Retail stores, restaurants, and various businesses can effectively oversee their sales operations using the robust and flexible Odoo 17 Point of Sale (POS) system, which offers a plethora of functionalities.
One of the key features of Odoo 17 POS is its ability to manage product categories. Products are categorized within the POS interface using a distinct type of classification known as POS categories. These categories can be hierarchical, allowing for nesting of subcategories within main categories. This facilitates the creation of a structured and intuitive framework for organizing products. Using this approach, products can be logically grouped into categories such as "Food," "Drinks," "Clothing," and so on, making it easier to find desired items.
Specific functionalities are linked to PoS product categories. Establish a category and subsequently set restrictions on it.
In Odoo 17 PoS, a default category is randomly selected when starting a new PoS session. Without a specified default, all products become available for sale during the session. Retailers could designate a primary category for their top-selling items, streamlining their process and facilitating easier access to desired products.
Here's the selected starting category, "Desks." Now, let's begin the session and observe how this initial category functions.
Hence, products will appear in the category designated as the starting point during setup once the session begins. Furthermore, as depicted in the image, you can click on the Home symbol to modify the starting category. This streamlines the process, reducing the number of clicks and keystrokes required to find and select products, thus enhancing PoS efficiency.
Now, let's explore the "Restrict categories" feature. To do so, select specific categories you wish to display in the PoS session from the configuration settings.
The categories "Desk," "Misc," and "Chairs" have been selected, as evident. Consequently, other categories remain hidden throughout the PoS session. This means that during order-taking, staff members are restricted from selecting items from the concealed categories.
Let's observe how the restricted categories will operate within Odoo 17 PoS once we commence the session.
We've limited other categories, opting for only the three specified in the session settings. Restricted categories serve as a valuable asset for inventory control, enabling the exclusion of out-of-stock products from the category. Consequently, employees are unable to sell products that are currently unavailable.