When we started creating Wil-U we knew we wanted to try something different. Charities had been telling us for months that the outdated charity shop technology that was currently on the market wasn’t suitable. It was clunky, prone to breaking down and it was difficult and expensive to update. This meant that every time a repair or major update was required, it could lead to the whole system needing to be replaced, resulting in more costs and disruption for the shops.
So we didn’t want to create just another traditional POS, we wanted to introduce an easier way of working for charity retailers.
We’ve worked across most technology platforms in the past so we already had an idea of how we could utilise the best of modern technology to make a solution that was more suitable and affordable for charity shops.
We chose tablets as our hardware of choice because they’re super accessible and affordable. Having a mobile, modern touchscreen device makes it easier for volunteers to use, across a range of ages and skill sets. Tablets are smaller than traditional POS hardware so take up less space in shops, and it means we’re able to post them to you, avoiding big installation and shipping costs.
For our software, it was a no brainer that we would choose Android technology – well known for its flexibility. It’s open source, so much cheaper than paying for Windows licenses and it doesn’t have as many restrictions as Apple devices tend to.
Using Android for Wil-U means that when updates are needed they will be quick and easy to roll out. We’re so confident of this that if you do need any updates – hardware or software – they will be included in your normal Wil-U subscription, with no extra costs involved.
Using Android technology also means that other software can integrate with it more easily. This allows us to be able to break our solutions up into modules, such as Wil-U POS or Wil-U Gift Aid. You can choose which modules you need and integrate with your current solutions or add on extra Wil-U modules at a later date. This means that you don’t have to pay for a full solution until you’re ready to make use of it – you only buy the bits you need right now.
There are lots of other reasons why we chose Android for Wil-U, these are just the most obvious and important ones. Ensuring that we could create and support affordable, modern solutions was our biggest priority. We wanted to make a solution so easy to use that you don’t have to spend loads on training; a solution so simple to put together that you can install it yourself and put the money you would’ve spent on these services straight back into your cause.
If you want to know more, get in touch on info@wil-u.com or via our live web chat.