In this guide 6 sections
Ask whether the software bills by serial number, tracks distributor schemes and price protection, and follows job cards and brand RMAs. Check assembled builds and corporate credit too. Then ask how figures reach Tally and who owns your data. A demo on your own stock answers more than a brochure.
Serial numbers at receipt and at the counter
Ask the vendor to scan a serial at goods receipt and again at billing. Then ask them to find that serial’s invoice, customer and warranty date in one search. If it takes several screens in a demo, it will take longer with a customer waiting.
Some billing software records only a count. The quantity is right and the history is missing. For laptops, SSDs and monitors, that history is the whole point.
- Serial captured at goods receipt
- Serial scanned at billing, not typed
- One search from serial to invoice and customer
- Warranty end date shown against the serial
Distributor schemes and price protection
Distributor rates move often, and scheme credits arrive by email after units are sold. Ask how the software records the credit due from each distributor. Ask how it matches that credit against the month’s purchases.
If the answer is a spreadsheet beside the software, plan for that. An unclaimed credit is money left with the distributor.
Service job cards and brand RMAs
Ask to see a job card from intake to delivery. Watch each step. It should hold the fault, accessories received, estimate and status. Ask whether the customer gets a message when the status changes.
Then ask about units sent to the brand. The register should keep the docket number and the date each unit left. Anything out too long should be flagged without anyone searching.
- Fault and accessories logged at intake
- Status updates sent to the customer
- Docket number and dispatch date for each RMA
- DOA claims flagged inside the brand’s window
Assembled builds and corporate credit
A custom gaming or office build is many serials sold as one item. Ask whether a returned GPU can be traced to the build it went into. Not every retail package handles this, so ask to see it.
Corporate buyers bring quotes, revisions, delivery challans and credit. Ask how a quote becomes an invoice once the buyer revises the quantity after it went out, and where outstanding amounts then sit by customer and due date.
Tally, data ownership and a trial on your stock
Ask plainly how sales and purchases reach Tally. Some products link directly, others export a file, and some quote the link separately. Your accountant should hear it.
Ask who owns the customer list, serial history and service records, and how you take them away if you leave. Get the answer written into the proposal.
Last, ask for a demo on a week of your own stock. Sample data hides the awkward cases.
Vendor question sheet
A one-page list of these questions with space for each vendor’s answer and a yes, partly or no mark. Take it to every demo and fill it in during the meeting. Compare vendors on the same sheet afterwards.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Does GullySystem’s electronics retail software link to Tally out of the box?
No, it is not built in. Your accountant can read sales and purchase figures inside the system. A Tally export is quoted separately once the ledger layout is settled.
Does the electronics retail product suit a laptop shop?
Its audience includes computer and laptop retailers. It carries serial-number stock, warranty dates, service jobs and distributor scheme claims. Custom work suits shops with assembled builds and a corporate credit book.
Does a small counter need this kind of software?
Possibly not. If you sell a few units a month and keep no credit, a notebook may still do.
Should we ask to see a GST invoice in the demo?
Yes. Ask for an invoice covering a laptop, its accessories and a service charge. How GST applies to each line is for your accountant to confirm.