Frequently Asked Questions.
What businesses is your software for?
We create and support software for independent specialty retail businesses, small businesses. These include jewellers, bookshops, garden centres, pet stores, bike shops, toy shops, gift shops, newsagents, music shops, produce businesses, fishing bait and tackle businesses, firearms dealers, computer shops, health food and zero waste businesses, fabric shops, sewing shops, trophy engraving businesses, plumbing supply businesses and plenty more.
Why don't you sell to big business?
There is a difference between the needs of small business owners and big business owners. We prefer to have many customers than a few big customers. We understand small business retail and we love helping small retail businesses flourish.
Does the software have Artificial Intelligence (AI) facilities?
Yes. Our first embedded AI tools were released in 2023. They have been regularly enhanced since then. Today, the AI tools offer workflow management benefits, time saving and opportunities to improve profitability from smart business insights. Almost all reports in the software have an AI insights butting which, when pressed, provides considered commentary on what the report shows - this is ideal for people turned off by pages of reports.
Does the software run in the cloud?
Yes, we have plenty of customers running it in the cloud. We also have plenty of customers running the software in-store, on their desktop. You choose what’s right for you.
Where are you based?
Our head office in in Hawthorn, Victoria - 3A Lynch Street. We’d love you to visit! We also have team members located interstate in Australia, as well as in New Zealand.
Who founded Tower Systems?
Mark Fletcher. In 1981. Ph: 0418 321 338 or email:
Who owns Tower Systems?
Vela APX owns Tower Systems. Vela is part of the Constellation Software Group, a publicly traded company headquartered in Canada.
How many customers do you have?
More than 3,500 businesses have signed up for our software.
Do you sell to big business?
No.
Do you sell to franchises?
No.
What language is the software written in?
Delphi.
What database do you use?
Nexus.
How can I find out more about your software?
You can see demonstrations of most of our products on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TowerSystemsPOS/videos Contact one of our sales people (
How often is your software updated?
Constantly. We usually release three major updates a year.
Do you offer software demonstrations?
Yes. Our demonstrations are one-on-one. That is, they are done with and for you, and anyone else from your team. Also, we record these so you have a record of what was covered.
Do you offer comparisons to other software?
No. We've not used either software and cannot comment from experience on how our software specifically compares to theirs. We are, however, happy to compare our software next to any other if you can arrange this.
What is in the updates?
The majority of enhancements are determined by our customers through a transparent suggestion and voting process that we call Software Ideas. We let our customers know in advance what is in an update and they can decide if they wish to go with that update.
Can I rent your software?
Yes, for as long or as short as you want. There is no lock in contract. You could use the software for 30 days, for example, and then stop.
Do I have to pay for software updates?
Updates are included in our software rental price.
How can I get support for the software?
You can access out chatbot 24/7. It’s in the bottom right corner of our website home page. You can call or email our help desk. Our comprehensive knowledge base is available online 24/7 as is our large library of training videos. Plus, we have a private Facebook group.
Do I have to buy hardware from you?
No. We have a hardware spec sheet that is freely available from our website.
Do I have to keep paying to access your software once I purchase it?
Rental is per month, rolling. Paying this provides access to the software. There is no lock in contract. You can cancel at any time and at the end of the month in which you cancel, it ends.
Where can I see your price?
It’s online, public, anyone can access it: https://www.towersystems.com.au/pricing.html.
Is software support coverage mandatory?
It's included in the rental price.
How can I tell how busy the help desk is?
If you log into our website, the first screen you see shows the current call queue as well as how many calls we have handled so far today. The fastest help desk response will be from the ChatBot on our website.
Do I have to pay a fee per transaction put through the software?
No. The only cost for the software is the monthly rental cost.
Do I have to pay to run the software on more terminals in my shop?
No. You can run the software on as many terminals in your location as you wish.
Your software is more expensive than other software I am looking at - why?
It could be that the other software you are looking at is not as comprehensive as ours. It could also be you have not been informed of the total cost of ownership of the other software. We think our pricing is fair based on what we have invested in our software and the comprehensive services with which we back our software. We believe in the maxim - you get what you pay for.
How can I learn more about your software once I have it installed?
All of our new customers have access to one-on-one training, our awesome video training library and our comprehensive knowledge base. Customers can have as many telephone based one on one training sessions as they want.
What does "off the shelf software" mean?
It means the software3 offered for purchase is sold as is at that point in time. Unless your contract states otherwise, no customisation is offered.
What if I want a facility that is not in your software?
If you already use our software, suggest it via our transparent Software Ideas facility. If you do not currently use our software, please outline your requirements to your sales person, preferably in writing.
Can I backup to the cloud?
Yes. We offer a safe and secure service for this?
Can I use the software for a pop-up shop or outpost?
Yes.
Can you convert data from other software?
Usually we can. Let us see your data first before we provide a certain answer for you. Some software products make it difficult to export data.
Do you sell through agents?
No.
Does the software offer scale integration?
Yes, we are NMI approved.
Does the software support sales by fractions?
Yes.
Does the software support sales by unit of measure?
Yes, by weight or length.
Does the software connect to online platforms for e-commerce?
Yes, our POS software directly integrates with Shopify, Big Commerce, Woo Commerce and Magento. Our software receives a feed of online sales and maintains up to data inventory data regardless of whether the sale is in-store or online.
Does the software support selling by colour, size and style?
Yes.
Does the software support table service for cafes and restaurants?
No.
Does the software enable us to suspend a sale mid sale and come back to it?
Yes.
Are loyalty tools included in the software?
Yes, there is no additional cost for this.
How easy is it for me to cancel my Tower software subscription?
Either email us at
Can I pause by Tower software subscription?
No.
What's the best way to see if the Tower software is good for my business?
Use it. This has minimal risk and cost since you can cancel at any time.
What does it cost for changes to be made to the software?
Typically, we don’t do bespoke software development for customers. We welcome change suggestions and consider each based on usefulness across our community of customers. Our goal is to maintain a single product for all. This nurtures product quality, helps with consistent support, and delivers lower cost software.
Should I be using AI in my business?
Yes, we think so, because AI tools are now so everyday, so common that businesses not using them are likely less competitive.
What should I do to keep my data secure?
Always keep your Tower software up to date. Next, keep your operating system up to date. Backup daily, preferably automatically, to the cloud. Have a security protocol for everyone using computers in your business.
Can I bulk change prices using the software?
Yes, our Stock manager tool in the software is great for this. In there, too, you can make other changes in bulk, easily, and securely.
I know I can import supplier invoices using your AI tools, what if an invoice does not work?
Email
Can I call your help desk and speak to a human?
Yes, for sure. Our people tend to be busy every day, and since around 75% of all calls are easily answered, our recommendation is to use the AI ChatBot on our website or to email
How often does the price of your software change?
Typically, there is a review once a year, toward the middle of the year. As every business experiences, costs increase and we need to consider our prices in the light of this.
How easy is it for us to access training even years after we started using your software?
Very easy. We have a large library of training videos that’s free to access and is updated regularly. Then they are in our knowledge base, which is also large and is updated regularly. Plus, we regularly host live customer training sessions, which always feature a Q&A opportunity. All of these resources are free to access.
Why don't you compare your software to that from competitor companies?
We've not used software from competitors, and so we cannot speak to what their software does versus ours. If a sales prospect wants to know how we comppare, when we can we will connect them with a customer who has used both. This is another reason we don't say we are the best. No software company can genuinely know if their software is the best.
How long does onboarding/training take?
This varies by customer. Usually, we allow two days so that the right people are properly trained.
How soon can I be live with your software?
You could be live in an hour or two, depending of what you want and how ready your data is.
What software have you converted data from?
Shopify, POS Solutions, Access Pos, Computerlink, Retail Manager, Xero, Merlin, ARMS, Retail Edge, Univex, SDurefire, Sympac, and more. Note: what we convert depends on the software and also the quality of your data.
What are the popular reports in the software?
For just about every report in our software you now have an AI button that produces a commentary on what the report shows, saving time and helping you make faster and better decisions. That said, the top reports are Sales Comparison (for any two periods you select), supplier performance, racked sales, dead stock, business performance analysis, missed opportunities, and basket analysis. Our software has 100+ reports.
Can I continue to trade if the internet is down?
Yes.
