BSP Product Focus: Microsoft Retail Management System

In May of 2002, Microsoft announced that it will offer an integrated retail point-of-sale (POS) solution for small to medium-sized retail businesses via its acquisition of Sales Management Systems Inc. Microsoft Business Solutions now offers a comprehensive business solution that integrates the QuickSell series of POS and Retail Management applications with its Great Plains financial applications, bringing a sophisticated yet easy-to-use and cost-effective offering to small and medium-sized retail businesses. This combined solution can grow with the business, taking full advantage of current and future Microsoft technologies such as .NET and the Microsoft XML Web-services platform.

The MIcrosoft Retail Management System (MRMS) offers retail-proven Windows-based POS solutions that include the following:

QuickSell 2000
Designed to serve single-location stores, QuickSell 2000 can manage nearly every type of inventory, including specialty hard goods, soft goods, grocery, services and high-volume, fast-paced convenience stores. It combines the best POS features, retail management tools, and Windows ease-of-use in one complete, ready-to-run software package. Built for the most demanding of retail needs, it enhances the efficiency at the point-of-sale, while providing important data for inventory management and purchasing.

Unlike cash registers, QuickSell 2000 offers breakthrough features that make it dramatically easier to set up, manage, and process sales transactions for virtually all types of retail businesses. Beyond basic inventory control features, its advanced capabilities promote optimum inventory levels, control costs, and set pricing.

MRMS Store Operations
Designed to work in fast-paced, high-volume, multi-store environments, Store Operations further expands the retail power at the POS and in the back office. In physical stores, phone sales, and Web transactions, Store Operations totally integrates and simplifies multi-channel retailing through all-new connectivity power.

Store Operations tames any stock, inventory, and sales method -- including services, layaways, subscriptions, work orders and back orders. In one or a hundred checkout lanes, Store Operations' easy-to-grasp screens deliver faster, smoother sales. Cashiers make fewer mistakes. Lines move faster. Store Operations tracks, manages and speeds up every aspect of retail management -- sales, inventory control, discounts, mailings, pricing, purchasing, receivables, reporting and suppliers.

MRMS Headquarters
Microsoft Retail Management System (MRMS) Headquarters (HQ) is specially designed to manage multiple retail stores. It delivers enterprise-wide and store-specific visibility and control. HQ exchanges data and management directives with store-level MRMS Store Operations installations and provides full control over prices, purchasing and inventory -- chain-wide, by region or store.

HQ enables the effective management of an entire chain from the head office. It uploads stores' inventory movement, financial transactions and sales data, then organizes that information into a comprehensive all-knowing database at the head office. Then, HQ downloads management directives to any mix of stores. Selected items can be put on sale at specific stores or across the enterprise.