Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/81015
MANAGEMENT transactions may be changing the way sales are handled at a winery, but cash transactions haven't dis- appeared entirely. "Tasting rooms will typically have two iPads in use; one is mobile and used to greet and log in guests, while the other is clipped into a countertop mount equipped with a cash drawer," Belisle said. OrderPort is working with Ram Mounting Systems on countertop mounts designed specifically for wineries. "We want an easy way for servers to spin the iPad around so that a customer can sign with a finger," Belisle said. Mounts can be mobile or secured, and they range in price from $75 to $600, typically no more than the cost of the iPad that they hold. INTEGRATION BOTTOM LINE "When you start talking to win- eries about reporting, managing wine clubs and the demands of the liquor control board, the benefits of an integrated POS system are apparent," Belisle said. OrderPort uses a standard sub- scription-based business model that bills clients on the volume of business they transact. After an ini- tial set-up fee of $2,500 and about two weeks to get an account up and running, clients pay a month- ly program management fee of $150 that covers customer ser- vice, hosting, all software updates and a usage fee of 1% on orders. A small- to medium-sized winery spends about $500 a month on the service. In a business where cred- it card processing and gateways are already in place, a POS sys- tem can be up and running in just a few days. Cooper, who has been bench- marking OrderPort at his Red Mountain winery, said neighboring businesses are evaluating the pro- gram in action. "On-demand and per-transaction usage is a great fit for small businesses because you are only paying for what you want and what you use," he said. With relationship development becoming one of the most impor- tant aspects of marketing for win- eries, OrderPort's next software update will enable producers to sell wine through Facebook and social media interaction. The ability to tie in social media to a winery's Order- Port database alleviates the need to use a second system for e-mail marketing and, as every wine mar- keter knows, higher margins are the reward for building long-term customers. Deborah Parker Wong is the Northern California editor for The Tasting Panel magazine. She earned her WSET Diploma in 2009. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwm-online.com. VINTNERS ADVANTAGE 866-647-3757 software. hardware. integration... WWW.VINTNERSADVANTAGE.COM You don t have to be a Big Winery to Harvest all of the Rewards We ve Got You Covered WINERY OPERATIONS GROWER CONTRACTS BULK WINE SALES CONTRACTS DRY GOODS BOTTLING CASEGOODS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TASTING ROOM COMPLETE WINERY SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION 56 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT SEPT - OCT 2012 WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM