SimpliServ or famowa? Retail inventory software meets workshop software

famowa, from the Tyrolean company Falch-EDV GmbH, is an inventory management and POS solution for retail — aimed at fashion, sports, footwear, lingerie, jewellery and accessories, meaning ranges with sizes, colours and fast turnover. SimpliServ comes from the workshop and puts the job at the centre. Both have a cash register, but they are built for different working days. Anyone not selling fashion exclusively across the counter is better served by SimpliServ: the same retail capabilities, plus intake, jobs and the customer portal — without a server, without an installation project, with published prices.

Two different starting points

Where famowa is strong

For a pure fashion retailer with branches, famowa is coherent: size and colour variants, stocktaking support, branch control and a regional contact in Austria.

That strength is also the limit. The system is cut for retail, not for a workshop — repair intake, cost estimates with customer approval and job status are a side process there at best. Add an installation project with hardware, network and server, plus prices you only see after a sales conversation.

Where SimpliServ wins

SimpliServ is built for the case where a customer does not just buy something but brings something in. Repair intake with photos, condition record and signature, the cost estimate with customer approval, job status, parts from stock, time tracking and finally POS or invoice form one continuous process.

Around that sit appointment scheduling with online booking, the login-free customer portal with automatic ready notifications via WhatsApp, SMS or email, rentals, vehicle and serial number management, and invoices that are created as e-invoices with embedded ZUGFeRD data. The cash register is RKSV-compliant with DEP export and FinanzOnline, and TSE-compliant for Germany.

Adaptable without project costs. Custom fields, templates and forms, your own roles and permissions, a workflow builder from Business, plus API and MCP connector: you shape the software around your process instead of the other way round. No consultant hours, no developer needed.

Cheap and predictable. Entry costs EUR 49 per month, currently EUR 19 for the first four months on an annual plan; Pro with five users is EUR 119, initially EUR 49. Setup and data migration are handled by SimpliServ (worth EUR 199, currently free), there is no per-workstation licence and no minimum term after the trial.

Price transparency as a criterion

famowa does not publish prices; it routes interested buyers through a demo appointment and an individual quote, with hardware, installation, training and support as separate services. That is customary in traditional specialist retail IT, but it means a comparison is only possible after a sales conversation.

SimpliServ publishes its prices openly: €49 for Starter, €119 for Pro including POS and five users, €199 for Business with customer portal, workflow builder and API. All on the pricing page.

SimpliServ is a full cash register too

Even if nothing gets repaired in your business, SimpliServ replaces the shop till completely: it runs on a tablet, laptop or POS computer instead of special hardware, every receipt is signed automatically and archived audit-proof, cash, card, part payments and vouchers are posted correctly, the daily closing runs at the push of a button, and sold items leave stock immediately, including storage locations and stocktaking. Product variants, several warehouses and sites, transfers, serial numbers and the DATEV export are just as present, as are the Shopify, Wix and JTL connections. And you pay nothing extra for the day repairs or servicing arrive.

Modern rather than grown over time. SimpliServ runs in the browser — at the counter, on a tablet in the workshop, on a phone on the road. No installation, no server in the back room, no annual version a technician has to roll out, no disruptive update windows that halt the shop: new features are simply there, included in the price. The interface is built for speed rather than menu trees, and new staff get by without a week of training.

The most common real case: a bit of both

Many businesses are hybrids — the sports retailer with ski servicing, the bike dealer with a workshop, the electronics shop with a repair counter. This is where the decision splits: retail inventory software treats the workshop as a side process, while SimpliServ builds retail around the job, with products, stock, delivery notes, POS and shop connections to Shopify, Wix and JTL. Assess soberly which side contributes more margin, and choose the system for that side.

Frequently asked questions

Does SimpliServ replace a full retail inventory system?

For businesses with a manageable range, yes: products, categories, inventory with storage locations and serial numbers, delivery notes, POS and shop connections are all there. For fashion retail with thousands of size and colour variants, a specialised retail solution is the better fit.

Is the cash register legally compliant in Austria?

Yes. It signs RKSV-compliant via fiskaly, including DEP export and FinanzOnline. Have your tax advisor review the specific setup before going live.

Do I need new hardware?

Usually not. SimpliServ runs in the browser on existing PCs, tablets and phones and works with common POS hardware.

How quickly can I switch?

Typically one to two days until you are operational; SimpliServ handles data import and setup.

Conclusion

If you only sell goods over the counter, famowa is an option. The moment customers leave something behind, SimpliServ wins: intake, cost estimate with digital approval, job status, POS and e-invoicing in one process, without a server, without an installation project — and with prices you can compare before talking to anyone.

Look at the features and start a free 14-day trial.