This MacNews Category Review is the first of our multi-part look at retail management software for the Mac. Products covered include 3in1 FileMaker Pro Template: Retail Planning Catalog, 7Office Sales Cycle Management, Advanced SaleSmartz Pro, AdWorks, AlfsIt, AlphaMag, ArsMagna, Auction Tender, AuthPay, AutoPrice, Barcode X, BC Boutique, Biz Basics Gold, BusinessMind, Checkout, Clothing Organizer, CRM, Days Off Calculator, DB Retailer's Advantage, deCount, deLUXE, EB Suite CRM, Equisis Detail, fileWorkerFILIAEL, Filobase Gestion, FloristWare, FrameReady and gBoutique

3in1 FileMaker Pro Template: Retail Planning Catalog

3in1 FileMaker Pro Template: Retail Planning Catalog (http://www.powerfiles.com/) is training material for FileMaker Pro; it includes one FM Pro file, online layout and two printouts. There's also a 3in1 FileMaker Pro Template: Retail Planning Store List.

7Office Sales Cycle Management

7Office Sales Cycle Management (http://7office.qarchive.org/) -- an integrated workflow environment with an intuitive interface. 7Office manages all forms of interaction with clients -- finding them, winning them, serving them. It includes invoicing, A/R, proposal writing and estimates, time sheets, call reporting, inventory control, task management, mail merges and letter writing. 7Office is designed as a "front end" to small business, from massaging a prospect list into becoming active clients, right through to managing inventory, generating estimates, POs, invoicing and collecting on those invoices, A/R, A/P, customer statements.

Advanced SaleSmartz Pro

Advanced SaleSmartz Pro (http://www.salesmartz.com/) provides a sales management solution for growing businesses. From a single user to a distributed enterprise package. SaleSmartz provides integrated pricing, quote, invoice, contact, email, calendar, reporting and mail merge functionality. Using click and drag features, you can drag products to a quote quickly and then email, fax or print the quote for the customer.

AdWorks

AdWorks (http://www.news-net.ca/index.php) is an ad system with ROP, classified and accounts receivable. With it you can book,invoice and report on classified and retail ads. Because it works hand in hand with Classforce and AdForce ad layout solutions from MEI All your ads can flow straight into a pagination and blend with your editorial.

AlfsIT

AlfIT (http://www.alfsit.de/) is a business software solution for retail, production, and service industries. The package comprises several modules that may be customized and individually combined. Features include accounting, inventory management, bar codes, production management, controlling, sales, and distribution management. AlfsIT is based on FileMaker Pro and scales up to 100 users.

AlphaMag

AlphaMag (http://alphamag.free.fr/) is software for managing clothing retail stores.

ArsMagna

ArsMagna (http://www.artsmagna.com/) is relational management software for wholesalers/retailers that includes, POS, AR/AP, Stock control, After Sales, Lay Bys, Valuations, Letters, Fax, GL, Clients, Vendors, Invoicing, PO and Video Catalog components. It takes advantage of Apple`s QuickTime and QTimeVR technology to display videos of stock items,clients, repairs, valued items, etc. It can be used a a single user or client/server.

Auction Tender

Auction Tender (http://www.colourfull.com/) is a product for those running a web-based store.

AuthPayX First Data Client

AuthPay First Data Client (http://www.authpayx.com/) is a self-contained/stand-alone software application that communicates to the credit/debit card processor, First Data Corp. It also supports wireless transactions with security. AuthPayX is also a POS solution that is used in conjunction with established Mac OS X POS solutions and can be used for both card present or card not present applications. The app can be set up for batch processing and is AppleScriptable for custom needs.

AutoPrice

AutoPrice (http://www.meadowsps.com/site/main/home.htm) provides linking of QuarkXPress documents to any external database of information. It's designed for performing pricing updates on catalogs, retail flyers, and similar publications, but can also be used for updating phone lists, timetables, or any other type of information that can be referenced by a "key value" such as a product number or SKU.

Barcode X

Barcode X (http://www.peninsula-group.com/default.html) creates barcode files for direct inclusion in artwork. In all there are over 120 code types supported.

BC Boutique

BC Boutique (http://www.bmonaco.com/) is software for managing a store.

Biz Basics Gold

Biz Basics Gold (http://www.bizbasics.net/) is a customizable double-entry accounting and sales automation system.

BusinessMind

BusinessMind (http://www.dcit.com/) is an integrated set of information management software modules designed to serve the information management needs of almost any kind of organization. The system is expandable and adaptable by way of its ability to integrate additional modules or remove ones that are unnecessary based on the specific needs of any particular installation.

Checkout

Checkout (http://checkoutapp.com/) is a point-of-sale app for the Mac that was recently revved to version 3.0. The new version adds support for barcode label printing, a revamped Product Manager, and an overall speed boost. Version 3.0 also coincides with the launch of a new Checkout web store, Enstore. In the U.S. and Canada, Checkout is available through Apple resellers, on the web at checkoutapp.com, and other online outlets and mail order catalogs. Internationally, Checkout 3 is available from Werck Sales BV at checkoutapp.com.

Clothing Organizer

Clothing Organizer (http://www.sysfak.com/) is point-of-sale software clothing stores and boutiques. It can be plugged to a scanner, receipt printer, inkjet or laser printer. It's loaded with sale reports. The user can create labels with barcodes. Plus, you can connect a cash-drawer through a receipt printer. Clothing Organizer comes with an optional accounting suite and more.

CRM

The CRM (http://www.interleave.nl/en/) commercial tracking tool for use in a commercial environment for logging and tracking customer requirements, complaints, etc. When a so-called "entity" is logged, every edit to the entity is logged.

Days Off Calculator

The Days Off Calculator (http://www.daysoffcalculator.com/) is workweek optimization software that can be adapted to retail, construction, maintenance, assembly lines, telephone coverage, restaurants, field supervision, dispatching, security, etc. The calculator helps you schedule work crews over the seven-day week, by working out how many crew members can have any given pair of days off (Saturday/Sunday, Sunday/Monday, etc.) and still fill your personnel requirements.

DB Retailer's Advantage

DB Retailer's Advantage (http://www.rabydbs.com/DBS/index.htm) is a point-of-sale and inventory control system for retail stores. The system supports multiple stations (registers) within a store and is designed for organizations with more than one store (location). The database is maintained by a remote service organization that provides routine database maintenance and high-speed access over the Internet. Each station accesses the entire database subject to restrictions set up by store management.The system has two components: client software and the database.

deCount

deCount (xhttp://www.fuchsedv.de/) is a point-of-sale solution that logs all sales activities on a server volume for later processing by an accounting program.

deLUXE

deLUXE (http://www.fuchsedv.de/) is a management and stock control program for the retail business.

EB Suite CRM

EB Suite CRM (http://crm.ebsuite.com/) is a sales force automation (SFA) module.

Equisis Detail

Equisis Detail (http://www.isis.be/) is a point-of-sales solution designed for clothing stores or shoe shops.

fileWorkerFILIALE

fileWorkerFILIALE (http://www.fileworker-service.de/) is a is a point-of-sales solution for Mac OS X and is suitable for a variety of small businesses. It's based upon Server Based Computing (SBC), whereby clients are only used for data entry, whilst processing and storage is handled by a server. The same company also makes the fileWorkerMAIL e-mail management program and fileWorker POS, which lets you keep track of stock control and inventory.

Filobase Gestion

Filobase Gestation (http://www.gbconcept.com/) constitutes an integrated solution with communication, marketing, commercial, administration of the sales and after-sales components.

FloristWare

Floristware (http://www.floristware.com/) is order-taking and point-of-sale system for anyone in the business of selling flowers.

FrameReady

FrameReady (http://frameready.com/) is a point-of-sale frame pricing program that allows a shop owner to determine the price of a custom picture frame. Mouldings, mats, fillets, mat designs and more are selected from pop-up lists.

gBoutique

gBoutique (http://www.gboutique.com/) is oftware for store management. It can be installed on a individual computer or on a client server for use between several Macs. It manages your orders, deliveries, counter and deferred sales, customer files (mailing-lists, invites, statistics, etc.) and supplier files (ratios, margin analyses, etc.). The same company also makes gCaisse, cash register management software.

Next week: part two