POS integration is an important part of your company’s strategy because it provides specific benefits such as increasing sales in many locations simultaneously, having real-time inventory updates, eliminating manual data entry, and so on. However, not everyone knows these advantages and how to find the best POS integration solution for their company.
Let’s get started on this blog by defining the six most common eCommerce POS integration challenges and risks. Afterward, learn how to avoid and mitigate them.
Top Six Common E-commerce POS Integration Challenge and Risks
1. Not Understanding Requirements
The first issue is a lack of understanding of the requirements, leading to various risks for businesses. The requirements of each function will provide you with a distinct perspective, and you will be sure of what you need to do during the integration process. When you don’t understand the requirement, you’ll completely misunderstand the functionality that the customer requires; customers and you will probably think about the same feature in two different ways. Consider these following functions and their requirements when integrating your POS system with an eCommerce site:
Inventory management
Inventory management requirements include:
- A simple interface that does not necessitate advanced training, support, or documentation.
- Automation for the elimination of manual processes in inventory management.
- A dependable, secured database that provides up-to-date information in real-time.
- Inventory monitoring and control that is quick and actionable.
- Software modules with minimal configuration to make the system scalable.
- Integrations of software and automated features reduce the need for manual inventory updates or inputs.
Hardware requirements
POS hardware in retail stores today looks as cutting-edge as any advanced software. It has come a long way from cash registers, receipt printers, and stunning cloud-based POS that can work on various software interfaces. You will need a contactless card reader because your customers may wish to pay using Apple Pay or another contactless card method.
You should start implementing your POS system with payment processors. It acts as a third party between your customer’s credit or debit card and your business card to process transactions, allowing customers to purchase your products. The transaction will be completed if there are sufficient funds on the customer’s card and the card is valid. All of this happens in a second and ensures accuracy and security. The integration helps make it easier for customers to pay using various payment methods and gateways, leading to a positive customer experience.
Customer management
The customer journey does not end with the purchase. You should inquire about what you should do if a customer wishes to return an order placed online in a physical store, and vice versa. Understand how your POS system interacts with your customer management by paying attention to the following features:
- Customer profiles
- Mobile device payments
- Customer service
- BOPIS or curbside delivery
That does not imply that all of the functions listed above must be integrated. You need to identify the requirements for integration for specific functions. For example, if you want to integrate inventory management and customer management functionality, focus on its requirements before integrating. By remaining focused, you can avoid wasting money and time.
2. Lack of In-house Developments
Online purchasing is developing rapidly, and a growing number of technologies and services are being released to meet a wide range of needs. However, organizations are finding it is increasingly challenging to find skilled development teams to maintain an eCommerce site and POS system. It is also prohibitively expensive for small and medium-sized businesses to hire expert developers.
This is due to the fact that eCommerce POS integration is still a new concept for many developers and is not widely used. Not everyone in your team will be familiar with cloud technologies. As a result, your staff will need to be trained to use the eCommerce POS system effectively on their own. It is costly, putting a strain on organizations with limited resources. They will be required to pay for the instructor to ensure that the integration performs as expected.
3. Outdated and Legacy Systems
As a primary tool for sales and other operational factors, a POS is a must-have. When you have an outdated and legacy POS system, integrating the POS system and the eCommerce site will be less than ideal, and errors may occur because your integration requires something that your outdated or legacy system does not provide.
When was the last time your point-of-sale (POS) system was upgraded? POS Technology has developed so much over the last few years and changes every 4 to 7 years; if your POS system has a useful life that exceeds this limit, your technology is likely outdated and incompatible with many current features.
Here are some indicators that it’s time to upgrade your POS system:
- Software is Slow, Buggy, and Complex: The process takes longer than it should, so you have to wait for a long time, the platform freezes or blinks out every time you issue a gift receipt, sometimes you have to restart and reboot, and so on.
- Outdated Hardware: The vast majority of software is no longer compatible with your hardware.
- Outdated Features: Some updated features, such as eCommerce features (online stores, online ordering), social media integrations, mobile, real-time reporting, customer loyalty programs, and email marketing campaigns, are not available.
- Outdated Payment Processing: You provide a limited number of payment options for customers, despite the fact that the way they pay for things is changing. When they shop, more people expect to pay with e-wallets (such as ApplePay, SamsungPay, PayPal, and others), but your system does not support NFC payments.
Perhaps your outdated and legacy POS System is adequate for your company’s needs and continues to function properly. You’ll never know how much better technology has become until you update to a new one from an industry leader on the cutting edge.
Upgrading your POS system now provides a much easier and more consistent path to success. It is now time to move on.
4. Data Quality
Measuring data quality is critical for businesses that make decisions based on historical and real-time data. The truth is revealed by high-quality data. It should be precise, comprehensive, consistent, timely, and unique. So it’s one of the challenges for your business to keep data qualified.
Data transfer between your online and brick-and-mortar stores occurs when your POS and online store work together. If an error occurs, the data and information between the two systems aren’t updated in real-time, which has a negative impact on your business. If you are running an online flash sale campaign, you may be overselling.
5. Cost Overruns
Cost overruns are the most concerning risk for eCommerce POS integration. When calculating the cost of integrating your POS, do some research to see if there are any additional fees for features and benefits to avoid exceeding your budget.
For example, you want to integrate your POS system with your restaurant’s eCommerce site. In addition to software and hardware costs, you need to pay a third-party add-on and integration service fee ( the price may be around more than $1,000). Please carefully calculate the costs to avoid any extra fees.
6. Lack of Multichannel Management
Lastly, the challenge for the eCommerce integration POS system is the lack of multichannel management.
Customers’ shopping habits have become increasingly diverse and complex. They purchase through a variety of channels. Multi-channel e-commerce management entails executing a marketing strategy based on all distribution channels at the same time across multiple touchpoints such as online sales platforms, marketplaces, mobile apps, stores, and so on.
Before considering integration, you must first develop a unified multi-channel management strategy. At that time, the integration will make an important contribution to your management strategy. Otherwise, your integration strategy will perform poorly.
Why You Need an Integration Solution Now
There are numerous POS systems available today for your online store. If you have a Lightspeed POS system, you should ponder on integrating it with e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and others.
As previously discussed, you may face many risks and challenges while integrating your POS system. Lightspeed Shopify Integration by Beehexa will assist you in avoiding or minimizing these problems.
Lightspeed POS system is well known for its user-friendly interface and a wide range of functions to support every business industry. Lightspeed Shopify integration allows you to easily track sales, manage inventory, and transfer customer data between the two channels.
Using HexaSync, you can easily connect your Lightspeed POS system to your Shopify eCommerce platform. They provide fully integrated Point of Sale solutions with an e-store so merchants and businesses can use all of Lightspeed Integration’s tools and resources to complete business tasks. It can handle any type of data, including the product category, stock, order, customer, employee, invoice, and so on.
Beehexa is a company with ten years of experience in the integration field. Thus, when using HexaSync, it is not worth worrying about the challenges and risks mentioned above. Beehexa will handle development-related tasks, allowing your company to focus on effectiveness and revenue while saving money by reducing dev resources.
Final Words
As a result, it is critical to be aware of any issues in your organization. It will help you plan for dealing with those challenges without surprises. You can put your fears to rest by contacting Beehexa to learn more about a solution that poses no risk or danger.