... Or is it CAUSING you headaches?

Have you noticed that the typical bursar's office cashiering environment leaves a few things to be desired?

If your bursar's office cashiering system is part of an overall student system,  it was created as part of a compromise which handles the diverse needs of a wide variety of university departments -- where one size fits all. So, as a result, the focus on bursar's office  priorities is less than it could be.

Here are a few examples:

* How long does it take a cashier to point-and-click through a student transaction?
It's a good bet that it takes least twice or three times as long as it should.   A more streamlined and automated process would result in a more rapid pace of transactions while reducing time, effort, errors, and costs.

* Are cashiers required to perform manual tasks which should be automated?
If so, additional productivity will be lost in the bursar's office when cashiers must expend valuable time performing such tasks.   For example, do they check for NSF or other holds or restrictions before accepting payment?  Do cashiers release holds after payment is made? Are cashiers  required to calculate change?  Must cashiers manually operate an external credit card machine?  (Or do they press a button to automate the entire process?)

* How well does your cashiering system keep your financial systems in balance?
Typically, cashiers are required to interact with several external systems, such as credit card, campus card and sometimes even parking systems -- not to mention your student accounts receivable system. Unless these  systems are integrated, this hodgepodge of external systems is an accident waiting to happen  with regard to consistent and balanced accounting .  Why? Because having disparate systems increases complexity, invites distractions, is overly time consuming, and therefore makes it easier for human errors, inconsistencies and neglected steps to impact your transactions -- as well as your audits.   A better approach is to integrate these external systems -- so they may be updated automatically, thereby eliminating errors and omissions. When integrated by your cashiering system, all financials systems remain in lock-step with your cash drawer,  your accounting systems and your bank deposit.

* How secure is your sensitive credit card data?
If you're storing it locally, even if encrypted, this is a very real concern.

The list goes on. But the Payment Pro approach should be clear:  Minimize cashier effort and maximize productivity -- automate and integrate as much as possible because it saves time, money, human capital,  prevents errors, and improves customer service.  This is the difference between an ordinary cashiering system and one that is exceptional.