Not so long ago, POS systems were merely an upscaled cash register, but software programming evolved, and POS system today are a full-grown operating world. Installing such system in your restaurant will greatly change the way your operate your business on a day-to-day basis. Upgrading to a new Point-of-Sale for your business can be intimidating as the number of offers is getting greater by the day. It can seem overwhelming. Choosing the features that are essentials for your company is the first step. Here are 5 key features you should consider:
A normal POS system will grant you access to many records, like sales or inventory, however, in our modern times, you may need to access that information whenever and wherever, and this is when mobile functionality is important. So do check with the supplier if the data (all or partial) is stored in the cloud for faster and easier access. Restaurant managers are on the move, they cannot be pinned down in their office to view and analyse important data. They need to be able to access their business anytime, and anywhere.
Most programs on the market will offer you your current and past sales, they will probably turn it into a nice graph or pie chart for better visualization, yet, with all the information collected from your terminals and other iPads, well engineered software can go way beyond these simple illustrations. Now, you can see which products performs best in certain periods, which combined series products are most demanded, the rotation of stocks and so much more. If combined with a loyalty program you can even measure the impact of a gender on certain goods.
When installing a POS system, there are actually 2 very distinct parts: the software and the hardware. Most providers sell their software, this is the most important and relevant aspect of the system; this is where companies make their money, on they know-how and engineering skills. The hardware, on the other hand is secondary, though crucial in terms of efficiency. Your software provider either has material in stock or has a lits of potential suppliers in town. Nevertheless, do make sure that you can easily and flawlessly upgrade your monitors, printers and mobile device at any point in time, moreover, ensure you can expand the system without having to reconfigure the whole programme. You don’t want to jeopardize your operation on the count that the OS is up for maintenance.
Your system may be sparkling with various features and widgets, but it won’t mean much if your customers’ payment information isn’t entirely safe and secured. Any POS that allows direct payment comes with a threat.
First, check the industry standards and government regulations regarding online security. Then again, most financial transaction are actually operated on the bank’s secured server, so you need to work with a bank that has a clean record, in terms on online translation. To be safe, your POS system should refrain from storing any bank or card information, that way your outlet will remain out of arms way.
