There are many variations of restaurant point of sale systems to suit different types of restaurants. Therefore, you should conduct a thorough assessment of your restaurant’s needs before making a decision about the best POS system in Australia. The following are features that you need to weigh up when making a decision about which point of sale system is best for your restaurant:
· Ordering options
· Integrations
· Inventory management
· Ease of use
· Security features
· Support and training
Ordering options
Your restaurant’s point of sale software should provide different options for customers to place and pay for their order, including:
· Online ordering – A POS system can integrate with your restaurant’s website so that customers can place their orders online. This will enable you to track your restaurant’s and website’s order in one system.
· Table ordering – Self-service table ordering can be done at tables to prevent the inconvenience of servers going back and forth between tables and a stationary terminal. Customers are able to order from a digital menu on a tablet placed on their table and are also able to make payments using the tablet.
Integration
Connecting your restaurant POS systems to your existing apps and systems will be similar to having one operating system for your restaurant. A few of the integrations you can make with your restaurant’s point of sale system include:
· Accountancy – Integrating your POS a system with accounting software, like Sage and QuickBooks, provides the opportunity for you to monitor your finances without the need to physically input information. This integration reduces financial reporting errors and therefore saves costs.
· Employee scheduling – The best POS systems for restaurants will have the capability of integrating with workforce management software. For example, Deputy takes away the hassle of manually scheduling your restaurant employees. When integrated with your point of sale system, Deputy helps you to control labor costs, remain compliant with relevant laws, forecast staffing needs, and much more.
Inventory management
Every type of restaurant needs a system to keep track of their ingredients. A restaurant POS systems should give you a running count of what’s selling. It should also include a feature that integrates with financial reporting to provide data about the cost of your ingredients.
Here is some additional functionality of inventory management in a restaurant point of sale system:
· Automatically re-order items.
· Notify you when items are running low.
· Work out the profit margin for menu
Ease of use
Due to the fact that your employees will be using your restaurant’s POS system, it should be as simple as possible to navigate. You must provide training to your employees to get them up to speed on your new point of sale system.
The following are indications of a point of sale’s usability:
· User-friendly interface.
· Touchscreen monitor.
· Fast response time.
Security features
Your restaurant needs to be compliant with the relevant data legislation and the best POS system will assist you in this area. Your POS system should also be capable of alerting you to possible employee theft by tracking the money that is collected.
Ideally, your restaurant POS systems will include the following security features:
· Encryption software – This feature protects the information that’s transferred when a card payment is made. POS systems should be Europay, MasterCard, Visa (EMV) enabled to help combat fraud in relation to contactless payments.
· Antivirus software – This is a requirement for any cloud-based system. Antivirus software protects yours and your customers’ information against malicious online attacks.
· Blind closeout – Helps to track all the cash that goes through your restaurant’s cash drawer. It requires your employees to reconcile the cash when they finish their shift without letting them know the exact amount that’s expected to be returned.
· Secure line – A separate and secure internet connection for your restaurant’s point of sale system is necessary to protect your data from security breaches and to keep you compliant with the Payment Card Industry requirement.
Support and training
Reviewing the level of support provided is vital when choosing a restaurant point of sale system. A POS systems Perth that experiences downtime will cause frustration to your employees and customers. Make the following inquiries with the POS system vendor to determine whether their level of service is right for your restaurant:
· Response time – Ask about their typical response times to your inquiries. Also, find out whether a 24/7 service is offered.
· Charges – Request information about whether there are charges attached to supporting the POS system. If there are charges, review the terms and conditions to find the exact amount.
· Troubleshooting – Make inquiries about what happens if your restaurant POS systems go down during a busy time. Ideally, your vendor will have technicians who can troubleshoot the issue to get your system working again.
