Abstract
This paper presents the design, development, and evaluation of a Free Android-Based Point of Sale System with Cloud-Based Data Analytics tailored for Enhancement small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) Decision-Making and Economic Growth in developing economies. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are critical to economic growth and poverty reduction in developing countries (Henryanto et al., 2025a) (Gherghina et al., 2020a). In many emerging markets, SMEs contribute up to 40% of GDP and is the source of the majority of the jobs, yet they face significant constraints such as limited access to finance and basic record-keeping (“World Bank,” 2019). (Cusolito & Safadi, 2016). To address these challenges, we propose a digital solution that will have a lightweight system that will allow data recording and retrieval in real time offline and integrate with a powerful cloud base system by synchronization that will provide insights that will help in decision making process. Importantly, SMEs could continue operations seamlessly during network outages, addressing a major gap identified in prior work (Prasetyo et al., 2023a). The system architecture leverages distributed mobile device and server-side services to streamline and automate tasks like item registration, payment processing, and stock monitoring. We implemented a prototype and conducted functional testing and user evaluations. Results show high reliability and usability: for example, user surveys rated system usability an average of 4.70/5 and reliability 4.64/5 (Panganiban & Bermusa, 2020), indicating strong positive reception. Our findings suggest that cloud and mobile devices can substantially enhance SME operations and resilience by improving efficiency and data accuracy(Fiberesima & Utulu, 2022), (Martins et al., 2019). These results demonstrate that an affordable offline-capable POS can significantly improve operational efficiency and data accuracy for SMEs, supporting increased sales continuity and business insight. We conclude by discussing lessons learned and outlining future enhancements, such as multi-device sync and integration of local languages.