Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for supermarkets.
A checklist built from how supermarkets work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Item master and barcodes
- Checkout and weighed items
- Batch and expiry control
- Receiving against purchase orders
- Promotions and price changes
- Wastage and shrinkage log
- Loyalty and customer offers
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners and store managers
- For cashiers
- For department heads
- For receiving clerks
- For buyers
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Sales by department, category and hour of the day
- Batches due to expire this week, by department
- Wastage by reason, department and week
- Deliveries received against orders, with short supply
- Promotion sales against the same line without an offer
- Shift closing variances by lane and cashier
- Slow and fast lines against shelf space and stock held
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Barcode scanner
- Weighing scale and label printer
- Card terminal
- SMS or messaging
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Can it manage expiry for chilled and dairy lines?
- How do weighed items work at the lane?
- Can shelf labels and lane prices change together?
- What happens when a delivery arrives short?
- Can several stores use one item master?
- Does it record wastage by department?
- Can cashiers split payment across cash and card?
- Does the loyalty scheme need a membership card?
- Can my current item list be loaded?
- How is the system quoted?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Expiry dates are checked by eye
- Shelf price and till price disagree
- Deliveries are accepted without being matched
- Wastage is written off in bulk
- Reordering follows habit, not sales
Prefer to talk it through? See the supermarkets page.