From choosing fixtures on a showroom floor to screwing in the final bulb, there's a lot that goes into managing contracts and product flow in the lighting industry. Penticton's Windward Software will be shedding some light on the subject when it exhibits its retail POS system at a popular international lighting show, June 24-27, in Texas.
Windward has taken its comprehensive System Five software package--which provides powerful, yet flexible control over inventory, point of sale and accounting--and customized it for the lighting industry. Windward will be exhibiting the innovative product at the Dallas International Lighting Market. The event is being hosted at the Dallas Market Center, and Windward will be on the fourth floor (TM 4909) in the Golden Lighting showroom.
The Dallas Market Center is renowned as the most complete wholesale merchandise resource in the world, and Windward is excited to be a part of the experience at the Lighting Market. The market has been bringing buyers and exhibitors together for more than 50 years. In addition to lighting, you'll find products representing every category:
- Home furnishings
- Gifts
- Decorative accents
- Garden accessories
- Gourmet items
- Holiday décor
- Textiles
- Fashion accessories
- Apparel
One of the logistics challenges lighting retailers face is with new construction. What a builder chooses for a lighting scheme may not coincide with what a homeowner or business owner wants. Windward's retail POS system for lighting addresses that by easily adjusting invoices after the initial order.
If a home is sold while it's under construction, it's not uncommon for the new owners to want to make changes. The contractor will already have a set budget for lighting, but if the homeowners want to upgrade, Windward's software allows the lighting company to reconcile the difference and simply collect the excess from the homeowner. The work order will show the:
- Total work order dollar value
- Builder's allowance
- How much the new owners are required to pay
Lighting installations can be elaborate, with multiple fixtures destined for any number of rooms. If the Installer wasn't present during planning motif, Windward System Five will guide them through the process, as it records which lights are to be installed in which rooms so there's no guesswork.
Some of Windward Software's other features that'll benefit lighting professionals include:
Including Light Bulbs
When you sell a fixture onto an invoice, the system will automatically add the correct number of required bulbs to the invoice. This is easy to overlook if you're doing it manually.
To learn more about how POS software can help manage stock levels, read: 3 Ways Inventory Control Software Will Streamline Your Business Operations.
Delivery Schedule
Windward's POS software allows you to set the delivery date for your customer, which in turn creates an assigned task and reminder to the employee responsible for putting the order together.
Job Costing
Contractors who shop with you will benefit from your ability to create a job folder for each specific project. Any items purchased will be invoiced to that job, after which you can create expense reports so they can determine what their profit margins are like.
Looking for business management solutions for your lighting showroom? Call or email Windward Software to learn about their fully integrated retail POS system, which features an optional plug-in that addresses the common logistical challenges faced by lighting industry professionals.
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