Celerant Technology Corp. — Command Retail

From the Sept. 2010 Review of Retail Point-of-Sale Systems.

Celerant Command Retail from Celerant Technology is a fully integrated retail management system. Designed for small to mid-size retailers with multiple locations, this system offers a series of integrated modules designed to help retail stores run more efficiently.

BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS:
Command Retail’s main user interface is logically arranged, with all system modules/functions displayed on the left side. Placing the cursor on a tab will display all of the related functions within that system feature. The POS interface has an option to enter customer information, scan a product barcode or search inventory for the product. Navigational tabs provide access to a variety of information, including discount, salesperson, hold, recall and shipping interface screens. Special receipt types can be set up, including layaway, special orders, gift certificates, etc. Once in the product lookup fields, additional navigational tabs provide extensive lookup options. A running total of all products entered or scanned appears at the bottom of the screen.

The Pay Screen contains a calculator in the center, along with various tenders to the left. Clicking on a credit card will display the card swipe screen, allowing users to manually enter credit card information or swipe the card. Once payment type is determined, the calculator is used to finalize the sale. Clerks also have the option to cancel the sale before processing the payment and posting the transaction. All user screens throughout Command Retail are easily navigated, with a series of tabs that provide access to related functions, making data entry quick and painless.

Command Retail is scalable and works with multiple platforms such as Windows, Linux, Macintosh, UNIX, or even a combination of platforms. Module availability is vast and includes the following: POS, Inventory, Physical Inventory, Integrated e-Commerce, Purchase Orders, Reporting and Analysis, Warehouse, Sales Back Office, Open to Buy and Planning, CRM and Buying Clubs, and Financials. An export function provides GL integration with QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains, and Sage MAS 90 ERP. (The company noted that the next release, which should be out by the time this review is published, will include its own General Ledger in addition to the export integrations.)

User roles can be assigned in groups, and all employees are assigned detailed rights-based security roles for each application. Command Retail can be fashioned to suit the needs of any retail business, with the ability to arrange buttons and tabs on the page desired. Only the top part of the POS screen is non-customizable, with all other areas able to be modified as needed. Cashiers have easy access to customer and item information while processing a sale using system-wide lookup fields. Command Retail is designed for multiple locations and uses an online database that stores data in real-time from all store locations, eliminating the need to download or transfer data every evening.

The user interface allows cashiers to efficiently process activities, including normal sales transactions, customer data maintenance, layaway processing, and payment on account acceptance. Command Retail offers multiple pricing levels and allows for creation of custom pricing strategies as needed. An enterprise-level product, Command Retail offers the highest level of retail management, including warehouse management, a fully functional distribution center, allocation capability, fully integrated e-commerce functionality that easily ties to the central database, and mail order processing. The system also offers wireless integration so retailers can easily process orders in remote locations or from the field.