The most expensive technical decision is not the system you buy — it is the system you are forced to replace a year later. Replacement means re-entering data, retraining a team and losing historical records, all of which costs far more than any difference in license price.
First: data ownership
Ask one specific question: if I want to end the relationship tomorrow, how do I get my data and in what format? An acceptable answer is a full export in a readable format, or a local database you own. An unacceptable answer is “contact support”.
Second: the true cost of running it
- License price or monthly subscription
- Hosting and cloud sync costs, if any
- Hardware: printers, barcode scanners, cash drawers
- Training cost and your team’s time during the transition
- Customisation needed for your specific business
- Annual support cost after the warranty period ends
Third: does it work in your conditions?
Test the system in your worst conditions, not your best: a weak network, mid-range hardware, peak hours, and an inexperienced user. The system that survives that test is the one that will actually work for you.
Fourth: permissions and audit log
Any system handling money and stock needs granular permissions per role and a log showing who performed each sensitive action and when. Without both, you cannot investigate an internal dispute or trace an error.
Fifth: the scaling path
- 1What happens when you add a second branch or warehouse?
- 2What are the practical limits on users and items?
- 3Can the system integrate with other systems via an API?
- 4How are updates applied, and do they interrupt operations?
Sixth: who supports you after the sale?
Ask for it in writing: support channels, coverage hours, expected response time, and what support does and does not include. Verbal promises of “always-on support” are only tested during the first real outage.
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