Everything the business runs on,
in one place.

How do the parts connect?

They share one set of records. Nothing is copied from one part to another overnight, and nothing has to be typed twice. That is the practical difference between one system and four separate tools: the till, the stock sheet, the invoice book and the customer list cannot disagree, because they are the same data.

A few examples of what that means on an ordinary day:

• A till sale takes the stock off. Sell three tins at the counter and the stock figure for that product drops by three, so the low-stock list is based on what is really left.
• A sale on account becomes money owed. Put a trade customer's sale on account and it is added to their balance, checked against their credit limit, and starts ageing from that day.
• A payment clears the right invoice. Record a payment against an invoice and the balance and ageing update, so the next statement is right without anyone adjusting it.
• Goods in put stock back. A goods received note adds the delivered quantities to stock and records what was actually received against the order.
• Reports read the lot. Sales, profit by product, margin, stock value at cost and at selling price, and the discounts given all come from the same sales and stock, so the numbers agree with each other.
• The day closes once. The end-of-day close counts the cash against what the till recorded and locks the day, so a sale cannot quietly move into yesterday.

Which part replaces what?

Most businesses arrive with a mix of tools. This is how they map across:

Step by step

Set it up in this order. Each step uses what the one before it created, so doing it out of order means going back.

1. Bring your products in. Open Smart import and drop in your product list: a CSV or Excel file, or a PDF such as a supplier price list. Check names, prices and cost prices before going further, because every report depends on cost prices.
2. Set your VAT rates and check prices. Make sure each product has the right rate and that prices are entered the way you sell them, including or excluding VAT. VAT is then worked out on every line for you.
3. Set up where stock lives. Add each warehouse or store, then record opening stock with a stocktake, so the first figures are counted rather than guessed.
4. Add customers and their terms. Enter trade customers with their credit limits, and give the ones on special terms a price list or discount. Walk-in customers need no record at all.
5. Add your team. Give each person their own login and the role that matches their job, under Users and roles.
6. Take a real sale on the till. Ring one up, take payment, print or send the receipt. Check that the stock dropped and the sale appears in the sales report. If anything looks wrong, fix it now, while there is one sale to trace rather than a hundred.
7. Raise one invoice and record its payment. Do it for a real trade customer, then check their balance and statement.
8. Turn on the parts around the edges. Orders from reps or a catalogue link, deliveries with drivers, offers. Add them when the core is running smoothly, not all on day one.
9. Close the first day properly. Cash up, compare with what the till recorded, and lock the day. Do it every day from then on.
10. Hide what you do not use. In Settings, open Menu visibility and hide any pages your business does not need, so staff only see the screens that matter to them.

What should you switch on first?

Start with the parts that touch money every day, and add the rest once staff are comfortable. A rough guide by type of business:

• A shop or counter business: the till, products and stock first; the end-of-day close in the first week; customer accounts if you give credit.
• A wholesaler or distributor: products, customers with credit limits and price lists first; invoices and payments next; orders from reps and catalogue links, then deliveries.
• A restaurant or takeaway: the menu, the till and the kitchen display screen first; tables and QR ordering once the kitchen trusts the screen.
• A business that signs contracts or quotes: add e-signature, so agreements come back signed without printing.

What mistakes slow people down?

Three come up more than any others:

• Skipping cost prices. Without them, profit, margin and stock value at cost are incomplete. Fill them in during the import, not later.
• Starting from guessed stock. If opening stock is wrong, every low-stock flag and reorder suggestion after it is wrong too. Count first; our stocktake guide shows how.
• Sharing one login across the counter. It is quicker on day one and costly later: the activity log cannot say who changed a price or a customer record, and you cannot limit what each person sees. Give every person their own login from the start.
• Running the old tool alongside for months. A week of overlap is reassuring. Months of it means two sets of numbers that never quite agree. Pick a date and stop.

For a broader comparison of a till on its own against one connected system, read POS vs ERP, and for keeping stock right once you are running, the stock control guide.