offline and online stores or social networks, fast and polite service, and prompt delivery of goods.

The absence of such "little things" can ruin the reputation of the best retail business. Store management performance indicators show how entrepreneurs are able to establish high-quality and uninterrupted customer service. This is achieved, in particular, through automated management and accounting of goods.

Why automate your store?

Store automation helps to streamline the work with numerous goods, allows entrepreneurs to control their business from any location, give tasks to their employees, and analyze how the trade is going. 

Retail automation is the use of technology to improve and simplify business management. One of the tools is retail software that keeps warehouse, financial, and management records. 

Accounting systems help owners of stores, shopping centers, and warehouses:

• ensure the orderly and stable operation of retail chains;

• replace manual labor, reduce routine;

• Reduce the likelihood of errors in product accounting, sales, and settlements with suppliers and employees;

• improve the quality of in-store service so that customers receive goods quickly and without delay;

• streamline the process of supplying products to the warehouse and distributing them to points of sale, protecting the business from fraud and theft;

• create a system of staff motivation; 

• free up the manager's time for development and strategic tasks; 

• sell goods on various online platforms, increasing profitability;

• create an ecosystem of order in business management.

The program for store automation Torgsoft allows entrepreneurs to automate their work in a comprehensive manner: from production, purchase of goods to sales, analysis of trade and profit. 

The program's modes cover all aspects of retail and wholesale trade: merchandising, warehouse accounting, sales, work with customers, partners, employees, marketing, financial accounting, analytics, etc.

9 useful options of the program for store management

To achieve these goals, you first need to systematize internal business processes. The organizational structure of the store management consists of the following areas. 

№1. Control over the movement of goods

The main problems of the store owner are the outdated state of the warehouse, price discrepancies, manual movement of goods between outlets, and lengthy re-accounts.

A typical situation: the owner of a small retail electronics accessories store purchases the same product several times, believing that it is "in stock". In the end, the product turns out to be in excess and only takes up space in the store or warehouse. According to Torgsoft's estimates, such regular reorders can cost a business from 500 to 20,000 UAH. 

The accounting program controls all processes in trade and reflects the real state of affairs.

Another situation is that goods that are not recorded or entered manually into the notebook may be in short supply at the most inopportune time. This is especially critical on the eve of holiday sales, when demand for popular products increases. In the case of an online store, a discrepancy between the status of goods in the warehouse and on the website can alienate customers and damage the store's reputation. 

The accounting system shows you how many products are in stock, which products are running out, and what needs to be ordered quickly from the supplier. In the program, you can prohibit ordering irrelevant items or all goods from a supplier with whom you no longer cooperate. 

The Torgsoft accounting program allows you to:

• Create and modify goods receipt invoices.

• Customize product categories: enter the name, quantity, price, article, photo, color, manufacturers, and other characteristics.

• Add barcode for product.

• Import goods from Excel files.

• Post goods in foreign currency, etc. 

You can re-account the goods at a convenient time — you don't have to close the store.

№2. Financial management

How much money is on the balance sheet? How much money is at the owner's disposal? How much money should be spent on business maintenance every month? How much do you need to pay employees? How much did the store or retail chain earn in total?

It often happens that an entrepreneur does not have precise answers to one or all of these questions, and financial management is completely intuitive.

Let's say you sell postcards and receive an order for 5000 UAH. Of this amount, you need to allocate 1000 UAH for the development of the layout, 1500 for the production of the cards, and 500 for the designer's bonus. You have earned 2000 UAH. However, you did not take into account the costs of advertising, rent, shipping, and the courier who delivered the postcards.

If you keep computerized records of expenses and income, such situations will not arise. You don't need to be in the store to manage your finances: you can monitor the process from your smartphone. 

Software for the Torgsoft store: 

• shows the amount of revenue for the period, 

• forecasts profit, taking into account business and marketing expenses: purchases of goods, furniture, equipment, utilities, taxes, rent, etc.

• calculate different salary options for salespeople, 

• prevent possible losses,

• accepts cash and non-cash payments,

• records mutual settlements with suppliers,

• track the turnover of funds at all cash desks for a day, month, or any other period. 

Torgsoft has convenient functionality for accounting for cash transactions, tools for analyzing the company's financial activities. 

№3. Optimization and scaling of business processes 

The functionality of the Torgsoft program implements almost any idea of an entrepreneur — from management decisions and accounting to business development and reaching a new level of profit.

To manage a store, you have to use dozens of third-party services: search for goods in Excel, check orders in your Prom and Rozetka accounts, record customer contacts in CRM, log in to your Nova Poshta account to send parcels, sell fiscal goods through the tax app "prrosto", send reminders about the arrival of new goods in Viber. However, this is not always convenient, especially when there are a lot of orders and counterparties. 

All these functions are combined in Torgsoft. An entrepreneur can do everything from one program:

• keep records of the warehouse,

• trading on marketplaces,

• to make out the postsilks,

• synchronize data with online stores, Prom, Rozetka, business services such as Nova Poshta, Viber, Monobank, Privat24, Google Drive, MEDoc, Ukrposhta, Art-Zvit, Binotel, Goodtop, Turbosms, AlfaSMS, etc,

• record customer contacts, sales stages, specific conditions, and discounts in the CRM system,

• sell fiscal goods through cash registers: generate electronic receipts and submit reports to the tax authorities,

• manage your business remotely via a mobile application,

• accept various payment methods by connecting a bank terminal,

• automate document flow — sending contracts, invoices, and commercial offers; connecting Binotel IP telephony,

• send mass mailings, etc.

For example, during the period of power outages and communication interruptions, many Torgsoft customers let their salespeople go and managed online commerce offline by installing the Torgsoft Hybrid license on a laptop. Entrepreneurs kept records and sold goods, printed fiscal receipts, and viewed goods in the warehouse. And after the connection was restored, the data at the point of sale was synchronized with the main database on the server. 

№4. Employee management

You can manage two or three employees manually. But when there are more of them, it's hard to keep track of who is sick, who took time off for family reasons, who was late. Later, you need to take into account payment for missed days, shortened shifts, and don't forget to calculate sick leave and vacation pay.

The program keeps a time sheet, registers the arrival of employees to work, takes into account overtime, overtime, allowances, and hourly pay.

Torgsoft will also help with motivating salespeople: it will set a sales plan, calculate a percentage of the goods sold, link sales of specific goods to the salesperson, and take into account the work of each salesperson or team.

№5. Protection against fraud

Employee theft and fraud are detrimental to any business. Common abuses include selling goods past the cash register, misappropriating discounts and bonuses, substituting goods, and not issuing a check.

Sellers often resort to illegal fraud due to poor accounting. 

Many of them resist automation because they know that the program will expose their violations and thus make them think twice before stealing.

A typical example of automating the management of an online store: a customer orders a protective helmet at full price in a bicycle shop with pickup and cash payment, the seller applies a regular customer discount to the order, and pockets the difference in price. The issue concerns not only internal fraud, but also the legality of sales if the store does not issue fiscal receipts. 

The program for a retail store records all the actions of the seller. They will not be able to fail to issue a check, apply a discount to another customer, or simply take money from the cash register for a while.

In Torgsoft, you can give employees different access rights to the accounting system, depending on their position. They can be restricted from using certain modes, for example, controlling settlements with counterparties, basic financial reports, etc. 

№6. Attracting and retaining customers

Entrepreneurs invest a lot of money in the design of physical stores or showrooms, product displays, hiring and training employees to "please" the customer. This is important, but it is not enough. Among two similar stores, a customer chooses the one with faster service, cheaper goods, and attractive conditions, such as regular discounts or a nice bonus program.

For example, client Olena is loyal to one brand of underwear, she occasionally places an order in the store, but receives nothing in return — the owners are confident that their product alone is enough to maintain demand. And one day a new competitor appears, who also has good quality underwear, but for each purchase, the user receives gratitude for the purchase. It can be a discount on the next order or a small item added to the parcel. Elena decides to order goods from the new store because it also wishes her a happy birthday. 

Automation in the store reduces the time spent at the checkout and makes the purchase comfortable and safe for the customer. In addition, the program for a retail store helps to systematize the process of attracting new customers: it sets the terms of promotions and loyalty programs, introduces sales through discount and bonus cards, gift certificates, etc. 

№7. Analysis of trading results

Not all business owners are able to predict trends and anticipate customer demand: to deliver what customers will buy in time. Without analytics, an entrepreneur can be mistaken about which products sell well.

Analyzing information on trade results will help you draw conclusions about what sells best, track seasonality, and ensure that goods are available in the warehouse.

The 5 reports from Torgsoft for Business that entrepreneurs use most will often help you do this:

✓ ABC XYZ analysis,

✓ Commodity report for the period,

✓ analysis of sales by type of product,

✓ analysis of customer purchases,

✓ analysis of sales intensity.

For example, a bookstore owner is sure that children's literature is the most popular product, and if you analyze sales, it becomes clear that cookbooks bring in more profit.

№8. Business systematization

A business where everything is based on the owner's enthusiasm cannot be called systemic. When an entrepreneur is afraid to delegate and does not trust employees, he is forced to do everything himself. The work often ends after midnight, the routine is repeated every day and dampens the entrepreneurial spirit.

The program's goal is to take the entrepreneur out of the endless decision-making process, to enable them to rely on numbers rather than the words of employees, and to delegate business processes without fear.

If the owner of an online store wants to go on vacation, he or she needs to make sure that customers are served as well as if he or she was actively involved. The program allows you to remotely control invoicing, payments from customers, compliance with the deadlines for sending parcels, and communication between managers and customers.

№9. Managing different business scales

Torgsoft is a universal system for accounting for goods, adapted to the needs of both a small store and an entire retail chain. The company offers licenses for different types of businesses: Start — for a small store, Ultra — for a store with many cash registers and online stores, Terminal — for automating a retail chain. In addition, you can use the program for free for a month to familiarize yourself with it and set it up.

The program for store management is a multitasking and versatile assistant to the entrepreneur. She does not need to be paid a salary, she does not have a headache and does not go on maternity leave. This is your permanent employee who accurately performs the tasks and helps you make the right management decisions for business development.