Compare
ARC OS beside the ways shops work today.
A fair look, topic by topic. These are kinds of tools, not named products, and each one suits some shops.
Ringing up a sale
- A paper book
- Written by hand, added up by hand.
- A basic cash register
- Typed by price or a key per department.
- A POS made for another country
- Scanner and product list.
- ARC OS
- Scanner, search in English, Sinhala or Tamil, quick buttons and scale labels.
Stock
- A paper book
- Counted by eye.
- A basic cash register
- Usually not kept.
- A POS made for another country
- Kept, often in one currency and tax setup that is not Sri Lanka's.
- ARC OS
- Kept per branch with deliveries, free issues, batches and expiry dates.
Credit customers
- A paper book
- A notebook.
- A basic cash register
- Not kept.
- A POS made for another country
- Sometimes, as a separate module.
- ARC OS
- A credit book with limits, statements and WhatsApp reminders.
Language
- A paper book
- Whatever you write.
- A basic cash register
- Usually English only, with short names.
- A POS made for another country
- Often English only; Sinhala and Tamil receipts are rare.
- ARC OS
- Screens and receipts in English, Sinhala and Tamil.
LankaQR
- A paper book
- A printed sticker; the customer types the amount.
- A basic cash register
- A printed sticker.
- A POS made for another country
- Usually not supported.
- ARC OS
- The customer display shows LankaQR with the amount filled in.
Poya days and holidays
- A paper book
- You remember.
- A basic cash register
- You remember.
- A POS made for another country
- Not on its calendar.
- ARC OS
- Poya days on every report chart, and Poya-closed items refused at the till.
Internet and power cuts
- A paper book
- Works.
- A basic cash register
- Works; the day's total is on the register.
- A POS made for another country
- Cloud-only systems stop selling.
- ARC OS
- Keeps selling offline and uploads when the connection is back.
Reports
- A paper book
- Added up at night.
- A basic cash register
- A daily total on the Z report.
- A POS made for another country
- Many reports, in someone else's business calendar.
- ARC OS
- Sales, profit, staff, stock, tax and a bank-loan pack, by your business day.
Seeing the shop from home
- A paper book
- Phone the shop.
- A basic cash register
- Not possible.
- A POS made for another country
- Often a web dashboard.
- ARC OS
- The owner's phone view with alerts about voids, discounts and cash.
Support
- A paper book
- Not needed.
- A basic cash register
- The dealer who sold it.
- A POS made for another country
- Often abroad, in another time zone.
- ARC OS
- By WhatsApp; with the owner's permission, ARC OS staff see a read-only view of the shop to help.
| Topic | A paper book | A basic cash register | A POS made for another country | ARC OS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ringing up a sale | Written by hand, added up by hand. | Typed by price or a key per department. | Scanner and product list. | Scanner, search in English, Sinhala or Tamil, quick buttons and scale labels. |
| Stock | Counted by eye. | Usually not kept. | Kept, often in one currency and tax setup that is not Sri Lanka's. | Kept per branch with deliveries, free issues, batches and expiry dates. |
| Credit customers | A notebook. | Not kept. | Sometimes, as a separate module. | A credit book with limits, statements and WhatsApp reminders. |
| Language | Whatever you write. | Usually English only, with short names. | Often English only; Sinhala and Tamil receipts are rare. | Screens and receipts in English, Sinhala and Tamil. |
| LankaQR | A printed sticker; the customer types the amount. | A printed sticker. | Usually not supported. | The customer display shows LankaQR with the amount filled in. |
| Poya days and holidays | You remember. | You remember. | Not on its calendar. | Poya days on every report chart, and Poya-closed items refused at the till. |
| Internet and power cuts | Works. | Works; the day's total is on the register. | Cloud-only systems stop selling. | Keeps selling offline and uploads when the connection is back. |
| Reports | Added up at night. | A daily total on the Z report. | Many reports, in someone else's business calendar. | Sales, profit, staff, stock, tax and a bank-loan pack, by your business day. |
| Seeing the shop from home | Phone the shop. | Not possible. | Often a web dashboard. | The owner's phone view with alerts about voids, discounts and cash. |
| Support | Not needed. | The dealer who sold it. | Often abroad, in another time zone. | By WhatsApp; with the owner's permission, ARC OS staff see a read-only view of the shop to help. |