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Introduction
Introduction
Cosoft has a new software product called Aura Mobile POS. It is an extension of your in-store Aura POS, but runs on a cellphone and prints on a portable bluetooth printer. It allows you to be fully mobile and to take orders even when there is no network, no internet, no power and no server.
Where is it used?
Where is it used?
Vending at events;
At the entrance of your store;
Drive-throughs;
Outside;
Taxi Ranks, beaches and other busy areas;
Roadhouses;
Petrol station forecourts;
Queue busting when busy;
In an emergency during a server failure event;
Case studies
Case studies
Aura Mobile POS added to Steers Total Panorama Petroport.
Aura Mobile POS added to Steers Total Panorama Petroport.
The owner, Gerrie had the following to say: "The customers are very happy with the system. They reckon it makes them feel safer, especially with the current COVID-19 situation. I increased my sales by over R189'000 for the month of Septermber 2020. These are orders from customers that were not planning to come into the store."
The cashier, Ketso had the following to say: "I started my shift 2 hours ago and I have already made R150 in tips. This is amazing. The customers tip me well because I am giving them good service. I love this app."
Steers Total Panorama is a large petrol site that covers the N1 highway north of Pretoria. There is a large foodcourt consisting of a Steers, Nandos, Spur and other brands. Sales from all brands have been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Gerrie was looking for solution that would enable him to take orders from his customers at the petrol station without the customers needing to come into the store.
One big challenge of doing this properly is that Gerrie wanted the customers to be able to place their order and receive their food in the time the it took to refuel the car or thereabout. Taking orders manually and then walking to the store to ring them up would be too slow. This meant that the order taking process had to be fast and the order needed to be sent to the kitchen in real time. Aura Mobile POS solved these two requirements perfectly.
Gerrie purchased two Bluetooth printers and also installed a Wi-Fi repeater to extend the signal onto the garage forecourt. He asked his cashiers to install Aura Mobile POS from the Google Play Store onto their personal cellphones. The cashiers were happy to do this because they found that their tips increased.
At the end of the first week, orders taken on Aura Mobile POS had contributed 17% towards total sales. Gerrie then ordered an additional 2 mobile printers in order to double capacity and asked Cosoft to reconfigure his kitchen workflow software so that all mobile pos orders would go to one of his two makelines.
Aura Mobile POS added to Debonairs Tembi Mall.
Aura Mobile POS added to Debonairs Tembi Mall.
In October 2020 the Debonairs Tuk-Tuk went into it's trial phase at Debonairs Tembi Mall.
With Aura Mobile POS, Debonairs Tembi Mall was able to load some pizzas in the Tuk-Tuk and hit the road to sell these pizzas to customers away from the store and still keep track of the sales.
With the ability to process sales and keep track of these sales on the road the Aura Mobile POS app is the perfect portable point of sale solution to any customer wanting to extend their customer base outside of the store.
Video of Aura Mobile POS
Video of Aura Mobile POS
How does it work?
How does it work?
Your cashiers are equipped with an Android phone, portable bluetooth printer, credit card machine, sanitiser spray bottle and a money pouch for cash. These items are attached to his/her waist by means of a utility belt which can be bought on Takealot or at Builders Warehouse.
Aura Mobile POS is used in 2 distinct modes.
Vending
These orders do not need to be sent to the store in real time because the items have already been made and you're just selling them. You don't need internet. Orders will sync to the in-store Aura POS server when you connect the phone to the stores Wi-Fi at the end of the day.
Live
Orders that you ring up on the phone are sent to the store in real time to be made.
What are the hardware requirements?
What are the hardware requirements?
Android Phone
Android Phone
Android version 7 or later, (Nougat, Oreo & Pie are supported)
NOT Android GO!
NOT iPhone!
Google Play Services,
2 GB RAM minimum, more will be faster,
Bluetooth v4 or higher,
CPU requirements are negligible,
Higher mAh batteries are better (recommended 3000 mAh or more),
Wi-Fi,
Optional portable battery bank if using a phone with a small battery,
We recommend the Blackview Rugged Range. These devices have incredibly huge batteries and are tough (IP68 rated).
The app is not very demanding so you can get away with fairly entry level Android Smart Phones.
Portable Bluetooth Printer
Portable Bluetooth Printer
This printer is available from Cosoft. It pairs with the phone via bluetooth and prints the customer receipt
Credit Card Machine
Credit Card Machine
A mobile credit card machine with either a sim card or Wi-Fi connection. The credit card machine is not integrated with Aura Mobile POS. This means that you can use your existing credit card machine hardware. The cashier will manually type the price into the machine.
Utility Belt
Utility Belt
You can buy a belt to hold everything from Takealot or Builders Warehouse for under R300.
What are the software requirements?
What are the software requirements?
Cosoft has written a new version of Aura invoicing. It is called “Aura Mobile POS”. It is worth mentioning that Aura Mobile POS is not Aura Cloud POS, but it shares some functionality with our upcoming cloud pos.
It is important to note that if you maintain your own menus you are currently not able to sign up for Mobile POS as the Mobile POS menu is maintained by Cosoft. If you still wish to sign up for Mobile POS there will be once off menu design fee and additional fees will apply if changes needs to be made to your menu.
Your Backoffice Computer needs to be running Windows 10 Professional Windows 64 Bit. It will not run on 32 bit systems or earlier Windows versions.
What’s the difference between Aura Mobile POS and Aura Cloud POS?
What’s the difference between Aura Mobile POS and Aura Cloud POS?
Aura Mobile POS
Aura Mobile POS
Runs on an Android phone
Communicates with your Backoffice server in store
Invoices can be rung up even if the connection to the server is lost
A connection to the server is only needed if the order needs to be sent to the kitchen in real time
An extension of your existing in-store Aura POS
Can communicate with the server via Wi-Fi or 3G
Available now
Aura Cloud POS
Aura Cloud POS
Runs on an Android, Linux or Windows computer or tablet
There is no server in store
Invoices can be rung up even if the connection to the server is lost
A connection to the server is only needed if the order needs to be sent to the kitchen in real time
A new POS for a server-less store
Can communicate with the server via Wi-Fi or 3G
Coming soon
Where can I get the Aura Mobile POS application?
Where can I get the Aura Mobile POS application?
It is available for download from the Google Play Store.
Mobile Integration Service
Mobile Integration Service
The app in the Google Play store will not work if you do not have the Mobile Integration Service running in your store. This is the software that runs on your Aura POS server. It receives the order and saves it in your Aura POS. Once the order has been received in-store, it will follow normal workflow rules. This service is released by the Aura Updater and installs after you have signed up.
Is my store ready for Aura Mobile POS?
Is my store ready for Aura Mobile POS?
Before using Aura Mobile POS in your store you will need the following:
Aura Point of Sale required (Non-Aura stores are not compatible)
Either the Kitchen Workflow Manager software or a kitchen printer
This is only needed if you need orders to be made after being rung up. This is not a requirement if you want to use Aura Mobile POS for vending.
Wi-Fi
To use Aura Mobile POS outside your store, you are going to need the store's Wi-Fi signal to reach the parking area. You can test the signal by putting your cellphone on the store's Wi-Fi, walking to the parking area and making sure that you have at least 2 bars of signal.
Wi-Fi signal outside is the preferred option because it connects your Aura Mobile POS device directly to the store for live transferring of orders to the kitchen.
You can use a Wi-Fi extender to improve your Wi-Fi quality outside. We recommend getting something similar to a Tp-Link N300 Wireless N Outdoor Access Point.
A third option is to take advantage of a new feature of Aura Mobile POS. This new POS app will allow you to ring up the order, print the slip and take payment, even if you go out of Wi-Fi range and have no simcard. The orders will queue on the device and show as ''un-synced''. You will just have to walk back to the store to get in Wi-Fi range again and then the queued orders will be sent to kitchen automatically. If busy, you could ring up two or three orders and then walk back to the store and sync all of them which only takes a few seconds. Then repeat the process.
What must I do to get Aura Mobile POS into my store?
What must I do to get Aura Mobile POS into my store?
Purchase or find a suitable mobile phone that meets the necessary requirements for Aura Mobile POS. Cosoft is not in the business of selling mobile phones. You can buy any mobile phone that meets the minimum requirements from any vendor. You can use old phones, your personal cellphone or maybe even the cashiers personal cellphone.
Click the following button to request a quote
You will receive a quote. You will need to accept the quote, sign the paperwork and pay the deposit.
We will either courier the hardware to you or send it with a technician depending on the option you chose.
Pricing
Pricing
Please note that all pricing is excluding vat and is calculated per site.
The Mobile Device (phone) is not included.
These prices are guidelines and are subject to change, please refer to your quote for the current prices.
Once off Fees
Once off Fees
Option 1 - Cosoft does the installation:
All fees are ex vat.
Callout Fee R 853.00
plus 1-hour support fee R 587.00
Travel per km R 8.00 (if more than 50km one way)
Optional Bluetooth printer R 2'500.00
Optional Wi-Fi extender R 999.00
Optional Box of 100 Thermal Paper Rolls R 842.00
Monthly Fees
Monthly Fees
R 411.00 per month per store (for unlimited pos licenses in one site)
Additional R 117.00 for each additional brand in a combo store.
You will be required to have a phone for each brand, as you can not have multiple brands on one phone.
For example:
1 Brand = R 411.00 pm.
2 Brands = R 528.00 pm.
3 Brands = R 645.00 pm.
How do I set up the device myself?
How do I set up the device myself?
Make sure you have Wi-Fi in the parking area, if you ordered a Wi-Fi extender, install it following the instruction manual in the box.
Connect the mobile device to the Wi-Fi.
Turn on the Bluetooth printer and make sure it has paper in.
Scan for Bluetooth devices on the mobile device and connect the Bluetooth printer to the device (Default password is 00000 or 1234).
Download the Aura Mobile POS application from the Google Play Store.
6. Open the "Aura Mobile POS" app.
7. Click on "Settings".
8. Click on "Device". This ID is automatically generated, it is used to identify the device in Aura.
9. Click on "Server" and in the "Address" field type the store's server IP address.
10. Click the "Menu" tab to select the relevant menu for the device.
11. Once you have selected the menu, click on "Get Settings From Server".
12. Once you have clicked "Get Settings From Server", you will need to wait for the sync to complete.
13. Click on "Store" and verify that your store information has auto-filled from the server. If the information has been auto-filled the connection and registration is complete.
The VAT Rate can not be edited.
14. Click on "General" to add the currency format.
Please ensure "Debug Mode" is off.
15. In the Printers tab, you will need to select the Bluetooth Printer connected in step 4.
"Character Width" should be "42" if the paper is the width of a credit card roll or "48" if the paper is 80mm wide.
Once you have followed all the above steps, you are now ready to log in and start using Aura Mobile POS.
To log in to Aura Mobile POS, the cashier can use their existing passwords for Aura, however, if a cashier's passwords contain letters it will need to be changed as the Aura Mobile POS only accommodates for numbers.
How do I use Aura Mobile POS?
How do I use Aura Mobile POS?
1. Click "Log In".
2. The Cashier must enter their password. If their password contains letters, it should be changed in Backoffice as you can only use numbers for Aura Mobile POS.
3. Once you have logged in, you will be on the "Summary" page. On the summary page there is two sections:
*Shift - showing transactions of current shift.
*Today - showing all transactions on this device for the current day.
4. If the "Sync" button is green, everything has synced with the store. If the "Sync" button is red, it means that you have lost connectivity with the store and the orders will only go to the kitchen once connectivity has been restored.
5. Click on "New Sale" to place a new order.
6. The first screen will show the categories of the menu.
7. Once you have selected a category, you will see a list of menu items.
8. Once you select a menu item you will be presented with additional options if necessary.
9. Once you have selected the option it will display at the bottom and return to the previous screen.
10. You will need to click on "Save" to add the item to the basket.
11. If you would like to add more than one of the same item, you can change the quantity by using the + to add or - to remove before clicking on "Save".
12. Once saved, you will be taken back to the last category you were in. The items you have added to the basket will be indicated with a quantity in the top right corner.
13. To choose a different category, click on the "Back" button.
To view your basket, click the "basket". This will also take you to the payment screen. The number inside the basket indicates the number of items that have been rung up.
14. You can use the "Cash" or"Credit Card" buttons to indicate how the customer paid.
15. You can see the payment type and change at the bottom of the invoice.
16. If you have selected the wrong payment type you can clear the payment by clicking on "Clear Pmts" in the top right corner and select the correct payment type.
17. If the customer pays with a credit card, you will need to type the amount on the credit card machine manually.
18. To print the customer slip click "Print".
19. Give the printed slip to the customer.
20. To start a new order again, click "New Sale".
How do I cashup Aura Mobile POS?
How do I cashup Aura Mobile POS?
1. When on the categories screen, click the "Back" button to get to the summary screen.
2. On the Summary screen you can see all the totals for the shift or day.
3. Click on "Cashup"
4. Click "General" and then click "Print" to print the cashup report on your Bluetooth printer.
5. This is the cashup report printout.
6. Click "Invoices" to see a list of all invoices, the red invoices have been over-rung or voided. Select an invoice to view the details.
7. You have to click on "Close Shift" once you are done.
8. Once you have clicked on "Close Shift" you will be asked to log out. Click "YES" to log out.
Once all your mobile POS orders have synced with your Aura server, you will find a new till cashup in Backoffice. All the payments and sales information will already be in Backoffice ready for you to just post and lock.
Limitations
Limitations
Mobile POS does not support the following features. The idea is to have low cost software running on basic cellphones with critical features only.
Multiple brands on one device
Delivery orders
Collect orders
Customer details
Table orders
Waiters
Pay later
Discounts
Access permissions
Printing to more than one kitchen printer
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