AccuPOS Retail Management Guide

This guide was written for Version 9 of AccuPOS Retail Management. If you are running an earlier version of AccuPOS, you will notice slight variations on the user interface.

Registration and Company Information: (top)

One of the first steps, if not the first step, is to register the software. After installing the software, registering is very easy:

Go to Setup -> Company Information (Figure 1-1). The Company Information window appears.

Figure 1-1

Hit the Register button (Figure 1-2). The Register window appears.

Figure 1-2

Fill in the fields as they apply to your company. A valid serial number is needed in order to register. Leave the registration number field blank. Also, the Purchased from and Interface fields are not required to be filled in.
After filling in the fields, click Register Online (Figure 1-3). You will be prompted to double check what was filled in the fields. Click yes to continue.

Figure 1-3

Once it registers, you will get a window that says Company Information has been updated.

When the software is registered for the first time, you will be given a temporary registration that lasts 120 days. When the time is getting near the expiration of the temporary registration, you will be given a message that the system registration will expire soon and will be asked to get a permanent registration. Click yes and you will be taken to the registration window. Remove the registration number and click Register Online. After the company information is updated, you will receive the permanent registration.

Create / Update Training DB: (top)

New with AccuPOS 2008 is the ability to run the Point of Sale in training mode. This will allow you to ring in sales in real time without affecting the accounting information. This training database can be access at any time from the Point of Sale by hitting control-alt-shift-t. AccuPOS Management should be closed when running in training mode at the Point of Sale. Before training mode can be used, the training database must be created inside AccuPOS Retail Management:

Go to File -> Create/Update Training DB. (Figure 2-1)

Figure 2-1

You will receive a popup menu telling you that the training database has been created successfully. (Figure 2-2)

Figure 2-2

Now, at the Point of Sale, use control-alt-shift-T to enter training mode and also to exit training mode once you’re done using it.

Backup / Restore Database: (top)

AccuPOS Retail Management allows the backing up of the database to ensure data recovery in case of an emergency when the real database is lost (hard drive crash for example). You may backup the database as often as you prefer and can back it up to any location on the local network. AccuPOS does NOT, however, back itself up automatically. To backup the database:

Go to File -> Backup/Restore Database (Figure 3-1). The AccuPOS Backup / Restore window appears.

Figure 3-1

Before clicking Backup, you may tell the system to remind you backup after a certain amount of days. (Figure 3-2)

Figure 3-2

Click Backup. (Figure 3-3). You will then be prompted to place the backup to the desired location on the network or local computer and hit Select.

Figure 3-3

After the Backup is completed, you will have a popup. Click OK and the AccuPOS Backup/Restore window closes automatically.

Once a backup is created, it can be restored at a later date. This is extremely useful if the AccuPOS database is lost or accidentally deleted. To restore a backup copy of the database:

Go to File -> Backup/Restore Database. The AccuPOS Backup / Restore window appears.
Click on Restore. You will then be prompted to select the backup to be restored by navigating through the local computer or network. Hit select when the correct backup is found.
After the Restore is completed, you will have a popup. Click OK and the AccuPOS Backup/Restore window closes automatically.

NOTE: Restoring a database overwrites the database currently set inside Management. There is no way to reverse this.

System Settings: (top)

There are two ways to access the system settings, which allow you to set the correct database path as well as printer and cash drawer options (only if the Management program is installed on a Point of Sale machine). To access these settings:

Go to System-> Settings (Figure 4-1) or click on the Settings button (Figure 4-2). The AccuPOS Settings window will appear.

Figure 4-1

Figure 4-2

From here, the main things that a Management-only computer should be concerned with are the Database path and the Configure Integrator option (Figure 4-3). To edit either one, simply click on the appropriate button.

Figure 4-3

For more information on settings these paths and how to get the network configured correctly, please refer to the AccuPOS Network Setup Guide.

Importing Inventory / Customers: (top)

Before sales can be performed at the Point of Sale, the inventory list from your accounting software must be imported into AccuPOS. This allows the selling of items from the Point of Sale. It is also an easier way to set up On Screen Key buttons as well as Choice menu buttons. Before you can import inventory, an inventory list must have been created in your accounting software. For more information on creating items, please refer to your specific accounting software Inventory Setup Guide (Peachtree, QuickBooks). Also, before you import inventory, the AccuLINK adapter must be opened and pointed at the correct company file in the accounting software and the accounting software must be opened (QuickBooks being the only exception to the rule of being opened). For more information on setting up the AccuLINK Adapter, please refer to your specific accounting Initial Setup Guide (Peachtree, QuickBooks). To import inventory:

Go to File -> Import Inventory from Accounting. (Figure 5-1)

Figure 5-1

The AccuPOS Integrator will make a call for accounting and then disappear.
The Adapter will take see the request and query the accounting software for the inventory.
The Adapter will then export the items to AccuPOS Management.
Once the items are exported, the AccuPOS Integrator will update the items as needed. (Figure 5-2)

Figure 5-2

Importing customers into AccuPOS is very similar to importing inventory. Customer, too, must be set up inside the accounting software to be imported, although new customer may be added to the Point of Sale later on. For more information on adding customers or attaching customers to transactions, please refer to the Customer Tracking Guide. To import customers:

Go to File -> Import Customers from Accounting. (Figure 5-3)

Figure 5-3

The AccuPOS Integrator will make a call for accounting and then disappear.
The Adapter will take see the request and query the accounting software for the customers.
The Adapter will then export the customers to AccuPOS Management.
Once the customers are exported, the AccuPOS Integrator will update the customers as needed.

Clearing Inventory / Customers: (top)

Sometimes, it is necessary to clear the inventory list or the customer list from AccuPOS Management. This could be due to items no longer being sold at the Point of Sale or a customer who is no longer in the system. If an item in your accounting software, which has previously been imported into AccuPOS, has the ITEM CODE or SKU edited or deleted, the inventory inside AccuPOS MUST be cleared and reimported to ensure accuracy between the item list inside the accounting and the item list inside AccuPOS. This rule applies to customers as well: if a customer code in the accounting software is edited or deleted, the customers inside AccuPOS MUST be cleared and reimported as well. For completely new customers or inventory items, the lists do not need to be cleared inside AccuPOS. Before either items or customers can be cleared, there must be no open sales in AccuPOS. All tills must be reset. To clear inventory or customers:

Go to File -> Clear Inventory File / Clear Customer Files (Figure 6-1)

Figure 6-1

A warning will be displayed asking for confirmation. Click Yes.
Another message will be displayed after the list is cleared.

Now that the list is cleared, you must reimport the new list from accounting using the steps outlined in the previous section.

Clearing Sales Files: (top)

Just like the inventory list and the customer list, all sales files may also be cleared from AccuPOS. This may be desirable because the AccuPOS database has become too large or perhaps there is no longer a need to keep certain sales information any longer. Every till that had ever been reset still remains in the AccuPOS database to be viewed at a later date if needed. This information can be removed from the database. AccuPOS can not give a specific time to clear sales information. Some customers may want to keep the entire years worth of sales data inside the database to be viewed later, while some customers may only want to keep the past two months. The more information that is kept in the database, however, the larger the database can become. The larger the database, the longer it can take to access it since the file is so large. A database size of 25MB is considered small. A database size of 100MB is considered dangerous and open to corruption because of the sheer volume of information inside. Eventually, there is a threshold where AccuPOS forces you to clear sales information.

Note that clearing sales information is a long process, especially if a large amount of sales information is being removed. While purging sales information, no tills can be opened. AccuPOS recommends purging sales data over night to ensure that nothing interferes with the purging. To clear sales information:

Go to File -> Clear Sales Files (Figure 7-1). The Purge Sales Data window appears.

Figure 7-1

Select a date and time to purge up to. (Figure 7-2)

Figure 7-2

Hit Purge. (Figure 7-3)

Figure 7-3

The system will begin removing all sales data up to the date and time chosen. Note, again, that purging a large volume of information may take several hours. After purging all the files, a compacting of the database should be performed. To compact the database:

Go to File -> Compact and Repair Database. (Figure 7-4)

Figure 7-4

You will receive a message window when the compact has been completed successfully and a backup of the database will be created in the same directory where the database is located. (Figure 7-5)

Figure 7-5

Cash Tills: (top)

By default, AccuPOS has two tills installed: 100 and 200. There is no limit to the number of tills that can be created but the number of licenses purchased puts a limit on the number of tills that can be opened at any one time. If you’re unsure of how many licenses you have, click on Help -> About apmanage. A window will pop up listing the current version and number of users allowed.

Cash tills, by default, are set to have a starting cash of $0. The starting cash setting works with the z-out process when entering the ending cash for the till. This is used to determine if the till at the end of the shift is over or under. If there is an overage or shortage of money in the till, AccuPOS will still transfer over the correct amount to the accounting software and the difference in the deposit has to be manually adjusted inside the accounting software. To give a till a starting cash amount:

1. Go to Setup -> Cash Tills (Figure 8-1). The Add/Change Cash Tills window appears.

Figure 8-1

2. Using the drop down arrow, select the till you wish to give a starting cash amount. (Figure 8-2)

Figure 8-2

3. Enter the starting cash value in the starting cash field (Figure 8-3).

Figure 8-3

4. Hit Update when finished (Figure 8-4). A prompt will appear saying the till has been updated

Figure 8-4

Typically, most tills always start with the same amount of cash every day. Therefore, once starting cash is set for a till, it will remain as the starting cash until changed or removed.

Adding new tills is a simple process. Again, there is no limit to the number of tills that can be created, only the number of tills that can be opened at any one time. To add a new till:

Go to Setup -> Cash Tills. The Add/Change Cash Tills window appears.
Enter the name of the new till to be added in the Cash Till Code field. (Figure 8-5)

Figure 8-5

Set the starting cash amount. (Figure 8-6)

Figure 8-6

Click Add (Figure 8-7). A prompt will appear saying that the new till has been added.

Figure 8-7

Tills can be deleted just as easily as they can be added. Even if a till is deleted, the past sales information can still be viewed and even resent to the accounting software. To delete a till:

Go to Setup -> Cash Tills. The Add/Change Cash Tills window appears.
Using the drop-down, select the till to be deleted. (Figure 8-8)

Figure 8-8

Click Remove (Figure 8-9). You will be asked to confirm the removal.

Figure 8-9

Click Exit when you’re finished.

X Reports (sales thus far): (top)

This report is designed to give you a snapshot view of the sales that have been collected on a certain till and sequence at the moment in time that you hit the X button. This can be pressed at any point during the sales day, as many times as you like, even if the till is open. To perform an X report from AccuPOS Management:

1. Select the X button. (Figure 9-1)

Figure 9-1

2. Using the drop-down arrow, select the desired till. (Figure 9-2)

Figure 9-2

3. Hit Read. (Figure 9-3)

Figure 9-3

After hitting read, the report is generated. You may choose to print out this report, or simply close the window after viewing the report. In this report you can view the cash that should be in the till, the sales for the day so far and the amount of time that the till has been open.

Z Report (end of shift/day): (top)

This report is designed to end the day and stop taking sales on a particular till. To perform a Z report from AccuPOS Management, you must first have no open transactions for the till to be reset and the till must be logged out. From there:

Click the Z button (Figure 10-1). The Reset Cash Tills Totals window appears.

Figure 10-1

Using the drop-down arrow, select the cash till to be reset. (Figure 10-2)

Figure 10-2

Determine the total cash in the drawer, including the initial starting cash, and enter that figure in the Ending Cash field. (Figure 10-3)

Figure 10-3

Click Reset. (Figure 10-4)

Figure 10-4

If you take checks as well as cash, the ending cash would be the combination of those two tendering totals. After hitting reset, a report is generated (Figure 10-5). This Till is now reset and all sales numbers will be back to zero. For more information on resetting the tills, please refer to your specific Accounting End of Shift/Day guide (Peachtree, QuickBooks).

Add/Change Items: (top)

You can view your item list from AccuPOS Management whenever you want. Once the items have been imported, they can be viewed anytime by going to Setup -> Items (inventory) -> Add/Change Items. Looking at the Add/Change Items window, many settings can be set up or changed, such as setting sales prices for a limited time or setting operator messages that are displayed at the Point of Sale.

Setting a Sales Price for an Item(s): (top)

Every store has sales once in a while. For a permanent price change on an item, the price should be changed in the accounting software but for temporary sales price changes, sales prices can be configured inside AccuPOS. Sales prices can be configured two different ways: a general percentage discount on an item (15% off), or a quantity discount on an item (two for $3). To set a sales price for an item:

While in Add/Change Items, select the item from the list on the left side of the window and click Item Sales Price (Figure 11-1). The Add new sales price window appears.

Figure 11-1

By default, the box next to On the Item is checked (Figure 11-2). This means that the sales price will only affect that one item. Uncheck the box to apply the sales price to all items of that item’s TYPE. For more information on setting item TYPEs, please refer to your specific accounting inventory setup (Peachtree, QuickBooks).

Figure 11-2

Choose a start and end date period (Figure 11-3). The correct format would be 01/01/2008 for January 1^st, 2008. A time is not required although it can be set after the date as well.

Figure 11-3

If a percentage discount is being set, enter the Discount % field (Figure 11-4). Hit OK to exit the Add new sales price window when finished.

Figure 11-4

If a quantity discount is being set, first click Switch to Quantity Discount button (Figure 11-5).

Figure 11-5

Enter the selected quantity and price for that quantity (Figure 11-6). Hit OK to exit the Add new sales price window.

Figure 11-6

If the box next to the On the Item is unchecked, the price will affect all items of that type. Say for example that there is to be a special for buying 2 Pepsi 1 Liters for $5 but the special is to cover all Pepsi 1 Liter products, such as Diet and regular Pepsi. By creating a sales quantity discount for the entire type, assuming all items share the same type, this discount can be configured inside AccuPOS.

Add-on Items at the Point of Sale: (top)

Add-on Items can be configured at the Point of Sale so that whenever a certain item is rung in, an additional item is automatically attached to the transaction. For example, an environmental deposit is required whenever a certain bottled beverage is sold at the Point of Sale. Rather than having the cashier ring in the bottled beverage and then remember to ring in the deposit fee, AccuPOS can ring in the deposit fee automatically whenever that particular bottled beverage is rung in. To set up Add on items;

While in Add/Change Items, select the item from the list on the left side of the window and click Edit Follow Ons (Figure 12-1). The Add\Change Follow On Items window appears.

Figure 12-1

Select whether this follow on rule applies to just the one item selected or all items that share the type with the item selected. (Figure 12-2)

Figure 12-2

Click Add Item (Figure 12-3). Your item list will appear. Scroll through the list and select the follow on item. Hit OK. You will be returned to the Add/Change Follow On Items window.

Figure 12-3

Click Update to continue the addition of the follow on item. (Figure 12-4)

Figure 12-4

Click Exit when finished.

You can have more than one follow on item attached to any item. You may also remove a follow on item rule by selecting the follow on item from the list of current follow on items and click Remove.

*For more information on item TYPEs, please refer to the specific accounting Inventory Setup guide (Peachtree, QuickBooks).

**NOTE: You must be running at least the GOLD Version to access Add-on Items at the Point of Sale

Operator Messages: (top)