a. Save time and reduce errors at the point of sale. The easy-to-grasp screens in Microsoft Retail Management System deliver fast, smooth, customizable results—with every item, price, and quantity in plain sight. Check stock items quickly at any of your retail locations or put items on back order from the point of sale. Speed up check-out lines by serving others while keeping a stalled transaction "on hold."

b. Set up and train employees quickly. Work with a Microsoft partner to get up and running within a few days. And many small retailers are amazed at how quickly their employees are trained on Microsoft Retail Management System. Whether you have one or a hundred checkout lanes, it's easy to implement.

c. Process payments fast. You can process payments, layaways, and work orders with ease. It's also straightforward to accept multiple tenders, credit cards, coupons, gift vouchers, foreign currencies, and government stamps. You can sell and track any product, service warranty or subscription—quickly.

Make Your Money Go Further

a. Reduce inventory costs. Maintain tight control over inventory—prevent waste, reduce shrinkage, get slow-moving items off the shelves—and save money in the process.

b. Save money on credit card transactions. Through a Microsoft agreement with Citi Merchant Services, Microsoft Retail Management System users can sign up with Citi and realize savings on card processing costs. Get details on Citi Merchant Services.

c. Manage staffing costs. Simplifying your employees' jobs makes staffing easier. You'll know when to cut back and when to staff up to accommodate the demands of your business.

Spend Your Time Wisely

a. Cut down on confusion. Point-of-sale functionality tracks your inventory closely and efficiently, so you'll make better decisions when ordering, buying, and pricing. Better inventory tracking means less on-the-job frustration.

b. Eliminate double-entry bookkeeping. By integrating credit card transaction processing into your business operations, you'll help reduce data entry at the point of sale. By integrating card transaction processing into your business operations, you'll reduce data entry at the point of sale. Reduce errors and streamline your bookkeeping and tax record-keeping. Connect to accounting software such as Microsoft Business Solutions products (including Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Plains and Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Manager), QuickBooks, Peachtree, and MYOB, to name a few.

c. Minimize hardware requirements. Microsoft Retail Management System can be installed on any Microsoft Windows operating system including Windows 98 and later versions, with the exception of Windows NT. Also, the solution works with many peripherals including existing printers, bar code readers, and magnetic strip readers.

Give Your Customers the Information They Want

a. Track customers' entire purchase histories. Impress your customers by providing information on their previous purchases and payments. Resolve disputes quickly and allow for partial payments. Use the information to suggest relevant up-sells, sale items, and volume discounts.

b. Target your mailings. Aim at your customers' special interests. Grant automatic discounts and differential pricing to specific customers. Use multimedia NetDisplay to remind customers who forget their "usual items."

c. Get current. Achieve more cash-in per customer. Align in-store traffic, catalog sales, and phone orders. Maximize cash-in from every "touch" and transaction—which helps you serve customers better and increase revenue.

Expand with Ease

a. Compete with the big guys. This retail solution gives you the kind of information tools that retail blockbusters use—customer purchase histories, electronic receipts, personalized marketing, and even business-to-business and e-commerce connectivity through third-party applications.

b. Grow with a trusted provider. As your business adds customers and products, you can store and manage unlimited amounts of data with Microsoft SQL Server. You can also keep the same software and systems as you expand into multiple stores and retail channels.

c. Extend the lifetime value of your business. If you want to stay around longer, or sell your business more easily, you have to keep up with the market. Knowing that your business is up-to-date gives peace of mind—something money can't buy.