Benefits of Biometrics Integration With POS Software

POS or Point of Sale solution is the future of any business. With advancements in technology, POS solutions have also upgraded invariantly. POS technology is a growing field, and several stores have already made automation part of their business operations. Biometrics for POS is one such development. The benefits of biometrics are innumerable, and as a fast-paced business, it is a great security measure. Integrating biometrics with a POS solution can add value in the long run. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of biometrics?

Biometrics recognises humans based on their distinctive features, such as fingerprints, finger veins, palm veins, and iris. Biometric technology is used in industries that demand higher security, such as law enforcement, healthcare, and banking. As the traditional security and identification protocols like passwords and swipe cards for employee logins have become outdated, biometrics has emerged as a relatively new trend among POS users. PINs and ID cards are often forgotten or lost, leading the business to incur additional costs. It also puts the enterprise at higher financial and data risk. To avoid all the problems mentioned above, the retail industry has adopted biometrics integration with POS.

Here is a list of benefits biometric integration can provide the retail industry:

Employee Identification Accuracy

With a biometric system in place, employee logins can be detected and traced accurately. PINs and Identity Cards increase the risk of identity theft as they can be lost or stolen. Misusing one’s identity can harm the security of a business as your data, and financial records stay vulnerable. It can cause losses for your business as well. One of the main benefits of biometrics is that authentic identification is possible, ensuring higher security. 

Buddy Punching Elimination

Another major issue faced by many is buddy punching. Buddy Punching refers to an employee providing proxy logins for another employee who may be late or absent. It affects almost 75% of the business and its payroll mechanism. Biometrics proves to be an effective alternative to traditional login procedures. As biometrics identifies employees based on physiological attributes such as fingerprints, iris, etc., it is difficult to fool the system. It also enhances accurate time and attendance data. 

Tackle Employee Theft

Employee time theft and employee inventory theft are two major areas causing business losses. Time theft refers to the concept of ‘stealing time’ or being paid for the working hours they have not worked. Employees tend to play foul using login credentials of absentees or late comers and they escape the consequences of their actions. Inventory theft refers to misusing identity and performing unauthorised transactions that are difficult to trace. This is where the benefits of biometrics play a key role. Integrating biometrics with POS results in combating any credential misuse and airtight access control to inventory.

Minimise Loss

As mentioned earlier, traditional security mechanisms such as PINs, ID cards, swipe cards, etc., may not be effective in the present times. Integrating biometrics with POS can be advantageous as access will be stringent and accurate. Data and financial loss can be curbed to a great extent. Also, time theft by employees can be controlled and monitored effectively. 

Conclusion

There are several advantages and disadvantages of biometrics and getting it integrated into your POS software. But the benefits of biometrics surely outweigh the cons. It is time to upgrade your security protocols and advance your business to the next level. Prevent employee theft, payroll fraud, and buddy punching effectively by adopting biometric technology.