Choosing new software- hands on approach

With traditional licensed based software, the only knowledge possible to obtain prior to purchase comes from words from your sales rep or doing as much research as possible to find reviews online. Would you decide on new software to run your business strictly based on what you hear in a sales pitch? As crazy as it sounds, that is what traditional POS software providers ask you to do.

Free trials are especially important for purchasing software to run your company when knowing that the software has a specific feature included is just not enough! It is equally as important to understand the ease-of-use, your common workflows, and how intuitive the program will be for everyday use, reading a few online reviews just doesn’t cut it!

Beware any company that won’t offer you a free trial version of their product. You have to kick the tires and take it for a spin! Still not convinced? Here’s why free trials are important:

1. Free trials help you better understand the product offering
   You’ve probably heard about a lot of features in your search for POS, but trying out the product gives you a chance to really understand how those features work.
2. Free trials let you see the product in action
   This helps you decide whether it is something you can envision your staff using in day-to-day business. Typically multiple people can access the free trial, so you can allow staff with specific roles to test the aspect of the software most important to them, ensuring all departments are happy with the choice.
3. Free trials give you a chance to see if the sales team is representing their product honestly
   Make sure you’re not just taking the sales reps word for it when it comes to software! It’s easy to throw in words like “cutting edge” “intuitive,” and “powerful,” but when it boils down to decision time, you and your staff have to decide whether the product is any of those things. Besides, you’ll also need to make sure the product really does what they say it will do! No hassle, no lacking features, no bugs.

Trials and getting to know the product can take a bit of time and effort. However, a little time spent now could save you many hours (and dollars) of frustration later. At ERPLY every free trial comes with a free 1 on 1 consultation with one of our retail experts. This means less time trying to figure things out and an ultimately a faster determination if ERPLY is right for you!