The Rise of Compliance-Centric Platforms

Vanta was developed to help organizations achieve SOC 2 compliance quickly. Compliance management platforms have gained significant traction in the market. For startups and smaller businesses, these certifications are often crucial for breaking into markets where enterprise clients expect certain compliance standards as baseline requirements.

Vanta offers robust integrations that streamline evidence collection and enable continuous monitoring.

There’s no denying that platforms like Vanta have simplified compliance, but let’s BE REAL. They have apparent limitations. Compliance is a critical milestone, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to comprehensive organizational security. Compliance-focused platforms fall short of meeting the baseline of a full cybersecurity strategy, no matter how streamlined and integrated they are.

The Risky Question: What Is Compliance Without a Security Focus?

In an era of relentless cyber threats, compliance alone simply isn’t enough. Certification may confirm that a company meets certain baseline standards, but it doesn’t guarantee resilience against sophisticated cyberattacks. So, what does compliance without a true security focus really achieve?

This distinction matters because compliance-focused platforms, like those initially built for SOC 2 or similar certifications, tend to emphasize getting certified quickly and efficiently. For many organizations, this approach is a selling point: with one specific certification, they can meet client requirements and secure new business. But if the end goal is simply to “get in the door,” these platforms can miss the mark on deeper security needs.

Here’s a quick litmus test to gauge a platform’s focus. Take a look at the number of frameworks and standards it supports. Platforms developed primarily for basic certifications, like SOC 2, typically emphasize a straightforward path to compliance.

On the other hand, a platform built with resilience in mind will offer a robust array of frameworks, showing it’s equipped to tackle both compliance and real-world security challenges. Centraleyes, for instance, offers a substantial library of over 70 frameworks! This isn’t just a talking point; it’s the groundwork for a deeply integrated approach that balances regulatory needs with active cyber risk management.

In high-stakes sectors like finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, where both compliance and security are vital, a comprehensive approach matters. Instead of merely “checking the box,” a platform like this helps companies stay adaptable—continuously ready to meet both emerging threats and new regulatory requirements. It’s a blend of compliance and resilience that supports genuine security, all while keeping an eye on the bigger picture.

The Shift Toward Cyber-Focused GRC Platforms

This brings us to the emerging niche of cyber-focused GRC platforms. Unlike compliance-first solutions, these platforms are designed with cybersecurity risk management at their core. They don’t oversimplify the process of getting companies compliant; they aim to make them resilient. With capabilities like advanced vulnerability management, continuous risk assessment, and incident response, these platforms provide a comprehensive approach that helps organizations go beyond compliance and build a strong security posture.

For companies that need both compliance and robust security, cyber-focused GRC tools represent a unique value proposition as Vanta alternatives. They support industry-standard certifications and empower organizations with the tools and insights to maintain real, actionable security.

Making the Right Choice: Strategic Evaluation of GRC Needs

Ultimately, choosing a GRC platform is about understanding what an organization truly needs to achieve. For some, the primary goal may be a streamlined path to certification, which Vanta and similar platforms are well-equipped to deliver.

For businesses that view compliance as just the starting point, a cyber-focused GRC platform may be a better fit. By bridging compliance with deeper cybersecurity, these tools offer a long-term approach that not only meets standards but also reinforces an organization’s resilience. For industries where risk management is paramount, a security compliance platform can be a powerful sales enabler, giving clients and stakeholders confidence in a company’s commitment to comprehensive protection.

Next Steps: Finding the Right Platform for Your Needs

For those assessing their options, the next step is to consider which platform aligns best with their strategic goals. In the following section, we’ll explore several alternatives to Vanta that strike a balance between compliance and robust cybersecurity.

GRC and Compliance Platforms You Should Know About

Here’s a look at seven top contenders, with Centraleyes leading the charge as a unique, cyber-focused GRC solution.

1. Centraleyes: A Cybersecurity-Focused GRC Leader

Centraleyes is an advanced governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform designed to help organizations navigate the complexities of cybersecurity and compliance with ease. With an extensive library of over 70 frameworks, Centraleyes provides the flexibility and depth businesses need to meet diverse regulatory requirements—all in one place.

But it’s not just about compliance. Centraleyes seamlessly integrates compliance management with proactive cyber risk management. Thanks to its AI-driven risk register and advanced mapping capabilities, businesses can effortlessly align their security controls with the specific requirements of multiple frameworks at once. This means less manual work, fewer gaps, and a streamlined approach to risk and compliance that scales with your business.

Real-time insights, continuous risk assessments, and a user-friendly dashboard ensure make users in the know about their security posture. Whether you’re looking to meet regulatory deadlines, pass audits, or simply strengthen your overall security posture, Centraleyes makes it easier, smarter, and more efficient.

Key Features

• Extensive Framework Library (Over 70 Frameworks)
• AI-Driven Risk Register
• Advanced Cross-Framework Mappings
• Real-Time Risk & Compliance Insights
• Streamlined Collaboration
• Customizable Reporting and Dashboards
• Scalable to Any Organization Size
• Automated Workflow & Task Management
• Seamless Integration with Existing Systems
• Proactive Threat Detection & Risk Mitigation

2. Lacework

Lacework is known for its focus on cloud security, which is particularly useful for companies with complex cloud environments. It’s built to provide deep visibility into cloud workloads and containers, making it a popular choice for organizations that operate in heavily virtualized or containerized environments. Lacework automates the collection and analysis of cloud data to identify risks and anomalies, which is particularly valuable for businesses prioritizing threat detection over traditional compliance.

Lacework’s strengths lie in its ability to integrate compliance within a broader, cloud-native security strategy, providing continuous monitoring for potential vulnerabilities in cloud applications. However, it’s not a full-scale GRC platform and may not cover all compliance frameworks.

3. OneTrust

OneTrust is a popular platform for privacy, ethics, and compliance. Originally focused on privacy standards like GDPR and CCPA, OneTrust has grown into a comprehensive compliance solution covering vendor risk, ESG, and ethics management.

OneTrust shines in industries with strict privacy regulations, where data protection is a top priority. While it has strong compliance capabilities and covers a wide range of regulatory frameworks, OneTrust is not as security-centered as Centraleyes or Lacework. It’s ideal for businesses with heavy data privacy and regulatory compliance demands but may require supplemental tools to address deeper cybersecurity requirements.

4. UpGuard

UpGuard specializes in third-party risk management and cybersecurity monitoring, with a particular focus on vendor security. For companies with extensive supplier or vendor networks, UpGuard provides critical insights into third-party risk, helping identify vulnerabilities before they become liabilities.

The platform allows organizations to continuously monitor their vendors’ security postures and proactively mitigate supply chain risks. UpGuard’s specialization in vendor risk makes it an excellent choice for organizations looking to build resilient supplier relationships. However, its GRC capabilities are more limited than platforms like Centraleyes, making it best suited for businesses focused specifically on third-party risk.

5. LogicGate

LogicGate takes a unique approach to GRC by emphasizing workflow automation and customizability. Designed to provide flexible solutions for risk and compliance management, LogicGate allows organizations to tailor workflows to fit their unique requirements.

This flexibility is a double-edged sword; while highly customizable, LogicGate may require additional configuration to cover specific cybersecurity requirements fully. It’s an attractive option for companies with diverse, complex processes and a need for a tailored compliance and risk management approach. However, it may lack the cybersecurity focus and advanced monitoring capabilities that platforms like Centraleyes bring to the table.

6. Secureframe

Secureframe has made a name for itself as a compliance automation platform designed for startups and smaller businesses aiming to achieve certifications like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. It streamlines the compliance process by automating evidence collection and providing audit templates, making it easy for teams to achieve compliance milestones quickly.

While Secureframe is a great choice for companies that need compliance certifications fast, it’s limited in terms of cyber risk management features. It’s ideal for businesses that need a quick compliance solution without a deep focus on security and risk management, which is why larger or security-focused companies might look to other platforms for more comprehensive GRC and cybersecurity needs.

7. Vendorpedia

A specialized branch of the OneTrust family, Vendorpedia is dedicated exclusively to vendor risk management. The platform provides tools for evaluating and monitoring third-party vendors, helping companies maintain a high standard of security across their supply chains. Vendorpedia’s library of vendor profiles and its automated assessments streamline the vendor onboarding process, making it an efficient choice for companies with extensive third-party relationships.

While it provides critical vendor risk management tools, Vendorpedia’s GRC functionality is limited, making it more of a supplementary tool than a standalone GRC solution. For organizations that need comprehensive risk management, a platform with integrated cybersecurity features might be a better fit.

Cost Considerations

The Vanta pricing structure aligns with its focus on compliance. Businesses with more comprehensive security needs may find better value in Vanta competitors offering integrated risk management, which may require a larger initial investment but provide a longer-term security advantage.

Vanta costs start at approximately $7,500 annually for enterprises and can increase depending on several factors. 

• Number of Employees
• Selected Frameworks
• Existing Security Posture
• Contract Term
• Add-On Features

Selecting the Right Platform for Your Needs

No GRC platform is one-size-fits-all, and each offers unique strengths depending on organizational requirements. By carefully evaluating these options, companies can find a solution that meets their compliance goals and aligns with their overall risk and cybersecurity strategy.

The post Top 7 Vanta Alternatives to Consider in 2025 appeared first on Centraleyes.

Customer relationship management (CRM) is an integral part of operations for every industry and every business within that industry, from startup to scale-up to mega-corporation. Defining the CRM roles of your staff is a key component in implementation.

As an integrated suite of cloud applications, CRM software eliminates the need to use multiple apps to manage customer interactions and data. It provides a centralized platform for everything sales-related, allowing teams to sort data and prioritize activities. Features of CRM software typically include contact management, lead management, sales forecasting, marketing automation, customer analytics, and customer service and support.

So, what CRM roles do you need on your team?

Also read: Top Sales CRM Solutions of 2024

Key components of a CRM team 

CRM managers

This is the product owner for the CRM, with a full depth of knowledge on how the tool works and who can manipulate the tool for custom needs and train others on particulars.

CRM managers:

• Build custom sets for special use cases
• Build and maintain workflows for individual users or teams
• Set up and monitor information flow within CRM and with other business-critical systems
• Train users on data cleanliness, internal processes, and new features

Sales managers

A sales manager needs to oversee the activities of the entire sales team and put those into the context of the larger business goals. CRMs enable a sales manager to:

• Track individual and team metrics: productivity, revenue
• Delegate tasks to individual sales representatives
• Monitor and provide strategy for performance improvement with logged calls, performance metrics, revenue metrics
• Access data for goal setting analytics, team meetings, and reporting to executives
• Update and override account and individual contacts

Also Read: The Only CRM Integration List You’ll Ever Need

Sales representatives

The sales representative is the primary user of the CRM and will spend the most time in it. These employees should receive the most intensive training on how to use the tool, but will likely have the most restricted access.

In a CRM, sales representatives can: 

• Track customer interactions
• Keep contact information up to date
• Set tasks and reminders for follow-up with contacts
• Create and build workflows for faster task and contact management
• Identify bundling and upsell opportunities for current customers
• Produce quotes and contracts

Customer support representative

Having separate CRM systems for the support desk and sales team is not only redundant, but inefficient. Keeping all support contact information centralized in a single CRM ensures data isn’t duplicated or missed entirely. Be sure to check that the CRM you purchase integrates directly and provides two-way data sharing between the support tool and the CRM. 

Useful features for customer support representatives include the ability to:

• Manage support contacts for individual accounts
• Identify power users or high-value customers for special deals

Marketing manager

Marketing managers may arguably spend more time in a CRM than a marketing automation software as they track and improve the quality of leads gained from marketing campaigns.

CRMs allow marketing managers to: 

• Track MQL to closed to understand lead quality
• Refine strategy of marketing funnel based on lead to close conversions
• Oversee quality marketing automation to CRM workflows
• Identify customers and contacts for marketing opportunities including partnerships and advocacy

Marketing reps

While you wouldn’t normally think that the entire marketing team would need access to CRM data, it can be immensely helpful for these individual contributors. Access to potential customer advocates and recording partnerships can help everyone across the company, and individual licenses mean that these employees don’t need to bug sales every time they want to log an interaction. 

Marketing reps can:

• Reach out to current customers and partners for campaigns
• Project management for outreach (tasks, due dates, etc)
• Builds workflows for sharing information between marketing automation and CRM
• Pulling segmented lists of customers

Data analysts

Whether you use the reporting and analytics features included in your CRM or you export your data to a business intelligence software to provide context from all other business systems, a data analyst will need view and export access to data from across the system.

A data analyst can:

• Provide reporting and analysis on CRM data for c-levels
• Export data into business intelligence software for greater analysis when combined with other financials or supply chain metrics
• Audit data for cleanliness and process improvements
• Find new opportunities within data for products, sales techniques, marketing personas

CFO

The CFO needs insight into how sales and marketing efforts affect the overall revenue, supply chain, and manufacturing strategy. While this individual may not drill down into daily performance metrics, they will need access to high-level data from across the organization.

A CFO uses data from CRM reports to decide upon major policy and strategy changes company-wide.

Other C-levels and executives

Depending on the company structure, various executives will need access to data from the CRM for strategic needs. The CRM will provide insight into how individual and team work add up to revenue, and how those processes can be improved.

CRMs give executives the ability to:

• Keep tabs on strategy ROI
• Understand individual performance
• Access revenue and sales metrics (CPL, CPA, RPL) to determine strategy
• Use data for new growth opportunities, new products, and major policy changes

Benefits of defining CRM roles

The success of CRM implementation depends largely on how well employees use the software. Defining CRM roles and responsibilities is important for the following reasons:

Efficient use of the software

When different user roles are defined, it ensures each user has access to only the functions and features relevant to his or her role. This can help to prevent confusion and make the software easier to use. For example, a sales representative may not need access to customer contact information.

Streamlined processes

Tasks can be completed in a more timely manner by allowing each user to focus on a specific task. For instance, a sales manager can assign tasks to several sales representatives, who can, in turn, update the status of those tasks in the CRM. 

Improved data security

Controlled access to sensitive information is key to preventing data breaches. Assigned roles compartmentalize the flow of company and customer data. 

Also Read: Protecting Your CRM Database with Cybersecurity Solutions

Better decision-making

When users are assigned specific roles, it becomes easier to gather and analyze information. For example, a marketing manager can use customer data to create targeted campaigns. 

Accountability

When users know their specific responsibilities, they are more likely to take ownership of their tasks, resulting in more completed projects in less time. 

Delegating CRM roles and responsibilities

Once roles have been clearly defined, they must be delegated accurately to maximize effectiveness. Each team member must have the necessary skills and resources to perform their responsibilities efficiently. Some best practices for delegating CRM roles and responsibilities include:

Are you ready to build your team?

In order for any CRM to be used effectively, clear roles and responsibilities must be delegated to employees of several departments. 

The result is a significant boost in customer experience (CX), streamlined operations, and increased sales and revenue.

Looking for more specific CRM solutions? Check out our CRM Types: Which CRM Software is Right for You?

What does a CRM manager do? 

As the product owner for the software, CRM managers are responsible for overseeing the implementation and maintenance of a company’s customer relationship management system. 

What is a CRM administrator?

A CRM administrator is a technical professional responsible for the management and maintenance of a CRM system. Administrators work closely with other teams, such as sales and marketing, to optimize the system’s performance. 

The post The Different Types of Roles & Responsibilities in a CRM appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

When selecting a CRM, a number of them may seem limited in their functionality, and that’s where third-party software tools can become integral to your success. Seamless CRM integration compliments the function of your CRM with the inclusion of third-party applications that stand to enhance your software platform through intuitive integration. 

CRM integration explained

CRM integration is a process where your CRM connects with third-party software that not only compliments the functionality of your existing CRM, but goes beyond it by adding more options that will aid your business and alter how it routinely operates.

There are many tools available on the market today that target the specific needs of your business and a CRM alone may come with some limitations that can be mitigated with reliable third-party tool support. This is where CRM integration comes into play and has the potential to help your company meet its goals organically with as little setup stress as possible.

One of the most significant perks of using CRM integration is that you and your team will no longer have to bounce between systems to ensure an adequate work balance. Thanks to third-party app support, and the power of your CRM, important data is easily accessible within a consolidated system.

ALSO READ: Easy-to-Use Customer Engagement Software & Tools

What are CRM tools?

CRM tools work in a variety of ways and are fundamentally designed to support the many areas of your business, which include marketing, sales, and customer service. The main purpose for using these CRM tools together is to stay on top of customer data. Using this data will help your team track your customers and guide them through the sales process.

While CRM tools can work independently from each other, they tend to work best when used together on a shared platform. In doing so, these tools will allow you and your team members to take full advantage and improve how your business operates. Your team stands to benefit your company by targeting its unique needs and expanding the capabilities of your existing CRM software.

5 essential CRM integrations

CRM integrations can be highly valuable in streamlining business operations and increasing efficiency. Here are five essential CRM integrations that can be beneficial for your business:

Email integration

Integrating your CRM system with your email platform can help you keep track of all email communications with your customers. This integration can also enable you to automate follow-up emails, set reminders, and categorize emails based on different criteria.

Social media integration

Integrating your CRM system with social media platforms can help you track customer interactions on social media, monitor mentions, and respond to customer inquiries and complaints quickly.

Analytics integration

Integrating your CRM system with an analytics platform can help you track and analyze customer behavior, website traffic, and sales data to gain valuable insights into your business operations. This integration can enable you to make data-driven decisions to improve customer experiences and boost your bottom line.

Marketing automation 

Integrating your CRM system with a marketing automation platform can help you create and execute targeted marketing campaigns, track leads, and analyze customer behavior to optimize your marketing efforts.

Customer service integration  

Integrating your CRM system with a customer support platform can help you manage customer inquiries and complaints more efficiently. This integration can enable you to prioritize support requests, assign tasks to team members, and track response times.

What are the benefits of CRM integration?

CRM integration can yield many benefits for your business. Ideally, this form of system integration has the potential to streamline your business’s internal work processes, while allowing you and your team to accurately forecast your company’s flow of data as it relates to customer interactions and their purchase behavior.  

Ultimately, CRM integration is meant to keep your customers satisfied with the level of communication and attentiveness that they come to expect from your company. Your chosen CRM and its ability to be integrated with third-party apps can improve customer service by giving your team the means to engage in more personalized communication with the speed to do so effectively.

ALSO READ: Use This Calculation To Find Your CRM ROI

Additionally, CRM integrations will often make automation easier to implement, which gives employees the opportunity to focus on other areas of importance. Daily communication and extensive record-keeping is often very time-consuming as well and can contribute to additional work pressure. However, the option of automating these processes conserves precious time and resources, which is ideal. 

Why is a fully integrated CRM important for the success of your business? 

A fully integrated CRM system can be an important platform to drive the success of your business for a number of reasons.

An integrated CRM will allow you and your team to better understand the needs of your customers, which is a crucial component to your success. Keeping track of customer interactions while also helping your team better understand the needs of your clientele will lead to the offering of more personalized solutions, which in turn builds trust between your company and the customers it serves. 

An enhanced customer experience provides a seamless and consistent flow across different key areas, which assists with building brand loyalty and leads to repeat business.

CRM integration also has the potential to increase your team’s efficiency and productivity through the automation of routine tasks and optimized workflows. This inevitably frees up your employees to focus on more value-added activities. All this leads to an increase in productivity and focus, which translates to higher profitability. 

Better decision-making is another effect of CRM integration and can provide insights into customer behavior in real-time. This increases sales performance and other key metrics that can help your team make more informed business decisions. This can help you identify opportunities for growth and optimize your operations to improve profitability.

Choosing the right CRM

Overall, a fully Integrated CRM system can help you build stronger customer relationships, improve communication and collaboration within your organization, enhance the customer experience, and also increase efficiency and productivity. This will allow you and your employees to make more informed business decisions. These benefits will ultimately help your business achieve long-term success in a highly competitive marketplace.

Looking for the latest in CRM solutions? Check out our CRM Software Buyer’s Guide.

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FAQ 

What is CRM integration?

CRM integration seamlessly connects your CRM with third-party applications, which streamlines your team’s workflow and improves system functionality. This often leads to increased productivity and optimized time management.   

Why is a fully integrated CRM important? 

A fully integrated CRM is important because it promotes focus and better organization while also streamlining your team’s workflow and adding enhancements to customer support. This is done through the incorporation of third-party app support that works in unison with your current CRM platform.

The post CRM Integrations: Everything You Need To Know (2024) appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

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As a businessperson, your success hinges on knowing your customers well. You likely get to know your customers through a variety of sources, be it through forms filled out on your website, verbal conversations, or social media.

It would, of course, be impossible to remember all of this information about so many different people, so you record it across the various tools you use to operate your business. You likely store the most important details, such as name, company, and contact info, in your CRM solution and refer to your other tools for finer details. But what if there was a way to eliminate the need to flip back and forth?

The answer is CRM integrations, and they’re essential for getting the most out of your CRM platform and seeing the clearest snapshot of your customers. Here’s a definitive list of the integrations you should consider for your business.

Customer Service

How many times have you had to call a company’s customer service line only to discover that the representative doesn’t know your call or email history? Frustrating, right?

You may not be surprised, then, to hear that in a 2018 study from NewVoiceMedia, 39 percent of participants said they are likely to never do business again with a company after having a poor experience. In today’s world, where consumers have access to a variety of products and services, you can’t afford to offer bad customer experience.

Look for these customer service solutions that are integration-friendly with your CRM:

• Zendesk
• Five9
• Nextiva

Calendars

Scheduling conflicts are annoying at best. At worst, they can cost you time and money.

Let’s say you’ve been working a new lead for a couple weeks now, exchanging emails to get a sense of their needs and answering any questions they might have. You finally have a product demo scheduled only to discover the day before that you accidentally double-booked yourself. Yikes.

Communication breakdowns between your business data sources cause major frustration for customers.

If you’re lucky, your potential client will be fine with pushing the demo back an hour or so. Or you could enter the downward spiral of rescheduling — that fateful process that begins with good intentions and ends with the client deciding rescheduling is more trouble than it’s worth.

Most modern CRMs will help you avoid such catastrophes with calendar and scheduling integration.

Look for these calendar and scheduling solutions that integrate with your CRM:

• Google Calendar
• Office 365 Calendar
• Calendly

Marketing Campaigns

By now you may be noticing a common thread: Communication breakdowns between your business data sources cause major frustration for customers. And few things in life are more rage-inducing than receiving multiple emails from multiple sources containing the same basic message.

ALSO READ: Customer Segmentation: Methods, Techniques, and Real Examples

Modern email marketing is all about customer segmentation. Email marketers send different email campaigns to different groups of customers based on what they know about those specific groups. This is a wonderful benefit of automating your marketing practices, but it can present problems if the sales team also interacts with one of those customers.

Look for these email marketing solutions that integrate with your CRM to prevent repeat messaging:

• MailChimp
• Constant Contact
• Mailigen

Social Media

Thanks to the Internet, your customers are now everywhere, especially on social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Conversations happen all the time on these platforms, not only between friends and family, but also between brands and consumers. Businesses have always needed to be where their customers are, and that includes social media.

Consumers expect to be able to communicate with brands on social media now, and many brands use platforms like Twitter and Facebook to field complaints from customers. It’s essential, therefore, to see messages on social media from customers when they’re sent and to reply promptly.

Look for these social media management solutions when adding integrations to your CRM:

• HootSuite
• Buffer
• Falcon.io

Billing and Invoicing

Remember that customer service scenario we talked about earlier? It applies to billing and invoicing as well. Customers don’t like being told that your company can’t see where they’ve made a purchase or return in the past. It’s frustrating, but it also makes them feel like you simply don’t care.

ALSO READ: Top 7 CRM Functionality & Features You’re Not Using

Sure, you can always check with your company’s billing team or log into your billing portal to check an invoice number, but why would you do that when you could just integrate your billing and invoicing systems with your CRM?

Look for opportunities to integrate these billing and invoicing solutions with your CRM:

• QuickBooks
• FreshBooks

Performance Management

You manage a customer service team. Your VoIP system displays details about call volume and available agents, your customer service solution shows you how many tickets you have open, and your social media management platform prepares metrics on engagement. You’ve integrated these systems to your CRM so you can see overviews of all this information in one place, but what if you wanted to set performance-boosting goals for individual representatives on your team based on this data?

Integrating your performance management software with your CRM makes it easier than ever before to set data-based goals and to compare performance in real time.

Look for these performance management solutions that integrate with your CRM:

• BirdDogHR
• Trakstar
• Ambition

Inventory Management

What do you get when you mix an excited customer, an order for an item that just went out of stock, and no communication from the company? The punchline here is likely an uncomfortable phone call in a few weeks.

Thankfully, this situation can be avoided entirely if you integrate your inventory management solution with your CRM. If you haven’t already started practicing proactive customer service, this would also be a good opportunity to begin.

ALSO READ: 5 Best CRM Apps

Integrating your inventory management solution with your CRM will keep you informed of customers who managed to place orders for items that are out of stock, presenting you with the opportunity to proactively reach out to that customer and narrow down a solution. This will not only prevent you from having to deal with an embarrassing situation, but it will show customers you care and possibly turn them into advocates for your brand.

Look for these CRM integration-enabled inventory management solutions:

• FinancialForce SCM
• Fishbowl Warehouse
• Epicor Vista for Information Services

Ecommerce

There’s nothing quite like tasteful upselling, especially when you can pull it off without ever having to leave the comfort of your CRM to frantically launch your ecommerce platform and search a product code.

Similar to the benefits you’ll realize with integrating an inventory management system, integrating your ecommerce platform with your CRM is a powerful way to improve the customer experience, land more sales, and quickly offer promotions or discounts to loyal customers.

Look for opportunities to integrate these ecommerce solutions with your CRM:

• Shopify
• Elastic Path
• CoreCommerce

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Being properly equipped with the tools you need to run your business is important, but you may be better-equipped than you previously thought if you aren’t making the most of your current tools. One of the easiest ways to do this is to integrate your existing business software with a powerful CRM.

If you’re having a hard time deciding which CRM is best for you or if you’re looking for additional integrations to maximize the utility of your current CRM, check out our CRM Software software category page for more resources.

Top CRM Software Recommendations

The post The Only CRM Integration List You’ll Ever Need appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a crucial sales tool for all operation levels, from small businesses to corporate enterprises. For startups, CRM software offers myriad tools to help organize and manage sales pipelines, automate various processes, and ultimately scale their business. We curated a targeted list of CRM solutions that offer straightforward pricing plans, modular platforms designed for scalability, extensive documentation for new users, and user-friendly interfaces so you can make the right decision for your growing sales teams. 

According to our experts at Technology Advice, here are the top five CRM solutions for startups in 2024:

• Less Annoying CRM: Best for straightforward pricing
• HubSpot: Best for scalability
• Pipedrive: Best for sales teams 
• monday CRM: Best for user experience
• SugarCRM: Best for predictive analytics

Key benefits of using a CRM for startups

With the right CRM system in place, startups can catapult their business operations into the big leagues. Much more than just a digital rolodex, a CRM tool is the linchpin for successful customer relationship management. 

Startups have the herculean task of transforming ideas into viable businesses. In the hustle, customer relationships might inadvertently be placed on the back burner. That’s where CRM steps in, turning this potential oversight into a core strength. The power of data at your fingertips, centralized and organized, can be a game-changer. CRM allows you to track, understand, and respond to customer behaviors in real-time, fueling customer retention and loyalty.

Moreover, CRM tools empower startups to streamline their sales processes. CRM tools provide visual interfaces that facilitate easy tracking of leads and deals, enhancing the efficiency of sales teams.

Automation is another ace up CRM’s sleeve. Startups often grapple with limited resources. With CRM, routine tasks can be automated, freeing up precious time for teams to focus on strategic tasks.

Lastly, for startups eyeing growth, a scalable CRM system is a crucial ally. As your customer base grows, so does the complexity of managing relationships. A scalable CRM ensures that this transition happens smoothly, preventing any customer from falling through the cracks.

Read More: 5 Best Free CRM Software

FAQs

The post Best CRM for Startups (2024) appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

The auto insurance companies were penalized for a series of attacks that exposed the personal data of 120,000 people in late 2020 and early 2021.

The company is reverting to manual operations to make sure workers are paid on time, a spokesperson said. 

Security teams are on the alert for nation-state threats and ransomware as millions of workers break for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The securities regulator also reported a record $8.2 billion in monetary remedies for its last fiscal year, driven by Terraform Labs crypto fraud settlement.

International Game Technology, which makes slot machines and other gambling technology, said it took systems offline following a Nov. 17 cyberattack.

The attack against Blue Yonder led to issues for Morrisons, a U.K.-based grocery chain, in its warehouse management system for fresh food and produce.

As the one who buys and uses software for your company, you’re likely well-versed in Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, functionality and features. You likely spent countless hours researching the best product and trying to stay under budget while evaluating your business needs. 

However, even with all that research and planning, you’re likely underutilizing some of its best tools. It’s easy for even the savviest CRM user to overlook features and capabilities.

If this is you, don’t fret. We will explore some of the most underused CRM features and functionality so you get the maximum benefits out of your investment today.

ALSO READ: Top CRM Automations for 2023

Email integration 

If you’re finding you need to make your communications more efficient and streamlined, it’s time to start using email integration, one of the top features of a CRM. 

Many businesses and people still rely on email as their most-used means of communicating. With email integration, a CRM can help you sync contacts, organize and keep emails in one place, as well as customize your CRM feed. 

Email engagement

While implementing email integration, be sure to utilize email engagement features. Email engagement is important for many reasons. For example, it allows you to see when emails have been opened and read, and it will enable you to see when someone clicks a link, opens an attachment, or sends a reply. 

Email engagement goes hand-in-hand with email integration to help you save significant amounts of time by keeping you more organized and appraised of how well your email marketing is doing. 

Email templates 

Email templates are the best way to round out your email use for CRM. While it sounds repetitive, utilizing email templates can save you and your team time. Email templates save you and your team time because templates contain pre-filled information specified by your email marketing team, so they don’t spend time re-entering information for each type of email.

Template types are dependent on specific activities or triggers. Each type of trigger has its own template type that you can personalize. For example, you can choose when you want to send it and to which type of customer. 

Template examples include global templates for any product or marketing email, personal templates for your use only, as well as generic organizational templates that anyone can use.

Predictive analytics

When dealing with customer relationships and management, it’s ideal to have an idea of the big picture and how customers behave from the initial contact all the way through the sale. Knowing customer behavior helps you and your team predict future behavior and how you can connect with them through each stage in the customer journey.

Predictive analytics help you accurately forecast sales revenue to make informed decisions. When using your CRM, remember to use the predictive analytics capabilities to help you give your customers what they want before they know they want it.

Dashboards

You probably do already use your CRM dashboard. You may refer to it daily, and your team may also depend on the snapshot of data the dashboard CRM feature uses. However, you may still need to customize your dashboard or use it in a way that can benefit your team efficiently and effectively. 

When creating your CRM, it’s helpful to consider sales goals and KPIs and a deeper dive into these insights. For example, you can include closed deal data by team or region instead of just tracking your total sales.

Dashboards can bring better team alignment due to their ability to include more flexible analytics and more granular views. Just be sure to enable easier viewing of both high-level and granular data and business goals. 

Reports

CRMs typically have at least one reporting feature, most have several. Some reporting types that people overlook in their CRMs include customer service reports, sales performance reports, pipeline analysis reports, sales activity reports, and revenue forecast reports. These powerful tools help teams track performance and identify trends and patterns to make informed decisions. 

These decisions can range from how to allocate resources to how to optimize sales efforts. The mistake some people make is assuming that reporting is a one-time thing, but reporting is a continuous process changing with customer and business needs.

Voice recording and notes

If your customer service team hasn’t yet utilized notes, it’s time—especially voice recordings and notes. While automated entry is helpful, customer service folks can offer significant insight by adding their knowledge to the record. 

Having customer service teams enter their note data helps them deliver better support and also helps sales and marketing teams. For example, sometimes your customer service teams are the only people privy to customer preferences and unique requirements. Having notes in an easily accessible place where all can view their insights will prove invaluable for your business by creating personable service clients expect.

ALSO READ: The Only CRM Integration List You’ll Ever Need

Choosing the best CRM

CRM software solutions are improving and expanding at a rapid rate. As a result, more and more companies are offering CRM products. You can find the best CRM by following a few steps.

1. Define your business needs. Do you need better access to data, or do you need to increase your team’s efficiency? Do you need to increase leads or convert more? Answering questions like this will help narrow down what CRM tools you need to meet your goals. 
2. Identify your must-haves. What tools you need will depend on how you define your business needs in step one. Make a list of your absolute musts, and then your “nice to haves.” 
3. Identify which teams will use and access your CRM. Ask them what tools and features they’d like to have access to. 
4. Consider your budget. Determine how much and how often (monthly, yearly, etc.) you’d like to pay. Take a look at all options and plans. Make sure there are no hidden fees. 
5. Deduce if you want a cloud-based or an on-site CRM. 
6. Make sure the CRM is compatible with your current software. 
7. Find a reputable supplier who will offer customer service should you need it.

Once you work through all or most of the above steps, you’ll have a clearer idea of the type of CRM solutions and the functionality you’ll need.

Still looking to expand your knowledge in CRM solutions? Check out our guide on CRM Integrations: Everything You Need To Know.

FAQ

The post Top 7 CRM Functionality & Features You’re Not Using appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

CRM software centralizes and analyzes business and customer data, aiding sales, marketing, and customer service teams. Cloud-based CRM stores this data on the provider’s servers, allowing users to access it online. This eliminates the need for enterprises to host the software on-site, saving on resources. CRM cloud providers ensure data security in their data centers, and their systems offer automation, contact management, and valuable customer insights.

Our top five cloud-based CRM software picks offer a wide range of benefits for businesses with different CRM software needs. 

Our picks for the best cloud-based CRM software

Salesforce can be used by companies in any industry that want to streamline or enhance their sales functions. A customizable CRM available via cloud or local, Salesforce helps sales teams manage contacts and opportunities, track leads, forecast sales, and get insights into how they are performing. 

However, configuring and setting up Salesforce is complex, so it would be worthwhile for organizations that opt to use Salesforce to ensure that their leadership has experience with the application and understands what a good implementation looks like.

Also Read: Best CRMs for Small Business

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is Microsoft’s CRM group of five cloud-based applications: marketing, sales, customer service, field service, and project operations. Customers can buy individual applications or the entire suite, depending on their needs. Dynamics 365 also integrates with Microsoft Office 365 products, including Teams, Word, Outlook, and Excel.

Dynamics 365 offers companies performance metric tracking, real-time analytics, multi-channel relationship management tools, and artificial intelligence-based recommendations. Microsoft Dynamics offers advanced tools not offered by other CRM software vendors.

Also Read: FreshSales vs. amoCRM

HubSpot CRM allows salespeople to organize, manage, and track contacts to help them develop better relationships with their clients. HubSpot is great for sales teams that are new to CRM, particularly if they’re looking to leverage the application’s email marketing capability. HubSpot’s free plan is ideal for new businesses that need a simple platform for sales, marketing, and customer service.

Also read: Top Construction & Contractor CRM Software

Oracle NetSuite CRM, built on Oracle’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform, is well suited for e-commerce businesses that want to provide top-notch customer experiences. The NetSuite CRM module gives organizations of all sizes complete 360-degree views of their customers in real time. 

However, it is particularly well suited for midsize e-commerce companies that need a CRM system to help them better understand the shopping habits of their customers.

Zoho CRM allows organizations with remote and hybrid workforces to easily increase leads, accurately measure performance, and efficiently speed up the sales cycle. Zoho CRM is a good system for organizations with remote and hybrid workforces because it offers a gamification feature that fosters friendly competition.

Also Read: Zoho vs Salesforce

Pipedrive is a cloud-based CRM predominantly tailored for sales teams, emphasizing visual sales pipeline management. Its strengths lie in its user-friendly interface, automation capabilities, and seamless email integration. 

Compared to platforms like Salesforce, Pipedrive offers a more streamlined experience, making it ideal for businesses that want simplicity without the bells and whistles. However, unlike more comprehensive CRMs such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, it might lack certain advanced functionalities. While it’s excellent for tracking sales and managing contacts, larger enterprises with complex needs might find it limiting. 

Pipedrive is akin to HubSpot in its ease of use but doesn’t quite match the depth of features found in more extensive CRM systems.

Choosing the best cloud-based CRM solution

CRM cloud software is a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes in any industry that want to track sales, follow up with prospects, and manage customer relationships. 

Cloud-based CRM platforms come in all sizes, and they can be complicated and expensive to implement. The right solution depends on a company’s biggest CRM needs. For example, large e-commerce companies would do well to consider Oracle NetSuite CRM, while organizations that want to boost their sales functions would be better off opting for Salesforce.

Also Read: CRM Software Guide

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Square and PayPal are two popular names in payment processing. Both are great for quickly launching startups and accepting a wide variety of payment methods at a low cost. Not surprisingly, these similarities often result in a recurring Square vs PayPal debate over which is best for different business types.    

Below we take a closer look at Square and PayPal, how they work, what sets them apart, and when to choose one over the other.

Square and PayPal are just two of the many POS software providers in the industry. Check out other POS systems options on our list.

For the best value all-in-one POS and payment system, choose Square

For an easy-to-use, versatile online and mobile payment solution, choose PayPal

How are Square and PayPal different?

Square and PayPal are both small business favorites mainly for their ease of set up, free merchant account, and pay-as-you-go plan. That said, the two are popular for different reasons: 

Software type

Square is the go-to provider for all-in-one POS with built-in payment services. PayPal, on the other hand, is well-known as an online and mobile payment services provider. PayPal also has a POS software, but the system is simpler and lacks the versatile features of Square’s POS. Meanwhile, Square also offers online checkout, but the use is limited within Square’s e-commerce platform. 

PayPal’s mobile app doubles as a digital wallet and provides more functionality than Square’s; for example, it allows accepting and storing cryptocurrency and instant access to funds. The contrast between Square and PayPal’s primary software and use also makes the two providers cater slightly to two different types of small businesses. Square is more ideal for a brick-and-mortar setup while PayPal is the better choice for businesses that require mobility and wider online integrations.

Compatibility with sales platforms

Square is easy to set up because all the components are already integrated; even the hardware is configured and ready to use out of the box. The downside to this arrangement is that all the features only work with other Square products, so business growth is limited to Square’s capabilities. Square Payments, for example, is not available if you want to switch to Shopify’s e-commerce platform or Clover’s POS software.   

Meanwhile, PayPal’s advantage is that its payment services are designed to work with most online e-commerce platforms and some POS systems. This way, users can choose and replace e-commerce and POS platforms based on their business needs without giving up their PayPal account.  

Read more: Types of POS systems

Scalability

For large, enterprise-level businesses, Square focuses more on better in-house POS software capabilities combined with volume discounts for sales greater than $250,000/year. PayPal, on the other hand, offers support for wider payment processing functionalities such as global payments, payment optimization and orchestration, and network compliance.

Square vs PayPal: Pricing

When comparing PayPal vs Square fees, it’s important that we first make a clear distinction as to what is covered in their monthly account fees. 

Square’s monthly account fee is for its POS system. The built-in payment services feature is free, so users only have to pay the transaction fees every month. Meanwhile, PayPal’s monthly account fee is for its payment services. The mobile POS app Zettle is free but optional, and there are no available upgrades. 

This distinction, again, highlights the difference between PayPal vs Square target users. It also helps to better compare the two for cost-effectiveness. 

PayPal clearly offers slightly cheaper rates. However, unlike Square, PayPal’s payment processing fees are complex and include additional monthly charges for features, such as $30/month for using its virtual terminal and $25/month when using PayPal checkout with a third-party payment processor. 

Between the two, only Square users can upgrade to a paid industry-specific (retail, restaurant, and appointments) software plan. Only with Square can users get a volume discount, which, again, makes it the better choice for small businesses with steady sales.

Related reading: Best retail POS systems and best restaurant POS systems

Square vs PayPal: Payment services

Square and PayPal are equally outstanding in terms of payment services, so the choice ultimately boils down to which provider matches a user’s business needs better.

When to choose Square

Choose Square if you determine that its POS system, e-commerce platform, and other business management tools meet your business needs. This ensures that you can maximize what Square has to offer and avoid compatibility issues. Because while Square supports independent payment links that can be added to invoices, social media, and instant messaging platforms, its online checkout only works with the Square ecommerce platform. 

You should also choose Square if you need niche POS and payment services. For example, Square is compatible with healthcare services because it signs business associate agreements to ensure Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) compliance. Users planning to sell some form of CBD products can process sales via Square’s CBD program.

When to choose PayPal

Choose PayPal if you want more flexibility with integrations. PayPal offers a more flexible payment gateway than Square because PayPal’s online checkout service can be integrated with most e-commerce platforms and POS systems like Hike and Clover. Users who often process microtransactions, eChecks, cross-border, and cryptocurrency payments will do better with PayPal.

Does Square accept PayPal?

The quick answer is yes. Merchants using Square’s e-commerce platform can add PayPal payment methods without extra cost. PayPal charges its standard fees for Payflow Pro payment gateway, which includes a $25 monthly fee. 

Note that this feature will no longer be available to Square merchants in Canada after October 29, 2024.

Read more: Best credit card processors

Square vs PayPal: Point of sale

Square is clearly miles ahead of PayPal in both POS software and hardware. While both Square and PayPal offer a free POS software plan, Square can be upgraded to a paid plan that offers industry-specific features. It also comes with optional products such as payroll, marketing, and loyalty functionalities. 

Read more: Toast vs Square

Square’s POS hardware is also significantly more extensive than that of PayPal, as it offers both mobile and in-store countertop setup. Each proprietary Square countertop hardware comes with a built-in credit card reader/payment terminal.

When to choose PayPal POS

Choose PayPal if your priority is simple in-person sales and significantly lower transaction rates. The PayPal POS system is mobile-based, which can be downloaded onto a smart device and paired with PayPal’s mobile credit card reader. The POS software itself supports simple inventory management along with employee and customer management, as well as reporting tools. 

PayPal also offers better in-person rates and great discounts for the first mobile credit card reader, making it more ideal than Square for businesses looking for a simple mobile POS setup.

Read more: Best POS hardware

Square vs PayPal: Customer engagement

Building a customer base and keeping them engaged is a key factor for growing businesses. Square and PayPal’s customer engagement capabilities are different. Square has a more rounded set of features that allows users to connect with in-person and online customers, while PayPal excels in keeping online customers engaged. 

Both Square and PayPal offer multiple platforms for selling and accepting payments—on a website, on social media, via instant messaging, online invoicing, and in-person via mobile or in-store. However, only Square offers a fully integrated omnichannel selling feature for small businesses, primarily because it has a more defined in-person POS functionalities to work with its e-commerce platform.

When to choose PayPal

Meanwhile, PayPal’s checkout services can be integrated with a couple of POS systems (Hike and Clover), but PayPal’s POS software, Zettle, does not integrate with online stores that use PayPal checkout. Omnichannel features are available for larger businesses through developer coding and integrations.

Square also offers native loyalty management and rewards programs, while PayPal requires third-party integrations. Either option will require users to pay extra, so users looking for the easiest setup may prefer Square, but those that have a preferred third-party loyalty and rewards platform may opt for PayPal’s integrations. 

Read more: Lightspeed vs Shopify

Square vs PayPal: Risk management

Square and PayPal offer similar industry-standard risk management features. Both are Payment Card Industry (PCI) Level 1-compliant payment platforms equipped with machine-learning fraud protection tools and customizable filters.  

When to choose Square

For businesses on a budget, choose Square. Square Risk Manager is free to use and provides users with an array of customizable fraud monitoring and prevention tools. This includes 3D secure that routes the customer data to the card issuer for identity confirmation and a block list that can be used to flag future payments from suspicious card information, emails, and IP addresses. 

Square also provides a chargeback management platform where users can get notified and respond to customer chargeback claims from the merchant dashboard. 

Read more: Best POS Inventory System

When to choose PayPal

Choose PayPal if your business needs a more scalable solution. PayPal offers two risk management options. The basic fraud protection is free and is designed to stop potentially fraudulent transactions based on a set of fraud filters such as purchase price and item ceiling, shipping and billing mismatch, AVS and CVV fails, and IP address velocity. 

Advanced fraud protection that costs $10/month includes additional filters for international payments, USPS address validation, IP and email service provider validation, account number velocity, geolocation, and chargeback management platform.

Clearly, PayPal provides more custom fraud protection filters that are ideal for midsize to large businesses, particularly those that accept cross-border payments. However, these advanced tools, including chargeback management, cost an additional monthly fee. 

Square vs PayPal: Ease of use

Both Square and PayPal are popular for their ease of use, earning an identical user experience score of 4.69/5 in our evaluation. Both offer easy sign-up (with no merchant account application process required), easy setup (where users can start accepting payments in minutes), and easy-to-use interfaces. 

What makes Square stand out, however, is that most of the features needed to run a business are available within the Square ecosystem, and it offers hardware that can be readily used out of the box. Omnichannel sales are automatic for users intending to sell in-store, online, and on mobile.  

On the other hand, PayPal readily integrates with most online platforms, and its mobile app can accept more alternative payment methods. This makes PayPal a far better option for users selling online and on mobile.

Read more: How to use a POS system

Which is best?

Square and PayPal are both exceptional business platforms that are similar in a lot of ways but also distinct in some features. 

Square’s all-in-one platform makes it easy to launch any business, but the exclusivity of its features can limit the system’s ability to grow and keep up with business requirements as it grows.

PayPal’s versatile payment services platform gives users the flexibility to expand their business online; however, its POS software is basic and can be easily left behind by businesses with a growing demand for better POS functions. 

Related reading: Stripe vs Square and Stripe vs PayPal

Making your choice

When choosing between PayPal vs Square, it’s important to first consider your type of business. If your goal is to create and expand online sales, with or without an e-commerce website, then PayPal will likely be the right choice. However, if you have a brick-and-mortar business that requires a quick and cost-effective POS setup, then Square is the better option.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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A point-of-sale (POS) transaction is the process by which a customer pays a business for goods or services, from the initial payment prompt to the final fund transfers. Put simply, POS transactions are business-to-consumer (B2C) payments. 

POS transactions can take place in person through a card reader or POS system or online through a payment gateway. 

Learn more: What Is a POS System?

Types of POS transactions 

There are three different types of POS transactions, each requiring a different setup:

• In-person (card-present transactions): Customers pay using a physical credit card, debit card, or smart device. You’ll need a card reader or POS terminal. 
• Online (card-not-present transactions): Customers pay via your website or online portal. You’ll need a payment gateway. 
• Returns and refunds: These transactions reverse the original in-person or online transaction and typically use the same tech that was used for the initial sale. 

Key elements of a POS transaction

A successful POS transaction depends on both hardware and software components:

POS Hardware

The hardware for in-person POS transactions typically includes:

• Card readers
• Cash registers
• Receipt printers
• Barcode scanners
• Mobile devices (for mPOS) to accept payments on the go

Online transactions don’t typically require hardware. 

POS Software

You’ll need at least a basic point-of-sale system or virtual terminal to enter payments for in-store and in-person sales. 

For online transactions, businesses rely on e-commerce platforms, website builders, and payment gateways. 

You’ll also need:

• A payment processor that can accept multiple payment methods
• The customer’s source of funds used to purchase the products 

How a point of sale transaction works

A POS transaction begins when a customer checks out items they intend to purchase and ends when the sale is finalized. 

Here’s how it works: 

1. Customer selects products/services: The transaction starts when a customer clicks the “buy” button online or presents their items to the cashier for checkout. 
2. Customer enters payment information: For in-store transactions, customers swipe, dip, or tap a card, smartphone, or smartwatch. For online sales, the customer enters payment details using a digital wallet like Apple Pay or by manually entering the information. For online transactions, the payment gateway also encrypts the customer’s payment details for added security.
3. POS system or payment gateway processes the payment: The POS system (if in-store) or payment gateway (if online) communicates with your payment processor to verify and approve the transaction.
4. Transaction completion: Once the payment is approved, the POS system finalizes the sale, updates inventory, and adjusts the sales records.

Related: What is Payment Authorization?

Reconciling POS transactions

Updating records to reflect changes in sales, inventory, and revenue is a key part of any POS transaction. These records are usually housed in a POS, payment processing, accounting, or inventory system. 

Particularly, POS software typically reconcile:

• Inventory: Decreasing on-hand stock counts based on the transaction
• Sales records: Updating register or sales reports to reflect the transactions  
• Expense reports: Logging any cost of goods sold (COGS), taxes, and other fees 

For the easiest and most accurate POS transaction reconciliation, integrate your accounting software with your POS system. 

Accounting best practices for reconciling POS transactions

To further ensure accuracy and efficiency when managing POS transactions, keep the following accounting best practices in mind: 

• Establish a cash handling policy
• Create a regular schedule for reconciling POS records
• Consider the payment method used for the transactions
• Conduct inventory counts

Learn more: How to Use a POS System

Modern POS transaction methods

Just a few years ago, cashiers would simply ask, “Cash or card?” Nowadays, modern POS systems support a range of payment methods designed for customer convenience and security.

• Contactless payments (NFC): Near-field communication (NFC) enables customers to tap their chip-enabled card, phone, or smartwatch to complete the payment. NFC payments are quick and extremely secure.
• Digital wallets: Popular digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay allow customers to make purchases using their smartphones or smartwatches. 
• EMV chip cards: Chip cards offer enhanced security by generating unique transaction codes for each sale.

These options are highly secure (more so than swipe payments) and are popular with today’s consumers. 

Learn more: How to Accept Payments Online

POS transaction challenges & solutions

Businesses have been using POS systems and processing POS transactions for decades, and their benefits have long been established. However, even as technology advances, there are still challenges to using the system.

Compliance 

• Legality: This includes managing POS transactions where certain products are heavily regulated. It also refers to certain payment methods that involve additional compliance requirements such as surcharging. 
• Security: Merchants are expected to maintain Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance to protect customers’ personal, financial, and sensitive information (such as PIN codes).
• Taxes: Local government expects merchants to file accurate tax returns on their POS transactions on time. 

The solution: Work with a payment processing service that can assist you with PCI compliance. Integrate your account software with your POS to improve record keeping and report-generating automations and minimize human error.

Related: What Is Payment Security?

Accuracy 

• Manual errors: POS transactions are repetitive and susceptible to human error. This can come anywhere from reconciling daily transactions to adjusting sales and inventory.
• Timeliness: The sheer volume of transactions that businesses need to record and manage can take time. Some records may not be updated, especially if you sell on multiple channels or locations.

The solution: Use POS software that maximizes automation for record keeping. You should also use a cloud-based system that can update business records in real time.

Cost

• Upfront investment: Some POS systems can require a significant investment in software, hardware, and payment processing. Physical setups for a POS system can also be costly.
• Ongoing cost: As your business grows, you will need software and hardware upgrades for your POS system, which can stack up and become expensive. This includes additional monthly fees for upgraded software and payment processing, as well as maintenance fees for your hardware.

The solution: Start your business with an all-in-one POS system that offers a free plan. You should be able to find feature-rich, even industry providers developed on a mobile-based platform such as iOS and Android that can cost significantly less. Also, look for providers that offer hardware payment plans or subscriptions that bundle hardware and or payment processing to get the most out of your upfront investment. 

Finally, look for a provider that scales their plans so you have the option to pay only for features you currently need while also having add-ons available that seamlessly integrate with your basic setup as your business grows.

Learn more: POS System Costs

Transaction fees and costs

POS transaction costs can vary based on the type of payment processed. Here’s a quick overview:

• In-person transaction fees: Merchants pay a small fee for each in-person transaction, typically a percentage of the sale, between 2% and 3%. 
• Online transaction fees: Online POS transaction fees are higher than in-person ones and typically range from 2.5% to 4%. 

Learn more: Complete Guide to Credit Card Processing Fees

FAQs

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Top 32 interview questions to ask candidates

The average time-to-hire across industries in 2024 is around 44 days from job posting to the candidate’s offer acceptance. That’s likely propelled by the fact that recruitment teams are under tight deadlines when filling open positions, even if they use contemporary strategies like social recruiting to increase their candidate pool. 

However, the focus on sticking to a short timeline can pull focus from what really matters during the interview process: effectively evaluating candidates for a role and limiting the chance for unconscious bias. 

That’s why I suggest using the following questions as a framework for getting started. Be sure to adapt to the questions to your specific company and industry.

Situational questions

Situational questions help you assess how the candidate responds to a hypothetical situation. Try to keep these prompts as relevant to the actual role as possible so you can give the candidate a more detailed picture of the role’s day-to-day.

1. Imagine you’re leading a project that’s falling behind schedule. How would you handle the situation? This question assesses the candidate’s prioritization and project management skills, as well as their ability to solve problems under pressure.
2. Suppose a client is unhappy with a product or service we’ve provided. What would you do?  Discover how the candidate behaves in client-facing situations in addition to their problem-solving skills.
3. If you were given a task outside of your area of expertise, how would you approach it? This tests the candidate’s adaptability and willingness to learn when faced with an unfamiliar challenge.
4. What would you do if you were tasked with implementing a new process you believe is flawed? See how well or how often the candidate exercises critical thinking skills and if they can constructively challenge new ideas.
5. If you realized a mistake in your work had negatively impacted the team’s results, what would you do? This is designed to test the candidate’s integrity and explore how well the candidate can take accountability.
6. Imagine you’ve been asked to give a presentation on a topic you’re not entirely familiar with. How would you prepare? I encourage you to make this question as specific as possible for your industry or company. This helps you identify the candidate’s research skills and ability to learn quickly.
7. If you were assigned to lead a team where one member is consistently underperforming, how would you address it? Get a better understanding of the candidate’s approach to performance management and ability to provide constructive feedback.
8. Imagine if you have conflicting deadlines for two important projects. How would you handle that? Discover how the candidate communicates and manages expectations, as well as their prioritization skills.

Behavioral questions

It’s easy to confuse behavioral questions with situational questions, but here’s the main difference: Behavioral questions tend to focus on scenarios in the past, while situational questions tend to be hypothetical “what ifs” designed to see how the candidate can think on their feet. Use these nine behavioral questions to encourage the interviewee to think critically about how their previous work experience has impacted them as a professional today.

9. Talk about a time when you were asked to do something you had never done before. How did you respond?  This question helps interviewers assess how well the candidate does outside of their comfort zone and how open they are to learning from failure.
10. Describe a time when you had to adapt to rapidly changing technology or industry trends. What was your approach? This is extremely relevant with the recent explosion of AI, but it also invites the candidate to demonstrate their industry knowledge.
11. Can you share an example of a project where you had to collaborate with a cross-functional team? This tests the candidate’s ability to work with diverse stakeholders and understand how their work contributes to a greater whole.
12. Can you talk about a time when you were communicating with a team member and they didn’t understand you? If you’re hiring for a managerial role, this type of question is particularly important as it helps you assess how the candidate adapts to different communication styles.
13. Can you describe a time when your manager wasn’t around, and a pressing problem arose? This is key to understanding the candidate’s ability to rise to the occasion and fill a manager’s shoes.
14. Can you tell me about a time when a coworker came to you with concerns about your team’s processes? This gives you a sense of how well the candidate functions and communicates as part of a team.
15. Can you share a situation when you had to work under a tight deadline? This helps you assess the candidate’s prioritization skills.
16. When was the last time you had to delegate an important task? See how the candidate communicates instructions, deadlines, and expectations, as well as how ready they are to answer clarifying questions.

Technical questions

These questions aim to determine a candidate’s knowledge of the hard skills needed for the open role. For instance, a payroll specialist might be asked about how shift differentials affect overtime calculations, an HR specialist might be asked about measuring employee engagement, and a nurse might be asked to interpret doctor’s notes and codes. I tried to keep these questions non-specific so you can apply them to virtually any role.

17. How do you keep your technical skills current?  This is a broad question, but it helps you assess how invested the candidate is in their own development.
18. Can you describe a troubleshooting process you’d follow for a crashing program? This is a key question for software engineers and developers who are so often tasked with problem-solving in a crisis.
19. What is your field of expertise, and what would you like to learn more about? Here, the candidate should talk specifically about the technologies, innovations, trends, or world events that will impact their role in the future.
20. Can you talk about a time when you had to explain something technical to a non-technical audience? See how well the interviewee can communicate and collaborate with a cross-functional team that isn’t entirely composed of technically skilled professionals.
21. How would you troubleshoot an issue with a process or system that’s currently in use? For instance, you can test the software developer’s understanding of debugging techniques that don’t disrupt active systems. However, you can also adapt this question to any role requiring candidates to think more strategically.
22. Have you implemented improvements to an existing process? What were they, and how did you implement them? This helps you understand candidate initiative and their own process for suggesting and making improvements to company procedures or systems.
23. Where do you place most of your focus when reviewing someone else’s work? This question can test job-specific knowledge as well as prioritization abilities and attention to detail.
24. How do you handle tight deadlines? See how well the candidate works within the constraints of the agile or scrum frameworks, which help them push projects over the line more efficiently.

Culture-add questions

A solid company culture is the engine that drives collaboration and facilitates healthy work experiences, which is why it’s so important to include culture-related questions in an interview. Still, it’s important to be clear about your intentions for asking these questions. If you’re looking for a culture fit only, you’re looking for a candidate whose beliefs, behaviors, and values align with those of your organization, and that can stifle diversity. That’s why it’s important to expand beyond culture-fit questions to assess if the candidate is a culture add, someone who brings new perspectives and enriches the culture with diverse and new ideas. 

25. What does your ideal work environment look like? This prompts the candidate to talk about work style preferences, team dynamics, and their philosophy on leadership and management.
26. How do you prefer to be managed? Invite the candidate to be a bit more specific about positive experiences they’ve had with managers in the past.
27. What attracts you to our company? Rather than expecting the candidate to give you the “right” answer here, approach this question with genuine curiosity. Assess how deeply the candidate thinks about what they can bring to the table.
28. Which aspects of our culture resonate with you? Encourage the candidate to explore your company values on their own terms.
29. How do you collaborate with individuals who have different perspectives? If the candidate shows excitement about working with a diverse team, that’s a good sign.
30. What distinctive viewpoints can you contribute to our team? This invites the interviewee to be more direct about how they can impact your team culture.
31. Describe a situation where you challenged the status quo. What was the result? See how the interviewee talks about values like innovation, critical thinking, and being proactive in their communication.
32. How would you contribute to making our workplace more inclusive? It’s important the candidate is thinking about how they can improve on your current culture, especially if they’re interviewing for a managerial position.

Breaking down bias: Why strategic interview questions matter 

I understand why recruitment stakeholders want to make the job interview process feel like an informal conversation. It puts the candidate at ease and encourages them to speak more honestly and extemporaneously, gently urging them to think on their feet, which is an essential soft skill. While the intention is admirable, this informal interview practice is a breeding ground for bias. Let’s break down how that looks in practice with a few statistics:

• Research from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology found that employers have a tendency to overemphasize “gut instinct,” putting too much stock in their ability to evaluate a candidate based on a casual, unstructured conversation. 
• 42% of women say they’ve encountered gender-biased or inappropriate questions during a job interview, and 41% of women said they’ve felt discriminated against due to gender, according to a report from Muse and RecruitmentMarketing.com. 
• In the Unpacking Name-Based Race Discrimination study of all 50 U.S. states, researchers found that candidates with names perceived as Black were less likely to even get an interview, highlighting how strong a role bias can play even at the application screening stage.

That’s why I recommend “sticking to a script” by using a structured hiring technique. It keeps your biggest priority front and center—hiring a candidate who’ll excel in the role, regardless of their personal background. Putting a list of strategic interview questions also makes it easier to loop other stakeholders in the process so they can help you, the interviewer, develop questions that truly test the candidate based on skills, not the character or physical traits that are out of their control.

The best interview practices, according to experts

Structured interviews are vital to combating bias and making the interview process more efficient. But how can you get the best candidates energized about working for your company and attract top talent? Follow these expert practices:

Be prepared for the next time you screen candidates. Learn from this comprehensive guide on How to Conduct a Job Interview.

Interview questions FAQs

The post Best 32 Interview Questions to Ask Candidates appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

If you run a small business, manage a team of freelancers, or sell at events, having a reliable credit card readers for your iPhone can make all the difference. You want to take payments easily without worrying about complicated hardware, downtime, or hidden fees. 

After evaluating ten of the top solutions on the market today, we narrowed our list down to the five best credit card readers for iPhone that cover all the bases: 

This guide will walk you through the best iPhone credit card readers. You’ll get a breakdown of how these readers connect to your iPhone, what apps they work with, and what fees you can expect.

Best credit card reader for iPhone compared

Also read: Best Cloud POS Systems

Also read: Lightspeed vs. Shopify: Best POS Systems

Also read: Square vs. Shopify: Which is Best for Your Business

Key features of iPhone credit card readers

When choosing the right credit card reader for your iPhone, you’ll want to focus on a few key features that can make your life easier and ensure smooth transactions. Here are some fundamental points to consider:

Payment types: Look for readers that accept a variety of payments, including chip cards (EMV), contactless payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and magstripe cards (though these are becoming less and less common). 

POS app: The app should handle transactions and offer business tools like inventory management, invoicing, and customer engagement features (e.g., Square POS, Shopify POS). Additionally, many corresponding POS apps have Tap to Pay, so you can accept contactless payments even without hardware. If you take orders over the phone, you may also want to check if the app allows you to manually key-in payments. 

Connectivity: Most readers connect via Bluetooth for wireless use, though some budget options may require a plug-in format like a headphone jack or Lightning connector.

Battery life: Bluetooth-enabled readers generally last all day on a single charge, while plug-in readers don’t require charging. Either way, most card readers list how many transactions they can run on a single charge and how long it takes to charge the battery. Make sure the option you choose can handle your typical transaction volume, and/or has a portable charger that works with your setup. 

Transaction fees and costs: Expect to pay a flat fee per transaction, around 2.6% + $0.10 for card-present payments, with most providers offering no monthly fees. However, it’s always a good idea to shop around for the lowest rates. And, of course, consider contract terms and whether the card reader comes with an annual contract, or if you’ll be able to use it as-needed with no obligations. 

Choosing which solution is best for your business

Square is a go-to option for a versatile, all-in-one solution. Its easy-to-use hardware, competitive pricing, and POS app make it ideal for small businesses that need flexibility and scalability. 

If your focus is on e-commerce, especially if you’re using Shopify, the Shopify reader is a seamless choice for managing both in-person and online sales in one system.

For businesses on a budget, SumUp offers an affordable option without sacrificing reliability. Meanwhile, Clover Go and Stripe M2 are excellent for those who need fast payouts or already use specific payment processors. 

When choosing the right card reader for iPhone for your specific business needs, remember, your decision will depend on your payment volume, types of transactions, and integration needs. By evaluating these factors, you’ll find the solution for you and your team.

FAQs

The post 5 Best Credit Card Readers for iPhone appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

Two critical security flaws impacting the Spam protection, Anti-Spam, and FireWall plugin WordPress could allow an unauthenticated attacker to install and enable malicious plugins on susceptible sites and potentially achieve remote code execution. The vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2024-10542 and CVE-2024-10781, carry a CVSS score of 9.8 out of a maximum of 10.0. They were addressed in versions

When CVEs go viral, separating critical vulnerabilities from the noise is essential to protecting your organization. That’s why Intruder, a leader in attack surface management, built Intel - a free vulnerability intelligence platform designed to help you act fast and prioritize real threats. What is Intel? Intel was created to fill a gap in the resources available for tracking emerging

The Russia-aligned threat actor known as RomCom has been linked to the zero-day exploitation of two security flaws, one in Mozilla Firefox and the other in Microsoft Windows, as part of attacks designed to deliver the eponymous backdoor on victim systems. "In a successful attack, if a victim browses a web page containing the exploit, an adversary can run arbitrary code – without any user

The China-linked threat actor known as Earth Estries has been observed using a previously undocumented backdoor called GHOSTSPIDER as part of its attacks targeting Southeast Asian telecommunications companies.  Trend Micro, which described the hacking group as an aggressive advanced persistent threat (APT), said the intrusions also involved the use of another cross-platform backdoor dubbed

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Monday added a now-patched critical security flaw impacting Array Networks AG and vxAG secure access gateways to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog following reports of active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-28461 (CVSS score: 9.8), concerns a case of missing authentication that

Google has introduced a new feature called Restore Credentials to help users restore their account access to third-party apps securely after migrating to a new Android device. Part of Android's Credential Manager API, the feature aims to reduce the hassle of re-entering the login credentials for every app during the handset replacement. "With Restore Credentials, apps can seamlessly onboard

The administrators of the Python Package Index (PyPI) repository have quarantined the package "aiocpa" following a new update that included malicious code to exfiltrate private keys via Telegram. The package in question is described as a synchronous and asynchronous Crypto Pay API client. The package, originally released in September 2024, has been downloaded 12,100 times to date. By putting the

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Government agencies and non-governmental organizations in the United States have become the target of a nascent China state threat actor known as Storm-2077. The adversary, believed to be active since at least January 2024, has also conducted cyber attacks against the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), aviation, telecommunications, and financial and legal services across the world, Microsoft said.

The North Korea-linked threat actor known as Sapphire Sleet is estimated to have stolen more than $10 million worth of cryptocurrency as part of social engineering campaigns orchestrated over a six-month period. These findings come from Microsoft, which said that multiple threat activity clusters with ties to the country have been observed creating fake profiles on LinkedIn, posing as both

The threat actor known as Mysterious Elephant has been observed using an advanced version of malware called Asyncshell. The attack campaign is said to have used Hajj-themed lures to trick victims into executing a malicious payload under the guise of a Microsoft Compiled HTML Help (CHM) file, the Knownsec 404 team said in an analysis published today. Mysterious Elephant, which is also known as

A China-linked nation-state group called TAG-112 compromised Tibetan media and university websites in a new cyber espionage campaign designed to facilitate the delivery of the Cobalt Strike post-exploitation toolkit for follow-on information collection. "The attackers embedded malicious JavaScript in these sites, which spoofed a TLS certificate error to trick visitors into downloading a

What is open enrollment for benefits

Open enrollment is an annual period when your employees can elect or make changes to their benefit plans, such as health, dental, vision, pet, or life insurance. Employees may also enroll or change retirement, short-term disability, or long-term disability benefits. 

This applies to benefits offered through your company or on the insurance marketplace through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Further, the ACA requires covered employers to offer health insurance to employees working full-time (defined as 30 or more hours per week). It also sets up a public marketplace where people can shop for coverage and receive subsidies based on their income level.

Outside of open enrollment, employees are generally only allowed to modify their core benefits, such as health insurance, when they experience a qualifying event. Qualifying events include getting married, having a child, or starting a new job.

Who is eligible for open enrollment?

You’ll want to cover any employee who is eligible for benefits in your open enrollment process, including those who are currently enrolled in benefits such as health insurance through your company. The exact eligibility guidelines will depend on your company policies and applicable laws. For example, employees may need to work a certain number of hours per week or be employed for a specific amount of time before becoming eligible for benefits.

Applicable large employers (ALEs) need to follow the ACA, which requires offering affordable health plans to employees who work an average of 30 hours a week after one year. Employers must also provide health coverage to eligible employees under state laws. Otherwise, your company determines eligibility criteria (such as waiting periods or employee roles). Whatever you decide needs to be applied equally to all employees in the same situation.

Open enrollment dates and deadlines for 2025

Employer open enrollment deadlines can vary. Check with your healthcare brokers or providers to see if they have any specific deadlines for annual open enrollment. While most employers conduct open enrollment towards the end of the year, some also follow their fiscal year and conduct open enrollment mid-year. This may be beneficial for budgeting purposes, such as working new benefits offerings into your annual budget. 

However, it is generally better for employees if you schedule open enrollment during the traditional end-of-year period so that they can evaluate all of their options, such as their spouses’ employer-sponsored insurance or marketplace plans.

You’ll typically want to schedule your open enrollment around the same time period as your state’s ACA marketplace open enrollment window so employees can evaluate all of their options for coverage. The ACA enrollment window also often coincides with health insurance providers’ open enrollment periods since many insurance companies provide coverage through the public marketplace and employer-sponsored coverage. Review the key dates below for each enrollment type and state.

• Medicare coverage enrollment: November 1 to January 15 (for most states).
• Medicare Advantage plan enrollment: January 1 to March 31.
• ACA marketplace: November 1 to January 15 (for most states).

The ACA marketplace and Medicare open enrollment period takes place from November 1 to January 15, as listed above. For some states, below are the special open enrollment period dates.

State	ACA open enrollment dates
California	Nov. 1 to Jan. 31
Idaho	Oct. 15 to Dec. 15
Maryland	Nov. 1 to Dec. 15
Massachusetts	Nov. 1 to Jan. 23
New Jersey	Nov. 1 to Jan. 31
New York	Nov. 16 to Jan. 31
Rhode Island	Nov. 1 to Jan. 31
Washington, D.C.	Nov. 1 to Jan. 31

Employees will also need to pay attention to deadlines for coverage to begin on January 1st. In most states, you’ll need to enroll by December 15 for coverage to begin on January 1. Later registrations will result in coverage starting on February 1. 

Preparing for a successful open enrollment

Here are some key things to do to set yourself up for success during your open enrollment period. 

Plan ahead

Try to prepare as far as possible for open enrollment, particularly if you’re planning to add benefits offerings or change brokers. Larger companies often start planning three to six months out to allow plenty of time to assess their options and set up contracts with benefits providers.

Review legal changes

Before open enrollment, check in and see if there are any legal changes or compliance issues that may impact your open enrollment period. If you’re running a smaller, growing business, this is a good time to tally your employee headcount, as that may impact the resources and requirements that will apply to you in terms of ACA compliance.

You’ll also want to consider any new regions where you’re employing people. Offering global benefits in new territories or even in new states can come with fresh legal considerations. 

Understand employees’ priorities

Every employee group is different, so it’s important to tailor your benefits package and healthcare coverage options to your employees’ unique needs and priorities. You’ll want to survey employees and collect feedback on their priorities and which fringe benefits will be most impactful to them. For example:

• New families may appreciate learning about benefit plans with extensive pediatric coverage or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) that cover childcare expenses. 
• Workers nearing retirement may care most about retirement savings plans and financial wellness benefits that can support them in planning ahead.
• Those in cities may appreciate commuter benefits to help them cover transit expenses or higher parking costs.

You can use employee survey tools like SurveySparrow or Zoho Survey to easily collect this data digitally and then analyze it to decide what benefits to offer. Keep in mind that priorities will vary, and it’s alright to choose a few voluntary benefits tailored to different portions of your employee base. If someone doesn’t need fringe benefits like a dependent care FSA, they can decline the benefit. These voluntary benefits can still strengthen your benefits package and improve employee satisfaction and retention while often costing less due to lower participation.

Explore coverage options

Before employees make their selections for benefits during the enrollment period, you’ll need to select what health insurance plan types and other benefits you want to offer.

One of the best things that you can do to improve your employee benefits package and open enrollment process is to offer a wider range of plan options for health insurance coverage. There are a variety of plan types to choose from, including different tiers within each category. Health insurance coverage options include:

Open enrollment tips

An effective open enrollment process can mitigate the confusion surrounding benefit choices for your employees and increase engagement. By following the tips below, employers can get a jumpstart on their open enrollment policies and procedures. 

Communicate benefits options effectively

It’s important to properly educate your employees on key benefits changes and open enrollment deadlines. Even employees already enrolled in benefits should still be made aware of any new offerings and have the opportunity to change their selections for the upcoming plan year.

Employers should use communication methods that best target their workforce. Communication strategies include:

• Virtual benefit fairs or webinars: Reach remote employees with online benefits overviews from your team or the vendors. 
• One-on-one sessions with HR: Give workers with complex life concerns the opportunity to discuss benefit options that cover their particular circumstances with individual sessions. 
• Information packets: Give employees written overviews, comparisons, and benefit explanations to help those who learn best through reading or need materials to take home to look at with their spouse.

It’s important to communicate clearly and offer plenty of opportunities for employees to get more hands-on assistance. Also, give employees a heads-up on whether they’ll be automatically re-enrolled in their current plan if they don’t make a new selection. Many employers and HR software programs will automatically carry over the employee’s prior plan selections if they don’t submit any changes.

Streamline the process with benefits administration software

Your benefits administration software and other decision support tools can make the open enrollment process easier for you and your employees. Benefits administration software reduces the time needed for employers to manually enroll employees in benefit programs by allowing employees access to online self-service portals. Further, benefits software can better guide your employees through their benefits selections and paperless enrollment. Platforms like Rippling also make it easier for employees to review their options and compare costs and coverage.

Lastly, benefits software also makes it easier to track employee participation and send out notifications to those who have not made enrollment selections yet. This reduces the headache of manually tracking who has turned in their enrollment forms or dealing with employees coming to you after the deadline saying that they forgot to submit their selections.

Also read: 7 Questions to Consider Before Choosing a Benefits Administration System

Open enrollment FAQs

The post What is Open Enrollment? Tips & Strategies for Employers (2025) appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

Over the years, I’ve seen Android POS systems evolve into some of the most adaptable and accessible business tools on the market. Today’s Android POS offers straightforward setup, seamless connectivity, and compatibility with most smart devices, making it appealing to both new entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners.

Here are my recommendations for the best Android POS systems of 2024:

Note that all providers on this list are highly rated on Google Play by real life users and compatible with most Android POS hardware.

Best Android POS systems compared

* Such as barcode scanners, cash registers, receipt printers, weighing scales, customer display, and kitchen display systems that run on an Android operating system.

Did you know? The Android operating system (OS) is built on an open-source platform that developers use to create proprietary business systems. So, there are many POS software that run on Android. For example, the popular restaurant POS software Toast is Android-based, though you can’t download the software for free on Google Play. 

Many POS hardware peripherals are also built using the Android OS and are, by default, compatible with any POS software that runs on an Android device. 

Read more: Types of POS systems

Key features of Android POS systems

The nature of the Android OS provides users with a simpler setup, better connectivity, and easier management than other operating software, which is why the two main features of Android POS systems are flexibility and mobility. That said, it’s also important to consider value-for-money features tailored to different business types. 

So when choosing an Android POS system, be sure to look for the following key features:

Software compatibility

By default, Android POS software should be able to work seamlessly with most Android-based POS hardware. That said, you should still make sure to choose one that’s compatible with the Android operating software version installed on your smartphone or tablet. Because while you may be able to run the current platform on an older Android device, there is a big risk that software updates may not be supported.

Card reader reliability

While Android systems are highly compatible, some providers still experience frequent failed transactions due to faulty hardware. Before choosing a provider, research card reader feedback from real-life users on the Google Play Store and other third-party review sites. 

Seamless payment processing

Like any top-tier POS system, Android POS software offers seamless payment processing, whether as a built-in feature or a third-party integration. Choose a provider that supports most payment methods, including contactless payments from Android-based smart devices.

Offline mode

Customer checkout should not be interrupted in cases of temporary internet downtime. The system can keep a record of transactions that will be processed once connectivity is restored.

Business management features

The system supports key POS features such as inventory, customer management, marketing, and reporting tools. It should also be compatible with third party business platform integrations built on an Android OS to help scale the POS system as the business grows.

Regularly updated software

The POS software is regularly updated with little to no downtime to business operations. Updates are also properly documented and available for feedback on the Google Play platform.

Read more: How much do POS systems cost?

Choosing the best Android POS system

The Android operating system is built on an open-source platform, so it’s no surprise that there are many payment and POS software built on Android. That said, the best Android POS for your business should match your business model and fulfill your specific goals.  

In general, your Android POS should be able to: 

• Run on your Android smartphone or tablet
• Provide a card reader that seamlessly connects with your Android smartphone or tablet
• Offer both a mobile and countertop setup
• Integrate seamlessly with other Android-based POS hardware peripherals
• Easily update with no additional cost and little to zero downtime

With this in mind, I recommend the following:

Square is the all around best value Android-based POS system for small and new businesses. It offers the most feature-rich free plan that includes industry-specific software plus hardware you can build around your Android tablet and card reader. 

Loyverse is a standout for quick service restaurants and food retailers. It provides an impressive set of inventory management tools, plus free loyalty and kitchen display system. Loyverse also supports a full list of Android-based hardware. 

Shopify POS is the best choice for ecommerce retailers. It offers excellent omnichannel management tools and supports full Android-based POS hardware. 

Clover is an excellent alternative for business savvy entrepreneurs who want better control of business costs. The system is available from a number of popular payment service providers with varying rates to choose from. Third party vendors offer Android compatible hardware peripherals to build around your Clover card reader and tablet.

Vagaro is my top recommendation for Android-based appointment and scheduling POS software. The system offers a complete suite of software, hardware, ecommerce, and payment services, plus marketing, payroll, and order fulfillment tools for an easy all-in-one setup.

FAQs

The post The Best Android POS Systems appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

As businesses use their point-of-sale (POS) system, the software becomes a significant source of business information. Today’s POS software includes analytics features that transform this raw information into insights on consumer behavior, sales trends, inventory management, and even employee performance.

This article covers what POS data is, how it works, and how to generate insights from analytics to stay on top of business goals. 

What is POS data?

Point of sale (POS) data captures transaction details within POS software, including customer information, inventory movement, and employee performance. Additional business management integrations, such as marketing, loyalty, shipping, and payments, can collect additional data, adding to this holistic view. By default, POS software is equipped to generate reports for this data. 

Types of POS data

Key types of data available from POS software include: 

• Sales data: Reveals what items are getting sold or left behind. It tracks sales trends over time, helping you understand seasonal patterns, product popularity, and even the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
• Customer data: Includes information about who is buying your products or services. This can range from basic demographics to more detailed purchasing histories. 
• Inventory data: Records available inventory and its movement. It shows what inventory you have, what you need, and what you could do without. 
• Payment data: A record of all payments processed for every transaction. This encompasses different payment methods like cash, credit/debit cards, or digital wallets. 

Related:What is a POS system?

How to analyze point-of-sale data 

Unlike basic reports that only produce a consolidated list of similar data, POS analytics combines different data sets to help paint a bigger picture. 

Turning these analytics into actionable business strategies involves several steps:

1. Defining clear objectives and KPIs: Start with clear goals and key performance indicators to guide your analysis.
2. Gathering and measuring data: Choose relevant reports and filter them by criteria like date ranges. Analyze this data over time to establish benchmarks and identify patterns and trends.
3. Applying context to data: Consider contextual factors like seasonal changes, competitor actions, and market trends to understand the story behind the numbers.
4. Utilizing advanced technologies: Embrace technologies like big data analytics and predictive modeling to enhance the depth and accuracy of your analysis.
5. Creating strategies based on insights: Use the insights from your analysis to inform various business strategies, including inventory management, marketing efforts, and operational improvements.

Challenges in gathering data

Gathering data for POS analysis does not come without difficulties. Below are a number of challenges plus solutions to consider:

Techniques for applying context to data 

POS analytics are only helpful if your business is able to use the data to make strategic business decisions that positively impact the bottom line. 

So, here’s a crash course on the key data points to consider: 

Inventory reporting and analysis: This involves tracking inventory status with detailed reports showing sales-to-stock ratios, weeks-of-supply, in-stock percentages, and more. It helps in making informed decisions regarding inventory management, ensuring that products are well-stocked and aligned with demand.

Multi-retailer data analysis: This type of analysis provides insights into product performance across different geographies and retailers. It answers critical questions about customer preferences and product performance in various locations, which can inform marketing and distribution strategies.

Sales key performance indicators (KPIs): Analyzing sales data and KPIs can give a comprehensive view of store performance, including year-over-year comparisons. This analysis helps identify top and bottom-performing stores and informs decisions on product placement and marketing strategies.

Analysis of returns, exchanges, and refunds: Monitoring these activities can reveal trends in customer preferences and product performance. This analysis can lead to strategic decisions like removing certain products from shelves or adjusting marketing strategies.

Employee KPIs: POS analytics can also be used to track and assess staff productivity, using metrics like transaction speed, average ticket value, and upselling success. This data helps in identifying training needs and rewarding high performers.

ROI analysis: Evaluating the return on investment for various business activities, based on the data gathered by POS systems, can optimize business operations and improve profitability.

Related: How to use a POS system

Benefits of leveraging POS data to grow your business 

POS analytics transforms raw data into actionable insights that can drive smarter business strategies, such as: 

• Data-driven decision making
• Personalized customer experiences
• Streamlined inventory management
• Goal-oriented planning
• Operational efficiency
• Streamlined marketing strategy

Ultimately, POS analytics empowers businesses with data-driven decision-making. Every decision, from product placement to promotions, is based on reliable data. Analyzing POS data helps identify trends and patterns, such as seasonal fluctuations, shifts in the market, or changes in consumer behavior. By spotting these trends, businesses can adapt to take advantage of new opportunities and stay competitive.

POS analytics can also help optimize operational aspects, such as staffing requirements for peak shopping hours, smarter resource allocation, and purchasing decisions. Insights into product demand help minimize waste and ensure popular items are in stock, which also improves the consumer experience.  

Finally, POS analytics reveals customer buying patterns and preferences, allowing businesses to tailor offerings, increase customer loyalty, and boost sales through personalization. POS data can also reveal which marketing efforts are effective, resulting in targeted campaigns that resonate with customers and drive sales. 

Related: How much does a POS system cost?

Integrating POS data with other business systems

POS data can be very limited on its own without any integration with other business systems to create relevant and timely insights. That is why the key to maximizing POS analytics is to integrate your other business systems with your POS software.  

While ideal, it’s not unusual for businesses, particularly SMBs, to encounter challenges in implementing these upgrades. This includes:

• Budget constraints
• Scaling data analysis with organizational growth 

Thankfully, several POS systems come with built-in analytics tools and support a wide variety of integration options for every business type.

Some key business platform integrations include:

Customer relationship management (CRM) software

Without your CRM, your POS data analytics will not have access to your customer profile and sales history which ultimately helps in generating key trends in sales, inventory movement, and even payment preferences.

E-commerce and other sales platforms

If you run a multichannel business, it’s important to integrate all your selling platforms into a single system connected to your POS analytics. Your sales and inventory analytics will be limited without this integration, but with it, you get additional insights into customer behavior and inventory.  

Industry-specific software

Some business types and sizes demand more advanced features, such as vendor management, appointment setting, shipping, and kitchen display systems for restaurants. Integrating this into your POS analytics platform helps create a more tailored analysis of your business’s performance. 

Accounting software

Your business financials are a key resource for POS data in analyzing business health. When integrated, your analytics platform can provide insights such as which activities are contributing heavily to expenses, whether your accounts receivable activities are efficient, and whether there are better ways to accept payments.

Our recommendations: Best accounting software for business

As technology continues to advance, and AI becomes increasingly interwoven in all business processes. So will the capabilities of POS systems. Even today, POS systems are more intelligent, interconnected, and capable of delivering insights that are both predictive and prescriptive. Not only do analytics provide businesses with trends, but also generate actionable recommendations on how to respond to these insights effectively.

Learn more: How to use AI in data analysis

FAQs

The post Understanding POS Data: Unlocking Insights for Your Business appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

Using your mobile phone or an iPad as point-of-sale (POS) hardware can be convenient, but it might not be the ideal situation for some businesses. Choosing the best POS hardware comes down to finding the right pieces for your needs, whether you work in a busy restaurant, a brick-and-mortar retail shop, or pop-up shops in multiple towns. After carefully considering features, durability, and pricing, we picked the best POS hardware for various small businesses.

Best POS hardware at a glance

Related: What is a POS system?

Key Components and Features of POS Hardware

There are many types of POS hardware you should consider adding to your POS system stack such as barcode scanners, kitchen display systems (KDS), receipt printers, and cash drawers. Most of these hardware components would be essentially useless without the core piece of any POS system: the terminal. It’s the terminal that includes key features that allow you to accept payments and track sales.

Here’s what you can usually do with POS terminals:  

Accept payments: All POS hardware should be equipped to handle payments, whether by cash, card, or contactless payments. Some POS terminals have a built-in credit card reader, while others may require you to add one such as in the case of those who want to use tablets or mobile phones as their POS system.

Record sales: As you ring up sales, it’s important to keep track of those sales, along with returns, so you can calculate your profits and losses. Your POS terminal should have a place that records all transactions for the day.

Print receipts: Many POS terminals may include a built-in receipt printer or you can deliver a receipt digitally such as with Square Terminal, which offers both options. Receipts are vital for most businesses so customers can track their own spending or return an item.

Manage inventory: Not all POS hardware includes inventory management as a feature. This feature may be included in your POS software. Alternatively, you may need to invest in inventory management software separately and have it integrated into your POS system.

Run reports: Whether it’s sales reports, a P&L report, or even timesheets, POS hardware that includes a feature to generate reports is helpful. This may be part of your POS software, but some hardware offers reporting in its system.

Choosing the Right POS Hardware for Your Business

There are several POS hardware options that may work for your business, but to choose the best POS hardware, you should take many factors into consideration. The type of your business, connectivity needs, integration options, payments you want to take, and the durability of the POS hardware you choose are some of the factors. 

Consider these needs before you sign a contract or shell out hundreds of dollars for your POS hardware: 

Type of business

A mom-and-pop shop can get away with a simple POS system, but a busy restaurant is likely to need more technology to keep up with demand. Consider your sales volume and the type of device you want to use to accept payments. An iPad can work as a terminal if you plan to keep it at a counter, but if you’re mobile and dealing with slippery situations, you want a device that’s more durable.

Warranty

Clumsiness happens, so it’s important to consider the warranty of POS hardware. Dropping a tablet could mean expensive replacements. Even the most durable devices may break or have a glitch, which is why quality and length of warranty matter.

Connectivity

If you have reliable WiFi, most modern POS hardware should work well for you. Bluetooth could be a better option if you have a mobile business and need to rely on your cellular network. The more antiquated method of tethering requires you to be stationary, so it’s a better option for retail stores.

Payments accepted

You should expect all POS hardware to include the ability to accept payments by credit and debit cards. The best POS hardware also allows you to accept contactless payments such as by Apple Pay or Google Pay. There are a few that allow you to accept payment from popular cash apps, including Venmo and PayPal. Consider your customers and how they prefer to pay.

Payment processor

Many POS hardware companies include their own payment processing, which is part of the reason you may find free or cheap POS hardware available (they’ll make money on transaction costs). However, there are some that allow you to choose your own payment processor, which is great when you already have a good rate with a merchant services provider.

Contract type

To get hardware for your POS system, you may need to sign a contract either to lease the equipment or for your payment processor. Consider the terms carefully because some require you to sign up for at least a year, while others may only require month-to-month commitments.

Reliability

The POS system you choose is only as good as its reliability. Look for POS hardware companies that ensure good uptime for your payment processing. Keep in mind this isn’t just about the system; your internet provider may be at fault if you have disruptions.

Pricing

Though cost is always a factor for small business software, it isn’t the most important factor. There’s usually a balance you can strike depending on whether you use an all-in-one POS hardware, software, and payment processing system where you pay little to nothing for your equipment. Or pay more for equipment and use a payment processor that offers a better rate.

Training

Going from a pen-and-paper method to a complex system may require a bit of downtime for training. Consider what you and your team will need to adapt to new POS hardware and choose something that’s easy to learn and use or offers thorough training on the equipment and software.

FAQs

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