A hardware shop on Brandreth Road in Lahore or in Karachi's Plaza Quarters sells thousands of small things: screws by the piece and by the box, pipe by the foot, wire by the coil and by the metre, paint by the quarter and the gallon. Half the customers are contractors and plumbers who buy on credit and settle when their client pays them. A billing app that only knows 'quantity' cannot keep up.
One item, several units
Set each item with a base unit and the units you sell in. A box of screws holds a set number of pieces; a coil of wire holds a set length; a carton of tiles covers a set area. The counter picks the unit, and stock reduces correctly in the base unit. Purchases work the same way in reverse, so a supplier bill in cartons lands as pieces on the shelf.
| Section | Bought in | Sold in |
|---|---|---|
| Fasteners and fittings | Boxes, packets | Pieces, dozens, boxes |
| Pipes and wire | Lengths, coils | Feet, metres, full lengths |
| Paint | Cans by size, base and tints | Cans, or tinted to a shade |
| Tiles | Cartons | Cartons or square feet |
| Sanitary | Pieces, sets | Pieces or full bathroom sets |
Paint and colour mixing
If you tint paint, save every mix as a formula against the customer: base, can size and the tints used. When the same customer, or their painter, comes back a month later for one more gallon, the shade comes out the same. The bill shows the shade name or code, and the base and tints used leave stock.
Tiles and sanitary
Tiles are sold by area but stocked by carton, and a batch or shade code matters because two cartons of the same design can differ. Record the shade code on receiving and on sale. Breakage in the godown and on delivery should be written off with a reason. Sanitary is often sold as a bathroom set across several brands; a set or quotation template saves time on each order.
Contractor udhaar
Contractors and plumbers are your best customers and your biggest risk. Give each one a ledger with a credit limit. Every bill on credit adds to the balance; every payment reduces it. A recovery list sorted by oldest balance tells you whom to call this week. Many shops also note the site name on each bill, so a contractor can see what went to which job.
Prepare the quotation
List items, units and prices for the site, and send it as a PDF on WhatsApp.
Confirm and reserve
When the contractor agrees, convert the quote to an order and reserve the stock.
Deliver in parts
Issue a delivery challan for each load sent to site; the order shows what is still pending.
Bill against challans
Bill delivered goods to the contractor's ledger, with the site name.
Recover
Payments are recorded against the ledger and the recovery list updates itself.
Offline billing and tax
Hardware markets see their share of load shedding. Billing should continue offline and sync later. If your shop is large enough to fall under FBR rules, the tax rules decide which retailers must integrate; confirm with your tax adviser and read FBR POS integration.
If you supply other shops as a wholesaler, your side is closer to distribution software, and if a salesman takes orders from contractors on site, see the salesman order booking app.
Godown and counter stock
Many hardware shops keep the counter in the market and heavier stock, such as cement, pipes, tanks and tiles, in a godown nearby. Record the two as separate locations. A bill at the counter can be delivered from the godown, and the godown keeper sees a delivery list instead of a phone call. Transfers between the two keep the count honest.
Rates that move
Steel, copper wire, pipes and paint prices change often in Pakistan. Update the price list in one place when a supplier rate changes, and keep quotations valid for a set number of days so a contractor cannot hold you to an old rate months later. The quotation shows its validity date clearly.
Returns are common in hardware: a plumber buys six fittings and brings back two, or a contractor returns unopened tile cartons after a job. Accept returns against the original bill so the price is right and the ledger is credited, and check cartons for breakage before they go back on the shelf. Without this, returned stock is often never entered and the count slowly drifts away from the shelf.
Operix builds POS systems in Pakistan for retail and trade counters, from Old Clifton, Karachi. Karachi shops get on-site setup. Book a demo and bring a contractor's ledger page and one paint formula card.
Questions people ask
Can one item be sold in pieces and boxes?
Yes. Each item has a base unit and the units you sell in, and stock reduces correctly whichever unit the counter picks.
Can the software save paint formulas?
Yes. Each tinted mix is saved with base, can size and tints against the customer, so the same shade can be made again.
Can contractors have credit limits?
Yes. Each contractor has a ledger with a limit, and a recovery list shows the oldest balances first.
Do you have an office in Lahore?
No. Operix works from Karachi. Lahore shops are served online, with visits when the project needs them.
