Automation of a professional cosmetics store chain: nine years of accounting development
At the end of 2016, a business selling professional cosmetics and equipment was preparing to switch to a new accounting system. The owners needed several workplaces, transfer of nomenclature and counterparties, retail and wholesale prices, access rights distribution, and synchronization with their own online store. In 2017, five Torgsoft-Terminal workplaces were launched. Later, the configuration grew to 13 workplaces and 13 connected options. Since 2022, the accounting database has been running on a rented Torgsoft server.
The case was created based on real experience of many years of using Torgsoft. We preserved the logic of the business decisions without disclosing information about the customer.
How it all started
Before purchasing, the owners checked more than just cashier sales. During meetings, they reviewed product import from Excel, inventory, settlements with partners, invoiced sales, retail and wholesale prices, promotions, loyalty programs, and access rights. The online store developer was involved in the discussion of the online store, a test product file was created, and the data structure for synchronization was agreed.
For professional cosmetics, the nomenclature structure is especially important. One series may include dozens of shades, volumes, and package types, while files, brushes, cutters, disposable materials, and professional equipment are sold alongside cosmetics. During transfer, the code and manufacturer article number were kept separately, purchase, retail, and wholesale prices were loaded, and initial balances were checked by accounting centers.
Implementation timeline
Preparing the transition and data structure
During several working meetings, the owners checked product import from Excel, inventory, settlements, invoiced sales, loyalty, promotions, access rights, and synchronization with the online store. The composition of data for transferring products and counterparties was agreed separately.
Five workplaces, then seven
The launch began with five Torgsoft-Terminal workplaces. Synchronization with the online store, Payroll and staff motivation, and the Torgsoft mobile app were connected. Nomenclature and balances were loaded from XLS by accounting centers, retail and wholesale prices were transferred separately, roles, cash desks, and printing of receipts, labels, and badges were configured. In May, the configuration was expanded to seven workplaces.
Eleven workplaces and remote work
In February, the number of workplaces increased to eleven. In August, Torgsoft-Hybrid: sales without internet for a remote server and Cloud data archive | 1-year license were connected. At the same time, the chain continued configuring roles, printing, promotions, and inventory scenarios.
Thirteen workplaces, certificates, and bank statements
In July, Gift certificates were connected. In August, Bank statements | 1-year license were added, and the configuration was expanded to thirteen workplaces. At the end of the year, the mobile app was moved to the universal version.
Stock and loyalty rules
At one stage, Automatic stock replenishment calculation, Minimum and maximum stock levels by warehouses, Bonuses with a limited validity period, and Discount card verification via SMS | 1-year license were connected.
Software PRRO and rented server
At the beginning of the year, Software PRRO | 1-year license was connected. In October, the program and database were moved to a rented Torgsoft server, users and workplace connections were restored. The Torgsoft-Terminal configuration was reissued for thirteen workplaces.
Online order delivery
Nova Poshta integration | 1-year license was added to the configuration. It supplemented the connection between the online store and the accounting database with creation, printing, and tracking of waybills.
Configuring rules within the finished architecture
Current requests concern the appearance of the stock status form, the set of fields in the software PRRO receipt template, and cumulative discount rules. Server rental continues, and the system is supported in operating mode.
What led to success: six owner decisions
Six management decisions repeat in this story year after year: the owners first described a specific process, tested it on their own data, and only then expanded the configuration.
The transition started with the data structure
Before launch, they defined which fields were needed for products, prices, balances, and counterparties. For nomenclature, the code and manufacturer article number were preserved, and balances were checked after import for each accounting center.
The online store was included in the project before launch
The owners invited the website developer to a separate meeting, checked the product type tree, the data composition for export, and the remote customer order workflow.
Workplaces were added according to actual need
Five workplaces in January 2017, seven in May, eleven in 2018, thirteen in 2019. Each expansion corresponded to new users and work scenarios.
Roles and access rights were separated at the start
Access to forms, cash desks, and operations was separated for salespeople, product managers, the accountant, and other users. Later, rights were refined along with process changes.
Options were connected for specific operations
At the start, the website, payroll, and mobile access were needed. Later, remote sales, backups, certificates, stock rules, PRRO, and delivery were added. Requests regarding work scenarios were sent to support and development as separate tickets.
Remote work and backups were arranged separately
For work through a remote server, Torgsoft-Hybrid and cloud archive were added, and later the database was moved to a rented Torgsoft server.
Test your scenarios in the demo version
In the demo version, you can create your own product structure, add several series and shades, process receipt, sale, and inventory, check prices, user rights, and work with the website.
Business processes of a professional cosmetics store
Palettes, volumes, and article numbers
The product manager divides the assortment by types, manufacturers, article numbers, and characteristics. For series with many variants, the product model formation rule can be used: different shades or volumes are united by a common model ID, while the specific item keeps its own barcode and characteristics.
Receipt, labels, returns, and inventory
The product manager processes receipt or imports an invoice from Excel, prints labels for items without convenient factory labeling, and moves products between locations. Employees perform inventory manually, with a scanner, or with a data collection terminal. Customer returns and supplier returns are processed as separate documents according to user rights.
Purchasing, suppliers, and stock
The manager sees balances by accounting centers, sales, and product movement. Automatic stock replenishment calculation helps determine recommended levels, while Minimum and maximum stock levels by warehouses set limits separately for different locations. The product manager uses this data when creating a supplier order, and the accountant checks settlements by invoices.
Retail, wholesale, and invoiced sales
In this case, retail and wholesale prices, the “Trade with invoice issuing” mode, settlements with partners, and work with VIP customers were used in accounting. This scenario suits a store that sells individual products to retail customers and ships materials to beauty professionals or salons in larger batches.
Website, reserve, and delivery
Synchronization with the online store was included in the configuration before launch. An order from the website enters the manager’s work scenario, the product can be reserved for the customer, and an invoice and shipment can be processed. After Nova Poshta was connected, the waybill is created and tracked in Torgsoft.
Discounts, roles, and salesperson motivation
The administrator separates access to cash desks, prices, documents, and forms. The manager can check the use of discounts, user actions, and document changes. The Payroll and staff motivation option supports separate accrual rules, including bonuses for selling defined product types.
Support as part of the methodology
Transparent service accounting
After requests, the customer receives a report with the list of completed actions and time spent. This makes it possible to see consultations, settings, transfer, and technical work separately.
Support for working scenarios
Specialists helped with database transfer, initial balances, roles, printers, payroll, synchronization, inventory, PRRO, and server migration.
Scenarios become general updates
One of the inventory statement scenarios was improved in version 2018.2.0. After release, the change became available in the general program update.
Fine-tuning accounting for a professional cosmetics store
The structure starts with product type, manufacturer, article number, and characteristics. If a series has many variants, a product model formation rule can be configured in Torgsoft. Products of one model receive a common model ID, while the shade, color, volume, or another characteristic remains a feature of the specific variant. This is especially useful for the online store catalog.
In Torgsoft, you can maintain retail and wholesale prices and work through “Trade with invoice issuing”. The manager creates an invoice for a specific customer, controls payment and shipment, and settlements with partners are visible in the balance. VIP customers and individual discount rules can be used for regular professional buyers.
For ready-made kits, the basic functionality includes “Bundling” and “Bundle template”. The store can create a typical kit composition, for example a lamp, base, top coat, and several materials, and then assemble the kit from products in stock. If the store records equipment with individual serial numbers, the configuration can be supplemented with the Accounting for warranty goods by serial numbers option.
Torgsoft creates an inventory statement where the employee enters the actual quantity. Counting can be carried out manually, with a scanner, or with a data collection terminal, including Android devices. The manager compares the actual quantity with the accounting quantity and checks product movement before adjusting balances.
Synchronization with the online store transfers data between the accounting database and the website according to the configured scenario. The manager works with the order in Torgsoft, can reserve the product, issue an invoice, and process shipment. Nova Poshta integration | 1-year license adds creation, printing, and tracking of waybills.
The administrator configures roles and opens the necessary forms and operations for each employee. Access to cash desks, documents, and specific actions can be restricted by role. The “User action protocol” shows recorded events, and the “Document change log”, after enabling the corresponding parameter, records changes to receipts, sales, returns, and financial documents.
If recommendations from beauty professionals are a separate sales channel, the configuration can be supplemented with the Referral program option. A referrer card is created for the partner, the customer can be linked to a specific partner, and the program keeps records of sales and settlements for this channel.
Solution ecosystem
catalog, prices, balances, and online orders
accruals according to configured rules
mobile scenarios for working with data
remote cash desk work during connection interruptions
database backups
issuing and accounting of certificates
work with cash movement on accounts
calculation of recommended stock levels
stock limits separately by warehouses
rules for bonus validity period
confirmation of work with a discount card
fiscal receipts
creation and tracking of waybills
Who this professional cosmetics store automation is suitable for
This case is closest to businesses that combine a large assortment of similar items, several workplaces, retail and wholesale sales, and an online channel: stores of manicure and pedicure materials, professional hair cosmetics, eyebrow and eyelash products, hairdressing supplies, consumables for salons, and beauty schools.
For a professional equipment store, warranty accounting by serial numbers can be added to this configuration. For a business that receives sales through recommendations from beauty professionals and salons, the referral program is suitable. For starter kits and gift sets, basic product bundling can be used.
Automation of a professional cosmetics store for your processes
During consultation, you can review the assortment structure, retail and wholesale sales, number of workplaces, website, cash desks, stock, staff work, equipment, and select a configuration for the actual operations of the store.
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