"OTS software are pre-made and can be run out-of-the-box, it's ready to go," Belo says. "Most likely, especially if it's from an international company, it follows a standard and a set of rules. That can be an advantage if you want standard operations."

Because many companies rely on these OTS software for their operations, Belo suggests that one can get top-notch support with it, either from the vendor itself or the businesses who use it. "Most likely, you will have complete documentation, since that's the standard. Likewise, you'll have no problems getting spare parts or other services," she adds.

Consistency of the software may be good in some aspects of the operation, but Belo says she discovered a simple flaw with common OTS POS systems: "I found out through research that most OTS POS systems wouldn't accept post-dated checks (PDC), because technically, it's not paid for yet. [It goes against] the basic concept of POS, which is cash and carry; you give me the payment, I give you the item," she narrates.

To be able to incorporate PDCs into their own system, Belo says they had to pay the vendor to make the necessary modifications. "[OTS software's] source code is proprietary. If you want to change the program, you have to pay for it," she notes.

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