14 DAY TRIAL // Every business related aspect is nowadays automatized and DVD selling or renting industry is not neglected either. I am sure that every DVD store has a software that keeps track of all the business transactions. The keyword in a business is "database" and when it comes to movie rentals, you are working with thousands of movies and renting or selling transactions.
Fortunately, there are sufficient softwares on the market especially designed to help you in keeping track of the cash register transactions. PosTeknik Computer and Softwar came up with a new solution for recording all the renting and selling transactions of your store.
The price of CD-MAN is $69 which is quite good in my opinion. However, one of the major mischiefs that come with the application is that you should start learning Turkish as the software is scattered with options in this language. The utility level and the options available are pretty good. The only problem is understanding what exactly they are for because the English used is the worst I have seen in a software.
The features are great and functional up to a point when the restrictions of the demo version apply. During testing, the user cannot add all the data about a movie or game (I am talking about leading actors, director, genre, etc.). Also, some other restrictions are adding up to 50 DVD and customer entries and recording a maximum of 250 cash box transactions. But these are not such big baddies after all as all the other actions are working fine.
When launching the software, you will be asked for a password. If you had not had the curiosity of looking in the Readme file to see the demo username and password, here it is: USER for both of the fields. The GUI of the application is not at all appealing, but the software emphasizes its functionality rather than its good looks.
The flexibility of the software lets the user add prices for each regular transaction. This way, the number of inputs for a regular transaction will be greatly reduced. The Settings menu of the application allows the user to set the prices for the transactions and the different types of customers. Also, overdue returns can be fined and the fine amount can be entered in here as well. The application is designed for renting or selling DVD, VCD or DivX movies and you can specify a price for both selling and renting.
An additional feature is adding actors, the directors, labeling the movies and entering the movie companies. These details will be of great help if you have a huge database and you want to search for a particular movie. These elements can be introduced as filters so that the search result is the most accurate. CD-MAN comes equipped with a list of actors and movie producing companies, but the user can also alter the database and add some more items.
Customers can be regular or members. The differences between the two categories are set by you according to your own criteria. Customer Definitions let you add information about the clients. Thus, customer ID is automatically entered and you can add all the contact details: name, phone numbers, e-mail, address and a photo. The great thing about this latter option is that by simply connecting a webcam to the computer, you can take the client picture on the spot and add it to the details. Also, if the photo is already stored on the computer, you can insert it from its location.
CD-MAN tries to be as complete as possible and comes strapped with e-mailing options. Thus, you can send emails very easy, be them to customers or to somebody else. Unfortunately, sending an email automatically to customers with overdue returns is impossible.
If you go into Process menu and click on the CD Check option, you will be provided with all the information related to the renting transactions of the current day. The user can see the items that are due to be returned the current day, the delayed returns, as well as the items that have been rented the current day.
The Good
The application is equipped with a series of options that are very necessary in the business. The cash box transactions is the one window that I indeed liked, as it is the easiest to use.
The user can filter the transactions in the cash box and see only a certain type of activities. Also, in the Period Outcome window, the balance will be adapted to the transactions displayed.
The price dropped from a raging $99 to $69. A $30 cut off the price is always a good thing and we salute the initiative. Having a good sense of value for your software increases the number of buying customers.
The Bad
There is too much to talk about in this section, but the most pressing thing is solving the language problem. I still do not know if the software is in English or Turkish as elements from both languages are present all over the place. Not to mention the English spelling mistakes.
There is no right-click possibility in the application. I wish there was a way to see the most costing and the most profitable transactions of the day/month/year. Also, knowing the items with the best sell/rent would come in handy.
The Truth
It is a nice application, too bad not all its details are straightened up. It needs some more work and I hope that the next release will take care of all its problems and come up with new features.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
