Springboard Retail works for Wholesale Companies, too

We found Springboard Retail after searching for a program that can manage many elements of a wholesale business all in one program. We started using it Summer of 2014. We are now able to manage our inventory that is in our office and out with sales reps and on consignment. Although there is no "consignment" part to the program, there's a workaround within the system that is fine. Since everything is in the cloud, we have access to this information anywhere and anytime, even on a mobile phone with the app. It is especially helpful at tradeshows. The reporting functions are amazing and show us very valuable information about sales and products and locations of products that we never had before. Each inventory item allows you to add images and customize as you need. You can duplicate items easily and set up frequently ordered items as needed. It does take some practice to learn everything, especially since we use the program from a wholesale view but once you figure everything out, it is very quick to use and invaluable to our company now. The support service always gets back to us right away if we have a question or problem (which isn't very often). My only issue is with our Quickbooks integration. The integration pushes invoices or credits over to Quickbooks from Springboard as journal entries but then you have to re-enter the invoice/credit specifics into Quickbooks in order to actually have the info/details in Quickbooks. Then we run a Quickbooks report to make sure we haven't missed any invoices. It is a bit time consuming and there is room for error if you forget to enter in an invoice or mistype something. Springboard has said they are working on a better way to handle this but we haven't received any details yet. This one issue is small compared to the positives of the software. I would highly recommend it to any business that needs to manage inventory in one or many locations and is looking for a great reporting system.

Pros

Manage inventory, run reports, invoice and credits, manage consignments -- everything is all in one program.
It's mobile and in the cloud so we have access anywhere and anytime.
Support always responds in a timely manner.

Cons

Quickbooks integration not the best, but works with a little effort.

DLM Supply

I have been very pleasantly surprised about how well Springboard has worked out for our Men's Clothing boutique in Dallas. My colleague and I did some extensive research in POS systems. We both had a history of working with larger clothing retailers so we were accustomed to robust reporting, advanced order systems, and detailed item management. Springboard has been able to deliver on all fronts. I've also come to appreciate the support system that is built in. There is a message board available to submit requests/questions and the follow through has been pretty good. They have listened to some of our feature requests and I have noticed a couple of them were implemented on the following system update (which they also do frequently). We are currently working on getting our website up and running on Shopify, and the integration is working great in terms of syncing inventory.

Pros

Reporting, reporting, reporting. Reports are entirely customizable and there are several metrics to choose from. I feel like i have been able to replicate several of the reports that I had available to me at the large corporation that i worked at, and that has been very impressive.

User friendly interface on the POS. Very easy to teach to new users.

Detailed item management capability with unlimited customizable fields. Allows for even more robust reporting.

Ipad app works well

Cons

There were a couple bugs early on when using certain browsers. We now use Google Chrome more often than not and it seems to be working fine.

I wish the item management integrated more seemlessly to our Shopify site, but i think this is nitpicking a bit since most of the other POS systems don't even offer any integration.

Definitely pricier than the competition, but you get bang for the buck.

Web based interface is risky if you have network connectivity issues. We have been lucky thus far, but I could see this as being an issue for others.

Wish there was an iPhone app, a little hard to view on the iPhone browser.

Incredible System

Pros

We moved over from RICS because it was an older slower moving system. Springboard's reporting function is dynamic - it works as fast as my brain works. In the past, I would run a report on performance and invariably another question would come up while I was reviewing that report - In RICS I would have to go back and rerun another report (5 mins) - with Springboard I can slice the data any way I want in a matter of seconds. I also have been consistently impressed by the support team - any time I have a question, the team is available to answer my questions - and always with a friendly and helpful attitude. ALWAYS. I know their names, they know who I am, it just feels really comforting to know I have a support team who seems to care about my business as much as I do. If they don't have the answer I am looking for, they are always quick to provide a suggestion for a workaround AND add my need to a list of projects they have going forward. I have seen almost every single one of my suggestions turn into a feature on Springboard. I also really like that I can open up another register (Station) as my business dictates - I am not locked into paying for features that I only use seasonally.

Cons

There are not many bad things I can say about Springboard. Every complaint I have has been addressed - occasionally I will request a feature or a metric (Inventory Turn!) that is not available now - and for the most part I have seen them implemented. There are several features concerning Open to Buy that I would like to see going forward. Also, Springboard only integrates with one Credit Card Processor, and although they were able to give me a very low rate, it's not great to be locked into one option. Also there have been a few outages in service (very few but still a scary situation)

Springboard Retail is modern POS software at it's very best.

Pros

The Springboard Retail team hails from a multi-store retail background so they know first-hand what POS software needs to do, how it should work and that it must to be simple and intuitive to use. That is exactly what they have created; no fluff, incredibly flexible and reliable software that is as close as one can get to a custom written solution, offered at a reasonable price. Unlike many other platforms that try to serve restaurants, grocery stores, and everything in between, Springboard simply focuses on doing one thing incredibly well - retail. The software provides quick access to key customer information that enables sales staff to offer exceptional and personalized customer service, and offers the most extensive reporting system I've seen in the various products I've used or researched.

Cons

I'm hard pressed to find fault with Springboard Retail as it quite capably addresses all of our retail apparel multi-store needs. That said, there are aspects that can and undoubtedly will be improved upon to make it applicable to a wider range of specialty businesses. For example, I don't think it specifically handles service/repair requests, but with a little creativity and assistance from their knowledgeable support team it likely can. Great software must walk a fine line between maintaining simplicity and offering a plethora of features which inevitably clutter screens and steepen the learning curve. Springboard is designed to be simple, and as long as they hold true to this commitment, they will undoubtedly become an industry leader. Thus far, this is one of those rare instances where I feel fortunate to be a somewhat early adopter.

Great product, even better company

I consider it a great decision on our part to go with Springboard Retail. While I am able to list some areas of opportunities for them, it is very reassuring to know that they constantly strive to improve their software based on client input. They actually really listen to feedback and many times act on it quickly if other clients can benefit from the change. This is refreshing. In my opinion, it would be challenging to find a better value or partnership on the market.

Pros

Ease of use - intuitive nature
Support team - always feel as if we are partners working together
Dynamic Reporting
Easy to customize certain fields to fit business needs
Real-time reporting and sales sales metrics
Mobility - using ipads within the stores, viewing results via smartphone
Integration - happy with the timeline, support, and ease
Training - very easy to train on this software, love the training mode
Knowledge base - this is such a big plus. The articles are current and easy to find quickly
Search capability - this is easily overlooked, but being able to put in part of an item's name, number or description and find what you need is huge! Same with customer information.

Cons

Within the current software, I would like to be able to use a fiscal calendar vs the Gregorian calendar.
Outside of software- although Springboard Retail is focusing on their core competencies, I do wish the following was available within the software and not through third parties:
Time clock feature
Loyalty/VIP Customer feature
Integrated payment - we use Clover and integrate

The people make this great

Folks, I have been in the POS purchasing line of work now for 20 years, or so it seems. I originally had an MS-DOS based system that could not properly communicate to the head office, it also cost a fortune. Then I went with QB POS. It pretty good, but the customer service sucked and it had lots of limitations, and again communication problems. I tried of few of the first of the cloud based solutions, which were problemed with small companies who grew too fast and again terrible customer service. I was at my wits end after dealing with Amazon. Then one day while I was miserating about my situation on my daily search for a pos system that could deal with apparel in a decent way, I found Runit Realtime. I kind of liked it, even though it cost a fortune for .............. I told the sales manager that I wanted to go with it. He never called me back, or emailed. Oh well. I finally learned, if the customer service sucks, don't bother with the company. Then I found Springboard. The sales folks at Springboard answered all of my questions, and phone calls, and emails. It seemed to be too good to be true, but I was desperate. They hooked me up!!! I am pretty well versed with IT and I set it up with a couple of quick uploads. As time went along I came to know the support staff. Derek, the support bossman, has his act together. It is a small team and they all know who I am. I have made some suggestions to them, and they roll out the coding in a few weeks. These guys are on the ball. Right now, I am awaiting the roll out of pictures on my reporting. This is breakthrough technology for a small company, or any company to deliver this kind of reporting. It is amazing!!! My numbers are up last month 206% of previous year due to my ability to better manage my buys and reporting. I have asked them to look into doing multichannel. They seemed interested. As for now, they have an API with Shopify. I set up my site by myself. It looks great and is easy as pie. I think they have a free month. Anyways, I am not on their sales team, but I feel like I should be. Springboard is what it is named. It has springboarded me towards easier living and more money. I don't often write review, but for this program I do believe it will benefit those who read reviews and will definitely those who sign up. Good luck with your POS, ( we all know what POS stand for, usually Piece of Sh*t). With Derek and his team it is more like Program of Support!

Simple to use, surprisingly sophisticated, and scalable

Pros

I like their entire team. Support is outstanding. They listen and respond. The product is incredibly flexible, allowing for custom fields on a slew of records (items, customers, purchase orders, etc). Reports are outstanding. They are fast and highly configurable. The system has a background in apparel, but it can easily be adapted to other industries. We are in crafts and had no trouble with it.

Cons

We have also had a few (very few) issues with credit card processing, but those issues have been due to problems with the processor, not Springboard itself. This is a problem that is not unique to Springboard. Always have some kind of a back-up system in place for internet and credit card processing! Also, just know going into it that Springboard is not a hardware or network provider. They have a recommended hardware stack, and if you stick to it, they can generally assist in troubleshooting if necessary. I strongly recommend having a local resource for networking and hardware configuration. That's not to say Springboard doesn't know what they are doing, but some issues need to have boots on the ground.

Springboard retail is a Game Changer

I can look at my business from the app On my phone anywhere anytime. I love this..it has given me some Flexibility in my business and alllowed Me to work In a little More Family time

Pros

I have control of the IT end of my business . I do not have to “call a guy” every time something goes wrong or it’s time
For an upgrade. In 4 years my system has gone down maybe 4 Times and then never for more than 20 minutes and every time it has been the internet provider that was the problem but Springboard always steps up and gets it fixed. They never point the finger they just take care of it. Also there are no costly upgrades that require new computers and “that computer guy” to execute it.

Cons

When you need help they will often times refer you to their knowledge base...usually I have already gone this route and need an actual
Answer not another article to read.

Amazing Customer Service and Support

The support team is available around the clock, any time I call in my request is greeted by a real person who immediately is able to help. They are very responsive and proactive about any bugs or issues in the software (which do happen from time to time) - they are always adding new features and updates. Overall, the software just makes SENSE to a lay person - it's clear that the person who designed it is in retail! There are always improvements to be made, and the support team is always happy to listen to my concerns. Overall, great people to work with.

Pros

User friendly, Great reporting

Cons

Exports to PDF are not the most clear, bugs in software happen occasionally

Overall very satisfied.

Switched over from quickbooks point of sale about a year ago. (DO NOT BUY QB POS) The transfer of data went smoothly. The customer support was amazing. They have every feature I need for a small business with moderate to high volume. They system is very easy to use. They are continuously evolving and don't try to charge you extra for updates like some systems do. Because it is web based you can access it anywhere and enter inventory when you are not in the store with out having the POS set up on another computer. Reporting features help me analyze business better. Dashboard gives an overview of all info I need on a daily basis. Their customer service is the best I have encountered ever. They are usually available with little to no wait time. The staff is knowledgable and addresses any issues that arise in a timely manner. That being said, there have been a few glitches but as I stated they do fix them quickly.

Pros

Customer service. Web based, allows access anywhere.

Cons

Extra monthly charge for using POS on an iPad even if I use it for just 1 day. Not cheap, but worth the price.