How to Choose Optical Shop Software in Nepal

An optical shop sells two kinds of goods: ready items like sunglasses and frames, and made-to-order spectacles that go to a lab and come back. Most general billing software handles the first kind and fails at the second. When you choose optical shop software, test the second kind first. Here are the points that matter, written for Nepali shops with a counter, perhaps a test room and a lab you send work to.

Eye test records that print cleanly

The software must store readings the way your optometrist writes them: separate fields for the right and left eye, distance and near values, and notes. It should store the date and the name of the examiner, and keep every test so you can see changes over time. It should print a tidy copy with your shop header. Ask the vendor to enter a sample test while you watch. If it needs ten clicks and a mouse for each field, your optometrist will go back to paper. The software only records. It should never interpret a reading or give advice, which is the job of the practitioner.

Order tracking is the heart of it

Ask how an order is created. The usual path is: select the customer, choose a frame from stock, choose lenses, attach the test, set the delivery date, take an advance and print a job slip. Then the order moves through statuses: sent to lab, received, fitted, ready, delivered. The system should show a list of orders by status and flag the overdue ones. A customer calling at six in the evening to ask whether glasses are ready should get an answer in ten seconds.

Frame and lens stock

Frames sell by model, colour and size, and each has a cost and a selling price. Barcode labels make billing fast and counts accurate. Check these things:

• Can you add a frame with a photo, brand, colour and size?
• Can you print barcode labels?
• Does a sale reduce stock automatically?
• Can you transfer stock between branches, if you have them?
• Can you keep a lens price list with coatings and types?

Many shops carry hundreds of frames, so a monthly count by section should be possible, with differences recorded.

Billing with advance and balance

Check that one bill can show the frame, the lenses, any discount, the advance paid and the balance on delivery. A good system records each payment with its date, prints a receipt and shows the balance when the customer returns. VAT should be configurable at 13% for registered shops. Ask to see how a cancelled or changed order is handled, because customers change their minds.

Follow-up messages

Ready messages and recheck reminders keep customers coming back. Ask how messages are sent, which provider is used and what limits apply. WebsNP can set up the messages for WhatsApp or SMS, and we explain the options honestly. Customers should be able to opt out.

Questions to put to every vendor

1. Can you show a full order from test to delivery, using my kind of frames?
2. How do I record a remake because of a lab error?
3. What happens to my data if I leave?
4. Who supports me, and when?
5. Is the quote itemised for set-up, hardware, support and messaging?

Think about your lab relationships

Some Nepali shops fit lenses in their own workshop, some send everything to one lab in Kathmandu and some use two or three suppliers depending on the lens type. Tell the vendor which of these you are. If you use several labs, you need to record which lab holds which job, since their turnaround times and prices differ. A report of average days taken by each lab is a useful negotiating tool, and it is only possible if the dates are recorded on every order.

Do not forget contact lenses and accessories

Contact lenses, solutions, cases and cleaning kits sell quickly, have expiry dates and are usually bought repeatedly by the same customers. Check that the system can stock them with batch and expiry information and remind you of reorders. A customer who buys monthly lenses will usually be back in a month, so a polite message at the right time helps both of you.

Hardware and the counter

Ask what hardware you need. A normal computer, a receipt or A5 printer and perhaps a barcode label printer and scanner are typical. Ask whether the system works on the machines you already own, and who installs the devices. Plan for power cuts with a small backup unit, because a billing screen that goes dark during a rush is bad for business. Finally, ask how a second counter or a second branch would be added later, so your choice today does not become a limit tomorrow.

Your next step

List your last five unusual orders, such as a remake, a repair under warranty and a family order. Ask each vendor to enter those. To see how WebsNP optical shop software handles them, message us on WhatsApp for a demo. For the stock side in general, inventory management software explains the principles.

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