Real World Takes on Training
Learning the ins and outs of your system will pay off, for you and your staff.

The great thing about POS systems: there are so many features that could help boost productivity and efficiency at your garden center. The challenge: there are so many features to learn. That’s where the right training comes into play.

It’s not enough for one or two people on your staff to know the ins and outs of your system; that knowledge needs to be carried companywide. It’s a noble goal, but is it practical and, more importantly, attainable? It is for IGCs committed to finding the approach that works best for their staff.

Reynolds’ One-on-One
Three years ago, when Mike Long of L.A. Reynolds Garden Showcase in Winston-Salem, NC, installed Radiant Systems’ CounterPoint SQL system, he went through the training offered by his local reseller. After becoming familiar with the system, he traveled to Radiant’s offices in Memphis for four days of CounterPoint instructor-led classes. Fees for the courses range from $500-$750 for two- or four-day advanced instruction to $1,000 for a four-and-a-half-day fundamentals class. Topics include set-up, customer tracking, receivables, inventory, purchasing, accounting, custom forms, data interchange and more.

These days, to help train his staff on what he calls “trickier” POS applications, such as special orders and taking deposits, Long has developed his own training manual (see picture, right). He takes screen captures of the register display, then opens them in Microsoft Office Publisher, where he adds graphic bubbles and arrows with instructions about how to handle the tasks. He keeps the pages to no more than six steps each, prints them in color, and laminates them for his internal training manual.

Anderson’s Online
Preferring to stay closer to home instead of traveling for training, Quentin Daugherty of Newport News, VA-based Anderson’s Home & Garden Showplace, No. 94 in Nursery Retailer’s IGC 100 report with $4.8 million in sales, used Radiant’s online webinars and tutorials to implement his store’s system.

Live webinars allow retailers to participate in short training sessions without leaving their stores. Structured similarly to online classes, users log on and follow a live presentation from an instructor. During the session, participants can send questions via the Internet connection for immediate answers from the instructor, and users across the country can see the responses.

Retailers can also use interactive tutorials downloaded from CounterPoint’s website, installing the software on their computers to learn at their own pace. The courses offer exercises that walk participants through selected topics. Self-check questions at the end test their understanding of the concepts.

In addition to the online training, Daugherty says CounterPoint’s built-in virtual “golf business” - one of nearly a dozen demo data programs - is helpful for practicing POS tasks, such as “buy one get one free” and “kit items,” without using live data. An exact duplicate of the store’s database could also be utilized for training, but requires higher level security clearance within the system.

Echter’s Conversion
Steve Echter of Echter’s (No. 91, $5.4 million) in Arvada, CO, installed his Activant Solutions system in 2001. For training, his staff uses the Activant Eagle Training Browser, available on CD or via download from the POS company’s website. Educational features include videos, printable documents, interactive practice simulations and quizzes.

In launching the POS system, Echter took advantage of onsite training to facilitate a smoother transition from the IGC’s previous system. Leading up to the transition, Activant evaluated the garden center’s data and made recommendations. One challenge: The most recent standard system only allows for a single character in department codes; previously, Echter used a two-digit system to identify merchandise categories. While getting around this required some data changes and manipulations to the old system, the conversion went smoothly, without the need for extensive data entry.

Belmont’s Follow-Up
Direct and personal follow-up with SBI Nursery Software has proven the most effective way for Jon Reelhorn of Belmont Nursery in Fresno, CA, to learn and keep up with the company’s system. Four years ago, when it was installed, he was given three months of training at no charge, but he wasn’t sure what questions to ask at that point. Since then, he has participated in a couple of webinars, which he says were informative but not as interactive and beneficial as phone training.

During the phone sessions, SBI links to Belmont’s computer, and the IGC’s employees follow along with a POS representative as he demonstrates real-world uses of the system.

Reelhorn says he is confident thanks to the personal relationship he and his staff have developed with SBI. Support is available 24 hours, and the company provides excellent service in solving problems in emergency situations, he says. Because there is no additional charge for the after-hours support, Reelhorn finds it most convenient to get help with questions when things are quieter at the store, after normal business hours.
While he wishes there were an official manual for training, Reelhorn says online help documents offer assistance for learning all of the system’s nuances. Additional notes are also posted at the software company’s website to help users when there is a new update.

Keeping up with the software is key in maximizing your POS system. Investigate training options with your POS company, and network with other users of the system to find out what works for their garden centers. The resources are out there, use them.