Exercise no: 5 EPoS

1.1 Introduction

Self-contained, computerized equipment that performs all tasks of a store checkout counter.
It allows payments by bank or credit cards, verifies transactions, provides sales
reports, coordinates inventory data, and performs several other services normally provided
by employees.
An electronic method of retail checkout. Usually self-contained. The system involved is
typically capable of all tasks of a store checkout counter: payments by bank or credit cards,
transactions verification, sales reporting, inventory data updates. It also facilitates customer
service and inventory availability.
A computerized system for recording sales in retail shops, using a laser scanner at the cash til
l to read bar codes onthe packages of the items sold.
For maximum efficiency and lower margins, companies need to keep the minimum amount
of stock, but also ensure products can always be available and delivered to the customer quickly.
EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) helps you to process your most popular products from
warehouse to point of sale in the shortest time.

Types of EPOS

The electronic point-of-sale terminal is the newest form of computer technology being
introduced into the retail industry. Industry interest in the terminal is focused on its potentially
great advantages for retailers in improving their productivity and performance in merchandise
control and credit customer control. The electronic point-of-sale terminal's appeal over the
standard cash register lies in its potential for impacting the total merchandise system through
increasing the speed and accuracy of transactions and providing a method of capturing greater
quantities of data essential to the effective management of the merchandise system.

M.Dineshkumar
III B.com (pa)
12bco518

Page 1

Exercise no: 5 EPoS

At the check-out counter, the terminal equipped with an automatic reading device and credit
verification equipment will permit the rapid completion of the sales transaction and, at the same
time, capture and enter into the central system all the data necessary for closer, more effective
control of the merchandise system.

Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) Communication Protocols

There are several communication protocols used by Point of Sale Systems to control its attached
peripherals. And due to the inter-connectivity nature of Point of Sale Systems, most POS
peripherals, such as touch-screen displays and printers support several command protocols in
order to work with various different brands of Point of Sale (POS) Terminals and Computers.
Electronic Point of Sale in the Restaurant Industry
Point of Sale Systems has truly revolutionized the restaurant industry. It is most evident in fast
food franchises. The chains make use of systems that generally use TCP/IP to network all of
their POS Stations into a centralized mainframe server. Most of the POS Systems being used
these days are made up of a touch screen display, which helps speed up the whole order-taking
process. The accuracy of these systems has helped decrease the time take to serve and increase
the efficiency of the order process.
Electronic Point of Sale Hardware Interface Standardization
Many initiatives to standardize development of computerized Point of Sale Systems have been
made to alleviate inter-connecting POS devices. Two of such initiatives are OPOS and JavaPOS,
both conforming to the UnifiedPOS standard, which is a standard led by The National Retail
Foundation.

M.Dineshkumar
III B.com (pa)
12bco518

Page 2

Exercise no: 5 EPoS

OPOS, short for OLE for Point of Sale, was the first commonly adopted standard and was
initiated by Microsoft, NCR Corporation, Epson and Fujitsu-ICL. OPOS is a COM-based
interface compatible with all "COM-enabled" programming languages for Microsoft Windows.
With its first release in 1996, it is now offered in many Point of Sale Systems.
Electronic Point of Sale (POS) Technology
The term Point of Sale is often used in connection or relative with the hardware and software for
checkouts. In the case of some locations, with wireless capable systems or network wired via
TCP/IP.
Point of Sale Systems made huge advancements from the mechanical cash registers of the first
half of the 20th century. An example of such type of registers was the NCR models, operated by
a crank, and the lever-operated Burroughs registers. These registers recorded data on paper tapes
or journal tapes and required extra steps to transcribe the information into the retailer's
accounting platform. The obvious next step in evolution of the POS was to convert the
mechanical workings into electrical. An example of such type of register was the NCR Class 5
model. In 1973, new registers that were operated by computers were introduced, such as the IBM
3653 Store System and the NCR 2150. The other computer-based manufacturers were Rigitel,
TRW, and Data checked. That same year brought about the introduction of the UPC/EAN
barcode readers that integrated with Point of Sale Systems. And in 1986, the Point of Sale
Systems became based on PC (Personal Computer) technology with the introduction of the IBM
4683.

M.Dineshkumar
III B.com (pa)
12bco518

Page 3