Frequently asked questions about the CoPOS Point-of-Sale System
Why CoPOS?
CoPOS is a full-featured point of sale system that makes it possible for consumer co-ops (especially food co-ops) to have an extremely cost-effective way to meet their operational and informational needs. We provide everything, from project planning through installation, maintenance and customer support, data protection and supplies, and the best customer service in the industry!
As you would expect from a comprehensive point of sale system, CoPOS includes inventory tracking, margin analysis, patronage, prepayments, IOUs, along with interfaces to several vendors and integrated credit card processing.
We are also a good solution for small, non-cooperative grocery stores.
How did CoPOS get started?
CoPOS began as an outgrowth of a point-of-sale (POS) system developed by Ken Geiger. His POS system, unique to co-ops, began at Bluff Country Co-op in Winona, Minn. and expanded to other local co-ops and beyond. CoPOS is now used by over 65 co-ops and small grocers nation-wide.
What is the installation process?
The installation process consists of four steps:
1.) CoPOS conducts an uptake interview. The uptake interview provides the information and details about the operation of your store and usually takes less than one hour.
- Base operational parameters such as sales tax, store address, etc.
- Discounts and membership structure.
- Departments and their related properties.
2.) CoPOS provides you with our standard CoPOS Item Template and Membership Template. The store is responsible for populating these templates. The information in these templates provides the data that will be loaded into the database. (CoPOS can usually get your store’s purchasing history from UNFI, which saves you time.) We suggest that you enter as many items as possible prior to going live. Accurate pricing is a must.
3.) CoPOS orders the hardware agreed upon in the final estimate. We assemble, configure and test all hardware prior to shipment.
4.) CoPOS schedules a go-live time. The quote specifies two days for setup and training. We are generally able to get the equipment set up in one evening.
Which preparations is the store responsible for?
Prior to installation, the store is responsible for:
- All wiring, including both network and electrical. We can provide specs for the network, but will not do the actual wiring.
- Preparation of the counters and/or checkout lanes.
- Providing an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) for each station.
Does CoPOS provide POS-specific hardware, such as scanners, scales, etc.?
Yes. CoPOS provides all hardware peripherals necessary for all the Point of Sale software. This includes scanners, scales, receipt and label printers, as well as all of the computer-related hardware, such as terminals, monitors, keyboards and servers.
What is a weigh station?
A weigh station provides the tools for weighing a package of items and then printing a label for it.
Labels have a barcode which is scanned at the register to ensure rapid and accurate throughput of repackaged items. Here is an example of a repack label (LPQ02):
What are templates?
Templates are spreadsheets that can be used to facilitate the collection of data in useful configurations.
What does a CoPOS system look like?
If you go to the Gallery, you will see several examples of CoPOS systems in use, as well an example of label usage.
How long does it take to go live after the contract is signed?
It takes about 6 to 8 weeks to go live, once the contract is signed.
What’s the typical cost of a system?
A two-lane store with a weigh station would cost just under $13,000.
In addition to the standard terminal box, monitor and keyboard, each lane would include:
- scanner
- scale
- receipt printer
- cash drawer
The weigh station would have a scale and label printer.
A system printer and additional label printer are also included in this configuration.
Does CoPOS offer financing?
Yes, we offer financing. We require a 20% downpayment at the time the contract is signed.
Does CoPOS charge a maintenance fee?
Yes. It is based on the number of lanes. The fee is $60 per lane per month.
In our example of a two-lane store with a weigh station, maintenance would be $120 per month.
Maintenance provides support, bug fixes and upgrades.
Support is available 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.
Phones are monitored after hours and on weekends for emergency support.
What do people say about us?
Our customers have many positive things to say about us. Click here for their comments and testimonials.
Do we provide references?
Yes. References are available on request. You can also see some of our customers’ testimonials here.
How do I get a hold of you guys?
You can contact us anytime, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central Time.
Call us at 855.772.6767 or support@copos.com or drop us a line.
Does CoPOS sell POS consumables?
Yes. We sell receipt paper, shelf tags (multiple colors), and repack labels.
We also sell custom labels, which work with our label printers. We can help you design your unique label.
All our paper stock tags are available in any color.
Standard colors are white, red, lime, sunshine, apple, pumpkin and purple. Colors are shown in the details of each paper tag. Here are our paper stock tags…
Computer monitors do not always display the true colors of our labels, so contact us to request samples.
If you have any questions at all about tags or labels, call us at 1.855.772.6767 or email us at support@copos.com.
Our tags and labels are guaranteed to work with any CoPOS printer.
Can CoPOS backups be automated?
There is an option for automatic backup and shutdown in CoPOS. You can schedule CoPOS to back up and then shut down at a specified time every night. (CoPOS has found that the system runs better when it is shut down on a nightly basis.)
Once a backup concludes, CoPOS can send you an email notifying you the backup was successful. To set this up:
Enter option 9.1 and choose [Save (and Continue)].
Next choose option 1 “Store Name and Address”.
Set up an Email Address by using the option [Edit a Field(s)] and selecting field 19.
Instruct CoPOS to send the emails by responding “Y” to Field 20.
Upon successful completion of a backup being written to the USB flashdrive or being sent to the CoPOS Cloud, CoPOS will send an email that states the date and time of the successful backup. The email will come from the account “backup@cloud.copos.com”.
How do I download the most recent version of CoSAT?
Frequent updates are made to the CoSAT software.
Download the most recent version of CoSAT from copos.com/download.
Save SOA.LZH to your USB storage device.
Select:
- 12 – Controller
- 2 – Upgrade
- 1 – Upgrade CoSAT
When finished, remove the USB storage device from the CoSAT.
902 E. 2nd St. #301 • Winona, MN 55987