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Online vs Offline Software – Make the right choice!


Managing the stock and inventory of a pharmacy is a difficult task. The wide variety of medicines in varying strengths and dosages makes management software a requirement. To that end, plenty of shops use Pharmacy stock management software to handle their current and future inventory management. However, different shops have different needs. Depending on the size and requirements of the pharmacies, the type of software to be used has to be selected carefully. By selecting a software that is incompatible with the pharmacy in question, major losses could be incurred.

There are two major types of pharma software, online and offline. Each of them has their own set of pros and cons.

Online – Any software that requires a permanent internet connection to function properly is an online software. Most cloud based pharma software and online billing software fall into this category. One of the major benefits of cloud based pharma software is instant updates whenever any part of the inventory changes. When products are bought or sold, the software updates the inventory list in real time, ensuring that the users of said software always have up to date details of their inventory. Tracking the sales in this manner also helps owners decide on how much to order and what the current sales trends are. Similarly, online billing software also helps keep track of sales, which is required for proper accounting.

One of the major problems with online software is that it absolutely requires an internet connection to work. Without a connection, a large number of its features are unavailable or useless. For example, cloud based pharma software cannot do anything when disconnected from the cloud. The same applies to online billing software. Online software is usually multi-platform, ensuring that the data can be accessed from any device the user chooses, from PCs to tablets to phones. This is hugely convenient, and is a major boon to most users.

Offline – In order to solve the constant connection problem posed by online software, a variety of offline software have been made. One of the biggest advantages of offline software is its portability. It can be used anywhere, as long as one has access to a computer. The low system requirements and intuitive user interface makes it easy to use. This makes offline software especially useful in areas with a bad internet connection, or rural areas, where many places have no internet connection at all. Offline billing software is used heavily for accounting, and  it is far more convenient, as opposed to a piece of software that has to be connected to the internet all the time. The same applies to offline pharma software. While pharma stock management software works whether or not it is connected to the internet, offline software is a bit more labour intensive as compared to the online versions. However, this flaw is balanced out by the fact that it works perfectly well whenever there is a disruption in the internet connection, which is often the case, especially in the countryside.

Depending on the location of one’s business, one can pick the best software. Online software works best when a dependable internet connection is available, which happens mostly in cities, while offline software is more suited to disruption-prone areas. Another major factor that can affect the choice of software is cost. Cloud based pharma software is often cheaper compared to its offline counterpart. Same is the case with online billing software. Selecting the best Pharmacy stock management software is quite easy, when you take all these factors into consideration.

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