Effective inventory management requires securing your inventory against all types of theft. Candela has a robust security module that helps you control user rights on every screen. There are also many other checks that you can apply to keep tabs on your inventory and sales and eliminate chances of theft.

Before we begin talking about POS security let’s hear a short real-life story reported by one of our customers…

The curious case of the vanishing Inventory without Sales

The store had a thriving business. The stock to sale ratio was good. This means there was enough variety of stock to leave a margin of choice and variety for customers, and, at the same time, there was no overstocking. No item was just sitting there and collecting dust. The owner of the store was happy. Very happy.

And then it happened.

The sales report started showing a downward trend. When he checked and compared the purchase order and GRN records of the last two quarters, he found out there was no marked difference in the goods being ordered. So there was no change in stock being sold. Something else was the problem.

He decided to play Sherlock Holmes and came up with an idea: he installed a camera to get a clear view of his POS. After a few days this is what he found out:

The cashier had devised a system whereby he was selling goods but pocketing the cash himself. How did he do it? He was making invoices for customers, receiving cash from them but was not saving the invoices. So there was no record of goods being sold.
If a customer asked for the sale receipt, he made a handwritten copy giving the excuse that the printer wasn’t working. And there were many customers who didn’t bother about the receipt. So the cashier was happily gobbling up the cash.

Moral of the story: Make your system secure; don’t expose people to temptations!

Let’s now learn about the security checks that you can apply to pre-empt possibilities of theft on POS.

Keep Auto Hold flag in Candela Checked

In Candela, there is a checkbox on System Configuration>Sale screen: ‘Auto Sale Receipt Holding.’ Keep it checked. If this is checked, all sale receipts if not saved will be put on hold. At the end of the day or shift the manager can look at B-07 Sales Receipts Holding Report to check all the receipts put on hold along with the reasons why they were put on hold.

Don’t give Comments Editing Rights

On Security>Group Rights screen, for ‘Sales Shop’ group ‘Comment Editing’ right checkbox for sales and return should not be checked.

Because if a salesperson has the right to edit comments s/he can load the receipts put on hold and delete auto-generated comments about reasons for receipt holding. If this happens, though you will be able to generate the receipt holding report there will be no comments specifying reasons for receipt holding.

Don’t Give Hold Receipt Cancellation Right

If a salesperson has the right to cancel the receipts put on hold, s/he can easily cancel the receipts put on auto hold.

On Security>Group Rights screen, for ‘Sales Shop’ group ‘Cancel Hold Invoice’ right checkbox for sales and return should not be checked.

Make Saving of Sale Receipt Compulsory for POS Closing

Another way to preclude chances of theft is to make sale receipt saving compulsory for POS/sales shift closing.

On Shop Definition screen, select the shop and from Hold Receipt Restriction drop down select ‘Block.’ This will block the system from closing a shift or performing POS closing if any receipt is put on hold.

Don’t Give Product Deletion Right to Sales Person

On Security>Group Rights screen, for ‘Sales Shop’ group ‘delete’ checkbox for sales and return should not be checked. This will ensure that a salesperson cannot delete products from the sales receipts while saving them.

This will, of course, pose problems if a product needs to be deleted because a customer doesn’t want it or if it was loaded by mistake. This problem can be solved by making the quantity zero and writing the reason in the comment box.

In Candela, making your POS secure against theft requires a few tweaks on a couple of screens. Plus it is quite simple and easy, so there is no excuse to slacken security if you are using Candela POS!