Touting itself as an end-to-end retail software solution, AIMsi combines Point of Sale functionality with both customer and inventory management, along with a variety of add-ons that help meet the needs of all kinds of specialty retailers.

With 30 years of experience in developing retail solutions, AIMsi retail software understands that each retailer is unique in its needs, which is why it offers a wide range of add-ons such as service or repair management, lessons management for retailers that offer them (hobby shops, musical instrument stores), rental management, extended warranty management, consignments, and more. Those who need it can also add on the company’s e-commerce solution called Active-e. The AIMsi retail solution includes financial services such as AP/AR and general ledger functionality. It is also PCI and PA-DSS certified for users who want to process credit card payments.

Pros

Several users note that both setup and operation are intuitive and user-friendly. Others highlighted how pleased they are with customer support that is both helpful and friendly. Both of those highly-praised items were noted within a context of achieving a smooth implementation and transition to the new product. As long as you make sure you get adequate training, operating the software doesn’t seem to be a problem for any users.

Cons

Several users note that if you need a lot of add-ons to make it meet your business requirements, the investment can become substantial. However, most users find the overall functionality and reliability of the system good enough to offset that investment. Because inventory management is such a critical feature for many companies, it’s worth noting that several users have encountered problems in that module, noting what they think are glitches that result in inaccuracies. The inventory management problems have been described by users as both “elusive” and “mysterious” regarding why the numbers sometimes don’t match up. None of the users have been able to identify a clear pattern or bring the issue to a final resolution. Several users have also noted some level of dissatisfaction with the software’s reporting capabilities, but these seem to mostly fall in the realm of needed “tweaks” as opposed to major overhauls. A couple of users have noted that emailed receipts doesn’t seem to function properly or is cumbersome to use. Also, those who use the system for rental contracts noted that they wish they had more control over the format of the printed forms. A few users note that tech support is not available in the evenings or on Saturdays, which means you’re stuck if you retail during those times and run into major problems. Several users noted that they wished the solution could be run on Mac systems and not just PCs.

In general, users seem to find the AIMsi retail software solution one that works well for them, being intuitive, user-friendly, and surprisingly easy to setup for use. However, anyone for whom accurate inventory tracking is highly important should take care that a number of users seem to experience ongoing issues in that module that remain unresolved.

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