PoS software: Mac OS?

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patrickcheatham

patrickcheatham

Grumbler
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Feb 6, 2012
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Bay Area, California
Hi folks:

I'm researching which point-of-sale software to use in my new picture framing op (a single storefront gallery + workshop, at first). I picture (!) sales being priced and sold via actual pencil & paper, then being brought to PoS for the actual transaction... I'd prefer to be Mac-based, and realize my choices slim down dramatically because of that.

Inventory tracking is a plus, while being Cloud-based is not necessarily so. Gallery software which doesn't handle picture framing specific things I've already lined through. Talking to computerized mat cutters, etc, isn't necessary, but maybe a nice future option.

I have read through a few posts here at The Grumble, but thought I would ask for some personal guidance -- what are your thoughts, what is your experience? Any pitfalls (or vendors) I should avoid?

The comparison guide at http://www.getthepictureframing.com/gfaq/software.htm has been helpful, but I'm unsure how up to date it is.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to being a question-answerer as well as asker in the future. :-)

Patrick
 
That list is old and not very suitable for OSX.

Gazelle Light is freeware with almost 5 stars.

Merchant Wisdom costs $299.99 but can handle creditcards as well.

Lightspeed is a complete multiuser application but expensive. Costs $1597.00

MacBusiness POS also works with barcodes and costs $499.00 but they only posted the demo. Investigate developers site.

POS-IM is also for scanning etc. but price is on demand.

PayGo is a Cloud-POS solution and costs $49.00 per month.

For IOS (iPad) I only found Cashy POS Lite in the Appstore for free. But this app only handles financial handling.
 
That list is old and not very suitable for OSX.
Click to expand...

Actually, the list isn't old at all. It was most recently updated just three days ago, Peter. (I added Wessex, a product from the UK) The last revised date is right on top. The list includes all known OSX products, which are appropriate for the industry.

The original poster asked about point of sale software customized for a picture framing operation, to eliminate having to do frame pricing manually. I believe the products you suggested are for misc general sales, but not specifically for the framing industry. Framing POS systems understand the framing business and calculate the costs of jobs, generate framing workorders for the back room(with part #s and measurements), generate invoices/receipts/quotes for the customer (without part #s), track current vendor price changes, schedule out your workorders, etc.

FrameReady is a fine and capable product for the Apple Mac platform. If doing it on a PC, it would be wise also to check out demos from SpecialtySoft, Wizard IF, EZ Framer, FrameReady, and LifeSaver. If outside the USA, the options will vary. (due to availability of vendors, metric vs imperial, and tax calculation methods) I put some country flags in the comparison list, to recommend which products are supported in each country.

Welcome to the Picture Framer's Grumble. There are some other recent threads that list benefits of using such a system, that you may want to check out.

Best regards and happy searching!
Mike
 
Peter Odems said:
I see software dates for OS-9 on that list.
Click to expand...

Please explain. I can't find any references to OS-9 on the list.

If something is out of date for one of the items, I'd very much like to fix it. Vendors periodically contact me with changes to their products.

Best regards,
Mike
 
I investigated the list...... No native software for OSX. In fact Windows software that can run on a Mac after installing Windows by using Parallels or VM-Ware.

My short list contains native OSX software.
 
The framing products that say "MAC" are assuming OSX (FrameReady, etc)

It doesn't get into the specifics of which version to use.

Mike
 
You have asked for Mac POS, and said that you were gonna hand write and import to the POS.

I would advise against that :) I did that using QuickBooks for years before getting LifeSaver, and I feel that because the software (QB) wasn't a framing program that I lost money on each and every sale.

I would say if you are gonna go with a POS and not a framing POS that I would really push you toward QuickBooks Pro.

Pros
  • Does inventory.
  • can list customers by name
  • does accounting
  • does sales tax figuring
  • any accountant worth their salt wants your yearly data in QB format.
  • any accountant can help set you up and get you running
  • "tech support" is everywhere, QB tech is great on line and on the phone and any acountant should be familiar and available to help
Cons
  • not framing specific
  • have to use moulding slide rules to calculate prices.
QuickBooks Pro is the way to go for a POS that isn't a framing POS. It does your accounting and has great charts it can print out to show you how great, bad business is going....
 
Peter & Mike:

Thanks for the quick responses...

"Lightspeed" was at the top of my list for Mac-based PoS softwares, regardless of being picture-framing specific. It is a bit pricey.

So far, FrameReady seems to be the most fully featured desktop app for Mac -- I may go ahead and trial it. I'm not against a dual-boot scenario (or using Parallels or similar), if that means I'd have a better solution.

Peter, I'll peek at the links you suggest; Mike, I'll try a better search of the forums here & do some reading. :-)

If anyone has real-world experience using FrameReady on the Mac I'd be curious to hear!

Thanks,

Patrick
 
As far as I know, FrameReady is the only full-featured POS software specifically for framing that runs on Mac OSX. I just got it myself and am in the process of learning/setup. I have a very personal way of working with customers and writing up designs, so my plan is to do my usual routine on plain white 8.5 x 11 paper, with my funky sketches, etc. and then put that in the printer and print my work order on the other side (or print separately and staple together, but that would use twice the paper), but letting the software do the pricing. The big advantage of this is that you keep the prices up to date by downloading the vendor updates from FrameReady.
:cool: Rick

BTW, the people at FrameReady (SoftTouch Solutions) are very friendly and helpful.
 
We use frameready and we love it. We write up work orders by hand as well -- then input them in to the computer. Frameready is built upon Filemaker pro. It tracks inventory too.

I am a huge mac fan. I have a macbook, iphone and ipad.

BUT I use a pc for my pos. It's easier to setup with the no-name, cheap barcode scanner I bought. And it works well with the label and receipt printers too.

I bought refurbished, new-in-box, pc with windows xp for $99.00

Keep the mac for yourself. :D
 
I agree. Better by a cheap pc for POS But with the list I made special freeware and shareware and some changes it should be possible to cover your needs as well.
 
Peter Odems said:
...with the list I made special freeware and shareware and some changes it should be possible to cover your needs as well.
Click to expand...

You could using either the "Calc" or "Base" elements of the free Open Office application too. Others have done similar things with a spreadsheet or basic database. I believe Bill Henry is one of them (Mac user). But you have to ask yourself how much your time is worth, or if there's something specific that you can't get in a prepackaged application that's worth the time you will put into making something for yourself. Frankly, I'm amazed at how cheap the picture framing POSs are and think most people would be penny wise and pound foolish to consider anything else.
 
I tried to use that freeware Gazelle, but the application is not very Mac-feeling programmed and crashes as it likes by itself. Not a good thing. And beside this it needs an internet connection..... No idea why your POS-information should have to be shared.......
 
Pricing is important, as is bookkeeping. If you aren't gonna shell out the money for a POS then get QuickBooks and use it for inventory, invoicing and bookkeeping.

Otherwise you are gonna have an interim POS, then a "real" POS and then have to get a bookkeeping program. Don't complicate matters on yourself. Get and learn QuickBooks. Use it, abuse it to fit your needs. Then get a POS when you want to price framing easier. Either way you are gonna appreciate the things QuickBooks can do for tracking your business.

A freebie POS will frustrate you. The Grumbler that gave you a list of freebies just said he doesn't use them as the one he used crashes. QuickBooks doesn't crash. LifeSaver doesn't crash, well I have crashed it, but I can crash a Mac ;)

Invest in your business.
 
David N Waldmann said:
You could using either the "Calc" or "Base" elements of the free Open Office application too. Others have done similar things with a spreadsheet or basic database.
Click to expand...

This is essentially what I've been doing for many years, using the spreadsheet and database modules of AppleWorks. It has worked great, but it is a lot of work when it comes time to update pricing. Since these changes occur so frequently now, I'm more motivated to "get with the program". The trick is to incorporate it into my way of working.
:cool: Rick
 
Bob:

Holy cats! 15,000 posts! :-)

Bob Doyle said:
You have asked for Mac POS, and said that you were gonna hand write and import to the POS.

I would advise against that :) I did that using QuickBooks for years before getting LifeSaver, and I feel that because the software (QB) wasn't a framing program that I lost money on each and every sale.

I would say if you are gonna go with a POS and not a framing POS that I would really push you toward QuickBooks Pro.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. Maybe I need to reword my question (or figure out exactly what it is I really want to accomplish). And, maybe, define what a PoS is/does. Sigh.

Bob, you're dead-on in that I *am* also vetting accounting software (into which I lump Quickbooks, MYOB, etc).

Rick Granick said:
As far as I know, FrameReady is the only full-featured POS software specifically for framing that runs on Mac OSX. I just got it myself and am in the process of learning/setup. I have a very personal way of working with customers and writing up designs (snip)

BTW, the people at FrameReady (SoftTouch Solutions) are very friendly and helpful.
Click to expand...

Rick: Interestingly, the FrameReady folks have contacted me off-list, and are extremely personable. I haven't responded yet, but do plan to download a trial of one of the FrameReady flavors.

I'm embarking on my first experience as a frame shop *owner*, though I do have about 12 years experience under my belt with managing a storefront -- starting out in the production area at a single-store mom & pop, then to lead designer at a multi-store mom & pop.

This was from '89-00, and everything was handwritten (not counting bookkeeping on the backend). Rick, like you I prefer to use pencil and paper when dealing with a client. Things slowed way down the one or two times we tried to introduce computer-based solutions at the client end (not counting credit card readers). (n.b., 2000-current I've been a full-time photographer)

Possibly what I'm looking for is really two- (or three-) fold -- QuickBooks Pro or similar handle one part of the equation (accounting, records keeping), a client-design-order tracking software/database, and then an actual PoS (that is, money taking machine).

Eric Burke & others seem to have the same take, by using a reliable (lol, "cheap PC") for money-taking, then something like FrameReady for order tracking; I assume these folks are also then using a separate program a la QuickBooks to handle accounting & business things. It makes sense to me that it makes no sense in the end to try to handle all these things in one application.

I don't really have a wrap-up to make, yet -- but everyone's input has helped me considerably thus far. Bob, did I read you right?

I guess maybe my question originally should have been less specific. I'm going to be opening a new frame shop -- I need to track/archive client orders, follow inventory, do business accounting, and make sales. Is there a one-stop option, or is there a smart & efficient way to do all 3? :-)

Thanks everybody for their attention & again, I really appreciate you folks's input -- nice to enter into a supportive community.

Patrick
 
From what you are describing it sounds like FrameReady would take care of your needs. You wouldn't have to have these redundant systems.
:cool: Rick

P.S. As for tracking previous orders, what I have been doing up to now is using the AppleWorks database with each customer's record having fields for the dates, ,brief descriptions of their orders, and the total price. The work orders are stored in reverse chronological order, so I can look up the desired job and then find the work order usually within just a few minutes. This isn't bad, but it can't beat being able to instantly pull up the previous order, see if the materials are still available, and what the current cost would be.
 
I used MYOB in the past, and had people that pushed me toward PeachTree. I went with QBs because my accountant wanted my data in that format. QB can do invoicing, but not framing calculations. As I was primarily a framer I went and got LifeSaver. Then added other items for sale, so LifeSaver is a bit much for a POS for the other items. BUT the calculations it can do for my framing needs means that I use it for both.

I upgraded to QBPro because it had more features that I needed at the time. It can more than handle the invoicing for framing and other sales. It just does not do the calculations and doesn't get vendor updates like LifeSaver does. The Mac version of QB I think incorporates the Pro features that us PC users pay extra for :)
 
Rick Granick said:
From what you are describing it sounds like FrameReady would take care of your needs. You wouldn't have to have these redundant systems.
:cool: Rick

P.S. As for tracking previous orders, what I have been doing up to now is using the AppleWorks database with each customer's record having fields for the dates, ,brief descriptions of their orders, and the total price. The work orders are stored in reverse chronological order, so I can look up the desired job and then find the work order usually within just a few minutes. This isn't bad, but it can't beat being able to instantly pull up the previous order, see if the materials are still available, and what the current cost would be.
Click to expand...

Rick. A AW DB is no problem as long as you can work with less than 450 or 500 records. When it is more, the DB becomes unstable in use. For that I use an older version of Filemaker.(8) Records can be exported from AW to Filemaker very easy.
 
4.7 meg file, 72 potential fields per record, including 20 date/description/amount setups, name, address, city, state, zip, phone numbers, customer number, notes, how referred, etc. Currently it runs under Rosetta on Intel Macs in os 10.6.8 , but until recently on G4s in os 10.4.11.

:cool: Rick
 
I became troubles with a similar-structure-file 532 kb. I converted the file to Filemaker Pro 8 and the same file became 320 kb only. Working in Filemaker Pro is about the same as in the DB of AW. It's a side-company of Apple.
 
I have three separate systems in place.

Frameready for tracking customers/sales and inventory. Quickbooks and a bookkeeper to pays bills, track expenses, payroll, taxes and all things accounting. The bank supplied a merchant terminal for credit card and debit processing -- and a cash drawer.

Frameready can track all your sales, cash and credit card transactions. Then you can export or print a report every month.

Once again, I love my mac, but the bookkeeper got her very own $99 PC for quickbooks. I'm pretty sure the quickbooks software costs more than the computer.

Then the tricky parts is getting systems in place that ensure that sales, inventory, credit card receipts, cash, and expenses all match up from one system to the next.
 
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