This article discusses how you can use the keyboard shortcuts in FloristWare to speed up the most common tasks like taking orders and making sales.

One of the great things about FloristWare is that it is very easy to use. This is largely the result of what is called the "graphic user interface". FloristWare asks you questions and you simply click the buttons to provide your answer.

This works great, but as time goes on some users wish that there was a way that they could speed through sales and orders a little faster. Ideally, they wouldn't have to use the mouse as much.

Fortunately FloristWare gives you a very powerful option! One most of the buttons that you see during the sale/order-taking process, there are two characters in the lower right hand corner that read "F1", "F2" or "F3".

Whenever you see them means that you can bypass the mouse. Instead, you need only to click the "Function 1", "Function 2", etc. keys and FloristWare will respond just as if you had pushed the button. (Please note that on some systems you have to hold down the Option key as you process the chosen Function key.)

This can be a real time saver once you get to know your way around FloristWare. Give it a try - you'll be amazed how much quicker it is!

The Hot Spots feature is one that most users are not taking full advantage of. It is very powerful and it can save you a lot of time if you use it properly.

A "Hot Spot" is any place that you deliver to frequently - places like large business, hospitals, funeral homes, etc. FloristWare lets you store the address information for these places so that whenever you are sending an order to one of them you can complete all of the address information for the order with just one click.

The reason many florists don't make full use of the feature is that it's "front loaded". It takes a few minutes to set up. Even though it will save you time the set-up tends to get put off.

Once you do take the time to set it up the Hot-Spots feature will be saving you time for years to come. It really is a great feature so please take the time to get it set up soon.

There is a new feature in Version 2.0 of the FloristWare order-taking/POS system for florists (available this week) that makes entering enclosure card messages faster and easier than ever.

FloristWare now keeps track of up to twelve "short forms" or abbreviations to help you enter card messages more quickly. FloristWare will then expand these abbreviations into their full phrases.

For example, you could specify that FloristWare expand "hb" into "Happy Birthday". Then, each time you want to enter "Happy Birthday" on an enclosure card, you need only enter "hb" and FloristWare will replace it with "Happy Birthday".

To take advantage of this feature you need to make sure that you have upgraded to Version 2.0. You can then specify your short forms in your Settings and use them whenever you are entering a card message.

Sending and receiving wire orders can be time consuming. On an outgoing wire you typically have to take all of the information from the customer, complete the sale and then enter the order into a wire service terminal. With incoming wires many florists take the order off of their wire service terminal and then enter it into their POS system.

The new BloomNet BloomLink interface in FloristWare Version 2.0 makes it faster and more convenient. When you take an order from a customer sending it to another florist to be filled is as easy as clicking two buttons. You have dealt with the order in a matter of seconds.

Incoming BloomNet wires work just as well. The order comes directly into FloristWare and is presented to you for review. If you choose to accept it the standard FloristWare worksheet prints and all of your reports, statistics, etc. will reflect the order.

Reconciling to your BloomNet statement is easier than ever too. FloristWare prints a "reconciliation" report that you lay out beside your BloomNet report and you can then reconcile them line-by-line to make sure that you are getting credit for all of your activity.

Using FloristWare and BloomNet is the fastest and most affordable way of dealing with sending and receiving wire orders.

FloristWare was designed from the ground up to be compatible with touch-screen monitors. To the best of our knowledge it is the only floral POS system that works with touch-screen technology.

This is one of the reasons why most of the buttons are so big. Big buttons make life easier when using a mouse, but it also makes them easier to use with a touch-screen monitor.

Using a touch screen can make FloristWare easier and faster to use than a mouse alone - particularly for people who are unfamiliar with computers. The touch screen gives them a more intuitive way to interact with the software.

Setting up a touch screen monitor is very easy. We have a separate article on it but if you can connect a mouse and a regular monitor to your computer you can hook up a touch-screen monitor. The monitor, your computer and FloristWare do all the work.

Touch screen monitors are more expensive than regular monitors, but prices are dropping and the difference is getting smaller all the time. A touch-screen LCD monitor would typically cost about $200 more than a regular LCD monitor of similar size.

You can also take some consolation in the fact that touch-screen monitors are generally built for commercial use and are much more sturdy than a standard monitor. They will hold up much better to the abuse to which they will be subjected in a retail environment.

One of the great things about FloristWare is that it's very easy to use. All you have to do is read the question on each screen, make your selection and FloristWare will take you through the process of making a sale, taking an order, generating a report, etc.

This makes FloristWare very simple to learn but, as time goes on, you will want to become faster. The best way to do this to always be practicing.

Every time you do something with FloristWare (make a sale, take an order, etc.) try and understand the sequence and anticipate the steps. Never be passive - whatever you are doing you should always be thinking ahead, trying to figure out how you are going to answer the next question.

Soon you will no longer have to read every single screen and try to figure out what to do next. You will know the answer to the question on the next screen before you even get to it. You will be able to use the system faster than you ever thought possible.

The FloristWare Floral POS System has a lot of features that are designed to help you with future marketing efforts by collecting customer information during the sale/order process. While using these features will help increase your sales in the long run we understand that it does take time to collect this information, and that there may be situations when (for the sake of you or the customer) you want to skip over certain sections.

Here is one example. After you have made the sale and arranged for payment FloristWare starts going through several features. Depending on your settings this could include things like the Reminder Service, AdTracker, Goodbye Message, etc.

Like we said, all of these features are for your benefit. If however you or the customer is in a rush and you want to skip them you have to options. First, you can skip them section by section by using the "Skip" button. This works very well if you want to skip certain sections but take advantage of certain other.

If you are in a real hurry you can skip all of the post-sales steps by clicking the "Express Checkout" button. This will immediately end the sale.

Since customer information is so valuable for marketing purposes FloristWare encourages you to collect as much as possible. This information is like money in the bank.

It does however take time to collect. And you may find yourself in a situation where you just don't have time to collect it, or dealing with a customer who does not want to share it.

In these situations look to the yellow bar at the bottom of the screen. If it might be possible to skip certain sections you will see that option presented to you there. Just click the "Skip" button.

You should not make a habit of this. Some people get lazy and skip as much information as possible all the time. Then, when they go to do some marketing, they don't have a decent group to work with.

Always try and get as much information as you have time to collect and the customer is willing to share. If you have to, skip steps as needed.

As we continue the process of getting all FloristWare users switched over to Version 2.5 we are going to begin the process of explaining how to take advantage of some of the new features.

One of the most popular involves navigation. You can now activate onscreen buttons from the keyboard - you no longer have to use the mouse and/or touchscreen.

It is very easy to use. The next time you see a screen with several buttons on it start hitting the tab key. You will notice that one by one the buttons are highlighted. If you shift-tab the buttons are highlighted in reverse order.

Once you are on the button you want to activate you simply click the Enter key (Windows) or Return key (Mac) and it's the same as if you clicked the button with your mouse. This allows you to activate the buttons without taking your hands off of the keyboard.

This is the best of both worlds - the speed of a keyed interface without having to remember any codes, commands or keystroke combinations. This, combined with a newly streamlined order process, makes FloristWare faster and easier to use than ever. It can take a little while to get used to, but most users quickly report that they can't imagine doing it any other way.

More information on how to get the full benefit of FloristWare 2.5 will soon follow.

The PROGRESS TRACKER is a great tool for reviewing the upcoming days orders and activities. Make sure you and your staff take full advantage of this very useful feature by clicking the DATE - select tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and even more.

Don't forget to check all your options in bottom menu bar, and you have even more choice.
Use Progress Tracker as a quick view of what's going on in your Flower Business.

Can't find Progress Tracker? Make sure it is enabled under Settigns -> Features (Manager Level)