In one shop you see everything yourself. Across branches you depend on records: what each branch sold, held, ordered and banked.
The wrong software means retyping data, chasing reports and hearing about problems weeks late. This guide gives you a way to compare options and the questions to ask before you sign.
Start with your own situation
Write one page that says:
- How many branches, tills and cashiers you have now, and in two years.
- What you sell: barcoded goods, weighed items, items that expire, items sold by length or volume.
- How customers pay: cash, card, mobile money, credit accounts.
- Who must see what: owner, branch managers, accountant, buyer.
- What goes wrong today: missing stock, cashier discounts, late reports, cash that does not match.
- How often the internet or power fails at each branch.
Judge every option against this page, not against a list of features.
Twelve things to check
1. Stock for each branch, with transfers
Each branch needs its own stock and its own reorder levels. A transfer should have a “sent” step and a “received” step, so goods cannot vanish between shops.
Ask: can I see every branch’s stock in one view? Can I see why a quantity changed?
2. Selling offline
A till that stops when the internet stops costs you sales. Ask what works offline and what does not. Ask what happens to the sales when the connection returns.
A good answer says a sale sent twice is counted once. Rejected sales go to a list a person can check. It also admits the limits: opening or closing a till, mobile-money prompts and credit checks usually need a connection. More in selling offline.
3. Permissions by role and branch
A cashier should not see costs or other branches. A branch manager sees their branch. The owner sees everything.
Ask if access can be limited by branch, by company and by action: discount, void, refund, price change.
4. Controls on risky actions
Voids, refunds, discounts and price changes need reasons and limits. Ask if reasons are required. Ask if a manager must approve above a limit. Ask if the person who creates something can also approve it. See spotting cashier voids and discount abuse.
5. Payments and matching
If you take mobile money, bank transfers or cards, ask how the payment reference reaches the sale. Ask if statements can be matched automatically. Without the reference on the sale, you match by hand every day.
6. Credit sales
For trade customers you need credit limits, invoices, statements, overdue lists and reminders. Ask if the limit is enforced at the till, and if raising it needs approval.
7. Buying and suppliers
Look for orders, goods received, supplier bills and price history. Ask if the system checks a bill against the order and the delivery. Ask if you can see when a supplier raises a price.
8. Accounting
Does each sale, return, purchase and payment post to the books by itself? Is there a record of who did what, and can you lock a closed month? Or is accounting a separate package you must feed?
Either can work. Know which one you are buying. Ask what your accountant receives, and in what format.
9. Reports that answer your questions
Ask to see these with real data:
- Sales by branch, cashier and product.
- Stock by branch.
- Margins.
- Takings against payments received.
- Stock that went missing.
- Money customers owe.
Check that a branch manager can open only their own.
10. Records that cannot be changed
Can posted records be edited? In a trustworthy system they cannot. Corrections show up as visible reversals. There should be a log of who did what that nobody can alter.
11. Your data, and your exit
Can you export everything in standard formats? Can other tools connect with access you can limit and withdraw? What happens to your data if you leave?
12. Security and privacy
Ask how businesses are kept apart and how passwords are protected. Ask if two-step sign-in is available and can be required. Ask how customer and staff data is handled.
Be wary of vague answers. Ask what has been tested by an independent party, and check any claim of certification.
Questions to ask every vendor
- Show me a day when the internet is down at a branch. What can my cashiers do?
- Show me how a branch manager sees only their branch.
- Show me a void. Where is the reason, and who approved it?
- How will I find out stock is going missing?
- How do mobile-money payments get matched to sales?
- What does the second, third and tenth branch cost? What is not included?
- What can I import, and can an import be undone?
- Who can see my data on your side, and is that logged?
- What does it not do today? A good vendor answers plainly.
Run a pilot, not a demo
A demo shows the easy path. A pilot shows your real days. Pick one branch and load a real product list. Run it for three to four weeks that include a month-end and a stock count.
Test these on purpose:
- A sale with no internet.
- A return and a void, each with a reason.
- A transfer between two branches.
- A stock count with a difference.
- A day close compared with the money received.
Write down what annoyed your staff. Cashiers find the problems in an hour.
Add up the real cost
Count subscription fees per branch or user, hardware, payment fees, set-up, moving your data, training, and add-ons for features you need.
Cheap software that needs a second accounting package and daily hand matching is not cheap.
Where Ziira fits
Ziira is built for retail and distribution. It has a web till that sells offline, stock for each branch with transfers, roles limited by branch, reasons and approvals on risky actions, and books that post themselves.
If you would rather keep your current till, Ziira Intelligence on your existing system reads its exports and checks the business each day.
Choose the option that fits your one page, survives a bad day at your weakest branch, and shows you what is happening without anyone building a report.