When your charity first invested in its EPOS system, it is likely that a lot of thought went into selecting the right solution.

You probably compared providers, reviewed functionality and made sure the system would meet the needs of your charity retail operation at the time.

Once installed, your team received training, processes were established and everyone got used to it.

However, a number of years may have subsequently passed.

Some staff and volunteers have moved on, others have joined your team and responsibility for using your EPOS system now falls to people who were not involved in its initial adoption. Your charity’s needs have likely changed too.

This can create a number of common challenges…

How could this impact your charity EPOS system?

 

There’s a phenomenon that can affect almost any organisation using technology over a prolonged period – it’s called knowledge drift.

Put simply, knowledge about how a system works is gradually lost as people leave, responsibilities change and training becomes less comprehensive.

It is particularly relevant to charity retail.

An EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) solution is critical technology which helps record stock, process customer transactions and manage operations. Within charity retail it also acts as a vital income generator though wider functionality for Gift Aid, lottery, loyalty, round up, online marketplaces and more.

A charity retail team often includes permanent employees, part-time staff and volunteers who change over time.

Imagine a charity shop manager who received comprehensive EPOS training when the system was first introduced. When a new colleague joins, they show them how to use the system to process transactions, record donations and complete the daily reconciliation.

That colleague eventually trains someone else, passing on what they’ve learnt.

And, so the process continues.

However, with each handover, a little knowledge can disappear. Features that aren’t used every day might not be mentioned, important processes are forgotten or neglected. New functionality introduced by the software provider might go unnoticed and insufficient work arounds become the norm.

Before long, the charity is only using a fraction of what its EPOS system can deliver.

‘We’ve always done it this way’ starts to becomes a problem!

 

One of the biggest challenges with knowledge drift is that it rarely causes an obvious problem overnight.

Instead, inefficiencies gradually become part of normal working practices.

Perhaps charity shop managers begin compiling sales figures and reports that could be generated automatically. Poor stock management processes lead to overstocking, over-paying and lower margins or Gift Aid goes unclaimed due to oversight and weak practice.

Different shops within a charity’s chain may have developed their own ways of managing stock, processing donations, completing administrative tasks or producing reports.

Individually, these might seem relatively minor issues. Collectively, they can slowly begin to have quite a dramatic effect.

For the Head of Retail of a charity, this can mean inconsistent processes, incorrect data, unpredictable sales, missed opportunities and difficulty determining which shops are performing.

Frustratingly, the technology needed to address these challenges has typically been available within your EPOS system all along!

Your charity has changed. Has your EPOS usage?

 

Charity retail has been a massive growth area in the UK economy and the requirements of any charity retail operation rarely stand still.

Your charity may have opened new shops, introduced different processes or changed the way you manage staff and volunteers.

Perhaps reporting requirements have become more demanding or there’s greater pressure to improve retail performance and maximise income.

Your existing EPOS system may have been developed and enhanced – but the way you use it hasn’t.

When charities invest in a new EPOS system, initial training is understandably a priority. However, formal training often gradually gives way to informal knowledge sharing between colleagues.

There’s nothing wrong with experienced staff helping new starters. The difficulty comes when this becomes the only form of training provided. Without structured guidance, it’s easy for inconsistencies to develop and valuable functionality to be overlooked.

The danger isn’t necessarily that your EPOS system has become outdated – it’s that your knowledge of what it can do has!

To resolve this:

        
Ongoing training should ideally remain as important as the support when an EPOS system is first installed

        
New colleagues should have access to clear,consistent information rather than relying on what their predecessor knows

        
Existing teams should have opportunities to refresh their knowledge and discover features they might not be using

        
As new functionality becomes available, charities should be helped to understand what it does and how it could benefit their operation.

Sadly, regardless of the sector, many EPOS providers don’t supply their customers with the ongoing support to achieve this.  

However, as the people behind ChariotWeb – the UK’s leading EPOS system specifically for charity retail – these are all areas we help our customers benefit from…

How does Nisyst help charities get more from ChariotWeb?

 

At Nisyst, we believe that providing effective charity retail EPOS technology is about much more than simply installing the system and providing initial training.

Our ChariotWeb system benefits from an active programme of upgrades and enhancements, reflecting the changing requirements of charity retailers.

However, new functionality is only worthwhile if customers know how to use it.

That’s why ongoing training and customer engagement are central to our approach.

We provide:

• • 
    Bite-sized training modules: ChariotWeb customers have access to practical training modules. These help new colleagues learn the system and existing users refresh their knowledge.

    
    Proactive account management: Our account management team regularly contacts customers to discuss developments, explain new functionality and identify where it could benefit them.

    
    Regular webinars: Our frequent webinars help customers stay informed about improvements, explore existing features and how to make the best use of ChariotWeb to achieve their retail objectives.

    
    Customer user groups: Our user groups give charities an opportunity to share experiences, discuss challenges and help shape future developments of ChariotWeb around their needs.

Together, these activities help customers retain knowledge, keep pace with developments, optimise their retail income and continue getting the maximum value from ChariotWeb.

Is your charity getting everything it could from its EPOS system?

 

If you’re responsible for a charity’s retail operation, it’s perhaps worth asking yourself a few questions:

            Do your teams really understand what your EPOS system can do?

            When did you last review how you’re using the software?

            Do new colleagues receive structured training?

           Are all your shops using the system consistently?

           Does your EPOS provider proactively help you take advantage of improvements?

If you’re unsure – or answered no to any of them – it might be time for a conversation with Nisyst!

Choosing the right EPOS provider isn’t just about what happens when the system is installed. It’s about receiving ongoing support to get the best results.

At Nisyst, that’s what we deliver through ChariotWeb.

If you’d like to explore whether your charity could be getting more from its EPOS system, get in touch with our team.

We’d be happy to discuss your retail challenges and explain how ChariotWeb and our ongoing customer support can help you meet them.

Contact us here https://charityretailsystems.co.uk/contact/