All You Need To Know About Auto Id & Capture Technology

Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) is a term used to group together several different technologies that are used to automatically identify items, collect data about them and the ability to enter that data electronically into computer systems.

Many businesses handle large amounts of paper-based data, and often descriptions are transferred from paper to electronic systems and back again many times in order to suit different situations.

Paper usage of this extent is extremely wasteful, not only in the time spent transferring data, but also in the mistakes and errors that can be introduced, both in keying in and reading the information. Which is why AIDC technologies have become such a benefit to companies of all sizes.

Most of the data can be carried electronically in a form that can be attached to the object such as Barcodes or RFID equipped access cards or Smart Cards which can be enhanced further with the use of Biometric data.

In most cases AIDC systems work without human involvement, when human involvement is required, it is usually limited to a user scanning an AIDC equipped item. This frees up a lot of resources that are needed elsewhere and the cost savings of this freed up manpower along with the savings from eliminating product loss and time savings have helped to propel AIDC into the forefront of business operations.

There has been a great advancement in AIDC over the years and it is now possible for users around the world to interact with millions of business processes and systems using AIDC devices.

Object tracking using Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems which also uses RFID Tags prevents theft of the items from stores. Locating objects through the uses of Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS) to name just a couple of the many opportunities which AIDC based technology has to offer.

RFID

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology that uses radio waves to transfer data between a reader and an electronic tag which is attached to a particular object. Asset tracking and object identification are the two main uses for RFID.

Uses for RFID technology is destined to increase as time goes on. One such use can be to give every product in a supermarket its own unique RFID Tag. When a shopper selects their items and puts them in their shopping cart, they can then go to the check and instead of having to scan each individual item, the shopper could just push their cart through the RFID Reader Gateway. The Gateway will read all the tags contained in their shopping carts. All of the items can then be paid for and the shopper can leave the store.

BARCODES

Barcodes make it possible for businesses to store and access large amounts of data in regards to the product they are placed on. They are widely used in the healthcare industry and hospitals for patient identification, to access data on medical history, drug allergies and other important information.

They are also used in several other industries to record important information including the tracking of rental cars, airline luggage, registered mail and even nuclear waste just to name a few of their wide range of uses.

Even though RFID technology is relatively new when compared to the barcode, it is easy to see why popularity for it is growing at a much faster rate and it’s future possibilities are seemingly endless.

THE FUTURE

The future plans for AIDC are as simple as the application is difficult. If all items are equipped with a minute identifying device, daily life on earth will go through a major transformation. Products running out of stock or being wasted will no longer exist because we will know exactly what is being consumed anywhere on the globe. Theft will be non-existent when we know where an item is at all times.

Counterfeiting of critical or expensive items such as drugs, repair parts or electronic components will be reduced or eliminated because manufacturers or other supply chain businesses will know where their products are at all times.

Product waste and spoilage will be greatly reduced because environmental sensors will alert suppliers or consumers when sensitive products are exposed to excessive heat, cold, vibration or other risks.

Supply chains will operate far more efficiently because suppliers will ship only the products needed when they are needed. This will also bring about a consumer and supplier price drop on most items.

For more information on AIDC options, Click Here.

What We Should Look For In A Financial Accounting Software

You have got a lot of options when it comes to choosing the best accounting software for your small business. Given all these options, deciding on which accounting software is best for your small business can be a difficult task. Your business needs will determine which accounting software will work best for you.

To help you choose the best accounting package for your business, you will want to consider:

Industry

Your business may operate in the retail, manufacturing, or professional services industries, just to name a few. Each industry has unique accounting needs, so developers have made industry-specific accounting software to suit nearly all any niche. However, you can also find generic accounting software that works well across many industries. Generic software has the advantage of being easier to use and more support available because of the number of users, while industry-specific accounting software is likely to have features that suited to meet your specific needs.

Business Size

Your accounting needs will increase with the size of your business. You may find that a generic small business accounting software works well for your business with sales of $50,000 per year, but that it does not meet your more complex needs of running a business earning millions. As your business grows, you should consider the need to invest in upgraded accounting software, and be mentally prepared to take on the added expense.

Compatibility

Do you run an engineering firm that has specialized engineering software that needs to be integrated with your billing process? Maybe you an attorney so you need to have a system that is compatible with a legal time tracking software for small law firms. You should make a list of what software you are using ensure that the accounting software you choose is compatible with some of these other systems.

Required Features

What features or accounting modules do you want within your accounting software? Some people need only very basic features, such as having a simple checkbook. Other business owners have more complex needs for setting up online banking interfaces, credit card processing, inventory management, and creating customized invoices. You will want to find an accounting software that meets your needs for these features.

Available Support

You will run into problems using your accounting software at some point. You will want to see what resources are available for any accounting software program that you are looking to purchase. You should not only look at online resources, built-in help features, but email, phone, and chat support as well. An often overlooked area of support is local consultants. You should find if there are any local consultants, such as business advisors, bookkeepers, or certified public accountants, in your area that can provide you with assistance with your accounting software should you need their help.

Often, you will find that there are many resources available for generic accounting software programs, but you may find difficulty in finding someone who can help you with a niche, industry-specific accounting software package

Price

You should do a basic cost-benefit analysis to make sure you do not over or underpay for accounting software based on what it will do for you. Remember, you may pay more for some accounting software, but if it saves time and minimizes common accounting errors than it may be well worth the additional cost.

Conclusion

There are many factors to consider when purchasing an accounting software program, such as what industry you work in, what features you need, and price, just to name a few. You will want to choose accounting software that will meet your needs. By planning ahead, you can make a better, more informed choice.

You can prepare a list of features you need, the software you are running, and see what type of help is available should you need it. You will then be better prepared and have chosen an accounting software program that better serves your needs. Omega-Cst is a leading software development company in UAE, offering top notch custom web development & software development for your business needs. To know more about our Financial Accounting Software, contact us.

Top 9 Benefits Of Using Learning Management System

With a good learning management system you can effectively manage sign ups/registration, users, students, courses, online content, tutors, supervisors, calendars, hours, groups, access, notifications, communication/messages, certificates and reports. A great advantage and benefit for any educational institution or business.

1. Saving Time And Money

The use of LMS or learning platforms to create, manage and carry out educational and training programs saves businesses hours of time when compared to traditional methods. LMS allow the organisation, level of automisation and programming in line with the needs of the learners and employees.

The use of online classrooms reduces costs most of all in businesses where on many occasions employees have needed to travel for training sessions and stay in hotels etc. Thanks to LMS, businesses and educational institutions save on costs which they can then allocate to other resources. Online classrooms allow the simultaneous training of people studying from different geographical locations, and these courses can then be used again and again with new groups of learners.

2. Efficient Management

Learning platforms allow effective complete overall control of administration, automisation, communication with users, teachers and trainers, and of course content management. They allow efficient management of registrations/sign ups, and creation of groups and courses. The roles of tutors, students, supervisors and administrators can all be managed on the LMS, and notifications, reminders and messages to users can be administered easily.

It can used as a powerful tool which allows the creation and management of content and subjects in a simple and intuitive way. Students can upload and share content and work or projects with their teachers and fellow learners, which in turn is stored in a database.

3. Easy Access To Information

All of the information is structured in an organised way in the same place, making it accessible to all users. Courses, calendars, multimedia content, archives and evaluations are accessible in just one click. All learners have access to learning content and materials at any time and from any place where they have internet access.

4. Personalisation

Learning platforms also allow each institution or organisation complete personalisation. The corporate image and brand can be incorporated into the platform and different elements and features can be tailored to the company or organisation’s taste. They can be multi language platforms, or monolingual.

What’s more is different portals and user IDs can be created without the need for additional installations, and can function simultaneously with web access. The possibilities are endless and could also include systems for the evaluation of learners or exams/testing.

5. Up To Date And Immediate Content

Learning Management Systems allow administrators instant access to update the content of courses, or to add materials and resources for students for immediate access.

6. Advanced Reporting

These innovative management systems allow the creation, personalisation and download of detailed reports outlining the progress of the learners, groups, completion of work, time taken etc which allows easy evaluation of their progress either as a group or individually.

7. Multimedia Learning

The systems allow businesses and educational institutions to create multimedia learning content which is comprehensive and practical, using video, images, audio and text which all serve as great tools in learning new skills or information. Learners can also communicate with their trainers or teachers and their classmates via chat platforms and online forums, creating a more collaborative, interactive, attractive and personal learning environment.

8. Improved Communication

LMS facilitate communication and collaboration between people, whether it be students and teachers or administrators and employees, or between all users of a platform with a permanently open channel of communication. They facilitate the overall management of communication: global or individual emails, messages, forums and agenda. An environment where the user can find all the important or vital information in just one screen.

9. Sales And Commercialisation

Finally, LMS can generate profit for businesses and institutions thanks to the sales of online courses via e-commerce, which can be managed and automated on the platform and paid for by credit card or bank transfer. Students can sign up to a course and pay easily online. There is no limit to the number of courses a student can sign up to, and no limit to the growth in student numbers and courses provided.

Without a doubt, learning platforms are a powerful 360º tool which so many businesses and educational institutions should consider for their unlimited benefits. With good implementation they can generate great results in training and educational growth.

One such Learning Management System in UAE is Eskola, one of the best LMS in Dubai offered by Omega-Cst. Contact us to know more about our Learning Management System

How To Pick The Right POS System In UAE

Picking a Point Of Sale system in UAE is one of the most vital decisions both new and experienced small business owners will ever make. Momentus time should be put into researching POS software.

But many a times — especially if you’re about to open your first small business or are new to point of sale systems — it can be hard to know what exactly you should be researching.

That’s where we come in. We’re here to level the playing field and make sure you know what are things to bare in mind before taking the plunge into POS territory. Sound tempting? Read on to find out what to include on your checklist.

1. Pricing

If you’re new the planet of POS package, the great news is that you simply have entered at a good time. Not too back then a strong POS system wasn’t possible for little business homeowners, feasible to their high price points.

That’s the good news. The bad news however is that as many quality POS systems that are now out there, there is an equal amount of mediocre ones as well. A little later in this post we’ll touch on what features you’ll want to expect from a quality system. But before we head down that road, let’s address pricing. One of the easiest ways to spot a POS system is through inconsistent or sketchy pricing.

As much as pricing may vary from system to system, transparency within that pricing never should. POS providers should offer competitive, straightforward pricing that is easy to understand. There is nothing wrong with contracts — you can often save money over the course of the year — but they should be optional. Mandatory contracts should be seen as red flags. If you encounter a mandatory contract while doing your research, ask the representative if they have a no-contract option. If they say no, ask why. If you can’t get a straight answer out of them or you’re just not satisfied with their response, go with your gut and another provider.

2. Reporting

Now let’s get into the grit of your research. You’re investing in a POS system probably because you’ve heard that apart from allowing you to take transactions, they work wonders for employee and inventory management, and allow you to access data that will change your business and drive sales forward. That’s all true. But like systems in general, not all sales reporting is created equal.

Beyond sales transaction data type and amount, you are going to want to expect a few other types of reports, including: top selling items, inventory reorder, ‘X’ and ‘Z’ reports, sales and inventory activity by date range, and customer activity.

Another aspect of quality reporting is the ability to be able to check how sales are doing at your store from anywhere anytime. That means if you’re away from your store you should be able to check net sales, transaction counts, average sales value, and the total number of customers, in real time directly from your phone or tablet.

3. Integration

If you’re not familiar with the concept of POS integration, essentially it allows business owners to use a variety of different tools simultaneously by letting applications speak directly to one another.

What exactly does this mean? It means that instead of having to split your time among a variety of task, applications are now synced up and ready to go at a drop of a hat.

4. Support

We all plan on never needing customer support, so often it might take a backseat to other — and what might seem like more pressing — features. But at some point in the lifespan of your POS system, you’ll probably need a hand here and there. Whether it’s with questions after you first set up your system, or a year from now when you’ve transformed into a POS power user. Either way, there are a few things you should expect from customer support.

To begin with, 24/7 is a must — whether this is via phone, email, or livechat. Someone should always be available to answer your most pressing questions within a reasonable amount of time. Not having the necessary customer support can result in the inability to accept transactions and a loss of sales. There’s never an excuse for missing out on revenue, never. This support should also be unlimited and come at no additional charge.

5. Usability

When choosing a POS system, make sure it is easy to setup and simple to use. You should be able to manage the setup process yourself and training employees should take minutes, not hours. A POS system should offer an intuitive interface that is easy to learn and a pleasure to use. From day one, nothing about your system should feel overwhelming. Instead, everything from importing inventory to managing employees to pulling sales data should feel simple and easy to accomplish.

When investigating the usability of a certain system, this is a great time to ask for references and visit shops that are using the system in question. Visit these stores and don’t be shy. Come prepared with a list of questions that are most important to you and fire away. If the system is really as impressive as the provider makes it out to be, merchants will be more than happy to sing its praises.

On the other hand, if they’re having trouble with certain functions and features, they’ll probably want to spare you the angst of going with a dud system. So pay close attention, listen to what they have to say, take notes and follow up with a sales representative if you have any additional questions.

Now that you’ve learned the ABCs for what to be on the lookout for when choosing a POS system, you’re ready to hit the ground running and start the bulk of your research. Remember, the more time you put into your research today, the more it will pay off in the future when you’ve chosen the perfect system for your business.

So, if you're looking for a POS system with all the above features within it, Omega-Cst will be yout prior option. So, picking a POS system in UAE is now easier than ever.