2017 Review of Keystroke Advanced Point of Sale

Keystroke Advanced from Specialized Business Solutions is part of the trio of point of sale products offered. Designed to be installed on a local computer or network, Keystroke Express is best suited for small and growing retail businesses. Keystroke Point of Sale is the mid-level application that works well for retailers that need a strong point of sale application without additional features and functionality. Keystroke Advanced POS, reviewed in this issue, is the top of the line application, offering multiple databases, solid reporting capability, and e-commerce integration.

From the Sept. 2017 reviews of Point-of-Sale systems.

The latest version of Keystroke offers support for eWallet transactions including Apple Pay® and Android Pay®. The latest version of Keystroke also includes a Windows Metro-Style user interface that provides more extensive customization capability, including the ability to create custom toolbars and quick access to all frequently used system functions.

The streamlined user interface offers a variety of module options including Point of Sale, Purchasing, Labels, Reports, Receivables, and Configuration. The point of sale entry screen is logically arranged, with function tabs at the top of the screen, a keypad to the right of the screen, and a sales order invoice display with a running total taking up the majority of the screen. Keystroke allows users to easily accept multiple tender types including cash, credit, debit, EBT, gift cards, special order payments, layaways, and payment on account. Keystroke supports multiple transactions, with users able to process a sale, process returns, edit an invoice, clear previous transaction, or accept payment on account, all from the same user interface. A nice option is the Integrated Sales Scripts, which provides cashiers with the ability to upsell customers on related items when a designated item is purchased.

Users can opt to use a standard computer monitor, a touch screen monitor, or utilize counter scanning or barcode scanning when processing sales transactions. The product easily supports multiple locations using the optional Multi-Store module, which allows users to access data from additional locations, with the system automatically polling data each night for complete consolidation between locations.

The current database easily tracks customer detail including the ability to look up customers by name, account number, or a custom-assigned code. The product also tracks multiple ship-to address, and users can record related sales for family members. Users can also access a complete transaction history by customer. The addition of loyalty cards will increase customer tracking capability in the product.

Keystroke offers excellent inventory management capability, offering configurable pricing options, an inventory matrix, the ability to use item based pricing, and the ability to track multi-store inventory levels.

Keystroke offers excellent reporting capability, with users able to track both inventory movement and returns. Reports available include the Detailed Sales Transaction Report, the Customer Activity Report, the Inventory Quantity List Report, and the Department Sales Report. Point of Sale reports include Salesperson Report, a Purchases Summary, and a Time Clock Report, which details time clock entries and total hours for each clerk or cashier. A Report Editor is available in Keystroke which allows users to easily modify report content and layout.   All Keystroke reports can be viewed on screen, printed, or exported to Excel for further customization.

All Keystroke modules seamlessly integrate. The product is scalable, with three editions available, with growing businesses able to purchase Keystroke Express, and later upgrade to the more robust Keystroke or Keystroke Advanced, if necessary. Both Keystroke and Keystroke Advanced offer an accounting link that offers integration with popular accounting applications such as QuickBooks and Sage 50. The product also offers complete integration with a long list of point of sale hardware peripherals including counter scanners, barcode scanners, label printers, signature capture PIN pads, MICR check readers, electronic cash drawers, receipt printers, portable data collection devices, and complete time clock functionality.

Keystroke offers excellent help functionality throughout the product. An Annual Software Maintenance Plan is available in four levels; Updates Plus, Silver Support, Gold Support, and Gold MultiStore Support. All support levels include product updates as support cases, with the number of cases dependent on the support level purchased. Toll-free telephone support is available during regular business hours, and users can email support staff with issues as well. The website also offers a variety of resources, including Helpful Hints, Common Questions, and a link to the Keystroke YouTube channel. Training options include onsite one-on-one training or group training.

Designed for retail businesses of all sizes, Version 8 of Keystroke starts at $1,295.00, with Keystroke Express running $495.00 and Keystroke Advanced starting at $1,895.00. Additional workstation licenses are $695.00.

2017 Rating – 4.75 Stars