Dimco Group of Companies

 

Executive Summary

DMS Virtual iSolutions was founded in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines in 2006 by Engr. Lucio G. Dimayuga, the sole proprietor and general manager of Dimco Group of Companies.  The company was formed to create and distribute low-priced yet high-quality computer-based point-of-sale systems that would primarily cater to the needs of small business owners.

 

Start-Up Summary

During its first four years of existence, DMS Virtual iSolutions has devoted much of its resources in developing its first point-of-sale (POS) software. Although its parent company, Dimco Enterprises, had stores and offices in Puerto Princesa, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Iligan and Alabang, it was decided to establish and maintain a virtual office for its programmers and subsequent operations. This was primarily intended to save time, effort and operating costs.

The first point of sale software was introduced to the market in 2010 by using the web facilities of Sulit.com.ph and by launching the company website www.mydmsoft.com. Sulit was primarily used to advertise the product. The company website was provided to enable all potential and existing clients to download the programs, get technical support, and obtain current information about the company.

 

Company Ownership and Management

Engr. Lucio G. Dimayuga is the sole owner and general manager of DMS Virtual iSolutions. To finance operations, he has initially invested P5 Million in the business, money taken from his other existing businesses and from the sale of his real estate properties.

Engr. Dimayuga has achieved numerous accomplishments that provide him with the necessary skills set to execute on this business model:

• Owner and founder of successful businesses operating for 23 years (Elohim Centrum and Dimco Enterprises). The initial capital which he borrowed from friends and relatives in 1987 was only P50,000.00.

• Database programmer for 19 years.

• Exclusive dealer of Sharp copiers for 12 years in 10 provinces (Palawan, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur). Dimco Enterprises was awarded Top Dealer in 1999. 

• Bestselling author and publisher of numerous books (25). Supplier of books to National Bookstore. 400,000 copies of his books have been printed and distributed in all branches of National Bookstore nationwide and in a number of shops abroad.

• College instructor in Civil Engineering for five years (two years at Mindanao State University in Marawi City and Three years at Palawan State University in Puerto Princesa City).

• Graduate of Civil Engineering (Mindanao State University in Marawi City, Cum Laude) with extra units in B. S. Mathematics and a CE Board passer (87.35% Rating, November 1983 Exam).

With the combination of exceptional software products, cost-effective business management and an experienced sales and business manager, DMS Virtual iSolutions is geared to position itself in the best spot in the POS market. For only a year after its introduction, hundreds of DMS Point of Sale software licenses have already been sold and are being used in various types of businesses all over the country. This feat has been attained mainly by selling through the Internet.

 

Mission

The mission of DMS Virtual iSolutions is to offer the most practical, most innovative and most affordable computer-based business solutions to the Philippines and the world. This can be summarized with the company's 4X4 E Principle: Enlighten, Equip, Enhance, and Empower business owners with business solutions that are Effective, Efficient, Economical and Easy to use.

 

Products

DMS Point of Sale, the company's current flagship product, is a very affordable, easy-to-use and highly competitive POS software that offers more features than most POS systems in the world today. Aside from the usual sales recording and reporting modules of a POS software, DMS Point of Sale includes comprehensive subsystems for inventory and accounts receivable, data that are readily available to the accountant in preparing his financial reports.

The company's first client has been a grocery store owner in Sta.Cruz, Marinduque, an area where a total of six licenses were sold to different business owners. Then, as the company website became available more clients were added as they downloaded and installed DMS Point of Sale. The list now included businesses in Metro Manila and more than 40 provinces near and far, including Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Bulacan, Rizal, Pampanga, Palawan, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Masbate, Iloilo, Aklan, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Bukidnon, Davao Oriental, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin and Lanao del Norte, among others.

Initially, the plan was only to create and distribute business software locally and internationally. But, as it was later observed, many business owners prefer to buy POS system as a complete package. This prompted the company to scout for inexpensive yet reliable equipment to go with the DMS Point of Sale software.

DMS Point of Sale is a unique point of sale software. It has already received lots of praises from its current users for its simple design, ease of use and maintenance, comprehensive coverage, and affordability. Currently, there are already nine available versions. These include the following:

• Version 1.0 (Basic) - For retail operations (pharmacies, groceries, convenience stores and the like) using single POS terminals.

• Version 1.0S (Special Basic Edition) - For retail operations (pharmacies, groceries, convenience stores and the like) using single POS terminals and 58-mm thermal receipt printers. This version is available only in our POS Starter Package.

• Version 1.03 (Wholesale and Retail, Combo Sales) - For wholesale and retail operations, stores that sell items in combos (fast food restaurants, for example), or businesses that use multiple price lists.

• Version 1.06 (Superior Edition) - All the features of Versions 1.01 and 1.03, plus special programs (consignment, customized printing on continuous forms, etc.)

• Version 1.002 (Admin POS, Central Manager or Consolidator) - Used together with Version 1.001 terminals for consolidated sales and inventory reports. The computer installed with this version works like a server, but the POS terminals (Version 1.001) would continue to function even if this computer is turned off.

• Version 1.2 (Fine Dining, Hotel Management) - For fine dining or casual dining restaurants that employ servers or waiters and/or hotel/motel operations. It involves three stages: 1) table or room ordering, 2)billing and 3) printing of Official Receipt upon payment.

• Version 1.5 (Multiple Branches) - For businesses that have multiple branches using single POS terminal in each branch.

• Version 4.0 (Consolidator) - Used together with Version 1.5 for consolidating sales and inventory reports in the Head Office.

 

General Features

In general, DMS Point of Sale has the following features:

• VAT, Non-VAT and zero-rated sales controls.

• Provision for senior citizen privileges (single key provided).

• Complies with the standards set by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR Accreditation No. 036-103286608-000508).

• Three-level security access for different types of users: cashier, admin and main admin.

• Up to 9,999 authorized cashiers.

• Selectable printing widths: 30, 33, 36, 39 and 42 columns (57, 63, 70, 76 and 83 mm roll paper).

• Designed for use with Epson LX-300 as POS printer: 36, 48 or 52 columns (70, 76 or 83 mm roll paper)

• Reports can be printed using POS printer (up to 83 mm paper width) or Epson LX-300 printer (up to 8.5 inches width) or saved as MS Excel file (can be printed using any printer).

 

• User customizable Official Receipt heading (9 lines).

• User customizable Official Receipt bottom messages (14 lines).

• Multiple receipt printing option (unlimited).

• User customizable title and messages for second receipt printout.

• Price list can have more than 1 million items.

• Automatic price list update using MS Excel file.

• Printable price list.

 

• Item search using barcode reader/scanner or by direct code input.

• Item search by keywords.

• Price lookup feature.

• Same item grouping feature.

• Item void and transaction void facilities.

• Cash, credit and price quote transactions.

• Price change controls.

• Multiple or single quantity setting.

• On-demand printing or non-printing of Official Receipts (single key switch).

• Reprinting of Sales Invoices or Official Receipts.

• Individual batch sales report (unlimited number of daily sales batches or cashier shifts).

• Daily Z readings.

• Cash count or cash breakdown feature.

 

• Automatic beginning inventory update using MS Excel file and with backtracking feature. The client can use the POS system immediately upon installation and conduct physical inventory later.

• Custom forms designed to make your work easy.

 

 

 

• Daily, monthly and yearly sales reports for up to a period of 100 years.

• Hourly Sales Report.

• Provision for item locators for quick and easy retrieval of merchandise.

• Provision for item serial numbers.

• Periodic bestseller and non-seller reports (by amount or quantity).

 

• Individual modules for incoming stocks, outgoing stocks and stock adjustments.

• Real-time inventory reports (the user can set the cut-off date).

 

• Product history (detailed electronic stock cards for individual items).

• Low stock alert.

• Accounts receivable report with aging.

 

• Detailed individual statements of account for viewing and printing.

 

• Client history of purchases, payments, credit memos and other transactions.

• Credit alert for individual customers.

• Designed for 100-year continuous use. No resetting required at year end.

• File maintenance modules (view, delete, edit, print)

• Automatic multiple file backup modules. No filenames and folders to memorize.

• Automatic system restoration in case of hardware or software failure. It only takes minutes to restore the POS system to its original state prior to the computer crash or failure.

• Separate counters for total sales transactions, total sales and voided sales.

• General reset feature.

• Single-key operation provides quick and easy access and minimizes the use of the mouse.

• On-screen help system is provided for quick information, training and guidance.

• An innovative Prompt panel is provided for on-time help and direction.

• Quick data input with minimal use of the mouse.

• User Guide is provided in the following forms: online, as electronic file (MS Word and PDF) and printed (for later publishing).

• Easy setup and installation. No internet connection required. Reduce or eliminate the risk of acquiring harmful viruses.

• Low hardware cost. Runs fast on Pentium III processor with 512 MB RAM and installed with Windows XP.

• A 15-day trial period is provided. It is a POS software "you can try before you buy".

• Licensing via texting or SMS (short message service) is made possible with DMS Virtual iSolutions's unique licensing system, first in the Philippines and possibly in the world.

• Easy to use and understand. Cashier training normally takes only 30 minutes or less.

• Designed for easy self-maintenance by the users. Minimal computer expertise is required, so the usual fees incurred by customers in maintaining their POS systems are eliminated.

 

Additional Features

• Customized printing options for thermal printers.

• Paper save mode.

• Second printer option.

• Second monitor (customer display) option.

New and additional features are being added as required by clients and if deemed necessary to benefit current users of DMS Point of Sale.

 

As observed, point of sales systems are used in businesses that normally belong to the middle and upper segments of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the big corporations. They are seldom found in small groceries, sari-sari stores, pharmacies and many other businesses which actually comprise a larger portion of all the enterprises operating in the country. Why? Because they are normally beyond the budget of most business owners or too cryptic for them to understand and use.

It is for this reason that DMS Virtual iSolutions came to exist. The company envisioned to enable and empower these business owners with technology and tools that they could afford and easily use and to evenly compete with the big businesses. And since the POS providers that cater to them were very few or nil at all, DMS Virtual iSolutions would have a very big niche in the POS market.

This vision is now being fulfilled as owners of sari-sari stores, public market stalls, pharmacies and various shops choose DMS Point of Sale. On the other hand, due to its outstanding features and affordability, it has also attracted big businesses that include supermarkets, restaurants and bookstores. DMS Point of Sale is truly well under way of becoming a major POS brand in the country today.

It has also been observed that POS providers are localized in their operations. Not a single POS provider could currently claim of having POS installations in all provincial areas because they usually conduct business only within the reaches or confines of their established branches. Many would have probably dreamed or envisioned of establishing a dealership network, but it seemed to be an arduous task if not downright impossible.

Apparently, the main reason behind this bleak prospect is software piracy. POS providers could not entrust their software to their customers so they could install them, learn how to use them, and to maintain their POS systems by themselves. DMS Virtual iSolutions, on the other hand, approached it quite radically by letting the customers do all the above to minimize the entailed costs and expenses both ways. This, however, would not be profitable in the long run if software piracy is not addressed.

 

Unique Software Licensing

In general, DMS Point of Sale has the following features:

Before engaging in software development, Engr. Dimayuga actually made sure that DMS software should somehow be able to protect itself from illegal use when released in public. So, the company's first year of operation was devoted solely on developing a unique way of software licensing that would serve the purpose. This resulted to the following:

• All DMS software could be copied and distributed at will like a shareware, but it would not have a specific or fixed License Key or CD Key required to activate it.

• Upon installation, a DMS software will always be in the form of a Trial Version, usable for up to 15 days without license.

• When installed, the DMS software will create a unique "lock" in the form of an encrypted Installation Serial Number or ISN comprising of 30 alphanumeric characters. Any installation would always yield a different and unique ISN as it would be derived using random numbers, the date of installation, software version number, re-installation times (to monitor system restoration) and the software agent code.

• On the first 15 days, the software could be used freely without a license because the "lock" is still open. After the 15-day trial period, the "lock" would close and the only way to re-open it (permanently) is to enter the License Key (consisting of 36 alphanumeric characters) that should be purchased from DMS Virtual iSolutions, or Dimco Enterprises, its mother company.

• After sending the payment, the customer should send via SMS the ISN together with his name and the name and address of his store to DMS Virtual iSolutions. DMS in turn will generate the License Key and the License Number and will send them to the customer also via SMS.  This unique licensing procedure has made possible the installation and use of the DMS Point of Sale software by many business owners in the provinces. DMS Virtual iSolutions has generated sales from these areas without sending any of its employees or asking the customers to come over.