Point of Sales Sampler

A round-up of some of the point of sale hardware and software systems available to HMEs.

• By David Kopf
• Aug 20, 2010

A variety of HME software vendors offer point of sales systems that integrate with their HME billing and management platforms. Here is a sampling of what’s available on the market:

Brightree LLC
www.brightree.com
888-598-7797
In addition to supporting the usual cash drawers, barcode readers, and magnetic strip reader for credit card transactions, Brightree’s POS solution features a touch screen that is optimized to provide quick, accurate checkouts. A biometric login via finger print reader enhances cash sales security. A standard receipt printer allows providers to customize their receipts with a logo, address and phone number, as well as user-defined messages, such as their return policy or store hours. The POS is set up with a regular PC in the retail section of a provider’s store with the peripherals the HME has chosen. Once in place the retail module is fully integrated with the rest of the Brightree system, so inventory quantities, receipts, payments, and all other relevant data are automatically updated with each transaction. Retail sales data can be tracked by specific patient or handled as a simple cash sale. Also, Brightree provides daily reports to summarize sales activity and reconcile tendered amounts.

Fastrack Healthcare Systems Inc.
www.onlyfastrack.com
800-520-2325
Fastrack’s touch-screen enabled POS module is geared to increase the speed of retail transactions. It uses a Hewlett Packard POS platform that provides providers with several key features: a 15-inch touch screen monitor; an HP computer w/160gb hard disk; a bar code scanner with cradle; a receipt printer; a magnetic strip reader for credit card processing; and an optional display pole. The Fastrack System also includes POS capabilities such as the ability to process credit/debit cards over a secure Internet connection from within the Point of Sale system, as well as order entry, direct billing, cash posting, patient intake, A/R collections and a delivery module for collecting payment at the patient's home in real-time.

MedAct Software Solutions
www.medactsoftware.com
800-326-0314
The MedAct Retail Manager Point of Sale solution is designed for sales order transactions in a DME business. The MedAct retail solution with the MedAct Point of Sale Module provides DME businesses a way to ring up sales with all the benefits of automatic updates to inventory. MedAct helps DME service patients better as the MedAct Point of Sale automatically calculates the patient portion due, collect co-pays and payment by credit card or cash transactions. The MedAct bar code scanning system scans bar coded equipment and supplies for easy transactions. Accepting credit card payments is simple with the built in card processing functionality. Receipts are generated for both cash sales and charges to accounts. MedAct makes it easy to be retail ready.

QS/1
www.qs1.com/hme
800-231-7776
QS/1’s HME POS system for its Enhance Customer Checkout SystemOne HME software speeds up retail transactions by validating and processing cash, check, debit and bank card payments, as well as via bar code scanning for faster more accurate checkout. A graphical user interface and Windows touch screen functionality saves time and effort, and helps eliminate cashier errors, inventory shrinkage and unauthorized discounts. For security, the system controls access with flexible security levels; tracks employee hours with built-in time clock features; prints deposit and customer information on the backs of checks; sets check acceptance parameters and maintains a bad-check file; and sets limits on individual check cashing, voids and refunds. For pricing, the system prints individual price item stickers and shelf labels, and sets prices for varying lengths of time or quantities to account for sales. For promotions, it also handles customer coupons, gift certificates and in-store charge accounts; tracks sales and identifies seasonal buying trends; and measures the effectiveness of in-store promotions. For inventory management, the system sets par levels for automatic purchase order creation; identifies fast- and slow-moving inventory trends; automatically updates inventory when orders are received; tracks shrinkage by comparing inventory to actual on-hand quantities.

This article originally appeared in the August 2010 issue of HME Business.