Predictable POS Connectivity, Even When The Lights Go Out

The words “load-shedding” are enough to make anyone groan out loud in frustration (especially small business owners) but it is still a sad fact of life for South Africans. From lost revenue through lack of POS connectivity to spoiled stock, the problem doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon.

However, if forewarned is indeed, forearmed, then let’s understand the issue and explore how to get on top of this beast.

Load-Shedding Facts

An article from Fin24 in December 2018 highlighted some grim facts, stating, “According to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, during 23 days of load shedding in 2008, the SA economy lost an estimated R50bn – the equivalent of R2.17bn per day.”

These numbers are not simply figures on a page.

The article further mentions Nkosana Ndlovu, a baker who makes a living selling scones. In fact, this little business makes over 10 000 scones a day.

“On Wednesday, when the electricity was shut off, all the prepared dough had to be thrown away, Ndlovu told Fin24.”

Some entrepreneurs interviewed have lost as much as half of their profits during load-shedding.

It seems that, while corporate businesses are inconvenienced by load-shedding, they generally have the funds to allow for a backup power source. This option is not always available to small and micro enterprises who suffer from stock spoiling, loss of production, no internet, theft or damaged electronics.

As much as we’d like to believe that the power issue in South Africa is being rectified, the reality is that we need to “make a plan” if our businesses are going to survive the constant power outages.

Planning For Productivity

While your business may not be able to implement as many fall-back options as you would like, you can certainly start with the most important and work your way down the list.

Are you in retail or hospitality? If so, then your POS device needs to be connected – all the time. When the power goes down, do you lose internet access? Can you still process card payments, or do you watch your business walk out the door?

POS Connectivity

There are many reasons for your POS device to fail. A power spike may damage the unit, staff may accidently drop your portable device, unintentionally trip over cables and disconnect your device, or your system may rely solely on an internet connection via your landline to operate.

What can you do to mitigate these threats to your business?

Power Protection – To avoid damage to your POS units as well as to your other important electrical equipment, be sure to make use of a power protection device. These prevent spikes, surges and even lightning strikes from damaging your critical tools.

POS Device Management – Make it your staff’s responsibility for everyone to handle the POS devices with care and to look after it as it were their own.  This is after all one of the lifelines of your business that you can’t go without.

Cable Management – In a busy restaurant, nobody will notice that (important) cable which has been kicked out of the wall by a frantic waitron. Flat batteries and intermittent connectivity are the result. Take some time for good cable management which is organised and safe – and one less thing to worry about.

POS Power Failover – Make 100 percent sure that you are not at the mercy of Eskom by using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) that allows your POS system to function for at least some time while your primary power source is not available . In the event of load-shedding and the inevitable loss of internet, this smart POS unit switches over to the UPS and allows you to continue trading.

POS Connectivity Failover – It is essential to make sure you have a plan B & even C in place for  .  There are multiple options to ensure an ‘always-on’ POS device, which will allow you to trade and even accommodating some of your competitors’ customers.

Minimising the Load

Once you know that your money is still going to come in, perhaps you can look at other anti-load shedding tactics to keep your business ticking over.

• Invest in “off the grid” tech in the form of solar power. These will save you money now and, in the future, and save your business in “dark” times.
• Source a generator and link it up to a UPS to make certain that you have a little power to run the essentials.
• Back up your data regularly, and especially when you know that load-shedding is on the cards.
• Keep your POS, laptops and other electronics plugged in and charged up.

While we can’t light your offices when load-shedding hits, we can keep you online and productive. If always-on POS connectivity and a secure and stable system is just what your business needs, then call the Huge Connect team. We’ll keep your business running.