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We have barcode scanners for your point of sale needs. We also have wireless barcode scanners, and barcode readers as well as barcode printers to assist you with inventory control at NationalBarcode.com
History
Dave worked for years as an electronic design engineer before taking
redundancy and in 1987 opening a small general store with his wife,
Barbara, and one of his sons, Brian. He had not been in the business
for long before he started to contemplate the possibilities of using
computers to improve the running of their store. After numerous
attempts to develop a program, using first Approach, then Access and
finally C++, all without success, he decided to use a commercial EPOS
program in 1995. This had a number of limitations. The lack of source
code meant that it was never possible to improve on the program in any
way.
Then in 1998, he came across a cover-mount version of C++Builder; a visual drag and drop programming system. After a couple of months of experiment he had developed a basic sales screen that worked in the way he had planned. Then in April 1999, the shop computer in use broke down and needed replacing. The suppliers of the EPOS program demanded a £200 annual 'maintenance' fee before they would release an activation code for the new computer. Having paid £400 to 'buy' the program, this seemed totally unreasonable, but it is normal practice in the industry. This was the spur to put in some intensive programming effort to get the home-developed program up to a working level. This was achieved in just over a week. Over the next three years, the program was enhanced in a number of ways. The ordering system was completed, and the stock checking system implemented. Features like shelf edge labels, bar code printing, price-encoded bar-codes, alphanumeric lookup, cheque printing etc. New features are still being added to the system. Some are discarded in use. The remaining features become permanent. Being able to put new features to work in a working environment is vitally important. Most of the effort has been directed towards reducing the errors that can all to easily creep into the database.
Then, early in 2001, he answered a query on the Independent Retail News Web-site ( www.irn-talkingshop.co.uk ) about affordable EPOS. The response to this made him realise two things; first, that there was a demand; and second, that getting many others to use the software would be far more rewarding than holding on to the hope that the program could one day be offered for sale as a commercial product. Accordingly, as soon as the program was ready for distribution, he sent out a press release to tell the world about its' free availability on the web-site prepared for him by Brian. The response of those downloading the program has been mostly complimentary. However, a number of queries, and also thinking more about the needs of others has meant that the program is still being improved at a rapid rate. It would be nice to conclude by the cliché "and the rest, as they say, is history", but in this case, history has only just begun. The next chapter will depend more on the feedback than on Dave's efforts. So let him know your opinions and ideas. They don't have to be favourable to help.
Early in 2002, Dave and his family sold their shop and moved to the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent, and now in retirment. Dave continues to support ProffittCenter but has become even more dependent upon feedback from users. He has also taken over the running of the web-site. On the plus side, he now has more time to develop the project.
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Thursday, 6 September, 2007