2018 Review of Keystroke Advanced POS

From the Sept. 2018 reviews of Point-of-Sale systems.

Keystroke Advanced is just one of the point of sale applications available from Specialized Business Solutions (SBS). SBS also offers Keystroke Express, ideal for small retail businesses, and Keystroke Point of Sale, a mid-level application well-suited for growing retail businesses. Keystroke Advanced is best suited for mid-sized or larger retail businesses and contains multiple databases and e-commerce integration. All Keystroke applications are designed to be installed on a local computer, workstation, or network. The latest version of Keystroke also includes support for eWallet transactions including Apple Pay® and Android Pay®.

Keystroke Advanced offers an intuitive user interface where a variety of modules can be accessed in additional to the point of sale module, including purchasing, reports, receivables and configuration. The point of sale interface is logically arranged and completely customizable, with users able to edit toolbars, add buttons, and arrange the screen to suit their needs. Keystroke Advances supports multiple tender types including cash, credit and debit cards, and gift cards, with users able to create custom tenders during setup to suit the needs of their business. The point of sale interface also allows users to process a variety of transaction types including special orders, payments on account, cash and customer sales, returns and voids, layaways, and special orders. Cashiers can easily search for both products and customers in Keystroke Advanced, and add either on the fly if necessary. The Sales Script feature is a nice addition to the sales process, prompting cashiers to upsell or sell additional items when a particular item is purchased. The system also prompts cashiers to ask for valid ID when age-restricted items such as cigarettes and liquor are purchased.

All Keystroke applications can be used with a standard computer monitor or with a touch screen monitor. Mentioned earlier, users can easily search for and enter product codes during the sales process, or for high-volume sales use a counter scanner or bar code scanner. Keystroke Advances supports multiple locations, though users will have to purchase the optional Multi-Store module, which also provides users with the option of managing all locations from a central location, polling data in the evening from the additional store sites.

Keystroke Advanced offers good customer management capability, with users able to look up customer data by name, account number, phone number, or assigned code. Each customer can have multiple ship-to address, and a complete transaction history is available for each customer, and customers can have incentives applied to their account using a price table. The product also offers excellent inventory management capability, including real-time stock tracking and the ability to utilize up to six different pricing levels for each item. Items can also be categorized if desired, and product serial numbers easily tracked in the system if desired. Use of the Multi-Store module also allows key personnel to track inventory levels at each location.

Keystroke Advanced offers solid reporting capability, with a good selection of both sales and inventory related reports available including an Inventory Quantity List, Department Sales Report, Customer Activity Reports, and a Salesperson Report. Users can also run a comprehensive transaction history report that can highlight transactions by item, day of week, or even time of day. Keystroke Advanced also includes a Report Editor, so users can easily modify reports to suit their needs. Reports can also be exported to Microsoft Excel for further customization if desired.

Keystroke is scalable with three editions available, so smaller retailers can easily scale up if necessary. Both Keystroke POS and Keystroke Advanced contain an accounting link that enables integration with a variety of third-party accounting applications such as QuickBooks and Sage 50. The product also integrates with KeyPay, which handles payment data, along with KeyMail, which can be used to email invoices, orders, and statements from within the application. Keystroke also integrates with a wide variety of hardware peripherals, including counter and barcode scanners, label printers, signature capture PIN pads, electronic cash drawers, receipt printers, and portable data collection devices.

Help functionality can be found throughout Keystroke Advanced, and the vendor website offers a variety of resources for users, including common questions, helpful hints, and how-to. There is also a Keystroke YouTube channel and those interested in the product can download a free demo of the product from the website. Keystroke offers an annual maintenance plan, which is available in four levels; Updates Plus, Silver Support, Gold, Support, and Gold Multi-Store Support, with prices starting at $795. All support plans include product updates as well. Keystroke Advanced offers toll-free telephone support during regular business hours, and users can email support staff with issues as well.

Keystroke Point of Sale is a good fit for small to mid-sized retail businesses; offering three versions of the application. Keystroke Advanced currently costs $1,895, with Keystroke Express priced at $495 and Keystroke POS at $1,295.  

2018 Rating – 4.75 Stars